Lindsay's Birth Story

Hi Susy

Inspite of trying every non medical method known to man to get this baby moving, I had to be induced when I got to 2 weeks post my due date. Being induced was my worst fear but as everyday passed I was just desperate for my bay to arrive.
I was induced with prostin pessaries and just after the second pessary the babies heart rate kept dropping intermittently for no apparent reason so I was whisked away to the delivery suite for closer monitoring.  There was talk of a c-section so by this point everything I had planned was out of the window.  I was panicking a bit but brought it back once I was set up in the delivery suite and I  had stuck on the TENS machine. To my surprise it really did work and I had it on right to the end (You only notice how good it is when you take it off).

I was monitored for a couple of hours and the consultant thought I'd had an epidural as I was so calm. The labour eventually kick-started itself and I had a normal delivery and I didnt need the syntocin drip.
When I asked if I was in established labour, the midwife said 'nearly' when I was actually well along the way at 6cm dilated. My labour was 2 hours 20 mins long which included 45 minutes delivering the placenta!

The hypnobirthing defintely helped throughout, though not as I had planned. What worked for me was closing my eyes, turning the music up loud (katie was born to a coldplay tune rather than the relaxation cd) and taking myself off to another world (mine was a dance floor in the middle of a nightclub rather than the peaceful garden I had practiced). The breathing techniques were probably what helped the most. I used them with the gas and air. I had no pain relief apart from the TENS and gas and air.

All of my delivery team who read my hypnobirth birth plan was very impressed :)

Before the birth I had been quite apprehensive as I am a wuss when it comes to pain, I cry at period pains. So I was truly amazed to get through this with no serious pain relief so if I can do it anyone can. I think hypnobirth techniques should be available to all mums on the NHS!!!

Lindsay, Mat and  Katie