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Mindy DeGraffenried, 5th-time mom, home birth

Jack's Birth Story

This was my fifth baby but first home/water/hypnobaby.  My pregnancy was wrought with depression and anxiety.  I was told by many to just go with what I knew and stick with the hospital.  It was believed that I wasn't strong enough to handle a natural home birth.  I put my heart and soul into making it work out.  Everything related to natural birth and positive stories that I could get my hands on was devoured!  It felt like my longest pregnancy because my every breath was for my baby.  In the past, I would try to go on with life and let the pregnancy pass quickly.  This time, I learned all I could and paid attention to every detail.  Regardless of the need to medicate my anemia, depression, anxiety and group B strep, I was determined to have my home birth.  When my baby presented himself breech at 38 weeks, my midwife gently and casually turned him around.  I didn't even have to worry about c-section because it went so quickly and so well.  The Lord was definitely on my side.

My husband and I took the Hypnobabies course from the wonderful Laura Lund.  We made some dear friends and had a fabulous time.  I realized for the first time in my life that I had no clue how to relax.  The skills I learned will be tools I plan to utilize my whole life!  Our last class came at my 37 week mark.  I was ready to go.  Too bad my baby wasn't.  As each week passed, I wondered if my pregnancy would actually end!  During my 40^th week, some very stressful things in my life came up and I was so grateful that I wasn't in labor or caring for a newborn.  When that stress was ironed out, I was ready again!  Silly me.  During a moment of depression, I found an email from a friend in my Hypnobabies class that lifted my spirits.  She was due the same day I was and also had no sign of progression.  I suggested that if we hadn't had our babies by the next Wednesday, we should go to dinner.  How that changed my perspective!  (great thing to do if you're over your guess date!)  All of a sudden, I wanted my baby to stay in, just a little longer!  My husband felt the same way.  He had been telling our baby to come out and now he was asking him to stay in!  On Tuesday night, we received a call saying that my friend's water had broken.  I was happy for her but devastated that I didn't have my baby or the dinner date.  I waited to hear how her birthing time went but instead was told that nothing was happening and she wanted to go out!  We had a wonderful evening together.  When we came home, I was ready, again.  I had some different feeling birthing waves and thought-maybe?! 

That night, I decided that since the next day was my husband's birthday, we would celebrate and help move things along. ;)  It worked beautifully!  My pressure waves started coming every 10 minutes.  For about an hour I tried to rest.  I listened to a Fear Release for a little while but the intensity picked up and I needed to get out of bed.  I sat on my birthing ball and draped over some pillows.  I asked my husband to time them for me but he kept falling back to sleep.  After only a short time, I knew this was it.  I got him up and had him get the pool set up.  During that time, my pressure waves felt pretty sporadic.  Since it was 2:00 in the morning and I figured I had some time, I didn't want to wake anyone yet.  My husband read a few prompts to me then started to improvise while he finished preparations.  I felt it was time to call in the troops.  My pressure waves were totally tolerable but they were coming very close together.  Because I was tested positive for GBS, I knew I needed to do a Hibiclens wash at the beginning of my birthing time and every 4 to 6 hours afterwards.  My husband called our midwife and she gave us the directions.  Then he called my sister-in-law, mom and sister.  My sister-in-law lives very close to us so she was the first to arrive-thank goodness.  I was using the bathroom while my husband was making the calls and when I came out, he asked if I wanted to get in the pool.  I stepped in and an intense pressure wave hit.   I cried out for help because I felt like something major was happening and I didn't have any control.  My sister-in-law walked in at that moment and said, "This baby is coming soon!"  She has had five at home so she knew what she was talking about!  No one else, including my midwife, had made it yet.  My husband checked to see if the baby was crowning.  Sure enough, my bag of waters was right there and the baby's head was an inch beyond that.  With the next wave, I couldn't help but push with all my might.  It was absolutely amazing to feel my baby's head and know that if I pushed just a moment longer, I would find reprieve in his neck.  My sister-in-law said that he was posterior and watched as he turned when I pushed his shoulders out.  With a gush and a slide, he was here!  His amniotic sac, or "caul," was over his face.   (I knew he was a special boy!)  I saw my husband pull the sac out of the water.  My sister-in-law and husband caught him.  I flipped around and took my baby.  He quickly cried a nice cry and then settled into me.  Any "pain" I felt was gone.  The hot water felt so good and my baby looked wonderful.  My mom and sister came in shortly after.  They just missed it!  My mom got my 2-year-old, Brigham, up and my sister woke my other three children.  Brigham smiled and said, "It's Jack-Jack!"  He was thrilled.  The other kids were a little too sleepy to get the whole excitement thing.  But, they came around-they had a difficult time going back to sleep.  I had them leave the room while I got out of the pool and delivered the placenta.  When they came back in, we just enjoyed our beautiful new little boy.  No machines, no rushing him away, no medication!  It was wonderful!

From beginning to end, it was 3 hours total.  Nothing at all like my previous long and painful hospital births.  My daughter said it would be stupid for me to ever go back to a hospital!  I'm glad she caught on.  I have loved sharing my birth story with friends and neighbors because no one believes you can have a mostly pain-free birth without a doctor to make it happen.  My mind and body relaxed.  The functions God put in me worked!  Even with a posterior baby.  (I never did get a wash done and my little one is healthy and doing great!) 

Jack Monroe weighed 8 lbs (my biggest) and 20 ½" long.  He was born at 3:30 a.m. September 27, 2007-his daddy's 33^rd birthday!  To make it even better, my friend had her baby boy later that afternoon!  Happy Birthday boys!

