Rachel's Birth Story: The Birth of Jacob

Our beautiful son Jacob was born on the 10/10/16 I managed to deliver him completely drug free using your techniques and gas and air.

Many people doubted me when I said I was trying Hypnobirthing but I knew I could do it and will take great delight in sharing our wonderful birth story!

My waters broke in the early hours of Saturday morning – 4am, so I listened to my affirmations and trusted my body about when to call the hospital. My husband and I went for a walk in our village, pottered round the house and then even had a takeaway and watched a film during this time. At 10pm we called the hospital and they asked us to come in. They said it was dangerous for our baby if my waters had gone which straight away caused a rush of adrenaline. My husband and I hardly spoke on the way to the hospital and I was very aware this was not the atmosphere we wanted to start our birth with.

The midwife confirmed my waters had broken but that labour wasn’t established and told me to come back at 7am to be induced. I was calm and when we got home I put on candles and my affirmations. I was determined I would not be induced medically as I wanted the natural way and a water birth.

We headed into hospital at 7am on Sunday this time in a calm frame of mind playing music we had chosen to create our own atmosphere and raise our oxytocin levels. When we arrived they confirmed I was in labour and at 1cm. They said they would prepare the pool for us as we wanted a water birth. We were left for a few hours and when the midwife came back she said I was still only 1cm and they would need to use a peccary to help move things along and if it didn’t work then a drip which would mean no to a water birth. My husband and I decided to go for a walk around the hospital car park and he said we needed to stay positive and focus and not be disheartened. This journey was ours and we would not be easy but we could do it if we focussed and changed our frame of mind to a more positive one. We got one of our baby grows out which I used to help me focus.

We went back to the delivery suite and were told I had made it to 3 cm and would need to be put on the drip to be induced within the next few hours and that I couldn’t have the water birth I was hoping for. I was in floods of tears as this was not what I wanted, I called my Mum who had read the hypnobirthing book and she reminded me that I could do it and I just needed to focus my mind.

When they came to induce me they tried 3 times and each time my vein either ballooned or collapsed so they couldn’t get the cannula in. I knew it was my mind rejecting the drip and my husband asked the midwife if they could check and see our progress – we had made it from 3 to 7 cm and didn’t need the drip!!!! Hurrah!!! I then asked for some gas and air to help with the intensity along with my affirmations.
By this point I had been in labour for over 40 hours and they were worried about the baby so gave me some fluids to protect him. We got to 10cm and it was time to push. At 47 hours in I was exhausted but somehow found an inner strength I kept my eyes closed and focussed.
Our baby’s heart rate was difficult to find and they put a clip on his head to monitor his heart beat. I was told I had an hour to push before the doctors came in and again remained calm. I knew I could do it.

After what was an hour and 20 and seemed like 2 minutes the registrar came in. He said he had read my birth plan and didn’t want to resort to a C section if possible but our baby needed help so he would have to assist with forceps. At this point my only focus was bringing my baby into the world safely and so I was given some anaesthetic and they began an episiotomy. I was told when to push and found myself being put in a gown and prepared for surgery. I focussed hard on pushing and kept telling myself I could do it. My husband spoke calmly and gently and told me I was wonderful and we could do this.

Then I heard a voice say, ‘Rachel, look’ – I responded with my eyes closed ‘I can’t’, and they told me my baby was here and safe. I opened my eyes and there he was, lying on my chest looking up at me, calm – no tears and just perfect.

The registrar said my baby was so calm but had turned his head at the last minute and wrapped his cord round his feet. He also said if I hadn’t been as calm throughout the labour I could have put my baby in danger.

It was an intense experience but one that was so amazing and that I couldn’t have done without the help of your book, my husband and Ann Ball from Durham whose class my husband and I went to.

Thank you for empowering woman by proving you can bring a baby into the world as naturally as possible and give them the best start. Hugh Jacob Hutchinson is just perfect and we are so lucky to have him here safely and 2 weeks early!