Nicola’s first birth.
A Christmas baby while the snow was coming down.
I love how Nicola connects with her unborn baby in this story. Letting him know that she was ready to meet him if he was ready to be born.
Also that she does a run to M&S to stock up on food instead of just staying at home and waiting for her surges to start after her waters had broken.
You will also see how consent for vaginal examinations is being asked for as opposed to just offered and given. This is important as Nicola’s waters had already gone and this can lead to an increase in the chances of infection.
Nicola had to work with her baby boy for the last couple of hours for him to be born but her hypnobirthing breathing and techniques as well as her strength of mind kept her going.
A lovely birth story…
I wanted to let you know our amazing news - our little angel arrived 8 days early on Sunday evening at 10.20pm.
I wanted to share our story as I know you love to hear them and also in case you want to share with other couples.
On Thursday and Friday nights last week whilst in bed I felt what I can only describe as a ‘burrowing’ feeling and I felt like the baby was trying to move down. I had only had my 38 week check 3 days earlier when I was told that his head was down but not fully engaged (I was fine with that as still had near enough 2 weeks to my ‘due’ date). I started to feel slightly uncomfortable towards the end of the week and I had a “conversation” with the baby on the Saturday and told him that I was ready to meet him when he was ready too.
Sure enough on Sunday morning when I got up to make a cup of tea, my waters broke. I called St George’s as was advised if waters break to let them know. They invited me in to have a check and monitoring. We were happy to do this so off we went to the Carmen Suite. When we got there I was asked if it was ok to monitor myself and baby for 20 mins. Again, we were fine with that and all was ok. We were told we could go home but that we would provisionally be booked in for an induction at 9am on the Monday morning if labour hadn’t progressed in the meantime. I wasn’t happy with that but understood why and hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
Anyway, we left the hospital and whizzed off to Southfields to do a shop at M&S and Cook (I was meant to stock the freezer this week so had nothing in!). I was also desperate for a coffee so nipped into Starbucks. On the way home, the surges started.
We got home at around midday, I unpacked the shopping, had a shower and blow dried my hair. The surges were definitely coming more intensely and more regularly. Steve lit the candles in the sitting room and put the TV on where I was on all fours trying to remain relaxed and calm as the surges continued. I then headed to the loo where a stayed for a while and by this stage the surges were 3 in 10 at about 2.30pm.
Steve called the hospital and they said to come in. Sunday was obviously the day it snowed in the afternoon so we found ourselves in the surreal experience of driving to hospital in the snow whilst I was continuing to have surges. We got to the hospital and I was examined which I consented to and was 4cm dilated. Unfortunately one of the bath pools was out of action and the other room was occupied with a mother who had delivered earlier. They said they would move her and get it ready for us ASAP.
By 4pm I was climbing into the warm water and it felt amazing! The surges continued and Steve put on our hypnobirthing music. I laboured in the pool with gas and air (which Steve administered to me) and then at around 7pm, I felt the need to start bearing down. I pushed for a good hour but with no progress (they couldn’t see the baby’s head). The midwife asked if I could get out of the pool and go to the loo, and have an examination. I wasn’t keen to be honest but I tried, and failed, I just couldn’t be out of the water. She suggested to Steve that we stop with the gas and air as she felt I maybe ‘distracted’ by it and not so focussed on the pushing.
Anyway, having stopped the gas and air, I then pushed from 8pm and then he finally arrived at 10.20pm. The transitioning was by far the hardest and most painful part. My breathing massively helped and the midwives were very impressed with how I was breathing.
I was able to stay in the pool with him for some cuddles in the water and then got out to birth the placenta. This came naturally 40 mins after delivering and was the most amazing feeling of relief when it was delivered.
The three of us were then left alone for quite some time, Steve was able to have skin to skin whilst I had a cup of tea and a flapjack - best tea ever (and I remember you saying that to me!).
We were discharged the following day so within 24 hours of entering the hospital, we were walking out with our baby boy!
Our little bundle is just perfect and we are both so in love.
Thank you for all your words of wisdom and being part of our journey in preparing us for what was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life but also the best and biggest achievement.
Hope you all have a fabulous Christmas. We certainly have the best early Christmas present ever!
Want to learn hypnobirthing with us? Don’t forget that we have a full Online Antenatal Hypnobirthing Class that you can follow in your own time anywhere around the world. It is only £39/$49.
The Online Hypnobirthing Course
We also teach antenatal hypnobirthing classes in London in person with our One Day Group Hypnobirthing Class.
In-person Antental Hypnobirthing Group Class
If you’d rather prepare for your labour and birth solo with Melanie you can do so in the privacy of your own home in person if you live in London or via the Zoom platform wherever you are around the globe.
Private Antenatal Hypnobirthing Classes