Birth is a natural process, not a disease. Without complication, it can and should be an easy, comfortable, and amazing experience (www.hypnobirthing.com). And for some, an ecstatic and sensual experience (http://www.amazing-birth.com).
For my first baby, I was told by the doctor at 39 weeks checkup that the baby is in breech. I asked about trying to turn the baby. And the doctor said even if the baby is turned, she’s too big for you to deliver naturally. So I had a scheduled C section without ever going into labor. Katie was 8 pound 14 oz. She’s 4 now. And till today I can still remember the night after birth, I tried to get up from laying on the bed and nurse Katie, it took me 20 mins, and many trials just to get up! I guess C section is a surgery. I stayed at the hospital for 3 nights.
When I was pregnant again, I do not want a C section again. So I read a lot and was so much more well-informed. I took the hypnobirthing class. In the class we watched birthing videos in which the mothers were so calm and birthing was so easy, no drama what so ever. We couldn’t believe it even after finishing the class. I told LD: I wish we can have a birth half as good as that. After listening to the tape provided, one day it just sank in: the whole nine month we are pregnant, all we have to do is to take care of ourselves by eating, drinking, sleeping, and maybe a little bit more than just sleeping. We didn’t need any medical intervention to help the baby grow from a cell to a bundle of joy. Think about it, it takes a lot of work to grow the baby inside of us. And our body takes care of it all. And birth is only the last step of the pregnancy, the baby coming out of our body. Why wouldn’t this last step go as smoothly as all the million steps before during pregnancy? Why does it take induction, aesthesis, forceps, etc.? Once the idea sank in, I’m a true believer. So even though I was considered a slightly high risk mom: c section before, never went to labor (which means my body is like a first time mom), GD (preg. Related diabetes), I planned to have an easy and natural birth. I was swimming all the way 2 days before the birth. People who work at the pool smile at me every time I go there. They said one day you’ll be walking to the pool, pause for the baby to come out and then resume walking.
In hypnobirthing, LD is the birth companion and an active component instead of just a helpless on-looker. LD was supposed to practice reading scripts to me. Both LD and I had doubt about whether he will be able to “hypnotize” me since he’s not even a talkative guy. The first night he read a 5 page script to me. The next morning I was very sorry to find out that he actually finished reading the full 5 pages. I fell asleep before he finished the first page. After a week or two, the minute he starts to talk (reading the script), I fell asleep. So I was able to sleep very well every night before the baby was born.
Then came my due date, and a week passed by, I had a little bit of bloody show early in the morning. In the morning I took a walk with LD in the neighborhood. In the afternoon I sat on the deck and chatted with my mom while enjoying the sun. After dinner we had some visitors and packed. At 10:30 at night we were ready to go with a lot of things packed, yoga ball, music, pillows, socks with tennis ball in it, script for LD to read, etc. After checking in at the hospital, LD, my sister and I chatted in the waiting room until a nurse came to get me at 12 am. She was apologizing for the delay and said it was a very busy day. I couldn’t understand why she was apologizing at first since we were having a good time talking. Then I realized she probably thought I was in pain and was anxious to get into the delivery room.
After we settled in the room, my sister left and said she will come early in the morning so that LD can go home and rest a little bit. We were planning for a 24 hour thing since that’s the average for a first-time mom and I had never had labor so the doctor was expecting mine to be like a first-time mom. The midwife examined me and said I was almost 4 cm. We dimmed the light, put on the music. When the surge comes, I breathe, and flow with it. The nurse was going to put IV on me. She asked when was the last time you eat? I told her that I just finished dinner and I drank tons of water since then. She said “oh, there is no need for IV then”. If I had come to the hospital earlier there would be no food allowed. How can anyone function well without food for a long period of time, say 24 hours? I wouldn’t even if I miss one meal. At 1 pm the midwife decided to break my water. At 2 it wasn’t progressing much. LD suggested we walk around a little bit. We did and the surges come closer. Whenever it comes, I lean toward him or a wall, breathe slowly and thinking of how strong Maggie is. Then I lay down again. The surges come farther. The midwife suggested we try something else. She let me sleep side way and taking a position that’s completed relaxed. Sure enough the surges come stronger and stronger. And I kept on thinking: Maggie, you are great. You are so strong! Very soon she was telling me I was almost there. I thought she was saying that just to make me feel better since it wasn’t long ago that I was almost 4 cm. She then announced that I was 9 cm. It was 3 pm. Then she left the room to look at another mom. Within minutes I felt the urge to push. Up until then I was so confident and calm. Only then I was terrified: I don’t know a thing about how to push. Somehow during my preparation I missed the part on how to push! I told LD: get the midwife now. Then the nurses directed me to push the baby out. During which they were saying to LD: you are doing a wonderful job! You seem like a pro. Where did you learn about birthing? And all he did was gently caressing me, and calming murmuring “you are doing great”. At 3:43 Maggie was there, less than 4 hours in the delivery room. 8 pounds and 14 ozs. Exactly like her sister! Who said her sister was too big for me to have naturally? I used to wear size 2, if I can have a 8’14’’ baby, anybody can have a big baby naturally.
When my sister came the next day she said I don’t look like someone who just had a baby (I guess the image is exhausted etc.). She said I looked like I just didn’t sleep which was exactly what happened. And LD said I looked so beautiful that I should have more babies. We went home at noon. And Maggie is such a joyful, funny, easygoing, and confident baby. SO EASY to take care of her sometimes I felt like she grew up all on her own.
My sister-in-law asked me: Didn’t you feel the pain when it was most painful? I said: What pain? It was never painful. It was such an empowering experience. I felt like I had a rebirth, full of love and confidence. And I heard from a lady that she felt she died once. What a difference.
An easy, pain-free, and comfortable 4 hour birth. No epidural, no episiotomy, no forceps. 8’14’’ first time baby. Nature will take care of it when we trust in and surrender to our body and the baby. Enjoy your birth!
