Milan

I have wanted to write this email to you all for three weeks as our little boy was born straight into the water at the Birthing Centre at 4.20am on 16/9/08.

I cannot believe I am going to be one of those happy emails which Katharine read to us. Seems impossible. The hypnobirthing totally worked!

As you may remember I was the one who could hardly walk as I was 8 and a half months pregnant on the course!

I had read the book before the course but after Katharine took us through it, I listened to the relaxation, did the affirmations, sat on a birthing ball, imagined the birth I wanted, put up the picture of the baby in the correct birthing position and practised the long slow deep breaths....EVERYDAY and sometimes twice a day ( as I only had two weeks!)

My mucous plug unplugged itself on Sat night and Sunday morning I started having lower abdominal cramps every three or four hours. I didn't fancy paracetamol so instead used the long slow breathing to alleviate the discomfort and (to my surprise ) it absolutely worked.  By midnight the lower abdominal pains has become more intense but with the breathing and massaging my sacrum the cramps were ok.

At 11 am on Monday I started having "proper" surges where the Braxton Hicks were accompanied by the cramps and at 3pm we started timing them. I just did the balloon visualisation with the breathing throughout this time. My husband read the texts sometimes and sometimes I just went into myself and concentrated. We had a fan blowing and I also took some homeopathy, by 6pm I was having one surge every 3 minutes. Phoned the birthing centre who said we should go in and I was checked at 8.30pm and I was 3cm dilated so nearly in what they term as Active Labour.

The midwife said the baby was slightly posterior presented and suggested I stay mobile. However walking and moving was impossible as a surge would start and make it hard to stand up. So I sat in a chair with my legs on the bed and visualised like crazy for hours. At 1am I got onto all fours my waters broke and I was checked 8 cm dilated and I went to the pool. Started pushing at 3.30 and my baby was born at 4.20am.

There was discomfort and pain in the final part of birthing as a senior midwife came in and started pressurising me to push , consequently I had a second degree tear which I completely believe was her fault! Luckily our main midwife who was with us from 1am - to the birth was completely impressed by my husband and the hypnobirthing and even suggested he should be a doula afterwards!! They had never seen anything like it...

The baby's heartbeat was monitored throughout and didn't change at all, remaining at a constant 155, so he experienced zero trauma the whole way through. I felt amazing especially when I was told I had reached 8cm. What really helped was understanding what my body had been trying to do through the surges - it was easier to 'welcome' rather than dread the surges and know that each one was one less that I'd have to do and brought our baby nearer to us. We left the hospital at 2pm after he was checked by the doctors.

He is totally calm, and relaxed preferring to sleep with his arms and legs outstretched from the first day rather than being swaddled. He hardly cries, only when he has to take his clothes off and there is no bath in sight!

My midwife was so excited about the birth that she has invited us to speak to her ante-natal class tomorrow about it so I'll spread the word and wish you all a happy hypnobirth.

YOU CAN AND WILL DO IT - Believe it baby and imagine your perfect birth !

Love Mira, Keith and Nolan
These photos were taken when he ws one day old.....