Sunday, December 5, 2010

My HBAC Hypnobaby

I was 16 days past my guess date (yes, I knew when I conceived) when things finally started happening. I woke up at 11pm on Tuesday night to timeable pressure waves but was able to go back to sleep. A few hours later I woke up again and was unable to get back to sleep. I used the Hypnobabies hypnosis to relax. A few hours later I called my doula to come over. My parents came to distract my son and later in the afternoon my other doula arrived. Throughout the day on Wednesday I stayed in a steady holding pattern of pressure waves every 5 mintues but nothing was really progressing. In the evening I tearfully sent my doulas home and my parents and my son to a hotel so my husband and I could be alone and try to relax. I ate dinner, had a glass of wine, took a shower and went to bed. Just before midnight I woke up to very intense pressure waves. I called my entire birth team (midwife, assistant, doula, student doula) to come. The mood in the house was very jovial. I was in a good mood and talked with the people between pressure waves. I got in the spa we had set up in the kitchen and it felt wonderful. I tired of being in the water and got out. It was great to be in the comfort of my own home and I moved from room to room whenever I needed a change of pace. I sat on the birth ball, laid on the couch, leaned over the bed, I did whatever I wanted and whatever felt good. I ate hard boiled eggs, energy bars, and drank lots of water. The pressure waves were intense but completely manageable with the help of the hypnosis. I was really beginning to tire since it had been over 24 hours since my birthing time had begun and I had had very little sleep. I laid down in bed with my husband and we slept during pressure waves. I would wake him up to put a hot compress on my back during each wave. My midwife came in and talked to me about checking for dilation. I consented because the waves had now been about 2-3 minutes apart for a while, but were getting shorter in length. After more than 24 hours I was only at 5 cm! I had the choice to take herbs to help me sleep or homeopathic remedies to kick things into gear. I chose the homeopathic remedies and after three doses I was back on track. At some point in the early morning, I had fallen out of hypnosis and was finding it difficult to try to get back there. I chose to let go and not try. I continued to use the Hypnobabies cues and although I was no longer in true hypnosis, the relaxation techniques were priceless. I decided to get back in the spa and on the way, my water broke. It was nice and clear. I spent the rest of my birthing time in the water. I don’t remember starting to push but I do know that no one told me to do it and I didn’t make a conscious decision to push. It’s just something that I started doing. My husband got in the water with me. He straddled me and held my hands. My husband behind me and surrounded by women, I welcomed my baby out into the world. With the help of my midwife I reached down, caught my baby, and brought her to my chest. Katherine Marie was born October 14, 2010 at 10:07am. After it stopped pulsing, my husband cut the cord. I got out of the water and went to the bedroom. I nursed my baby for the first time. The placenta had not been born yet and I was not feeling any pressure waves. It had been over an hour so I asked for pitocin. I was given pitocin and after a few minutes the placenta was delivered. My midwife checked me and I had only two small tears that needed one stitch each. I took a shower, got dressed, and cozied back into bed. It was time to do the measurements. We all took guesses. I guessed 8 pounds. She was 8 pounds, 8 ounces! She was long too, measuring 22 inches! When they did the checklist to determine gestational age, she measured at 42 weeks… my dates were right! Soon after the measurements were completed, Benny arrived back home. As he cautiously approached us on the bed, a huge smile came over his face. He was curious and wanted to see the baby, but didn’t want to touch her. It was so cute. We all sat on the bed and took our first family photo. It felt so right. At about four in the afternoon, I finally settled in to take a nap with Katie. I laid in bed curled up around my baby and we fell into a very peaceful sleep.

2 comments:

  1. Beautiful birthing story...it made my eyes well up a bit. :) I hope my HBAC goes as well as yours did.

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  2. What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing it. It made my eyes too well up a bit.

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