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April Lewis, 6th-time mom, hospital birth

 

The Birth Story of Elisabeth-Jane Marie Lewis

            Monday, July 9^th, 2007; 4:34 pm; 6lbs. 7 oz, 19 in.

            by her mom, April MB Lewis July 16^th, 2007

            For reference and info to anyone reading this, I am writing this in a very journalistic fashion, including all the details I would want to know in 10 or more years, all details the ladies on the yahoo board for "Hypnobabies" may want to hear, and info for anyone who really wants to know what childbirth is and can be.  Also, I will refrain from mentioning pain during the birthing time itself and I use the following terms in order to preserve a positive feeling for the ladies working on their "bubble of peace": pressure or pressure waves for contractions, transformation for transition, and birthing time for labor,    This will be long and often anecdotal at times, so skip stuff you don't want to read, enjoy, but most of all let your mind forget the American idea that childbirth is scary, painful, and to a lot of people (I feel sorry for them) not quite worth it.  It is awesome, miraculous, always worth it (even for my first five which were not as comfortable as this one), and even pain-free without drugs!

            Eliza-Jane's birth was my 6^th time birthing a baby, yet is was a time when I learned much more than I feel I did with the first five.  I learned so much about the biological and physiological process of giving birth.  I learned how the two sets of muscles in the uterus work together yet separately to do the work of turning baby, regulating the opening of the cervix, and pushing the baby out and down the birth canal.  I learned how fully the woman's body can birth a baby pretty much on it's own, if mom can relax enough to let it work.  I have given birth sans drugs with my first five; I don't know quantifiably why, except that I truly believe women's bodies were made to grow and birth babies and they can without needing all the interventions the medical community at large (gross generalization here) claims are so needed.  I do concede that these interventions have saved many mom's and babies' lives in the event of real emergencies.  I am by no means against hospitals, doctors, and such, I simply feel that this is such a natural process that there is no need for medicalization in most cases of healthy mom and baby.  I must also add here some background on my other births in order that I remember and you can see the contrast this birth was to my other five.  So, from here until the end of the next paragraph, "Bubble of Peace" hypnomoms, or skip this part. 

            My first 5 births were painful and intense.  My first birth was surrounded by mental and emotional angst, yet I was also able to have my mom there who was a great support for me, and who seemed to know exactly what I needed during the entire 8 hours I was "laboring."  I had no idea what I was doing, and I was too young, naive, and feeling guilty to really ask.  My second birth was better in many ways, because I had my husband there.  However, we chose an early (by ten days) induction which meant no mobility or tub and internal fetal monitoring: a very long six hours in bed!  With our next baby we decided against doctors and finally found a midwifery practice.  They were great and nice, but there were 7 of them in the practice and we had never even met the MW who helped us deliver.  She did a wonderful job supporting me and I got to be in the tub for a lot of "labor," it was nicer and shorter, but still painful.  My next two pregnancies, the labors were progressively shorter and more intense.  I got to do what I wanted, be in the tub (if there was time), move, and whatever.  I've always been blessed to have no real medical interventions and no complications.  But they were all really painful.  And I have a very high pain threshold... I truly remember very little about any of my previous pregnancies and births, so I am constantly asking Robert, "Was it like this last time?" or, "Did I do this before?"  Robert tells me I was in pain a lot and uncomfortable during each  pregnancy.  Sometimes I think I keep doing this b/c I don't remember much, and b/c I feel like it has to get better sometime.  I am happy to report that I finally figured out how to make it better!  I am also thrilled that I remember so much, which is why this is so long...

            This birth story actually starts with my pregnancy with Horatio (my 5^th child).  About halfway through that pregnancy, I started hearing about "Hypnobirthing (The Mongan Method)" from a good friend (Latisha H.) who had used the method with her 1^st and 2^nd home birthed daughters.  I also discovered one of the midwives at the practice I was seeing taught a class on "Hypnobirthing" at a steep discount to her patients.  As Robert and I didn't have any money to burn, we were excited to be able to take the class and learn more about this intriguing method.  Unfortunately, our midwife stopped giving the classes right before we were far enough along to take it, and other options were twice as expensive, so we tried just buying the "Hypnobirthing" book.  I was really excited at the philosophy and ideas about birth being such a natural and amazing process; it really clicked with me, and I remember thinking, "This is how it should be, so why isn't it?"  It came with one cd, which was ok, but I felt lost b/c I had so many questions and I didn't see how I could practice the techniques since I had to read the scripts and things, and it seemed the book was written to be a part of the class, not studied on it's own.  AUGH!  I was so frustrated I just gave it up at that point, since we knew I could do it without drugs and time was short before Horatio was due anyway.  His birth went fine: quickly and extremely intense, but we were both healthy, and I dropped the idea of "Hypnobirthing" for a while.

