Dawn's Story

A Hospital Back to Back HypnoBirth Story

Dear Dany,

Sorry it's taken so long to let you know how my birth went.

Harry George Oakenfull arrived on Saturday 22nd August at 1.05pm, 5 days earlier than my guess date. Apparently, according to the midwife, i had been in labour since the Tuesday (really uncomfortable backache and period pains at times). I started to notice feelings, like the odd twinge, increased visit of backache and period pains, on Friday. Antony arrived home from work and i had an overwhelming urge to pop out to our local shopping centre and Toys R Us to get the last little bits and bobs. Every now and then i stopped to breathe and made jokes like 'wouldn't it be funny if I went into labour here'. We decided to have a curry that evening, to help things along if possible (although part of me doubted i was in the early stages of labour because I felt so good - even though i said i would. I woke up at about 2.30am and had this huge urge to go to the toilet but went back to bed thinking that baby wasn't going to arrive today! I woke up again at about 5am and as I walked to the bathroom i thought i had actually wet myself so, again, didn't think much of it. I went back to bed, only for half an hour, and got up again with a niggling lower backache and period type sensations. I decided to watch Love Actually, sitting on my birth ball, because I love that film and I chuckled in between the aches in my back. Antony came downstairs and asked if I was okay to which I replied I'm fine, just got a backache - thought it must be my bump giving me a dodgy back and so he went back to bed. It wasn't until 8am that I thought I’d have a bath when I noticed a show. I told Antony who decided to phone the hospital - all the time I was saying that I was fine and that if this was it I don't want to go in too early and be sent home or have them telling me I needed help. He described how i was feeling and the midwife said that I was in the very early stages of labour and that I should have a bath.

Then, it wasn't until 9am that I described the ache in my back like a wave, coming from my legs and working it's way up. Antony phoned the hospital, again with me calling to him that I was fine and that I was probably in early labour as the midwife had said. And, again, the same midwife said that I should hold on at home, stay calm (I was) and take some paracetemol. At 9.30am, standing under the shower to help with the backache (not painful just really uncomfortable,) I noticed blood. Antony phoned the hospital and told them what was happening and the midwife asked to speak to me. She said I should time these backaches and when I said that they are like waves she told me to pass the phone back to Antony and hang on the line. I had to say when these waves that ended up in the back were happening and within 5 minutes of being on the phone I had called out 5 times!! So, the midwife (same one) said that I should come in as quickly as possible. But, I had to have a wash first and clean my teeth and then even stood in the bedroom looking at my clothes and wondering what to wear. All the time Antony saying that if I didn't hurry up he would carry me out the door! So, we arrived at the hospital at about 10.15am and as we walked to the maternity unit I had to stop along the corridor because I had an overwhelming urge to push - or rather my body was pushing and I was just a bystander. I waddled into the unit where they examined me and told me I was fully dilated and that I needed to go straight to the delivery suite, I told the midwife that I wasn't ready yet as I hadn't unpacked my bag and when we arrived I said that I wanted to have a water birth and put my t-shirt on both to which she replied that there wouldn't be time for that! Antony said I looked like I was in a trance at times (I wasn't consciously practising the techniques because I found it hard to fill my balloon because the surges were all in my back - to find out later that I had back labour which was supposed to be the most painful of labours) and would only listen to Antony. The midwife kept telling me to push with the pain and so I whispered to Antony that I wasn't in pain. I told the midwife that when the waves reached my back and I felt the urge then I would push! Because Harry was back to back the midwife wasn't sure if he would turn in time, but as his head popped out (I wasn't aware that his head had come out as I asked Antony if he was nearly out!) he turned and put his shoulder through to my back giving me a third degree tear, which I didn't feel.

Harry is a very happy and peaceful baby and I have completely healed. Antony says he was amazed at how calm I was and how happy I was. Word got round the unit about how calm I was and how happy we both were that random members of staff popped into say hello and it wasn't until we were leaving that we found out why all these people were popping in to my room. I wrote out my birth as I thought it would happen the week before Harry arrived and most of it came true. I said I would go into labour at 5am (even though I was unaware if it at the time), I would be fully dialated when I reached the hospital and even wrote that I wouldn't have time to put my t-shirt on! I wrote that Harry would arrive at 4.05 but he arrived at 1.05, I said he'd be about 6lbs 2-3oz and he was 6lb 3oz. The only part that i didn't write was that i would need stiches but it certainly hasn't put me off having another baby. I look back at the birth with fond memories and Antony and I still say the odd things that happened and I smile when I talk about it. So, I just wanted to say thank you and I would definitely practise hypnobirthing again.

Antony, Dawn and Harry xx

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Dawn’s Story