"My birth to Max was quite possibly one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I was under complete control for the whole labour, which couldn't have been more different from my first labour and birth to my other beautiful little boy Jack. Traumatic is what they called the first birth, to the point that I was not even sure I could cope with going through another.
But after convincing myself that two births are never the same, my partner and I decided to try for another child, unknowingly then who was to be my little angel Max. I was fine for the first month or so of my pregnancy, sick and all that, but not worried about the birth. Things started looking pretty grim from when I was around four to five months pregnant. I started feeling really anxious about what was to lie ahead of me.
Knowing Jo from the aqua natal class I joined when I was pregnant with jack, I spoke to her about HypnoBirthing. I was completely amazed that she had her baby with no pain relief and no negative thoughts. I was pretty much willing to try anything at that point though, I was under the impression that I had better do something or I will completely fall apart, making it dangerous for my unborn baby and me.
Around 27 weeks I started my HypnoBirthing classes. Even after two weeks of classes and talks with Jo, my fears and bad memories of my last birth started to fade. My perception changed from feeling that my body had failed on my last delivery, to realising that some things that went wrong, was caused by my fear of childbirth itself.
At no time in my labour with Max did I panic. From the minute I realised my surges had started, which could have been around 4 to 5 o clock in the morning. I had a shower and got all my things ready for going up to the hospital. Then when I knew everything was all at hand, I played my affirmations on my iPod and lay in bed resting. I timed my surges and breathed with them with the occasional thought, this really does not hurt. It all felt so natural and right. At around 10.30am my surges were about 6 minutes apart and I just knew that I was ready to go up to the hospital.
My partner and I left the house at 11am and the surges kept coming strong and fast. Still attached to my iPod I walked up to the maternity ward desk approx. 11.20am and said that my surges are about 2 to 3 minutes apart. They got me into a bed to examine me when my waters broke. I was 8 centimetres dilated and ready to meet my little man. Three surges later still breathing and in complete control Max arrived at 11.42am. We did not even make it to the labour ward. The midwife and doctors just could not believe how quick and easy it all was, I just remember them saying as I was wheeled past the desk with my baby in my arms, 'I wish all of the births happened like that'. I thought to myself then, they can be, if new mums just realised that it IS the reason for being made up the way we are, and how special and fortunate we are for being given the breathtaking ability to have a baby. "
At 9.30pm I went to hospital after having surges at home for a few hours. I was examined by my midwife and was told I was 2cm dilated. After 30 minutes I noticed that the baby was moving downwards and I was examined again and was told I was 5cm dilated!
I went into the birthing pool and received gas and air but I was taken off it as it stopped my concentration and I was doing better without it. Just doing the breathing during surges was absolutely amazing. I was concentrating only on my breathing technique with each surge.
I had to be removed from the birthing pool when meconium was detected after my waters broke. However I soon after gave birth in the delivery suite and received no medication. My baby boy was born weighing a healthy 8lbs 14oz at 2.20am. The umbilical cord was wrapped around him and his neck, therefore he was taken to Special Care Baby Unit because of the lack of oxygen he received.
The midwife said it was a good thing I did not receive medication during labour because this may have slowed down baby's descent . Also the short labour and quick birth I had really lessened further chance of distress during birth for my baby so there was no need for medical intervention, which I am very pleased about.