            When Horatio was just under a year old we found out we were expecting again, and I started wondering about "Hypnobirthing" and other methods of hypnosis for childbirth.  The internet and Google were where I looked for information this time.  I quickly discovered that there are a handful of complete hypnosis for childbirth methods, including "HypnoBirthing", "Hypnobabies", and "Hypbirth".  You can also just go see a hypnotherapist and focus on childbirth in private sessions.  I found out that I could take a group class in Provo, but it was "Hypnobabies" and I was worried b/c I was so excited by the ideas in the Mongan book that I was apprehensive at looking at another method, and all my research claimed the methods are all so different (the only "Hypnobirthing" classes were in SLC or farther away).  So I turned to my friend Google again and tried to find out more.  Well, everything I found claimed "Hypnobabies" to be the superior and more complete method, and it also included many more resources, such as access to the founder directly, a yahoo board for discussion and questions, a ton of cds for home practice, and specific inclusion of "back labor" information.  Also, even though they say it is doable "alone," "Hypnobabies stresses a lot the importance of the birth partner to the whole process as well as opening and keeping open communication and strengthening the couple's relationship.  Robert, knowing how excited I was about doing hypnosis for this birth, pushed for us to take the class, so -- after deciding on a session of five classes Friday nights  in May- we contacted the instructor (Laura Lund), went directly to her house, paid for the class up front, and got my first cd to practice relaxation with.  We paid 250$ for the class (which included a 50$ discount, b/c the instructor believes in midwifery so strongly she gives that deal to patients of MWs).

            We paid for the class so far in advance, that I had plenty of time to listen to the cd I was given, and to find a babysitter for our four children at home for five Fridays in a row.  I enjoyed for the first time in years restful nights sleep and a calmer demeanor during the day, just in listening to the two tracks I was alternating nightly as I went to bed.  I was learning by osmosis already and I was even more excited as the class time approached!  Class came and overall I felt like about a third of the material covered was childbirth information and a lot of info on interventions and why/how to avoid them.  I was politely interested in these parts of class as I knew there had to be some new information I had not learned before, but admittedly, I was impatient for learning the hypnosis techniques themselves.  I enjoyed learning the fingerdrop technique and building on it with "eyes open" hypnosis.  I practiced the techniques daily, listened to my cds religiously (even restarting them every time I got up to go pee at night, up to 5 times a night), and Robert read scripts to me as a faithful supportive husband three times a week.   We grew closer together as Robert wholeheartedly supported and encouraged me and as we did the communication questions and said our "contract" to each other before every script.   I also did all my "homework," reading from the manual and other materials we were given.  Our instructor did a good job presenting the information and teaching us the techniques, as well as hostessing at her home.  Although we did end up missing the last class which included a "birth rehearsal" b/c our babysitters both had emergencies (and I was sorely disappointed) Robert and I felt (hoped) we didn't miss too much from that class since we had done this a couple of times before (*grin*), and Laura was kind enough to drop off the last couple of cds and handouts at our house the next week.  On a side note, I also started hearing about red raspberry leaf tea and how good it's supposed to be for shortening labors, helping with ligament pains during pregnancy, and  a host of other female concerns.  I heard only good things about it (except one which I will share shortly), and I love herbal tea (misnomer, by the way, but I'm used to calling it that), so I started drinking it a lot.  I mean, I'd go through a gallon in 2-3 days with the kids' help. 

            Around my 28^th week of pregnancy I started having "Braxton Hicks" which was a little worrisome since I have never had early pressure waves in a pregnancy before and Horatio had attempted to come at 34 ½ weeks.  I started worrying about this baby being too early, and even though I'd read that RRL tea can/may cause these early pressure waves I didn't stop drinking it (except once when I made it too strong I think) because I felt it really helped with the ligament pain I did experience with all my other pregnancies.  I prayed a lot for the baby at this point and more specifically that I would know when I was in my birthing time, b/c sometimes I would have pressure waves fairly regularly for hours and I didn't want to have to rush into the hospital only to be sent home and scare the other kids.  And I just really wanted to trust that my body, my baby, and Heavenly Father knew exactly what was happening and when it should/would happen.  I know this baby is important to Him and He knew how important she is to me and our family and we would both be safe. In retrospect I feel that with the "Braxton Hicks" I had a lot of practice with the fingerdrop and other techniques that really helped me to do so well during my real birthing time as well as help the baby to be in a good position for the birth.  When 34 ½ weeks came and went, I was very relieved.  Then I started worrying she would still be unhealthy if she came soon, then I wanted her out by 36 weeks and had to keep telling myself, "one more day, one more day..." 

            When we hit 37 weeks, I was beyond impatient.  I was technically "full term" at this point, and I was unsure of the due date b/c I hadn't had periods before I got pregnant and the ultrasound might be "off."  Every day I would wake thinking, "It might be today!"  and every evening by dinner time I would crash because I was so disappointed.  Then the Saturday after I was 37 weeks along I saw a bit of blood and mucus when I went to the bathroom.  I got this rush of adrenaline and told Robert what I saw.  I went into nesting big time at that point, but nothing happened that night.  I did make a chocolate torte for the nurses and froze it on Saturday, so it would be ready to go if this baby was coming soon.  The next day I saw a bigger clot of blood and I was pretty sure that it was my mucus plug and bloody show, so I hopped onto the internet and did a quick search for how close is birthing time when you lose your mucus plug? even though I knew the answer.  I wanted to find stories telling me it would be soon!  The rest of that day I felt still nothing except light pressure off and on just like the last 2 or so months!  I was annoyed with Robert the next day for having to go to work.  Although, he didn't actually go in until lunchtime b/c he was working on a project from home.  I was really irritable that day, so I was glad he was there to help with the kids.  He planned to take his final that day, too (his last ever test in college, to get his BS in Computer Engineering).  He finally went to work, and I was not feeling good, so I sent the kids upstairs to play, while I tried to eat something.  Turned out I did not want to eat anything! 

