Michelle’s Wild Positive Hypnobabies Birth Story
“I thought this seems like what pushing would be, but also thought I surely must not be pushing yet. This sensation continued and I started to feel down there for a crowning head. Around this time, I remember looking down at my stomach and knowing she was no longer there and that she was well on her way out.”
On Wednesday, 5/15, my husband left for work as usual at 4:45 am in the morning. I never fell back to sleep and felt something trickle down my leg in bed at 5:45 am. As I stood up, I had more liquid come out. Not thinking I needed to pee, I felt this could be my water breaking even though I didn’t hear any “pop”. Called my husband to come home to figure out the day. I was not having any waves (Hypnobabies term for contractions) yet. Called birth center who said I could come in to check if my water had broken. I listened to my Birthing Day Affirmations on the hour ride there. The water was indeed broken when checked.
Since I was GBS positive, we discussed the ideal 24-hour window to birth as I was still not having any waves. We were sent home with the midwifes’ castor oil cocktail to take to induce birthing time (Hypnobabies term for labor). Arrived back home at 12 pm and waited until 1:15 pm to take the cocktail with still no waves. At 2 pm, I sent out work emails saying I was officially going on maternity leave that day as I was having the baby in the next 24 hours one way or another.
Unsure exactly when, but around 3:30-4pm I was having more consistent waves. I was listening to my Easy First Stage track. I had my husband time them for me as I was going through birthing waves on the toilet. I was having minute long birthing waves 3 minutes apart at 4:30pm. We only timed 15 minutes’ worth but given the frequency my husband convinced me we should head out for the hour drive to the birth center.
With waves now quite uncomfortable at this point, my husband laid out lots of pillows and blankets in the back of our escalade to have me lie down during the ride. I was in my own world listening to my Easy First Stage Hypnobabies audio track on the way. The waves got more intense as the ride went on and I focused on listening to my track about staying open and relaxed. Not sure where we were in the drive, I remember thinking if I don’t get admitted (had to be 6cm for birth center) when we get there, I’m going to need some help getting through this. Looking back on those thoughts now, I must’ve been in transformation (Hypnobabies term for transition).
Shortly after, my sensations changed from intense waves to an involuntary pressure focused on what seemed down at my butt. I thought this seems like what pushing would be, but also thought I surely must not be pushing yet. This sensation continued and I started to feel down there for a crowning head. Around this time, I remember looking down at my stomach and knowing she was no longer there and that she was well on her way out. Soon after, I felt the top of her head crowning. I mentally prepared to have / catch my baby as we had yet to arrive at the birth center.
I had yet to tell my husband what was going on to keep him focused on the drive there. At some point he started counting down the minutes until arrival. I continued to push and eventually birthed her head. I hear my husband call out “1 minute out”. At this time, I shouted back to him. “The head is out”. Apparently, my husband did some questionable driving once aware of the status. I heard him on the phone with the midwife saying to be ready as the head was out. We arrived just that 1 minute later. I saw the hatchback door go up and there was the midwife and two other nurses ready to go.
Another push and my baby girl was born right there in the back of the car at 6:18pm. I never made it past the Easy First Stage track, but it certainly still helped me stay relaxed and let my body and baby do their thing. The one aspect I think I didn’t quite master was picturing the orange anesthesia, but it was all still quite manageable.
After birthing the placenta in the car, I got to go inside and was well taken care of by the staff while also given lots of quality time with our new baby girl. A shower, pee, and food for the baby and I later we were on our way home again at 9:30pm to enjoy our first night as a family of 3.
