Dear Shelley,
We are so excited to share the wonderful and joyful birth-story of our daughter, Daphne Ella, with you. Our sweet baby girl was born Thursday June 7, at 8:06 pm, was 19 1/2 inches long, and weighed 5lbs 12 oz. Our birthing experience began the day before at a routine doctor's visit, when I mentioned offhandedly to the doctor that I had noticed a tiny trickle of fluid the morning before. She was pretty sure it was nothing, but after some tests, we discovered to our surprise that I was actually leaking amniotic fluid! Since it had already been over 24 hours since I first noticed the fluid, she wanted to induce me that afternoon, but I did not want Pitocin at all. After a perfectly healthy fetal nonstress test, we compromised for a scheduled induction the next morning. I had been having contractions for a few days, but they were not very strong and not at all regular, but I had faith that they would become stronger overnight.
We tried many natural induction methods at home for the rest of the afternoon and evening, and around 2am, my contractions, though still not very strong, became unmistakably regular, spaced 2 minutes apart. By morning, though still 2 minutes apart, they were still not strong. We headed to the hospital at 8am, determined to stave off the Pitocin for as long as possible. We asked for a few hours to see if the contractions would strengthen, but around 10:00 I was only 1-2cm dilated, which is what I had been the week before. Our doctor wanted to start Pitocin, but we asked to have my water broken instead, hoping that would make the contractions stronger, and he agreed. At 11:00, I was at 3cm, and I could definitely feel the contractions getting more intense. But when the doctor checked me again at 4:00, I was still only 3cm, so we agreed to a small dose of Pitocin. I was very disappointed, but the doctor agreed to give me only 1/2 of the smallest starting dose, hoping that would make my contractions stronger.
Well by the time they got the IV ready, I was really using my slow breathing--my surges were getting very intense! The nurses had trouble finding a vein and had to stick me about 5 times, and by that point, the nurse joked that by the time they found a vein, I wouldn't need the Pitocin anymore. Sure enough, after getting 1/10 of the very small dose, the doctor came in and said they could turn the Pitocin off (yay!) because I was 5cm. I was so happy and so proud of my body--I felt 100% confident that my body knew exactly what to do. I spent the next 3 hours on the birthing ball leaning over the bed, while Keith sat on the bed facing me, supporting me the whole time. He didn't move a muscle, though I know his arms must have ached. Keith gave me such loving, wonderful support to help me through each surge, really encouraging me to breathe my belly "up, up, up" (I can still hear his sweet voice in my ear!) and to rest with sleep breathing between surges. Ironically, the monitors they had on my belly were a major help to him as a birth companion, because most of my contractions were "couplets" (they looked like an "M" shape on the monitor--essentially 2 contractions back to back with no break). He could tell by looking at the monitor when I was having a couplet; this helped me so much because sometimes it was really hard to get through the second half of a couplet, and if we hadn't had the monitor, he probably would have told me to start sleep breathing! We decided this was just another instance of us deciding to make lemonade of the lemons we encountered during our birth experience. Those 3 hours were reeeaally intense, and at 7:37, the doctor did another check, and I was only at 6-7cm. I didn't dare admit it to anyone for fear of well-intentioned nurses offering an epidural, but at that point I did have my doubts if I could finish labor without any pain medication. The couplets were very difficult to maintain slow breathing through, and I had only dilated 1 cm in 3 hours! I told this to Keith afterward, and he was in shock--he said I looked just like the women in the videos we watched, still, like I was sleeping.
After that exam, I decided it was just too much effort to get off the bed, so I lay on my side and continued my breathing and visualization. My surges began to get much easier as I started to feel numbness around my cervix, but I had a new feeling of discomfort, like I had to have a bowel movement immediately! I kept telling the nurses I had to push, although I only used that word so they would understand what I meant; it felt more like sphincter muscles involuntarily contracting very strongly. They told me NOT to push, that it wasn't time yet, and I tried sooooo hard. But that was honestly the most uncomfortable part of my entire labor--trying to stop those sphincters when they would not stop. I should have just listened to my body--when the doctor checked me at 7:57, only 20 minutes after I was at 6cm, she said I was fully dilated! I have never felt more alive than I did at that moment--I just felt this flood of joy wash over me. It was better than any epidural!! The doctor ran out to get medical equipment for the birth, because nothing was set up yet, and the nurse said "umm, there's a head!" The doctor said, "I know, she's ready to push," and the nurse repeated "no, the head's right here!" They brought a mirror and ooohh my little sweetheart's head was right there!
I was doing my birth breathing happily and calmly, but because she slid so quickly down my birth canal, the monitor slipped off my belly. The last measurement they got showed that her heart rate had dropped, which the doctor later told us happens a lot, but that often it goes back up. But without the monitor, the doctor said she wanted the baby out as soon as possible in case she was in distress. So unfortunately, I had to stop doing birth breathing and start pushing; I was disappointed, but at that point was just so overjoyed that my baby girl would soon be in my arms I didn't really care how I got her! After a couple of contractions, her head had still not come out, so the doctor, with scissors in hand, said "Lauren, I'm going to have to do an episiotomy if you don't get her out." I screamed "NO" and got her out in about 2 pushes at 8:06, only 6 minutes after I started pushing. I did have second-degree tears, but I avoided the episiotomy and felt pretty healed after about 1 week. It wasn't exactly the peaceful entry into the world I had imagined for my baby girl, but, again, in the moment, it just didn't matter--all my senses were flooded with what I can only describe as ecstasy--an indescribable love for my new daughter and husband. I remember thinking she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. They placed her on my chest immediately and I breastfed her and she was so alert and alive--ahh it was just bliss! Keith and I were able to bond with her still on my chest for about an hour afterward before they took us upstairs. When they did, I asked if I could go to the nursery with Daphne and Keith for her measurements, and the nurses were all stunned, like no one had ever asked to do that before. But I felt great and had so much energy! I was up and walking around immediately.
That's our happy, happy story! Daphne is sweet as a lamb; she's a very happy and calm baby, which we attribute to our hypnobirth. And she is perfectly healthy and shows absolutely no signs of any impairments from all my gallbladder problems. We are thrilled that Daphne had such a beautiful birth, especially with all of the potential medical interventions, and we are so grateful to you and to the Hypnobirthing program. I feel pretty certain that without your class, we would have gone in for the induction the day before and God only knows what would have happened after that. Keith was an amazing and perfect birth companion, and I know how much the class and the book helped. He knew just what to say and do to help support me. If you ever need a couple to talk to a class, Keith and I would love to share our birth experience!
Thanks again for everything!!