            At that point I realized I was having regular pressure waves.  They were more annoying than anything, b/c I had to stop what I was doing and concentrate on relaxing and breathing deeply.  Robert and I were on Yahoo IM and I started timing them on the computer about 2:30 and quickly realized they were less than five minutes apart and at a mean length of 1 ½ minutes.  After about 10 of them I let Robert know how close they were and he unhesitatingly said, "I'm coming home now."  He called me on the cell and got babysitters before he left work to come over ASAP.  I got over to the stairs and called Angel (our oldest son) to help me grab last minute things for my hospital bag.  He was worried about me b/c of my demeanor, but I think he understood what was happening fairly quickly.  I was not in any pain, but I was really focused and I guess a little scared.  For the first time my peace cue was not working as I wanted it, too, but I did find it helpful to repeat, "deeper and deeper" over and over.  I was able to go more fully and deeply into self hypnosis using that cue.   For the first time I could feel the immense power coursing through me.  It was so overwhelming that I realize why it is registered as pain with a lot of women and they fight it.  It took everything in me to relax and let it wash over me.  I wanted to tense up and push back.  I found the most comfortable positions for me were on all fours, leaning over the birthing ball on my knees, or in a chair leaning far forward.  I prayed that this was really it, b/c if it got any more intense than this I was scared I wouldn't be able to handle it.  I was probably in transformation at the point where Robert got home.  He stayed on the cell with me until he walked in the door, and didn't leave my side until the ambulance came (tell you in a minute...).  I got him to get me my MP3 player, and as soon as I got Kerry on the headphones and was listening to "Easy First Stage" I was ten times calmer and more relaxed (Thank You, Kerry!).  I thought at that point, "Why did I not have my MP3 player on sooner?"  Michael J. (Robert's awesome cousin, whose birthday was that day, by the way) showed up to baby-sit a few minutes after Robert got home and tried to talk to me, but I had to stay focused and ignored him (sorry Michael :)).

            I got up and headed for the door as soon as I could (amazingly at this point I would have expected to be worried that I would have the baby in the car, but I was focused on my "Hypnobabies" track).  I had a good 2-3 pressure waves as we walked to the car.  I stopped timing them right before Michael got there, as Robert packed up the laptop, but I knew we were very close.  The Orem Community Hospital is only an 8 minute drive on the freeway from our house.  Robert was going about 70mph (he told me later), and we heard a rattling noise, then a minute later a flumping noise, then a kind of metallic scraping noise, and we stopped just at the off ramp.  We were lucky we didn't roll over in our Jeep, as we totally lost a tire, the front one where I was sitting!  As we stopped I just kept focusing on relaxing and taking the waves as they came.  As Kerry repeated, "I am safe and my baby is safe, no matter how much power I feel..."  I repeated it over and over.  I told myself, "Heavenly Father is watching out for us, we're almost there, everything is fine."  I could feel all that power coursing through me; it was indescribable.  I was reminded that all that power is our Father in Heaven's and Robert holds His priesthood and is perfectly able and authorized to wield that, just as my body was using it right then.  I just knew Robert could protect us if I somehow lost control, and I was so comforted and calmed by that feeling and the overwhelming love I felt right then, when I could have been totally freaked out and lost it all at that point.  I think it's important to point out that the whole time I had on my headphones at a reasonable volume, so I could hear everything around me as well as Kerry's voice; I was fully aware most of the time what was happening around me, and I was totally relaxed between waves.

            Robert called someone (I figured it was the hospital, but he says it was 911), and he told them the situation.  Then we just sat there, holding hands for a minute, with the air conditioner still blasting, until we saw two cop cars going the opposite direction (we really were right at the off ramp), then they pulled up behind us as an ambulance pulled up in front of us.  Two EMTs got out and came over to my door; I tried to get out but they made me wait while they asked me something.  We finally headed for the ambulance (pressure wave as we walked to the ambulance, and another as I got into the back, so I had to stand there for a minute).  I sat on the bed/gurney as they pulled away.  I needed to know Robert was there, and found him in the front seat, so I could sit.  They put a seatbelt over my calves and started an IV; I asked for a hep-lock, and the EMT was nice enough to give me one.  I also double-checked with him that it was only fluids, which it was, and I didn't mind b/c I hadn't eaten much all day and was afraid I was dehydrated anyway.  They also gave me oxygen, which I didn't question b/c I didn't care enough and was having pressure waves only 2 minutes apart by then.  I started telling them when one started, and the EMT confirmed they were that close.  We were at the hospital really fast and I remember the EMT saying to the nurses as we got out that I had a while to go; I think they were discussing whether to take me to the ER or the Women's Center.  We got into the hallway of the Women's Center and they were apparently very busy, so the nurse took a minute to get us to an empty room; we finally got there and I got into the bed after a minute.  I stopped and pulled my pants off so I wouldn't have to do it later once hooked up to whatever (yes, modesty goes out the window with EMTs and nurses).  Robert came around to my left side and a nurse walked in to do prelim stuff and hook up monitors.  It was at this time that I started making low moaning sounds with each pressure wave.  It helped to make low noises.  Robert started asking the nurse for a birthing ball and squat bar when she came in and I remember her saying, "First things first" in a slightly impatient voice.  I almost asked for the telemetry model as she put the monitors on, but I started feeling "pushy" and figured it would be moot pretty soon!  She finally checked me, which I barely felt at all.  I was 9 cm. and fully effaced.  Then she realized what we meant when we tried telling everyone how fast I birth.  She ran out and started telling people to get baby stuff ready.  Robert helped the nurse put up the squat bar and Sue S. (sorry last name impossible to spell w/out looking it up), one of our midwives, showed up just then.  She and the nurse later checked the "log" and found out she was there for 11 minutes before Elisabeth-Jane was born.  About this time the "Easy First Stage" track ended and the pushing one started, but I don't remember hearing it at all.  The squat bar was apparently backwards, but that direction worked for me so I told them to  leave it.  I needed help to reach it still, since I was having pressure right on top of one another, so Robert and the nurse gave me a push on my back and I grabbed hold.  It was so nice to pull up on the bar and be off the bed.  Sue just sat there comfortably smiling at me while I started to push.  I don't even remember her checking me again to be sure I was complete.  I wasn't hurting at all, it was just really intense; I pushed so fast Sue told me to stop at one point, which I did for all of maybe 15 seconds.  Robert leaned over to me a couple of times and kept saying to me, "Let your monkey do it," a phrase Ina May Gaskin uses in her amazing book I read.  I was moaning really low and loud I think.  It takes so long to write this down, but it happened so fast.  I made noises that the other hypnomoms will understand and only husbands should recognize, if you get my drift.  I moaned and "aahed" while pushing, instead of holding my breath.  It really was actually enjoyable at that point, and Robert said afterwards that I looked like I was enjoying myself.  After 2 -3 pushes Sue asked if she could break my water, which she could see bulging out, and as she asked I felt it break on it's own with the next push, then Elisabeth-Jane was out completely in the next two.  She came out so fast she was purple in the face (instead of me) at 4:34 pm.  Her whole face to her ears was purple from the bruising for about the next 24 hours, but it faded to a beautiful pink by the time we left the hospital.     

