Birth story - Helen and baby

I'd never heard of hypnobirthing when I fell pregnant and discovered this out of chance at a wellbeing festival. 

My thoughts of birth prior to discovering hypnobirthing were as per what is shown on TV, painful, dramatic and fairly negative. 

After some research in my second trimester I came across the positive birth company. 

I followed on Instagram, I followed YouTube videos and invested in the book, which was the best thing I did during pregnancy. 

This completely changed my views on birthing my baby, and my feelings towards birth changed from fear to excitement, I enjoyed finding out about how the body works and levers I could use to stay in control. 

Although I didn't have the birth I wanted or planned, overall it was a positive experience thanks to the positive birth company. 

Birth story 

At 3am Saturday morning I felt a pop inside me and minutes after I knew my waters had broken. Struggling to get back to sleep waters continued to leak through the night. 

By 8am I was having irregular contractions every 15mins of which I breathed through and got on with my day. 

I walked a lot, bounced on my ball and ate a ton of pineapple. By midnight contractions remained the same. 

Midwives at my birthing centre had advised I would need to go into hospital after 24hours of waters breaking to be induced as high risk of infection. 

I went to bed panicked at the thought of my birth being interfered with, so much so I woke up at midnight in a shivering panic and couldn't feel baby moving. We rushed to hospital in an uber with our bags packed, and were directed to the A & E area of the birthing centre. 

At this point it was 1am Sunday morning and we were waiting to see a midwife to check baby's heart beat. What felt like forever but was only 40mins later I was checked over and baby and I were fine. I was still having irregular contractions and was advised to stay in to monitor baby's heartbeat and discuss next steps if contractions didn't regulate. 

Unfortunately there were no spare rooms in birthing centre, labor ward or antenatal unit to monitor me, so I was kept in the A & E room on a checkup bed until 7 am the next morning. 

I discussed with midwives my options and because it was now 24hours after my waters had broken I had quickly changed from low risk to high risk pregnancy which meant I could not birth my baby in the pool in the birthing centre. 

I used B.R.A.I. N to question my alternative options and was being advised I would need to be induced on a drip to regulate contractions, I asked what would happen if we did nothing and was told risk would increase for me and baby. 

I came around to the idea I needed to do this to ensure we were both safe. 

At 7am still no rooms available on the labour ward however I was finally taken to the antenatal unit where I was given an area on a ward with a bed to be monitored whilst I waited. 

During this time I was determined to start regular contractions having had no sleep I climbed up and down the stairs, squated, lunged and bounced on and off for the next 18 hours whilst I waited for a space on the labour ward. 

At this point I was approaching 48 hours since waters had broken and risk of infection was increasing, with limited to no sleep for 2 days and irregular contractions this whole time I wondered how I would get through the next stage. 

Finally at 1am Monday morning I was called to go to the labour ward to begin the syntocinon drip to regulate contractions. 

The room was bright with lots of machines buzzing and screens everywhere. My two birthing partners set the room up for for me as promised, to reach all my 5 senses, I had learnt from the book, to keep me calm. Lights were switched off, mp3 positive affirmations were playing, lavender oil was in the diffuser, haribo at my side and fluffy socks were on. 

I instantly felt at ease like I was back in the zone and ready to get through this. 

The drip started and contractions came thick and fast, using up breathing, I had learnt from the book, I breathed through these contractions using my tens machine. The down stage of labour had started and I changed my breathing to down breathing and began on gas and air. 

Within 3 hours of starting the drip I birthed my baby in a calm, peaceful relaxing environment. 

We had skin to skin immediately and cord clamping was delayed. 

Although not the birth I had planned, I adapted and this marks the most positive experience/achievment in my life. 

The book has now been passed down to my best friend who is due very soon. 

Thank you!!!