Emma's birth story - 12 March 2022

Emma birth story and testimonial

Hi Christa! This is Emma, my husband Brandon and I completed our hypnobirthing course with you back in November when I was just over half way pregnant.

I wanted to let you know that on March 12th I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy, happy baby boy after having a completely unexpected but amazingly positive birth experience. His name is Leonardo Luka Lovrić, born 3.3kg and 51cm long, at 1.57am 12th March.

The hypnobirthing course and techniques and information that we learnt from you 100% influenced our birth story in the most positive and empowering way. I am still trying to write it out in a concise way, and would love to share it with you!! But first I wanted to let you know that baby is here and we are doing so well so far 🥰🥰💙 

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First of all, I soooo enjoyed the hypnobirthing class with you and took away certain tips, bits of information, and of course the hypnobirthing techniques and began to practice and focus on these in the 3rd trimester and leading up to 40weeks. The breathing techniques were hands down the most useful thing to me!! But I also really really enjoyed listening to the tracks (the bubble of comfort practice track is THE BEST). I spent a lot of time leading up to labour sitting on my exercise ball and listening to tracks and practicing breathing :)

My whole pregnancy was low risk and without any issues or complications, which was such a blessing. I did contract covid at around 32 weeks, but it was nothing serious.

I reached 40 weeks, and every midwife appointment leading up to this was ‘fine’ and ‘normal,’ and I was feeling very comfortable and happy being pregnant still and waiting it out for as long as the medical practitioners were happy for me to. I had come up with some birth preferences and knew what I wanted/preferred and was feeling very ready for baby, but happy to be patient (I wanted to avoid induction if possible).

Come my 40week routine appointment, out of the blue I ended up being diagnosed with preeclampsia as I had high blood pressure and after taking a blood test, my kidney function wasn’t completely normal (high levels of creatinine) - but apart from this, I had no other symptoms of preeclampsia, no protein in urine, no swelling, no headaches or funny vision. So this was a MASSIVE curveball for me.

I was taken straight to the birth unit for monitoring and told that I was going to be induced that evening. Of course, I expressed my preference for not being induced if at all possible, but it was advised that this was best after getting a second opinion from the head doctor. The head doctor then proceeded to ‘tell’ me (rather than explain and/or ask me) that the following will take place: my waters will be broken, I will be placed on the drip, and I will be given an epidural.

This was completely on the opposite end of the spectrum of my birth preferences!! And I was quite taken aback with the abruptness of the doctor. So I did my best to talk through some options and let the doctor and midwives know that, if possible, my hopes would be to have an unmedicated birth and active labour and delivery. This being said, I was able to come to a compromise with the doctor and one of the amazing midwives assigned to me, who agreed to break my waters for me but allowed me 3 hours before introducing the drip in order to see if my body would start contracting and labouring on its own. Thankfully before my waters were broken I was already 3cm dilated and my cervix was stretching to 6cm - so this was all in my favour of avoiding the pitocin. The midwife was sooo supportive and on board with my preferences (as much as she could be), which made the world of difference! I told the midwife that I would like the option of being in the bath or under the shower, so she was able to hook me up to the wireless monitoring as well, which was a godsend.

My waters were broken at 7.30pm and within the hour I was beginning to feel contractions. It all happened very quickly and I could feel my body ramping up, which was a great sign that I wouldn’t end up needing the drip. Come 10.30pm, I was well and truly feeling the contractions and pretty much only finding comfort standing under the shower with the water on my lower back. The baby was in a slightly more posterior position than anterior, which was resulting in some pretty intense back labour/back pains. The midwife checked me at this point and I was dilated to 6cm, so I did not need the drip!!! I was soooo relieved. I knew that having the drip would most likely intensify things a lot more and increase my chances of wanting/needing an epidural and other interventions, so at this point, and after the whirlwind day that I had had so far, I was ecstatic. From then on, the surges and sensations were intense! I felt nauseous at one point and began dry reaching, which threw me a little, but I regained some focus after that and made myself comfortable on my needs under the shower - and there I remained! I knew my body needed to stay as upright/active as possible, so being on my knees and holding on to the shower poles was as comfortable as I could get, whilst keeping that in mind.

I focused on my breathing and keeping my face and body relaxed, and I found that moaning through each contraction really helped as well. I had intense pressure down low and for probably an hour before the baby was born I felt the need to push because of the pressure. It was all I could do to continue breathing and bearing down, but remembering the hypnobirthing affirmations helped so much. Cut to the chase and it was time to push! I could not move from my position on my knees in the corner of the shower, and thank goodness for the wireless monitoring, the midwife allowed me to stay where I was to give birth (she later told me this was her first time assisting in a birth for someone on their knees). She manoeuvred a mat underneath me ready for delivery, and I began pushing! I listened to their coaching but also followed along with what my body wanted to do, and after about 5-6 big pushes his head came out, and then one more big push and he was completely out. The midwives caught him behind me, and then passed him up onto my chest, and it was the most amazing, crazy, emotional, intense feeling ever!! It was absolutely amazing. He was born at 1.57am, so all in all the labour was about 6.5 hours - again, amazing!

I had one first degree tear on my labia, but other than that nothing else. Baby came out crying and was beautifully healthy and well, and I honestly felt so amazing and so empowered. Despite how the birth started and how it was all out of my control, I truly believe that thanks to the knowledge and information I gained from hypnobirthing (and as well as the support of the midwives) I was able to make the most of the situation and still have the natural, unmedicated and positive birth experience I was longing for.

Thankyou so much for enabling me to be able to do this Christa. Whilst you weren’t there physically, you played such an important part in it all and I will be forever grateful. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I have no doubt in my mind that without the preparation and knowledge that hypnobirthing gave me, it would have been a completely different story!!! Thank you thank you Christa! ❤️