            They put her on my stomach, as her cord was very short;  I was glad b/c my last few babies all had really long cords and were wrapped up in them which was fine but scary.  I looked at her and Robert told me we had a little girl and I was so happy.  She was breathing fine, but didn't make any noise, and Sue wanted her to cry.  We gave her a few seconds and just as Sue started to say, "OK, we need to get her to..." she wailed a little and Sue told Robert to rub the baby's back really good, so she would clear her lungs well.  I remember thinking how wide and white the cord was.  They clamped it and Robert cut it, and I got my little Eliza-Jane up to my chest.  She didn't feel like nursing yet, but she looked around so much I could see she had dark blue-gray eyes!  All of our children have dark brown eyes, so I was thrilled, especially since her Aunt Charlotte who shares her middle name was born with dark gray eyes also (Hence her (Charlotte's) nickname "Charcoal").  Robert and I made love to Elisabeth-Jane and after a little while the nurses weighed and measured her.  They had to promise me to just take a minute b/c I didn't want to let her go (but I did want them to weigh her), while Sue waited for the placenta to come out.  It seemed to take forever considering Eliza-Jane only took 5 minutes to come out, but it was probably only 5-10 minutes.  I didn't have any more pressure once the baby was out, so I just waited for the placenta to slide out.  Then I got Elisabeth-Jane back and she was all ours.  I was dying to get out of bed as soon as the placenta was birthed, b/c I had to pee all of a sudden.  I asked Sue if I tore and she looked slightly surprised and delighted as she looked down at me and told me I didn't at all.  Then Sue disappeared b/c I think she had another lady to attend to.  Soon the nurse came back and wanted to do all the paperwork we missed b/c it all happened so fast.  I really wanted them to take out the IV b/c it was in my inner arm opposite my elbow and I was afraid to move for fear of breaking the tip off inside my arm (EMTs apparently favor that spot instead of the back of the hand which we've always had for births), but Sue wanted to wait on it in case my bleeding was heavy and they really wanted us to do pitocin to help it (which I did NOT want, b/c it causes me a lot of pain).  After it was out, I finally got up, went to the bathroom so they could check my bleeding again, and took a shower after about an hour.  I felt so good recovery-wise that I ended up taking three baths (jetted tub and after cramps) and two showers during my two-night stay at the hospital.  I didn't even want the perineal ice packs I usually use b/c they were uncomfortable as I didn't need them.

            Michael and the kids headed to see us soon after 5pm, but then the van broke down (both our cars in one day!) on their way, so they camped out at a Wendy's somewhere, ate dinner, and waited for Katie (Robert's older sister, who just had a baby about a month or so ago) to bring them in her huge van.  Cell phones are wonderful!  We finally saw them about 7 pm, I think: Marissa J. (Michael's sister), Ally (Michael's fiancée), Katie, and all the kids wearing their Big(ger/gest) Brother and Big Sister shirts I made for them.  They didn't get to stay long b/c Katie had to get home to her family and newborn, but it was so nice to see them and we were able to have a big family prayer before they left.  That was wonderful: to be surrounded by family at such a wonderful time (Thank you so much to Katie and Robb!).

            So, overall, my birthing time was about 2 hours, with pushing being about 5 minutes, my shortest so far.  I'm thinking homebirth next time, more out of necessity than anything else... and the idea of a water birth has appealed to me since the first time I heard it years ago.  One of the things I liked best about doing self hypnosis for this birth was my recovery time.  I was up and around within an hour (it could have been even sooner, but they wanted to check my bleeding and stuff), and I didn't have the shakes at all, like I usually do pretty badly.  My bleeding has been so light that I've only been using panty liners since my second day home.  Elisabeth-Jane is content and a great eater.  When she is awake she is so alert and her eyes are constantly darting about taking in everything it seems.  My milk came in with minimal discomfort, and no engorgement.  The only thing I would request of Kerry is a special section or technique for dealing with the after cramps that us multiparas deal with.  Even the strongest narcotics don't seem to cut it with these cramps, although ice packs on my abdomen and back are so nice.  That said, with my last baby, my cramps were so bad I was on the narcotic drugs afterwards for over two weeks; with this one my cramps were at least more comfortable to deal with (I could breath and kind of aaah my way through them) by the 3^rd day, and seem to be basically gone by a week after the birth.  I will use this technique for all my births from now on, and I will try to tell everyone I know.  Why "suffer" through childbirth, when it can be so wonderful, empowering, and enjoyable.  Funny/sad? note: The day after Eliza-Jane was born we could hear a lady screaming loudly and high-pitched in the room next to ours, and I felt so bad for her.  I wished she had someone to let her know it doesn't have to be like that.  Now you know; tell someone you love.

