At 28 weeks I found out I had gestational diabetes, at 29 weeks was put on insulin and was told the most likely outcomes were induction and c section. The very opposite to what we had been aiming for.
I kept up the good eating and exercise where I could around not feeling well. I practiced the birth positions I learnt in my yoga class and in the course with Tracey. I tried to stay positive about our birth plan.
Closer to my due date the more the medical intervention started. I had to see the endocrinologist, dietician, obstetrician, every couple of days. Bub had to have more scans and test. We were told Bub was big and the head would be a issue. The warnings about interventions in labour were discussed more and more. They set a induction date for 38 weeks plus 6. They were worried about Bub. I had to visit the anaesthetist to discuss c sections and epidurals. All my hopes for a natural labour seemed to be disappearing.
The induction was set for 8/07, Bub wasn’t due until 17th. I booked in for an induction massage. I kept seeing my acupuncturist and kept practicing my breathing and yoga. I continued to walk and swim daily. I practiced meditation with the 25 ways to awaken my birthing power and your recordings. I choose some pictures that represented the birth I wanted – calm, strong, relaxed. Kel and I stopped talking about the possible pain. We started to use the words like intense when discussing the up coming labour. I spent time visualising the birth I wanted, not what I was being told could happen.
As we discussed with you at class we asked to try other forms of induction first. The first stretch and sweep gave me a few contractions but stopped. So went into hospital at 3 pm on 8/07, for the planned induction. I had my first lot of gel put in at 4 pm. They were going to do another lot of gel around 10 pm then break my waters at 8am the next day and hoped I would deliver after that. However the doctor kept talking about epidurals, the likelihood of drugs due to the length of the expected process. My midwife was with us through the planning and knew what our birth plan was. She was supportive of us trying to keep it natural however did warn about the other possibilities.
Kel and I went in prepared for a long labour. We had packed food, card games and books in the aim to try to help me focus on stuff other then the process. The first lot of gel was given at 4pm. We joked around for about 2 hours and tried to make it as fun as possible. Around 6 I started to get contractions, my midwife had left for the night not expecting anything to happen. The hospital midwives left us alone not thinking anything was happening. It was just Kel and I.
Kel and I started our birth plan. I practiced my breathing, I put on your meditations on repeat to help with my breathing. I continued to visualise the birth I had wanted.
Things started to get Intense. Kel called for help. The midwife came in and told us it was just tightenings and that i wasn’t possible to be in labour yet. Kel took control of all of the logistics and talking to the midwives. She kept the room clean, I never once saw the bed messy. Kel stopped the midwives from talking about the time or how dilated I was. She took the lead.
She allowed me to just stay focused on my body and the baby. I walked, I stretched, I used child pose. As the intensity of the contractions grew. I used heat packs, massage from Kel, breathing, hot showers and the TENs machine. I was able to listen to my body and listen to my baby and move the way it needed to to ease the intense waves. I disconnected from the process and just focused on me and what my body was saying.
I ended up having our beautiful baby girl at 10:44 pm, 6 hours after the gel. Without any drugs without and further intervention. Just through breathing and visualisation and working with Kel we were able to get the birth we wanted against the odds.
We got to do the delayed cord cutting, Kelly got to cut the cord, I was able to deliver the placenta naturally, with Bub on my belly. Then we were able to do baby lead breast feeding with a very aware and drug free little girl. It was incredible.
Kel had trouble convincing the midwife that I was about to have Bub and to call back our midwife into the hospital, due to how calm I was. They didn’t believe I could be that far a long because I was breathing through the waves and so calm and focused. Kel said I was like the lady in the video you showed us. I don’t really recall the details of it but I know I felt the intensity but knew I could deal with it.
It was the most amazing experience of my life! Thank you for teaching us the skills and teaching me to trust the power of my body. The whole labour my mantra kept going over and over in my head – my baby and my body know how to do this. I just have to give them the chance.
Thanks to your classes I was able to take my overly conscious mind out of the equation and let my body and baby take the lead. Less then 24 hrs later I was back at home with our daughter and Kel, starting on the next stage of our journey. My body and mind ready for the next steps.
Thank you so much!