Andi + Alfie’s Hypnobirth

I was blessed with a relatively easy pregnancy, I did my best to stay active and fit, but found it really different being pregnant and running around with a toddler. It was just harder to put myself first and my pregnancy flew by. Yoga helped me immensely, giving me space and time to connect to my baby and start creating the mindset that I needed for birth and beyond. I went into labour at 39+3. I was walking every day and I could feel my pelvis becoming more open and uncomfortable. We went walking the morning before I went into labour, I could really feel my baby low in my pelvis and even my family could see that the way I was walking had changed. I knew something was up that same night when I needed to poo at 10:30pm (haha I’m very habitual with my toilet patterns and this was very out of the ordinary). I didn’t tell anyone but I just knew I wouldn’t be waiting long to have my baby.

I was woken at 2:30am by what felt and sounded like a rubber band pinging and snapping inside me. I lay there for some time thinking “shit what was that!”. I sat up, no water. I walked to the toilet, still no water. I went for a wee and ‘hold on a minute’… water just kept coming. I stood up; water was still coming! Yay my waters HAVE broken. I was relieved, excited and a tad apprehensive that things were starting. I woke Michael and within 15 mins from my membranes releasing, I was having regular 2-minute apart contractions (instantly strong enough to make me unable to talk). The hospital we chose to birth at didn’t have lead maternity carers, you just turned up to the hospital and got a midwife who was on that shift; and for this reason we had paid privately for a doula to ensure I had the best support. Mike phoned our doula and she helped us make the decision to head straight to the hospital (we had to drive 30mins). We got to the hospital around 3:30am, I agreed to have a vaginal exam (completely forgetting that it was in my birth preferences to decline if my waters had broken) thankfully I was 4cm dilated and was moved through to the labour ward.

After the half hour drive and entering the bright medicalised setting, I knew I had to retreat into my hypnobirthing zone, I went straight there as I knew how hard, strong and efficient my body was already working and I didn’t want it to stall or go backwards. I knew I needed to just go within to ensure my body didn’t slow down. In many ways I could have been really disappointed when I got that initial vaginal exam to assess how dilated I was. 4cm didn’t seem to match how intense my surges were, but I could compare from my last birth and I knew my body was working hard and fast. I just kept trusting and thank goodness I did because in just over 2 hours I would have my baby. My birth team set up my room much like my first birth. They put my do not disturb notice on the door, my affirmations on the walls, placed images that helped me visualise (I used a peony rose helping me to visualise my body opening and a hot air balloon to visualize my uterus muscles drawing upwards), they moved the hospital bed to the side of the room (placing a mat on the floor instead), found a birth ball, turned my birth playlist on, dimmed the lights and handed my birthing preferences to my midwife, explaining my birthing wishes. 

 I could feel the stages my body was moving through and found this comforting because I knew if I kept it up it wouldn’t take long. I kept focusing on all my affirmations, repeating them in my head - ‘my mind leads my body’, ‘the sensations are never too strong for me because they are me’. I used my surge breathing - visualising my uterus working just like it should be; strong, rhythmic, efficient. The back pain I was experiencing was unbearable at times but I had trained my mind to stay calm and just embrace each surge like a wave; coming and going. Mike and my doula helped place pressure on my pelvis with each contraction making it easier to manage. It was a very similar sensation to the birth of my daughter but I could just feel it stronger and far more intense from the get go. I was so grateful to have my doula (also a fully trained midwife) by my side. She was so nurturing and gentle. Like a mother to me who trusted wholeheartedly in my capacity to get through birth. She reminded me to stay soft and relax between my surges. At one point I vividly remember my legs being so rigid as I braced myself holding on to the hospital bed waiting for the next surge, her gentle reminder to let go encouraging me to soften and release. 

There was no break between my upward surges and pushing...they merged into one. One minute I was having the strongest surge and the next a contraction with the urge to push. It was just me, my husband and my doula in the room as my midwife was assisting another birth on the ward (there were 6 babies born within 10 mins of each other). I ended up on my hands and knees using the mat on the floor. I tried squatting like the birth of my daughter but it felt too strong and too intense. It was primitive and I couldn’t care what anyone else was doing; I knew my baby was coming and I just had to follow him. My doula could see his head and I could feel the burning sensation that came with crowning. Mike pressed the emergency button and my midwife came. I put my hand down and felt my him crowning. My midwife arrived just in time and encouraged me to slow down and to allow the next contraction to gently guide my baby out. It’s SO bloody hard to go gently once that natural expulsive reflex kicks in and you can see the finish line so close. I planned to receive my own baby but his cord was around his neck; my midwife unravelled this first and then passed him up to me. He was all covered in vernix from head to toe. My sweet little Alfie, born at 6:15am (just 2 hours after arriving on the labour ward), 3.2kg of perfection. We were undisturbed for what felt like far longer than 1-hour whilst I needed a few sutures for a second-degree tear. Alfie initiated breastfeeding easily, my placenta came physiologically and the cord was cut after it had stopped pulsating. 

I couldn’t have asked for a more empowering swift birth. I never felt fear for Alfie’s birth, I really trusted and could feel my body working effectively and knew I needed to let my body and baby lead the way.  There is certainly no guarantee with birth and so much is out of the birthing mother’s control. What I do believe we have full control over is our mind and our breath. In my mind these are a woman’s greatest tools that will support her through the twists and turns that labour and birth can throw at us. Birth is about two people (mother and baby) working together at peek performance. I believe it requires a premium package: trust, intuition, willingness to surrender, a positive mindset, unwavering support and a safe undisturbed environment. No matter where or how you birth your baby, I believe if you’re in control and following your instincts it WILL be the most positive and empowering day of your life. I want to do it again, someone slap some sense into me now would you!