Katie, Joe, and Joey's Hypnobirthing Story

We are always honored to hear back from previous students but even more so when they feel comfortable enough to share their birthing experience with us. We encourage all of our students to do so if they wish and explain how encouraging it is for others to read these stories and imagine their own births going as well.

Please enjoy, with permission, a very beautiful and awesome birth story from one of our recent students.

Baby Joey’s Birth Story

“On Monday, I went for weekly appointment with my midwife and agreed to have them check my cervix. I was only a fingertip dilated and my cervix was still high, but soft.  I left the appointment feeling disappointed despite knowing that that information didn’t really mean anything as to when my baby was coming. Thursday morning at 215am, my water broke while I was sleeping.  It just happened to be on my due date.  No real contractions started, but my midwife wanted me to go to triage to confirm that my membranes ruptured. I was dilated to a 3, 80% effaced. They said I could go home and labor at home until 2pm or stay and try to progress in triage/walking at the hospital. We went home and tried to sleep. I listened to my affirmations and my rainbow relaxation tracks feeling very excited about what was to come. I let my husband sleep for about 3 hours before I felt like I was getting regular contractions every 5 min for about 30 seconds. We wanted to go out to breakfast before heading back over, so we showered and went to breakfast then went back to triage around 10:30am. Triage checked and I was still only at a 3, so they said I could go walk around for a couple more hours until I got to 6cm or it was 2pm (12 hours post rupture). We walked around the hospital and I did squats and all the things I’ve read that are supposed to progress your dilation, lots of sideways stairs, hip circles, lunges, etc.  We went back to triage at 2 and I was only at a 4 despite having more intense contractions with longer duration and closer frequency. They saw a bulging bag so I actually had a high leak when my water broke and his amniotic sac was blocking my cervix. My midwife said she’d admit me to the natural birthing center if I’d let her break my water otherwise I’d have to go to L&D and start induction. I said yes to breaking my water. She finished up another birth while I labored in the tub for a bit, walked, bounced on the yoga ball, etc for about an hour to an hour and half. Then my midwife came to check me and I was still only a 4-5. I was super disappointed because they were getting more intense, but I was making little change and I really wanted to avoid induction. If I had to be induced, I’d have to leave the natural birthing center and I didn’t want to do that at all. My midwife broke my water and said that baby’s head was positioned sideways on my cervix so she had me do some inversions during contractions to try to help him turn. Then she sent me to go walk to help him move down and dilate me. I walked for 30-45 minutes and things got pretty serious pretty fast. During contractions, I visualized my cervix opening while practicing my breathing. I went back to the tub and my midwife had me contact in more positions to help his positioning. At this point, I started to freak out because I was afraid of how intense things were feeling and that I’d still only be a 4-5. I was starting to question if I should leave and go get an epidural and just do L&D. I had a cry session with my midwife and my nurse that I didn’t think I could do it. They checked me and I was in transition at 8cm. This definitely boosted my confidence, despite my pain  I knew that transition was the worst, but it could go fast. This helped me feel better but head was still sideways making me feel like my hips were going to completely split apart. I continued to contract in the tub and my breathing changed into low guttural moans on its own. In the back of my mind, I knew this meant things were getting close from all of my readings/birth videos I watched.  I started feeling like an uncontrollable grunt at the end of every breath like I was starting to push. At this point, I also thought I could feel him turn. They had me get out of the tub and I asked to go to the bathroom. I had a few contractions on the toilet and then they moved me to the bed and had me get on all 4s over a ball to check me again and I was fully complete and ready to push. They had me get on my back and when I felt a contraction come pull my knees up and bear down. It was VERY hard pushing through the pain versus trying to breath through it Between contractions, my midwife oiled and stretched me. I cried some more that I was too scared and couldn’t do it. I felt the ring of fire and then like 5 min later his head was out and then out slipped his body. I only pushed for 30 min and the placenta followed pretty soon after and it felt so relieving to get it out. I had a few 1st degree tears around the side that she stitched up while my son laid on my chest. But, as soon as he was out, all pain was gone. From water breaking to baby on my chest, it was only a 18 hour labor, which I know is pretty quick for a first time mom.

We are so thankful for hypnobirthing and prenatal yoga for getting us through. Also, Tracie from Women First Midwives is an absolute miracle worker and as my husband said, a total badass. My nurses at the Karmanos Center for Natural Birthing, Shannon and Janice, were critical in our journey and were so attuned to my needs physically and emotionally throughout the birth. We are so thankful for this team of people. I am so amazed at my body, what it created and what it endured. Labor is so mental and I am so thankful I was able to birth my baby the way I envisioned during my pregnancy.

Thank you for everything!!
Katie, Joe, and Baby Joey