I’m always thrilled when I get to hear from mothers who have used our programmes, and below is a birth story I received from Laura from Germany who gave birth to baby Jule 14 months ago.
Laura used just our hypnobirthing mp3s which helped her go into labour feeling positive and self-confident, and she came away from the experience feeling empowered.
She was able to avoid using an epidural, and gave birth in a warm pool by candlelight with just her husband and the midwife present.
Many thanks and congratulations to Laura; and over to her for the full birth story…
Jule’s Birth – 04.10.2008
I used the mp3s from the 25th week on. In the beginning I heard them every two to three days, later I listened to them every day and often again in the evening to calm down for a better sleep. They helped me very much in the preparation, they gave me self-confidence and a very positive feeling about my upcoming birth. I was looking forward to a calm, quick and wonderful birth at home with just my midwife and my husband.
I liked the music in the background and the carefully chosen words.
The whole pregnancy I was only three times at my ob/gyn, the rest of the care did my midwife.
One day after the due date at 1o’clock in the night I felt he first contractions which were very light and I decided to listen to the “Birth Rehearsal” again. Then I woke my husband and we started to get busy filling up the birth pool and setting up everything. I called my midwife who said, that if I did not need to concentrate during the contractions there was no need for her to come. So we decided to meet in the morning at the birthing centre or “birth house” as they are called in Germany if nothing changed because we had already set up a date for a CTG two days before.
I was in the water on all fours most of the time and did not get much sleep – compared to the contractions later they were not serious but nonetheless exciting for me as I never had felt any kind of contractions before as some women do in the last weeks.
We had an appointment with our midwife at 11 o’clock because of me being over the due date and chose with her on the phone that it would be early enough to see her then. We went there, everything was nice but the cervix only 2cm dilated which was disappointing for me after the whole night with contractions. We went out for a walk in the fields and then to the baker because it seemed we could use food for the following day and night. At the time I stopped shortly during the contractions and breathed, but lightly.
We went home again and drove to the “birth house” several times over the day for checking. In the evening I was in the pool again because the warm water made me feel so much better – it was a nice atmosphere with the pool in the living room and just going on a bit with normal life watching TV or talking although we knew what was coming up. It was easier to spend the time than it would have been in a hospital.
My midwife had given my a suppository to use if the contractions became more painful – I used it some times but it did not really help.
At 21 o’clock a midwife from the birth centre called because mine unfortunately did leave for her family holidays just at this day. But I knew the other one as well. She told me there was another women whose labour could start soon and we had to come because she was alone and could not handle two birthing women in two places. We went there but I was really disappointed and di not feel good with this – but no choice.
The cervix was still only 2-3cm dilated and once we were there, the contractions got more powerful – and more painful. I was breathing and singing during the contractions, my husband read to me from a children’s book we found there. I changed positions all the time, labour got more and more powerful. Acupuncture did not really have an effect on the pain.
At 23:30 I was on a point where I thought I could not stand it much longer and really really tired after one night without sleep. And it did not seem to get on which discouraged me. My midwife told me we could drive to a hospital and I could get a PDA there [a PDA is a type of epidural offered in Germany] and could sleep for a while. I thought about that but had never wanted this to happen – apart of it knew many women with complications after PDA, needing medication to enforce the contractions afterwards and it would take at least an hour until everything was done and the PDA could have an effect. And I could not imagine me in a car for twenty minutes with the contractions I had. My midwife had the idea that I go into the tub again and we’ll see what happens – why did we not think about this earlier?
Just one hour later she came to examine me and it were 7-8cm. I slept shortly in between the contractions. From there on I lost track of time.
After a total opening period of 27-28 hours, from which the last six were really intense, I could finally start pressing.
The pressing period was about twenty to thirty minutes only and Jule was born on 4:43 in the morning – without analgesia, in warm water, with candlelight and just me, my husband and our midwife. The midwife helped her dive up and turned her towards us, still in the water with her body. Jule looked at us without crying, just with very big interested eyes. She was breathing, everything was fine. Just a small noise came from her.
We got out of the tub very quickly, I felt exhausted but happy. We lay down in the bed with Jule and took some time for us. Nursing went great. After half an hour the midwife weighed and dressed her, everything still fine.
We slept for two hours all together in a big family bed in the birth centre. After six hours we packed everything and went back home.
Directly after the birth I was overwhelmed by the contractions, the pain that they had caused and how my body felt – so tired, kind of abused by the force that birth needs.
After some time I realized that everything went so great and that I managed all the birthing so well – supported by my husband who was with me all the time and did everything I asked for. I got out of this experience more powerful – I did it! And I did great!
We could stay out of a clinic which was my biggest wish – I’m studying medicine and spend enough time there to know how the birthing “business” there works.
I would use the blissful birth mp3s in my next pregnancy again and I am curious how the second birth will be, hopefully at home then.
