Birth story - Sharvari and baby girl

“Birth is beautiful yet powerful, so am I”. This quote is so real for me. Pregnancy, birth and motherhood has transformed me mentally and physically. My birthing journey is something I am proud of. When I was first pregnant, I was unsure how things would proceed, doubting my ability to give birth naturally. Talking to friends and family, listening to both positive and challenging pregnancy and birth experiences, I wanted to create a positive birth experience for myself. As a strong believer and practitioner of positive affirmations from past 6 years, I started creating my own birth affirmations and practicing prenatal yoga from second trimester. While I was practicing prenatal online yoga with Lucy flow, in their online community, I saw many pregnant moms practicing and discussing about hypnobirthing. I got curious to explore about hypnobirthing. When I initially did my research, there were many hypnobirthing providers whose tuition fees were exorbitant.

While I was in 25th week, I found details about Positive Birth Company (PBC) hypnobirthing digital pack. Discussed with my husband to buy. This was a game changer. PBC course prepared us to celebrate birthing and take lot of important decisions confidently. I finished most of the videos within the first 2 weeks. The best part was practicing affirmations, breathing techniques, partner massage and guided relaxations which reduced my body pain and pelvic girdle pain to a larger extent and I could sleep well throughout my pregnancy.

Knowledge is power - In addition to hypnobirthing practices.

Me, my husband, Amith and my daughter worked like a team. I used to do most of research about pregnancy and birth, my husband used to follow my notes. There is a sea of information on spinning babies website on pregnancy and labour which truly gave us all the knowledge to achieve a natural labour. We prepared so well that we knew exactly what to do at each stage of labour . To achieve baby's optimal position (more than head down) we did rebozo and forward leaning inversion technique quite often after 30th week. Amith learnt how to do belly mapping to understand baby position. Accordingly, since 34 weeks our daughter was head down. While my daughter was head down, I started having terrible pelvic pain. Because of this I could not walk, sit or sleep properly. I paused yoga. Amith had to hold my hand to walk, put me to bed or hold me to wake-up from bed. I started feeling hopeless and worried about labour. However, I started doing guided hypnotic meditation, that is when I realized the power of meditation and breathing. Within 2 days I started walking comfortably, did light yoga stretches. Also, every night before bed, I used to do light yoga stretches, Amith used to do stroking massage while I listened to guided meditation. This was amazing. And while on bed I listened to Rama raksha stotra and relaxing music. All these made my pregnancy journey positive and empowered.

My birthing story..

I saw brown stains on Thursday 29th October around 7.30 AM and started getting period like cramps every half an hour. After 2 hours I realised these are actual surges and started timing it using Freya app and started sitting on birthing ball, walking or doing yoga stretches to keep myself active. Later in the evening Amith cooked dinner around 7 PM and after eating I felt I was hungry still and ordered yummy vegan spaghetti from Carlucious and had it around 8:30 PM. I was speaking to family and friends in-between. To buy snacks and juices to use during established labour we walked to Tesco shop around 10pm. While walking I got surges, I had to stop, do up breathing and after the surge continued walking. I had created our hall as a candle lit, beautiful space. We still had to clean and tidy the house and Amith continued cleaning and I slept for some time. By night 1.30am I had 3 to 4 contractions consistently for every 10 mins lasting for 45 to 50 seconds. Freya app said, I am in established labour. We were so excited. Called the hospital triage and midwife asked us to wait for another 2 hours, if I can't manage the pain then to come in. I did. I could manage with up breathing techniques and meditation. I started getting bit intense surge but still I could manage. Meanwhile Amith went to bathroom to do shaving He wanted to meet his daughter well groomed

By 3am I saw mucus plug and surge intensity was also more so I called hospital triage again. They told us to come. We took our neighbor's help to drop us to the hospital. Hospital is just 8 mins drive from our home I was comfortable to manage those surges with up breathing until I reach the hospital.

After reaching hospital..

Around 3.45 AM we reached the hospital. Midwife examined my vagina and said I am 1cm dilated and announced baby's head is stuck at my back and that's why I was having back pain. I also had to poop twice our body is amazing; it just clears everything before the delivery.

To ease my back pain and make labour progress midwives did side lying release and rebozo techniques and told Amith to do it at home. We were asked to come back by 9am as dilation takes time and I would be more comfortable at home which releases oxytocin. The midwives sent me home with paracetamol and codeine tablets to manage back pain at around 4.30am.

Again, our neighbor came and picked us from the hospital.

Coming home..

I started having very intense pain with each contraction after coming home. I tried to sleep between the surges initially. Amith massaged my back. He also made an arrangement to rest my head and hand using piles of pillows at a corner of our room. I could manage surges by sitting only in all 4s position (Cat position). By early morning 7:30AM I started screaming for each contraction (I am sure the whole street heard) and Amith helped me to get hot water shower. I told him to tell the midwives to come to our home instead of us going there, I thought baby may come here in the bathroom. He again called the neighbor to help us get to the hospital. Straight from the bathroom, I wore the robe and left the house. Now my surges were coming every other minute. Until we reach the hospital, I continued screaming even in the car during the surges.

Returning to the hospital..

At 7.55AM we left home and reached the hospital again. I was still screaming and whole hospital heard it seems. At 8.05am I was in the examination room. I was not allowing the midwives to check how much I was dilated. Meanwhile I bit Amith. He had the mark on his shoulder for many days

I was not in control and tossed all my training up in air and was just screaming. At that time my water broke and I felt a little relived and allowed the midwife to do the check and she confirmed to Amith that I was 10 cm dilated, she could feel baby’s hair and baby was on her way. I thought I was doing something wrong by squatting but midwife told my husband that I was doing all the right things even though I was not listening to anyone. I moaned to the midwife saying I feel like pooping.

I kept on telling her to prepare the water pool for pain management, but the midwife told me that I was progressing too fast and baby may come anytime. I was in pain and was not listening to anyone, I wanted to do water birth and asked the midwife if they could arrange it. My husband still makes fun of me that baby was on her way and I was requesting this.

I could have used gas n air, that didn’t strike my mind.

I was taken to the delivery room in a wheel chair on which I stood or sat like a goat. I continued grunting. Midwife held hot water cloth near my perineum to minimize tearing. Eventually with strong back to back surges my daughter turned and came out at 8.36am I did have 3rd degree tear below as I just wanted to push her down. for this I had to be stitched later.

We did skin to skin immediately and delayed cord clamping which was just 5mins. As my delivery was too quick and I pushed with the full pressure, the midwives suspected I would tear, they offered the injection to release the placenta and I said yes. Later they checked how big my tear was, I used gas and air, it was surreal, I did not feel any pain at all, but found that I had got a 3rd degree tear.

When I held my daughter for the first time, I felt so proud, watched her with love and confidence. I chanted Sharada stotra. I was reborn as a mother