Kelly & Baby Ruby's Birth
September 2016
When I contacted Charlotte about hypnobirthing I had very limited knowledge about what was involved and unbeknown to me, until my first class, very limited knowledge about giving birth. I made the choice to attend because I believe that the mind is a powerful tool and our thoughts and self-talk affects how we feel and behave.
11th &18th June 2016 – Our Hypnobirthig Sessions
Meeting Charlotte was easy. She has a naturally warm and engaging style which made my partner, Gaz and I feel comfortable from the start. By the end of the sessions we both were amazed with how much we had learned. Hypnobirthing taught us breathing techniques, visualisations and positive thinking to support us in preparing for the labour we wanted. We learnt how to work together to remain calm and relaxed. I felt confident writing a well-informed birthing plan and felt I had options in preparing for the birth of my baby. We also learnt so much about birth and the choices we were able to make which we were not aware of before.
Sunday 18th September 2016 - Early labour
At Midnight on Sunday my initial surges started. I can only describe them as powerful. I used my breathing techniques throughout and my visualisations when they became more frequent and stronger. I found being in the bath whilst listening to my hypnobirthing music helped me to relax. My partner sat with me the whole time, keeping me hydrated and topping up the bath with warm water – the small things made big differences.
Monday 19th September 2016 – First visit to hospital
At Midday on Monday we made our way into hospital. When I arrived at hospital I was 1cm dilated which initially I felt disappointed with but when we got home I returned to focussing on progressing with my hypnobirthing techniques.
At approximately 5pm my waters broke and we made our way back to hospital. I was 4cm when we arrived and I was able to go straight to a birthing pool room. Gaz put on my hypnobirthing music as soon as we got there and he kept the lighting low to create a calming environment. We had one midwife with us in the room who was very attentive and we shared our birthing plan with her so she could support us in achieving the birth we wanted.
Tuesday 20th September 2016 – Birth
Just after midnight I felt ready to push and at this point I concentrated on my downward breathing. I had been in labour for 24 hours at this point and only used gas and air as I felt I was able to manage the surges by using my hypnobirthing techniques. At 2am my midwife felt it was time for me to try a different position out of the pool as I was struggling to push my baby’s head out. Although I was reluctant, by this point I was becoming very tired. The midwife also asked a surgeon to come and advise on their opinion. The surgeon examined me and explained that my baby’s head was in an awkward position which is why I was struggling to push the head out and he felt I needed assistance by using a ventouse to place the head in a better position. I asked for some extra time to continue trying on my own and he said he would return in half an hour to review my progress. During this time I was unable to push my baby out and when the surgeon returned my baby’s heart beat was beginning to drop. We were both very tired and therefore Gaz and I made the decision to allow the surgeon to assist in our delivery. At 3.48am Ruby Mae Schofield was born. It was the most overwhelming experience when we both looked into her eyes. Our very own daughter!
Although a ventouse delivery was not something I had wished for, our baby girl was with us and she was safe. Hypnobirthing gave me the knowledge to be able to make a choice when it became clear that a surgeon was going to be called. It also gave me the knowledge to control my birthing experience and I managed the 28 hours with gas and air by being focussed on how I wanted to deliver my baby. Without the help of Charlotte, I feel my experience would have been very different. I am so grateful for everything Charlotte did for us and I cannot recommend her highly enough. So from Gaz, Ruby and I……thank you Charlotte xx