I am so thankful we did the Hypnobirthing course with Shari!
Our Birth Story of Tilly Anna
I would like to share our positive and calm birth story of Tilly Anna and I’m so proud I can, thanks to our Hypnobirthing angel Shari from Belly2Birth, my midwife Judy from Birth Centre (with midwives Frankie and Ashley), my doula Steph from Birthing from the Heart and my amazing hubby Adam.
I was in my 41st week of pregnancy, but wasn’t too worried as I was aware from all our preparation courses and readings that full term is 42 weeks and 1st babies often come some time between week 41 and 42. So I knew it’s all good.
Then early Thursday morning around 3.30 am ( I was 41 + 4 ), I went to the toilet and there were the first signs that something is happening - I had a show and started to feel period like cramping. I said to Adam I don’t think you going to work today, because I think our baby is coming. As taught by Shari, our midwife and our doula, we went back to sleep to get more rest before the big, exciting event. My period like cramping wasn’t too intense so I could drift back to sleep. In the morning Adam still went to work for a couple of hours and I was just chilling at home, breathing and feeling calm. I let my midwife know that things are happening around 9am. We received call from another midwife in the Birth Centre as mine was on her day off. I still managed to stay calm as I knew all of those the midwives have very similar approach and they are all supportive of natural and calm birth which was our goal.
Adam came home from work, we watched a movie. And my surges slowly were becoming more intense. We set up our living room, started using the birth ball and light touch massage, and soon after acupressure points on the lower back as taught in our Hypnobirthing course, to release the tension in that area. Poor Adam and my doula had to work those points for the rest of my labour (32 hours). It was helping me so much when someone was pressing those two points during the surges. Adam was trying to time my surges, I was so calm throughout them that it was hard to know when one was starting and when it was finishing. Often I would just drift off in to a little sleep once the surge was over forgetting to tell Adam it was over.
Here I was in labour, breathing through one surge at a time, having our Hypnobirthing tracks playing and I was surprisingly calm. During my pregnancy, I was wondering if I was going to freak out once labour started, but here I was and I didn’t freak out a bit, I was just really in the zone with my eyes closed and hearing Melissa’s calming voice with me
Midwife Frankie came for a visit at 2 pm, she checked my progress, I asked her not to tell me any numbers, so she didn’t. She just said we should be ready to go to the Birth centre at 6 pm or 8 pm. So we kept doing what we were doing. Our doula came at around 6pm, and kept doing light touch massage and pressure point while Adam had some dinner and a shower. My only concern was that I didn’t want to go to the Birth Centre too early, as I wasn’t looking forward to that drive in the car ( I just wanted to be on all fours so wasn’t sure how I will manage that in the car).
Some time around 8.30pm we were on our way - I was in the back of the car leaning over the back seat, so Steph ( doula) can still press the points on my lower back. Hypnobirthing tracks were playing in the car, essential oils going, and before I knew it we were at the Birth Centre.
The Rainforest room was set up beautifully, and we settled in and kept doing what we were doing, in 2 hours ( at 12 am) my progress was checked again and I had progressed, but I didn’t want to know any numbers. We kept going, everyone started to feel really sleepy and tired and my surges started to slow down. Then when I was checked again at 4am, and the midwife told us that I haven’t progressed, and it might be due to baby’s position why the surges have slowed down. She said that we can break the waters and it might restart the intensity of the surges and get things moving. Adam asked if there are any other options we can try first (thanks Shari). Rebozo massage were recommended and my doula Steph and Adam both were performing Rebozo on me during each surge. It wasn’t the most comfortable feeling but I was in my zone, Melissa’s voice, my eyes closed, breathing nice, deep, slow breath. This massage really did help to get my surges back and more regular. However, when midwife checked at 6am I was still where I was, without progress since 12am. So we decided we want to break the waters as that might get things going. Then my actual midwife Judy came in (i was so happy to see her, familiar face and fresh energy). My waters were broken and surges really got back on track. The midwife filled the birthing pool and “oh my God” it felt amazing to get in there. The next few hours I was spending in the water, Adam and my doula still working shifts on pressing those points on my lower back, our tracks playing, and I’m in the zone.
Baby’s head started crowning and yes we were getting to the pushing stage around 11am Friday morning. I still remember asking to have Hypnobirthing affirmation playing as they helped me to stay in my bubble. Then midwife got me to get out of the bath to change position a bit, using gravity to help the baby. So I was in and out of the bath a few time and then I just had strong pushing sensations outside the bath, so our little angel was born outside the water as the Earth sign Virgo :). It was the most unbelievable feeling when Adam passed me that warm, slippery baby. She felt like a little warm dolphin. For the first few minutes, we even didn’t know if it is a girl or a boy. Adam was crying and laughing at the same time and I was just in a different world - I was just smiling and was overwhelmed by emotions and so proud of what I just done! Then we checked and by our surprise it was a GIRL! :) OMG! It is a girl - I said! She was here, outside my belly and in my arms on my chest. The most beautiful and unforgettable moment ever!
We were on our way home 5 hours later and we had a fresh baby girl with us!! We all had a big, nice sleep as we all were pretty tired after our 32 hour labour adventure. When someone says - it was so long, it didn’t really feel that long for me, thanks to Shari and hypnobirthing course! I was in my zone and even asleep in between surges.
Big and heartfelt thank you to Shari from Hypnobirthing Australia for all the tools, techniques and tips you gave to prepare us for our natural, no intervention, calm and positive birth. I am so thankful we done the Hypnobirthing course, both me and Adam felt so much more empowered and able to achieve a calm and positive birth, which we can share with others and empower further as we know now it can be such a beautiful and life changing experience, thanks to my angel midwife Judy from the Birth Centre ( and Frankie and Ashley) and our doula Steph from Birthing from the Heart.
You all will always be part of Tilly’s story and that is soo very special!
Much love and thank you all so much,
Zane, Adam & Tilly Anna
To book into a Hypnobirthing Course on the Gold Coast CLICK HERE
