PeanutBean
Mumma to B & I
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I'm doing this home study hypnobirthing course and this week I had to write my future birth story. I thought I'd share it with you and if any of you wanted to write your own and share it on here you're more than welcome. Mine is REALLY long! I wanted it to be kind of realistic and put in some of the more experiential things I hope for rather than the times and dilations etc that are normally in birth stories. So here it is:
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The first sign of labour was some strong period pains that started around tea time. They were uncomfortable but not too regular and not too strong so I busied myself tidying and cleaning the kitchen while DH bathed Byron and put him to bed. It was hard work but I wanted things to be ready for the pool. DH came down and moved the kitchen table out the way so we could put up the pool inflated and ready. All this activity was making the period pains stronger. DH pumped up the pool and so I went for a nice bath with some salts. The pains died off while I was in the bath so I went to bed right after to try and get some sleep.
In the small hours of the morning I was woken by more contractions. I tried to sleep between them and managed a bit more rest but it was fitful. Byron came into our room then at about 5am and started messing about which made it even harder to get rest so I decided to get up leaving Byron and DH in bed. I made some toast and a pot of tea and sat on the birthing ball in the sitting room watching P&P on TV. The dog had come down with me but curled up to sleep on her bed.
DH was up not long after, Byron was still asleep. DH checked on me and as the contractions were becoming more regular now he called in work to start his paternity leave then went to get ready. I stayed bouncing on the ball. DH took Byron to nursery and we rang my Mum to let her know things had started but Byron was in mursery for now. We said we'd ring about lunchtime as she needed an hour to get here to take over with Byron. I went for a shower then and got dressed into something comfy and put on the TENS.
That morning DH and I walked the dog. It was hard work with the contractions especially walking back up the hill from the river but I couldn't face driving along the bumpy track to the river which was agony when not in labour! Back home my contractions were coming every 5 minutes and though I could still talk through them they were becoming quite painful, the TENS really helped take the edge off them. I rang the MW to say I was in labour. Then DH and I had fun using the external dilation checks that I had pinned up on the wall. Some weren't very easy to tell but we guessed about 3-4cm dilated. I got the CD of my hypno tracks ready in the kitchen and had a listen to the birth affirmations and fear release tracks to get in the mood. The MW came by to check on me, a different one from my antenatal classes. Baby was all good and I declined an internal then she went off again. I rang my Mum then asking her to come over to help out with Byron and to bring things for staying over. I was getting pretty tired so then tried to nap some more between contractions while DH made lunch. DH sorted stuff out in the house then my Mum arrived so he went to collect Byron from nursery. Once he was back I went to be with him in the sitting room so I could tell him about the baby coming. I sat on the ball while we read through some of the books we bought about homebirth again and I had some contractions in the middle of them so was able to show him it was really happening! He was a bit weird but said the baby's name a few times and when I said he was soon going to be a big brother he repeated it back to me, the first time he's called himself a brother.
The contractions were still about 4 mins apart and getting pretty strong but I was managing with the TENS. We checked my dilation again and reckoned about 5-6cm so my Mum took Byron to the park while DH filled the pool and I paced. We called the MW who came back and it was my MW now after a shift change or whatever. She got set up, DH finished off filling the pool and my Mum returned with Byron and made him some tea. I went up to the bathroom (lots of good stair-walking) and while there my waters went in a big gush. So relieved they went during labour this time but god did the contractions suddenly start to really hurt! I managed to change into my tankini top and dressing gown and came downstairs to get into the pool. I kicked everyone out the room except DH who lit some candles so we could put the light off, and drew the blind. We put on some nice music and I really got into using my breathing through the contractions now. The water was amazing! My mum went to bath Byron, the MW stayed in the sitting room drinking tea and things and DH just sat with me and rubbed or poured water or kissed
or whatever else I asked him to do. He was a rock. It all happened quite quick once Byron was out the way. The MW did the external dilation stuff and reckoned I was nearly there so I just went with it and wow, it was amazing when my body really did start to push on it's own. I tried really hard to relax and felt the head a bit as she was crowning. My MW was great with extra breathing instructions when she felt I needed them but mostly just was quiet. When the head was out the MW checked and found a loop of cord so moved that and with the next push my girl was born. I caught her myself and brought her up to my chest at which point my Mum came back down with Byron in his pyjamas who hadn't wanted to go to sleep so I showed him his new sister. My Mum took some photos of us all and then I was able to bf right away! I stayed in the pool for the placenta delivery, it took about an hour but it was lovely just being there and we had opened up the doors to the kitchen so that some evening light came in from outside. It was such a gorgeous sunny evening! The placenta came and the cord was clamped and I cut it (weird!). My Mum took Byron to watch a sleepy film, the MW did the checks and DH brought me towels and clothes and everything then I went up for my herb bath with the baby. After that I went to bed with Byron and the baby while everyone else tidied up! As she was warm and wrapped up now we opened the bedroom windows and it was so spring-warm. Byron fell asleep almost right away holding her hand.
So introducing XXXXXX, born April XXXX at 7:45pm weighing 7lb 6oz. A natural water birth with only TENS and water for pain relief and no tears after an active labour of about 12 hours.
