Birth story - Rochelle and baby Beth

Our beautiful daughter Beth was born 00:10 in the morning Sunday 15th December 2019, after a 4 day long admission to the hospital’s labour ward.

I had a textbook pregnancy, everything went along well and no complications. I finished work in the NHS two weeks before my due date and by that time I was feeling very uncomfortable and looking forward to putting my feet up.

I began reading about hypnobirthing around my 20 week scan and starting my antenatal classes. I could not attend a weekend group because of a clash in work commitments and distance. So I signed up for the online digital pack and used it everyday before my labour. I would find time in my days at work to practice and each evening I would sit down with my husband and go through the book and the digital information. I was so positive about my labour that I stopped asking people about their horror stories about labour and just focused on visualising my baby’s birth.

The due date came and went. I wasn’t nervous about being overdue as all my hypnobirthing teaching leading up to this point had taught me not to worry about our baby being late, and I was confident my body knew exactly what it was doing.

At a week overdue, I was offered and accepted a stretch and sweep. I used my breathing to relax and I did not feel any pain or discomfort.

Eventually at 14 days overdue the discussion about induction was had. The staff were so supportive they even delayed the appointment so I could go and vote in the general election. I went to the birth centre and was given a pessary. Hours later my body started to respond and for 48 hours I had surges but no progression. All of the surges fizzled out as I became more exhausted and I just knew my body wasn’t relaxed.

I hated being in a labour ward. It was noisy and I became disheartened when women were arriving and having their babies quicker than me. I was so tired that I asked the midwife and doctor to be discharged so I could return home and have a decent nights sleep. The nurse’s response, as I was now 15 days overdue was “well if I let you go home and then you come back tomorrow and the baby is still born imagine how devastated you would be”! It was obstetric abuse at it’s finest. The doctor must have disciplined the midwife because she suggested going for a walk outside of the hospital and she would try and move things along on the delivery ward for us.

Frustrated, my husband and I went for a long walk. We got a phone call as we came back onto the ward to say a bed had opened up and we could go and have our baby now! My waters were broken and a hormone drip started at 5pm. I started to get some surges and slowly this built up. My husband set the room up with candles and scents and a playlist of our favourite tunes which reminded us of our holidays in the states.

At 9pm, after the results of Strictly Come Dancing Final were announced, I felt happy and relaxed and my surges became a lot stronger. I was offered gas and air, I was sick and I moved to labouring in a squatted position on the bed. My husband counted with me in 1-2-3-4 and out 1-2.... Freya helped and I kept repeating “my surges are not stronger than me because they are me”. I was so calm.

At 11:50 I was fatiguing so I changed position as her head was beginning to emerge. I laid on my side and with 2 more breaths my baby Bethany was born at 00:10 and weighed 8lbs 7oz! It was the most amazing feeling as she left me and was placed on to my chest.

I didn’t tear and only had a minor graze. Bethany is my first baby and I loved every minute of the labour. I rave about my labour being good and pain-free because it was! Hypnobirthing helped me to know that the pain we fear is in our own minds and my body knew what to do and how to do it. I only had the hormone drip to get me started and I am sure that because I was relaxed, happy and somewhere quiet and peaceful that my body felt ready to have our baby. I tell everyone now to try hypnobirthing!

Thank you Positive Birthing Company for your guidance!