Positive Birth Story: Quick Second Birth (in the corridor!)
Thanks to Lynsey for sharing this positive birth story of her second baby. (It’s an exciting read!) Lynsey took a private Hypnobirthing course with birth-ed in Surrey, and planned a birth centre birth.
Hi Megan,
I just wanted to say a huge huge thank you! My husband and I carried out the mini course with you at our home in July and August and it was the best decision we’ve ever made.
My first pregnancy and labour went really smoothly. I was low risk throughout and I even got my perfect water birth as planned. Despite everything going well, when I fell pregnant with my second, I remembered how painful the contractions were, which made me nervous. I was also really worried about my pelvic floor as I damaged it badly the first time. In order to combat my worries, we decided to try hypnobirthing.
Hypnobirthing Course Surrey
After the first session with you, I instantly felt excited about giving birth again. The way you explained the physiology behind hypnobirthing made so much sense. I started practising the up breathing, reading and listening to the positive affirmations and listening to your mp3s straight away. Following the second session, I was ready and I was looking forward to it.
The birth story
On 29th September my waters broke at 1.30am and the midwives said I could stay at home to wait for the surges to start. They started quickly and by 2.30am they were more intense and coming in quick succession, which is what happened with my first labour too. I listened to the mp3s, used the up breathing and thought through the affirmations. When the surges intensified further I found myself lifting my arms up to keep myself focused on the visualisations. I was relaxed the whole time. By 6.50am I knew I wanted the pool so called the hospital but they told me they had no hot water. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t going to have another water birth but I stayed calm and by the time we left for the hospital it was 7.20am. At this point I was struggling to stay focused during the breathing. As I got in the car, I had the urge to push. I purposely didn’t do the down breathing as I knew the baby was coming and needed to get to the hospital. It was a hairy journey! As soon as we arrived I asked my husband for a wheelchair but when he brought one, I couldn’t sit down. The pressure was so intense. I could feel the baby there. I got in on my knees facing him and he rushed me in and I told him to pull my underwear down. The baby’s head came out. At this point we were outside the lift with no one around. Thankfully a midwife just finishing her shift with her coat and backpack on walked by. She stayed with me while my husband went upstairs to get some help. She told me to push, which I hadn’t consciously made an effort to do yet and so I pushed once and my baby boy was born at 7.36am. When my husband came back down I was holding him.
Feeling empowered about birth
I know this might sound chaotic and scary but I wasn’t scared. I feel so empowered that my body did what it was supposed to do all by itself. With no intervention from another person or from pain relief. I was relaxed at home, I didn’t tense a single muscle (until I got in the car!) and I allowed my body to do the most natural thing in the world. So although my son was born in the hospital corridor, it was a perfect labour and I’m so grateful to you for teaching me the techniques for it to happen this way. Thank you so much.
As a side note, I also carried out a course of pregnancy reflexology which I think also helped me relax. It is supposed to aid labour and recovery too so I think it worked wonderfully in combination with hypnobirthing. I will never be able to recommend both to other women enough! Thank you so much xx