            Now we have been home for almost a week.  I got to go to church on Sunday (for all three hours) with Eliza-Jane in the sling and all the kids proud to be big siblings.  Angel (9) and Oliver (7) are being so helpful with Isabelle (3) and Horatio (1 ½).  Isa is enjoying the idea that she has a little sister to teach girly things to, and we all have to work hard to pry Horatio off of Elisabeth-Jane most of the time, as he wants to constantly hug, kiss, and hold her, and he pushes away anyone else who gets too close to her (including all of his older siblings).  We are a family of seven now, and we are hoping to only get bigger and better, as we grow closer together.  We are truly grateful and feel the windows of heaven have been opened to us as we have had so many blessings poured out upon us already.

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Katie Doyle, third-time mom, home birth

 

Our baby is here!  Michael Scott was born last night at 8:08 pm, after 17 hours of labor.  He is 9 pounds 13 ounces, 21" long, with a head circumference of 14.75".  I intended to write out a short synopsis here, but it ended up a full-blown birth story, lol.  I'm sure the timing on some parts will need to be revised once I get the notes from my midwife :)

I woke up at 3 am Monday morning and thought this might be it.  I tried to sleep, but kept getting woken up by the contractions.  I listened to Hypnobabies scripts and stayed in bed until 5 am.  I called my midwife at 7:30.  Contractions were somewhat difficult, but bearable.  They seemed to be anywhere from 3-10 minutes apart.  Since getting out of bed, I hadn't had time to listen to any Hypnobabies script, and I was losing my relaxation some. 

I had told the kids they could color Easter eggs (they had found a leftover box), so we did that, and contractions stopped almost completely for an hour.  I had wanted them to be here for the birth, but it was obvious that it was going to be really hard with them here, so dh took them to school (daycare).   I listened to a Hypnobabies script, which helped me relax a lot and made the contractions much easier.

My midwife and her assistants showed up at about 9:30 or so.  My midwife offered to check my dilation, and I agreed.  I was a little hesitant about being checked because I didn't want to hear something like "1 cm".  I told her that I didn't want my membranes stripped, and she was totally fine with it - it was no problem at all.  She checked and pronounced me 9 cm dilated.  I asked if she was serious, and she said she was. 

We came out in to the living room, where I had the birth pool set up, but not filled.  The midwife/assistants asked if I even wanted to bother trying to fill it up, because they didn't think I had time.  I sensed that I had plenty of time, so I had dh fill it up.   I was listening to Hypnobabies scripts, and my contractions were very easy.  Part of this was that knowing I was at 9 cm and had not really had any pain yet really convinced me that I could do it easily. 

I got in the tub and kept listening to Hypnobabies.  At some point I was checked again and was fully dilated, with a big bag of waters in front.  We waited for nearly an hour and I felt NO pushing urges whatsoever.  Contractions seemed to be very spaced out, though I wasn't timing them.  I had heard of mothers having a plateau before pushing, but this seemed ridiculous.  I felt full of energy and didn't want a plateau!  My midwife said she thought it would help to break my bag of waters, because the baby's head seemed to be floating up high and not applying much pressure to the cervix.  I readily agreed to this.  I wouldn't have wanted it done earlier, but after an hour of nothing, it seemed like a good course of action to me.   My midwife broke my water while I was in the tub, and I felt some come out. 

I was sure that pushing urges would begin immediately, but again nothing.  My midwife wanted me to try to push.  I tried some pushes, but I could tell that without the pushing urge, nothing was happening.  I'm not sure how long I stayed in the pool, but eventually I got out.  I sat on a recliner and waited.  After I sat down, all of a sudden I started peeing massive amounts.  It wouldn't stop!  I was finally able to jump out of the chair (which was safe - we had Chux and towels on it), and realized that it was amniotic fluid, not pee :)  Unless of course pee is filled with tons of vernix.  I ended up staying on the chair for several hours.  I would get up after every contraction or two to go to the bathroom and change the Chux pad (I had a big gush of amniotic fluid during/after every contraction).  Contractions were still very spaced out, but very easy because of the Hypnobabies scripts.  I fell asleep between most contractions.  At some time we had started blue cohosh to help strengthen the contractions and get them closer together, so the assistants would bring that to me regularly and would also check the baby's heart tones.   My midwife was great during this time - no pressure about the timing or saying anything about needing to get the baby out.

At some point I was checked and pronounced to be 8 cm.  My midwife said that my cervix was so thin and stretchy that the bag of waters had stretched it out to 9 cm, but once the bag was broken, it went back to where it really was (somewhere less than 9).  The next time I was checked I was at 7 cm.  I tried to walk around, but our apartment is so small that there was really not anywhere to walk to.  Take 5 steps and you're at the end of the hall. 