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The first sign of labour was some strong period pains that started around tea time. They were uncomfortable but not too regular and not too strong so I busied myself tidying and cleaning the kitchen while DH bathed Byron and put him to bed. It was hard work but I wanted things to be ready for the pool. DH came down and moved the kitchen table out the way so we could put up the pool inflated and ready. All this activity was making the period pains stronger. DH pumped up the pool and so I went for a nice bath with some salts. The pains died off while I was in the bath so I went to bed right after to try and get some sleep.
In the small hours of the morning I was woken by more contractions. I tried to sleep between them and managed a bit more rest but it was fitful. Byron came into our room then at about 5am and started messing about which made it even harder to get rest so I decided to get up leaving Byron and DH in bed. I made some toast and a pot of tea and sat on the birthing ball in the sitting room watching P&P on TV. The dog had come down with me but curled up to sleep on her bed.
DH was up not long after, Byron was still asleep. DH checked on me and as the contractions were becoming more regular now he called in work to start his paternity leave then went to get ready. I stayed bouncing on the ball. DH took Byron to nursery and we rang my Mum to let her know things had started but Byron was in mursery for now. We said we'd ring about lunchtime as she needed an hour to get here to take over with Byron. I went for a shower then and got dressed into something comfy and put on the TENS.
That morning DH and I walked the dog. It was hard work with the contractions especially walking back up the hill from the river but I couldn't face driving along the bumpy track to the river which was agony when not in labour! Back home my contractions were coming every 5 minutes and though I could still talk through them they were becoming quite painful, the TENS really helped take the edge off them. I rang the MW to say I was in labour. Then DH and I had fun using the external dilation checks that I had pinned up on the wall. Some weren't very easy to tell but we guessed about 3-4cm dilated. I got the CD of my hypno tracks ready in the kitchen and had a listen to the birth affirmations and fear release tracks to get in the mood. The MW came by to check on me, a different one from my antenatal classes. Baby was all good and I declined an internal then she went off again. I rang my Mum then asking her to come over to help out with Byron and to bring things for staying over. I was getting pretty tired so then tried to nap some more between contractions while DH made lunch. DH sorted stuff out in the house then my Mum arrived so he went to collect Byron from nursery. Once he was back I went to be with him in the sitting room so I could tell him about the baby coming. I sat on the ball while we read through some of the books we bought about homebirth again and I had some contractions in the middle of them so was able to show him it was really happening! He was a bit weird but said the baby's name a few times and when I said he was soon going to be a big brother he repeated it back to me, the first time he's called himself a brother.
The contractions were still about 4 mins apart and getting pretty strong but I was managing with the TENS. We checked my dilation again and reckoned about 5-6cm so my Mum took Byron to the park while DH filled the pool and I paced. We called the MW who came back and it was my MW now after a shift change or whatever. She got set up, DH finished off filling the pool and my Mum returned with Byron and made him some tea. I went up to the bathroom (lots of good stair-walking) and while there my waters went in a big gush. So relieved they went during labour this time but god did the contractions suddenly start to really hurt! I managed to change into my tankini top and dressing gown and came downstairs to get into the pool. I kicked everyone out the room except DH who lit some candles so we could put the light off, and drew the blind. We put on some nice music and I really got into using my breathing through the contractions now. The water was amazing! My mum went to bath Byron, the MW stayed in the sitting room drinking tea and things and DH just sat with me and rubbed or poured water or kissed
or whatever else I asked him to do. He was a rock. It all happened quite quick once Byron was out the way. The MW did the external dilation stuff and reckoned I was nearly there so I just went with it and wow, it was amazing when my body really did start to push on it's own. I tried really hard to relax and felt the head a bit as she was crowning. My MW was great with extra breathing instructions when she felt I needed them but mostly just was quiet. When the head was out the MW checked and found a loop of cord so moved that and with the next push my girl was born. I caught her myself and brought her up to my chest at which point my Mum came back down with Byron in his pyjamas who hadn't wanted to go to sleep so I showed him his new sister. My Mum took some photos of us all and then I was able to bf right away! I stayed in the pool for the placenta delivery, it took about an hour but it was lovely just being there and we had opened up the doors to the kitchen so that some evening light came in from outside. It was such a gorgeous sunny evening! The placenta came and the cord was clamped and I cut it (weird!). My Mum took Byron to watch a sleepy film, the MW did the checks and DH brought me towels and clothes and everything then I went up for my herb bath with the baby. After that I went to bed with Byron and the baby while everyone else tidied up! As she was warm and wrapped up now we opened the bedroom windows and it was so spring-warm. Byron fell asleep almost right away holding her hand.So introducing XXXXXX, born April XXXX at 7:45pm weighing 7lb 6oz. A natural water birth with only TENS and water for pain relief and no tears after an active labour of about 12 hours.
I just want a simple and manageable experience really but the bits with family are quite important to me. It will be even better if my son wants to be there when i actually give birth. 
Now I'm fighting the urge to run out and buy darker window coverings for a home that I'll only be in for a few more weeks 
at the dog blanket/newspaper curtains
