Maya’s Positive Induction Birth Story
Previous Birth Experiences
When I found out I was pregnant with my third baby, I began to think back to my previous two births.
The first I put down to total ‘luck’ that it had gone as I had hoped. No medical interventions, water birth, back to back baby so long labour for straight forward. I felt like I went into that birth with the attitude of ignorance is bliss, knowing the basics around pain relief and my birthing options, but otherwise, ‘winging it’!.
My second birth wasn’t quite so straight forward and caused me a lot of anxiety afterwards. This continued right up to the day I found out I was expecting our third daughter.
Finding Hypnobirthing
It was around this time that I got talking to a another mum in my middle daughter’s gymnastics class. She had mentioned Hypnobirthing and highly recommended her teacher – who she raved about. I didn’t know a huge amount about Hypnobirthing, but really liked what I had heard. I asked her to put us in touch and reached out to Leanne via instagram.
Leanne suggested we talk on the phone. We chatted about my previous births and what I wanted from this birth. I knew immediately this was what I needed and decided to book myself and my husband onto a private course. Given the pandemic and the fact that Leanne and I lived just over an hour from each other, all our sessions were to be virtual. Leanne also very kindly accommodated the hours that worked with my husbands job too.
Our Brighter Birthing Hypnobirthing Course
The classes were a balanced mix of actually learning about what happens during the birth, leading up to it and the importance of wonderful oxytocin – so the biology side. I thought I knew all about this, but I learnt so so much more! This was also the aspect of things that my husband learnt a huge amount about. In turn, this helped him engage a lot more with this pregnancy and the birth.
We spoke about my previous births and Leanne suggested doing a Birth Reflections session, which I was able to get from the hospital where I had my middle daughter. It allowed me to read in detail what happened during my previous labour and why things happened as they did. This helped hugely with my anxiety surrounding that labour and my pending one.
We covered what the role of my husband George would be, something that we had never fully considered before. This session was beyond invaluable. My husband now had a huge part to play. He felt much more knowledgeable going into this birth, more important, more useful and in turn, that helped my hugely.
My Positive Induction Birth Story
This is our story, as with many birth stories, mine didn’t go to plan!
It was exhausting, I’m not going to lie!!
I’d had couple of membrane sweeps booked before my induction. I had hoped these would get things moving a little, but our little girl had other ideas. I felt pretty chilled about it all, although I was obviously hoping to get things started before my induction.
At 41+6 days, I had reduced movements, so the hospital advised I should go in to be induced. This wasn’t a route I wanted to go down. Although Leanne had discussed positive induction birth in her classes, I had also heard horror stories about hormone drips etc. However, I knew this was for the best. So we sorted childcare and off we went. I thought we’d go straight in, get the induction process going and have our little girl that day. I was very wrong!
Pregnant in the Pandemic
We weren’t the only people who decided to get pregnant during a pandemic! So the hospital was insanely busy, there was a queue of pregnant people going in to have their babies. When we eventually got a room, I was told I wasn’t even 1cm and my waters couldn’t be broken. So, I was given these little rods called Dilapan which I had never come across to try and help dilate me.
It was at this point all our Hypnobirthing practice came in. I was advised to try and get things going with the help of the Dilapan. Keep the oxytocin up etc. So, I began to listen to my Hypnobirthing tracks. They were such a comfort to me after months of listening to them. Surrounded by other women in similar situations to us, I was able to just disconnect from the craziness around me and focus on my baby – relaxing and picturing her coming into the world soon.
Keeping my Mind Focussed
As the hospital was so busy, even though I got to the point where my waters could be broken, there were no appropriate rooms. Finally, nearly three days later, it was our chance. Again, the tracks were what kept me going for those three days. Even before anything happened and the mental battle was so hard just not knowing when, listening to the Hypnobirthing tracks helped so much to keep me calm, keep the positivity going.
Finally my waters were broken. They gave me 12 hours to try and get my contractions going. At this point I was exhausted, mentally more than anything. I honestly don’t think I would’ve got through those 12 hours through the night without the breathing Leanne had taught us, the visualisations, the hypnobirthing tracks.
My Incredible Birth Partner
I also wouldn’t have coped without George. He was completely involved. He knew all the right things to say, he just kept me going and we felt like such a team. George was as involved in this as I was, which was very very different from our past birthing experiences. It really felt like we were both in it together. I just walked and walked while listening to the tracks. I think without them I would’ve just lost my mind!!
The time finally came to be moved to the labour ward where I was given a hormone drip and things really got going. I kept my headphones in and just listened to those tracks the entire time. In that room with George and our incredible midwife, I remained completely focussed. Breathing through the contractions, blowing them away (which was our way of looking at them!).
I felt I coped so much better this time. Remembering that each surge was going to bring us closer and closer to our baby. Knowing what was physically going on inside my body during each contraction helped with the visualisations too.
Intensity Builds
I found the drip very intense and it felt like we went from 0-100 very quickly. However, my memories of the actual birth are still so clear and I still feel like it was honestly the most amazing experience.
As intense as it was with the hormone drip, the birth was completely incredible. I was standing up and little Maya came out in two pushes. Seriously amazing! It was so difference from my middle birth. I felt in control the whole time, safe – like I was in this with George. So empowered! It was just incredible and I honestly put this down to doing Hypnobirthing.
We will be forever grateful for Leanne, for all her support and guidance. I really mean it when I say we couldn’t have done it without her!!
I kept thinking how I thought our story would be a good example of how Hypnobirthing can still be so so useful even when not having a ‘typical’ birth. A positive induction birth is possible.
I’ll be recommending Leanne to any of my friends who want to try out Hypnobirthing 🙂
xx