Eventually my midwife suggested binding my belly.  My abdomen was pendulous, which meant the baby was kind of falling out in front instead of being straight up and down, in line with the cervix.  I was ready to agree to anything by this point.  (Hypnobabies moms - put on your Bubble of Peace now!)  Having my abdomen bound was quite painful, and I had stopped listening to Hypnobabies by this point (probably 5 pm or so).  Contractions picked up almost immediately and were very intense and painful.  DH went to get the kids just before 6 pm.  I decided to go walking outside, and we walked around the front of our complex for a few minutes.  By the time we went in, I had started having little urges to push. 

DH replaced some of the pool water with hot water, and I got in again.   Contractions were a tiny bit better in the pool, but still extremely painful.  I knew I needed to take the time to relax and do some Hypnobabies cues or listen to a script, but I was a little afraid that they would relax me too much and labor would space out again.  Finally I was having real pushing contractions, with VERY strong pushing urges.  I will never understand the concept of breathing your baby out, or soft exhale pushing.  My body requires me to do all-out full-force pushing.  I pushed and pushed and pushed.  It did not feel good, but was unavoidable.  I could not feel the baby moving down much.  I was reaching inside to feel how close his head was, and it was a full finger-length away, never seeming to get closer. 

Eventually I got out of the pool to try the birth stool.  The midwife and her assistants helped stretch out the birth canal as I pushed.  This just added to the pain I was already in, but I could feel an immediate difference when they did it, so I allowed it.  If they stretched internally while I pushed, I could actually feel his head moving down.  Things were so painful by this time, that I just wanted to get it done as quickly as possible. 

Finally he began to crown.  The ring of fire was extremely intense (painful).  I knew there was no going back, so I pushed through it and FINALLY, after 17 hours, and about 10 hours after we thought he was coming, he was out!  I pushed the placenta out and had very little bleeding, which my midwife attributed to some of the herbs and supplements I've been taking (desiccated liver and cayenne most recently).  I had no tearing, but my midwife says I have some very minor internal abrasions.  I have sore muscles and am tired, but other than that the baby and I are doing just fine!  It was really only the last 2-3 hours of labor that were painful.  The entire time before that was quite comfortable thanks to my relaxation from Hypnobabies!

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Amy Ellis, first-time mom, hospital birth

 

The day before my due date, my husband, Fox, and I decided to take advantage of my still-pregnant state and go out to dinner to a local Chinese restaurant. I should have known what was coming when Fox's fortune read "Tomorrow will be a lucky and memorable day for you." Rather than heeding the fortune and resting up, I stayed awake until 1:30 a.m. talking on the phone to my sister, who jokingly told me that I was in labor and just didn't know it. Exhausted from a long day, I hung up and lay down in bed, listening to my Birthing Day Affirmations CD. As soon as the script was finished, around 2:30 a.m., I felt a gush of warm liquid pool underneath me...my water had broken. Luckily, I made it to the bathroom in time to not soak the bed too much. I woke Fox up, and he asked what he could do for me. I told him to get me something to eat, so he toasted me a bagel. With the first bite, I felt my first pressure wave. Fox began timing the pressure waves but soon realized they were right on top of each other, so we called the midwife and got our things to go to the hospital.

It seemed like forever, but we were finally ready to go. I felt three strong pressure waves on the way from the apartment to the car, so I put on the Birth Guide script. On the way to the hospital, about twenty minutes away, I was very focused on the script and didn't feel the pressure waves. However, once we stepped foot in the hospital, I felt a very strong wave and got down on my hands and knees in the entrance to let it pass. Once in the room, I took off my headphones to get dressed. While I still felt strong pressure waves, I was very alert and aware of what I needed for my comfort. I needed my black dress. I needed a cold can of soda to roll across my back. I needed the tub filled. Fox quickly met my needs. The nurse had to check to make sure my water had broken and once the results came back positive, she had to call the midwife to make sure it was okay to get in the tub. So, I changed from my black dress to a bikini top and climbed into the tub. The feeling of relief is so vivid to this day. It was immediate. I spent an hour and a half in the tub, getting out every half hour to have Cash's heartbeat monitored.

After a while, I was too tired to sit up in the tub, so I got out and lay on my side on the hospital bed. The pressure waves quickly became more intense, so I had Fox do the hip press as each wave built and then the back press as it fell. Between pressure waves, Fox used the cue word "Relax" as he pressed his hand on my forehead. We stayed in this rhythm of hip press, back press, and "Relax", until I needed to push, which I though was a half hour later but in reality was over two hours later. My midwife came in to check me around 8 a.m., and I was 81/2 centimeters dilated. Fifteen minutes later, I was fully dilated and used the squat bar to begin pushing. At my midwife's request, I ended up reclining with my butt off the bed and my feet pushing against the squat bar. It felt so good to push! The pressure waves spaced out and were less intense, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the praise I got with each push. Finally, after about forty-five minutes of pushing, Cash Theodore Ellis was born at 8:53 a.m., weighing in at 9 pounds, 5 ounces. I felt no "ring of fire" when his head crowned. I also did not feel any discomfort during transformation or when my cervix was checked. In fact, the only discomfort I felt during the birth was when my midwife repaired my second-degree tear.

During my birthing time, I felt no need to escape from pain, because my mind didn't signal to me that I was in pain. While at first I was apprehensive about the hospital's support of childbirth hypnosis, the nursing staff left us alone and didn't not even mention any type of intervention. My six hour birthing time felt more like three hours. My baby was born strong and healthy. I could not have asked for a better birthing experience. ~ Amy Ellis (1st-time mom) of Provo, UT

 

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Emily Azar, fourth-time mom, home birth

I am a BELIEVER!!!!!!!!!! I didn't faithfully practice or attend class as you are aware. I will next time for sure. The few tools that you provided us with were such a blessing. My birthing time began at about 4 am I was positive that nothing was happening except for maybe some ripening until about 2pm that day. I went in to Suzanne's office and had someone palpate my uterus she was convinced he was posterior. I was so disappointed she felt like it was gonna be a long labor and I should go get in knees chest and stay there.

