Birth story - Nikitta and baby Milani

I just wanna start off by saying THANK YOU. Without hypnobirthing my anxiety was going to get the better of me and birth was going to be a dreaded scary experience but doing the course made me mentally ready to birth my baby because I spent months preparing my mind for what was to come, truly believing that I was more than capable of giving birth and that my body was designed to do it!

I had loads of affirmations around the house, my faves being:

"My baby will come when my baby is ready" and "my surges cannot be stronger than me because they are me"

So, on Monday 14th in the afternoon (3 days before my due date) I went for a scan which my midwife arranged. I was told that baby's growth had slowed down and she was not plotting on the growth chart where she should be, they told me this was likely due to my placenta no longer working and so the best course of action was to be induced.

The consultant told me I could stay at the hospital and we'd start the induction that day, or they could induce me in the morning.

Using my BRAIN I got all the info I needed and my instincts told me to wait until tomorrow.

Fast forward to 7.30am the very next day (Tuesday 15/06) I started having contractions naturally.

I got in the bath, played my affirmations on speaker and started timing my contractions.

I laboured at home for as long as I felt I could. I had lavender oil on a flannel and just kept deeply inhaling it. I used a boots tens machine and had my earphones in listening to PBC audios/affirmations I was on my birth ball, on the dining chair sat backwards, I just kept moving around seeking positions that worked for me. I completely went into a zone and focused on my breathing

Focused on "Inhaling peace and exhaling tension" I told myself...

"Relaxing my mind, relaxes my muscles"

We got to the hospital around 11.30am. I had gas and air and the midwife knew I was hypnobirthing and offered me no other pain relief as stated on my birth preferences.

They were monitoring baby's heartbeat so I was all strapped up but lay on my side with the bed slightly elevated. I was conscious of not wanting to be flat on my back and having gravity work with me in a UFO position. I still had the lavender flannel, earphones in, tens machine, still very much focused and in my zone of relaxation and deep breathing.

The midwife examined me and told me I was 8cm dilated and going to have my baby that afternoon!

I know I went in with a positive mindset but I never in a million years thought things could progress as quickly as they did! Sure enough at 2.24pm I gave birth to our baby girl Milani Patricia.

She weighed 6lbs 9oz and had the most alert eyes I'd ever seen on a newborn baby lol. I am so in love with her little face!

I had 3rd degree tears which are still healing.

I can't look back at my birth and say it wasn't painful, it was, but it was a pain I was more than capable of managing and enduring. I'm in no rush for baby no.2 though 😂

Again thank you for all you do to help us have the births we aspire for 💜