On the night of 19th August I woke with pains in my tummy. Thinking I had a tummy ache I got up and went down stairs for water. I bounced on my ball and started to feel surges in my lower back. These surges were 10 mins apart but they only lasted for around an hour. So off I went back to bed.
On Saturday 20th I woke to a small trickle running down my leg and knew something was definitely happening.
Excitedly we decided to go for a Japanese curry with some sushi all the while I was there the staff were convinced I was going to go into labor and so kept fussing over me. For the past week I had been eating endless amounts of egg plant, pineapple, dates and raspberry leaf tea. We had our lunch and waddled around Mirdif City Centre after.
Around 8pm the surges started up again but were far apart between 20 min to half an hour. We watched a few stupid movies until I told my husband to start applying counter pressure on my knees and lower back as Jasmine had taught us. Things progressed but the pressure in my back was becoming more intense so with the help of my husband I had a hot shower followed by a bath.
By this point surges were 3 min apart and had been for two hours. We decided it was time to leave for Al Zahra hospital a 40 min journey that felt like an eternity.
On arrival I was whisked to the hypnobirth room and was attached to a monitor for half an hour. I had an internal examination and asked not to be told how far I was ( later I discovered I was only 2cm). After the check, I stripped of my clothes and walked over to the giant birth pool.
After two hours in the pool the pressure in my back was becoming stronger and my bodies natural expulsion started to push baby out.
At this point I tried gas to help with the pressure in my lower back but found it distracted my breathing. At this point I was very tired and wanted to go to bed in fact I demanded that I be allowed to sleep for an hour. At this point we had a power cut in the room and I felt like I needed to wee.
Turns out that was my waters finally breaking and out came my mucus plus along with it.
Me being on gas told the midwife there was a slug in the tub. After two and a bit hours the pressure was increasing and I needed my husband to use counter pressure on my back again. I was examined again and was told I was 8cm and in transition.
I kept muttering every surge brings my baby closer to me.
I got out of the tub but could not take the pressure any more I wanted a paracetamol or something to take the edge off. I was walked around to another room and I was given pitocin but I had no idea what it did.
From here the surges didn't stop they just rolled on one after another. I was offer gas but I found it very distracting and instead concentrated on surge breathing techniques and J breathing. My husband also counted down from 40 with me using the depthometer technique.
While in the other room I tried numerous different positions the best for me was leaning over the top of the bed. I don't remember much after the pitocin everything happened so fast. My body at this point was furiously pushing the baby out and not once did anyone tell me to push it happened very naturally. My midwife Bethany held a hot compress to protect me perineum from damaging as my babies head was crowning.
He was coming at such a speed the midwife was trying to push him back slightly.
He slid out into the world at 6:26am on August 21st weighing 7.7, 51cm and head 32cm. I was in a complete daze at this point, everything stopped no surges no back pressure no sound.
My baby was born quiet not a peep just very alert and looking around him.
My baby was left on the bed for a few moments while he took the last drops of blood from the placenta this was around two minutes.
My husband then cut the cord and announced it was a boy (we decided to keep this a surprise and not find out until delivery). He fed as soon as he was placed into my arms. After an hour that only felt a few minutes I was told the placenta had not delivered and that if it took any longer they would intervene.
I had no surges at this point and felt nothing at all anymore. I coughed a few times and then finally mastered up some courage to push out the placenta. It slid out in two pushes.
During this whole event my husband kept me hydrated with cold water, mints and lip balm. My only injury was to receive two stitches. I can truly say we had a great experience with our birth, Tomás was healthy and relaxed and has been ever since.
Thank you so much Jasmine for all your support and teaching us the Hypnobirthing techniques.
Charlotte x
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