Two hours later I was having a hard time coping with the pain (I think that being posterior made me lose some confidence not to mention transition LOL) so I called Suzanne and she came and checked me I was a seven. So I put in the birth cd and got in the bathtub. I have never had such a comfortable easy birthing. BLUE is now my favorite word not just my favorite color LOL.

Two hours later I snuck out of the bathtub while my midwife and sisters were busy chatting in the other room. I sat down and pushed a little and felt some head. I still had the control to stand up and go in my closet and get some clothing on, Then I came to my bed and with 2 pushes (unheard of for me I pushed for four hours with the last one) our little Jude was born (with blue eyes I might add which is freaky for me 'cause all of my kids have dark skin and brown eyes). It was a beautiful experience. 

Every time my rhythm was interrupted I just listened harder to the cd and it only took a fraction of a second for peace to spread throughout my body. I can only imagine how much better even it would have been if I had practiced like I should have. Thank you a million times for your instruction and belief in this method I am a believer and will recommend your course to everyone I know! Thanks again.

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Natalie Orgill, first-time mom, hospital birth

Everything went wonderfully!  The past few weeks have been pretty hectic adjusting to everything, but the birthing went better than I expected and I was so glad to have the relaxation tools I learned to stay calm throughout the process.

The sad part is that on the guess date when I went in to see my OB/GYN, he was talking about induction and all of that and I told him how I had read in one of my pregnancy books that really my due date should be later.  He pulled out his wheel chart thing to show me and to his embarrassment, I was right and my due date should actually have been November 1st all along.  I was pretty ticked because I was already feeling like a ticking time bomb, but now I knew that everything was fine and baby Jackson would be the one who would dictate when he would come to us.

I expected that I would be waiting another 2 weeks, but luckily Jackson came 5 days later on Sunday October 22nd which was the best time he could have come!  I really didn't feel any Braxton Hicks.  My birthing time basically began and then there he was.  I woke up that morning feeling low abdominal cramps that felt like menstrual cramps that came and went fairly consistently.  In my mind, I believed this was only a symptom of pre-birthing and that I probably had a long time to go.  I expected to feel the pressure through more of my abdomen to be real, but it stayed feeling pretty low.  Stuart and I had breakfast, I listened to my Fear Release and Special Place CDs and I just worked on breathing and staying calm.  It really didn't seem real, but I stayed completely calm.  I moved around and gradually went upstairs where I could be more comfortable. 

Stuart was an excellent birthing coach and basically got me through everything.  As we were home, I felt the most comfortable sitting on my feet in a squat-like pose where the pressure didn't extend to my back or make me feel more uncomfortable.  We figured out that when I was having a birthing wave, if Stuart would hug me tightly and apply pressure around my shoulders, I could go limp in this position and sink into his arms which felt very relaxing and comforting to me.  I still wasn't sure I was in real labor, but we started timing and the waves were about 5 minutes apart.  I called my mom and when I would have to put down the phone briefly between a pressure wave, she quickly told me that this was in fact the real thing and I should probably go to the hospital soon.

I still didn't feel a terrible rush, but while Stuart packed the car and did any last minute things, I sat in the shower on my birth ball and would concentrate on relaxing though the now more consistent and strong pressure waves.  We got to the hospital at about 3 p.m. and I would periodically stop in the hall and lean on Stu and then keep walking.  Apparently some of the nurses were rolling their eyes at me because they thought I was being dramatic, but I was pretty much oblivious to all of this.  We got in the delivery room and the nurse was explaining possible medication options.  He explained we were doing a natural childbirth and that we didn't want anything.  She was hesitant and skeptical, but moved on asking me to lay down so she could do external monitoring on me.  I told her it was uncomfortable to lie down, but I did it for her and also so she could check me.  She was blown away to find out that I was already at a 9 1/2!!!  I was floored as well and she was amazingly supportive from then on and basically just watched as Stuart and I worked together to make the rest of the birth happen.  Now Stu would hold my upper leg as I was lying on my side and apply the same pressure which felt so comforting to me.  In about an hour and a half, they finally tracked down a doctor and I started pushing.  It really is your body contracting and pushing that baby out!

Our doctor couldn't make it in time so we had a pinch hitter doctor come in and Stu went over our birth plan quickly and told him we didn't want an episiotomy.  He agreed, because he pretty much had to, and after an hour of pushing we had the cutest baby boy come out and finally join our family.  He was 9 lbs. 7 oz. and came out with this full head of curly hair that was brown with blond highlights.  It is adorable!  He did tear me a bit on the way out, but the severity of it was basically identical to what would have happened if they had given me a routine episiotomy.  So basically after about 7 hours of labor, that I didn't even really realize was labor, and one hour of pushing, Jackson was born at 5:22 p.m. and was perfect in every way.  Everything went well and I was so happy that everything unfolded as it did.

I am loving being a mother and while I still don't sleep much at night, I can take naps during the day with him and it all works out.  I love his cute expressions and the closeness I feel when feeding him.  I am very excited to be his mom.

Thank you so much, Laura, for helping me learn these techniques and beliefs that have made my birthing so fast and easy.  I know I will use Hypnobabies in the future, and I will definitely send any interested people I know your way! ~ Natalie Orgill (1st-time mom) of Provo, Utah