Birth story - Lakhvinder and baby Kirpa

I’m a first time mum who gave birth during the lockdown in April 2020. I gave birth at the birth centre, it was natural with no pain relief/ intervention with surges lasting 24 hours. Hypnobirthing definitely helped keep me positive and prepared especially when the pandemic was announced just a few weeks before I was due. I also mentally prepared myself that there may be a possibility I would have to labour alone as my birthing partner may not be allowed in due to Covid.

I came to learn about hypnobirthing from my younger sister, who had given birth a few months before I conceived. She would not stop talking about how powerful and amazing she felt giving birth thanks to what she learnt from the PBC. So much so that she couldn’t wait to do it again! I was sold.

My husband and I started watching the videos from the digital pack a couple of months before I was due. We were both hooked. They were so informative and we both felt relaxed and positive.

I did pregnancy yoga until around 30 weeks and always reminded myself that baby will come when baby is ready so I wasn’t all that focused on the due date. I used the birthing ball to exercise and to sit on whenever possible to prevent me from slumping on the sofa, watched positive birth videos, made my own positive affirmation cards and drank a lot of warm milk with ghee (punjabi cultural thing) towards the end of pregnancy. I tried the perineal massage a couple of times, but had no idea what I was doing 😂

I started getting cramping like pains on Friday night around 10.30pm while trying to sleep. I started the ‘4 in 8 out’ breathing technique, which I learnt from the course. I was in and out of sleep throughout the night and then around 4am I began recording the surges on the Freya app as I realised my body was preparing. The surges were still going when I woke in the morning, but some coming after 30 minutes and some after 10. I was pretty excited at this point. I spent the day bouncing on the birthing ball, getting on all fours and trying to keep active. The surges became very intense around 7pm and I managed to have a little bit of food before trying to rest.

By 10.30pm the surges were coming every 5 minutes and lasting up to a minute at a time. I was still breathing ‘4 in 8 out‘ at every surge and I was certain that my mucus plug had come out. Although my waters had not broken, I felt that it was time. My husband called the birth centre and the midwives told us to come in.

I was so grateful and relieved my husband was allowed in with me as I’d heard stories that in some cases this was not possible due to Covid. He was an amazing birthing partner and used all the tools from the course to help me through it. He talks really highly of the course to everyone and even told the midwife how hypnobirthing should be mandatory for all going through birth!

Once we were in, the midwife started to asses how much I had dilated, however it was really uncomfortable so we had to stop. I was really worried she would tell me I’d have to go home, but she didn’t. I still don’t know to this day how dilated I was when I got there, however I believe the Freya app really helped me ensure I went in at the right time.

I breathed through the surges for another hour or so at which point I suddenly felt a whole different feeling in my body - the need to push. Pushing honestly felt like FOREVER and I almost gave up as I was super exhausted by this point. But my husband kept reminding me of the UFO positions, keeping my energy up by giving me water to sip on and repeating that we would soon be meeting our baby. Whilst I was pushing, there was a loud balloon like popping - that was my waters breaking! I couldn’t believe it!

Not long after, at 3.59am on Sunday 26 April 2020 our baby arrived and it was a girl!

I had a natural birth with only minor grazes requiring no stitches and a little princess. It was truly such a blessing!!