You're in for a real treat reading this birth story. I met Katie and Tom about half way through their pregnancy, and we worked together doing a private Hypnobirthing course. Katie had a very clear vision of what she wanted from her birth experience - and she has been kind enough to share how it all played out. Enjoy!
" I knew from the moment I found out I was pregnant that I wanted to give birth at home in the water. Hypnobirthing was recommend to us by family members and I followed Terri’s account for a while and felt that Terri’s personality/style was suited to both me and Tom.
I woke up at 4:30am with a heat like sensation in my pubic bone area, I was lying on my right side which I normally never sleep that side so I just turned over and thought nothing of it. 10 minutes later I felt another warming sensation again I just thought my body was adjusting to me moving and the sensation returned another 10 minutes later and from then I knew I was in labour. I woke up Tom and told him that I thought I was in labour, to which we both agreed it was far too early and I needed to go back to sleep. But me being way too excited at the thought that our baby girl could be on the way I went downstairs, had some toast and the surges were coming very regularly between 8-12 minutes lasting 30 seconds. I went back to bed around 7am and I was able to get some sleep until about 8:30am. When I woke up I was still having regular surges I decided to text Terri and let her know. I remember this part of labour can be quite long for first time mums so went about our day as normal. Collected a Tesco’s click and collect and by midday I said to Tom it could be braxton hicks as nothing really seemed to be happening and I also felt no pressure, had no waters breaking and my plug was still intact. We even did a belly casting kit about 1pm in the afternoon. Tom was great and was keeping me fed with snacks and hydrated.
At 4:30pm 12 hours since the start of labour I was getting impatient I felt I was making no progress, I decided to walk around, play some music, we both enjoyed this having a dance. As soon as I stopped moving my surges would go back to every 10 minutes so I remained lightly active and this is when my surges came two in 10 minutes. We called the midwives to let them know I was in labour about 5:30pm and we would require them later on. After this phone call my surges increased in intensity and were lasting longer, I was still having two in 10 minutes. I found leaning over my chest of draws or on my knees leaning on the bed helpful and Tom was using a light touch technique on my back. We tried to use a tens machine however I did not experience any back pain and I just found it didn’t really help.
At 7pm we thought it was best I get in the pool as my surges were now much more intense, getting in the pool was so amazing. Me and Tom worked through the surges together, I was quite vocal now using noise to focus throughout my surges. Me and Tom cuddled through each surge. We called the midwife when I was getting 3 surges in 10 minutes which was around 8:30pm and she arrived at 9pm, she read through my birth plan and then asked me if I wanted a vaginal check which I declined and said I would ask if I wanted one, she then sat quietly at the table. By 10pm another midwife arrived, I was very much in the zone by this point and was focused mainly on Tom so I really had no idea what was going on around me.
My surges were now very intense I felt as thought they were now overpowering me and I started to struggle I lost focus and felt I could no longer go on. Tom was incredible at this point giving me love physically holding me and reassuring me Terri said this would happen. On reflection I was well and truly in the transition stage. By 11pm I asked for some gas and air, which really had taken the edge off for me, I think by 11:30pm my surged changed right at the end my body started to bear down, it was so strong! I stopped using the gas and air then and focused on this part of labour.
From then I transitioned into the bearing down phase of labour, my body was literally just bearing down and pushing I had no control and my body was doing what it needed to do. After I had been bearing down for an hour the midwife became intrusive of my zone and wanted to check that I was fully dilated (even though they had already told me there was signs I was 10cm) and she could do this in the pool, she got herself ready to perform this task and Tom had to step in and say no wait she hasn’t answered you yet. Tom gave me some encouragement/positive affirmations that again I didn’t need this and I knew my body and I declined the vaginal check again. I was told they would need to start to see baby’s head in the next two surges…I was so determined that by the 3rd surge my waters broke, from then I could feel her head descending down!
I felt incredibly powerful and knew that I was going to meet my baby very soon. I beared down with my body following it’s lead and my baby moved down smoothly stretching my perineum beautifully so I had no tears, once her head was born Tom jumped in the pool and with my next surge she was born into the water. Tom caught her and put her on my chest, the midwife also helped at this point as she thought baby was trying to take a breathe, so they lifted her together. We spent some time in the pool together and I then wanted to get out after about 30 minutes. We then rested on the sofa taking in our little girl and after 45 minutes Tom cut the cord, the cord was white and had stopped pulsating. Tom then had skin to skin with Hallie upstairs, whilst I tried to get my placenta out, which I struggled with so the midwife helped me.
Me and Tom have been in amazement since she’s been born, she is so incredibly beautiful, just perfect in every way! Me and Tom really had the best experience. Tom was absolutely amazing throughout labour, he gave me so much strength and energy, we really worked as a team! You really have given us the best experience of our lives through hypnobirthing, thank you so much Terri, xxxx"
Hypnobirthing can support and build on a positive birth mindset. Often people come to me with a lot of fear to release and unlearning to do, and my course can really help overcome barriers, however Katie is a great example of how Hypnobirthing can beautifully support an already positive belief of birth. No matter where you are in your pregnancy and your mindset, my Hypnobirthing course can be a real gamechanger. If you'd like to find out more, grab a place on my next free Hypnobirthing taster session on the 5th December at 10am on Zoom. Click Here to grab your place.
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