The Birth of Hugo
Hi Abby – it was amazing!!
As you know I was overdue and had been having off and on surges for quite a long time, I had had a check on Saturday last week and had been 3cm dilated but was not in labour. I had agreed to a stretch and sweep and was due to have a full bio check on the 17th but had refused any other type if induction or intervention unless there was an explicit risk to my baby.
But baby knew best!
On 17th October Hugo arrived into the world 41+6 days after his NHS due date and 17 days after the date I think is the accurate due date and it was an absolutely remarkably perfect intervention free birth.
I dreamt my first surges. Or at least had been incorporating them into my dream until they got strong enough and close enough to wake me fully, (I had been dreaming I was trying on baby slings that kept fastening too tight) I was already having them 5 minutes apart and lasting over a minute at this point of waking, so I knew it was close, so having just woken at 3.30 I called my mum who was travelling from Leeds, she was joining me and Tim as a birth partner and her partner was looking after my 2 girls. I then called the Birth Centre at, my mum arrived at 4ish, got to midwife led unit at 4.30am and they already had birthing pool all ready as my surges had got to every three minutes whilst on the phone to them. I was so relieved to get to the there and see the pool as things had progressed so quickly, I was beginning to worry we might not make it.
As I was assessed and climbed into the pool Tim had put out twinkling tea lights, I was so relaxed. It was nice to discover how far along I was, at 7cm at time of arrival, during the birth I felt very serene whilst listening to my favourite music which I had made into playlists, I had one for active labour, one for birth and one for deep relaxation, it was so quick we only had time to put the birth playlist on, which was full of beautiful songs and I continually reminded myself to soften, relax and work in partnership with my baby to remain as calm and make it as easy for him and me as possible, I needed only the birthing pool and lavender oil on a flannel with as aromatherapy, Tim read a relaxing meditation from the book you gave us to descend into a relaxed state and at times my Hypnobirthing affirmations were re read to me by my mum.
My mum had to reassure the midwives that I was progressing but might not be showing it as I certainly would not be screaming etc. I was then was given gas and air for last 10mins as I felt the baby in the birth canal. The midwives got the mirror to do a check to see how far along I was and couldn’t believe they could see the head as I breathed my baby out, my waters broke soon after the urge to push started, but I tried to slow things down and breathe as I had discussed on the course and as soon as my water went the baby quickly followed, my mum didn’t have time to get round to the other side of the birthing pool before Hugo had arrived with no fuss at 5:30am weighing 9lb 5 and a half ounces.
He floated to me and I lifted my son out of the water and held him close as we shared skin to skin contact and enjoyed undisturbed time together waiting for the cord to stop pulsing and for the third stage, a Perfect Hypnobirthi! After a natural third stage delivering one huge placenta, Hugo went straight to the breast and fed for over an hour.
When he arrived he was the most Laid back and chilled out babies that some of the staff had known, everything went exactly to birth plan, better than I could have ever hoped, I feel incredibly lucky.
His excited sisters came to visit after their breakfast and were delighted to meet their adorable brother. Thank you so much for the course and your advice and support, I had already had two successful drug free positive Hypnobirthing experiences using cd’s but after deciding to use your course as a refresher for the third it made it just as miraculous but even more chilled, I felt even more in control and Tim and my mum were able to feel they both had positive roles, the only people who felt they hadn’t done so much were the midwives!
When I thanked them for their support they said it had been amazing experience but said the only thing they had had to do was watch! They were shocked by how easy it had seemed and couldn’t believe how calm I was and how brilliantly it had gone. They had really respected everything in my birth plan, other than at my arrival when I gave consent to an internal check to see where we were, the only other checks were of baby’s heart rate in the water and looking that once with the mirror and I hadn’t had to leave the birth pool for anything during labour, they just kept it at perfect temperature.
Following the birth no stitches were required and the plan was that I should be discharged at 11:30am, Hugo had great test results including 100{64448e0dc17f4a1d6c6625b0d46ceb7e37df68e0d0f53650f5ba61c682292748} oxygen readings, perfect heart rate etc but as it happened we needed to await some blood test results for iron and anti d which took longer to be returned than expected but we were home with our newest addition in time for dinner less than 12 hours after delivery.
This is definitely the most wonderful experience I could have had, in fact it is better than even I could have imagined a birth could be and my first two were amazing!
Nicola and Tim, Halifax
