Ida Staunstrup Moore — Albie’s Birth Story

A Homebirth in Hospital - how hypnobirthing helped my family

I had a beautiful labour at home with my first child. Unfortunately we had to be transferred to hospital, as her heart rate dropped. It became quite an emergency and we had a lot of intervention, but Amelie was born healthy and happy . Her actual birth was very intense and very challenging in a room full of medical staff. I suffered from post traumatic stress and post natal depression afterwards.

It took me a lot of work mentally and physically to recover from her birth. When I fell pregnant again my husband and I knew we wanted a calmer experience of birth. We had a lot of mental scars to heal and I had physical ones too.

I wanted my birth to be relaxed, fearless, empowering and healing.

This is how I did it :o)

I bought Marie Mongan’s hypnobirthing book and felt totally inspired after reading it. My husband Jim and I attended a hypnobirthing course too.

I wrote affirmations on my kitchen wall and read them out loud with my daughter over breakfast every day:

I’m going to have an easy, gentle and relaxing birth

I release my birth to my body and baby

I put all fear aside and welcome my baby with happiness and joy

I’m totally relaxed and at ease about my birth and during my birth

I stuck a drawing of baby being born naturally to the toilet wall and a picture of a baby in the womb. I wanted to see the pictures every day, several times to remind myself that I was to have a relaxed and natural birth.

I listened to a Rainbow Relaxation recording most days or Jim would read it to me. This is a script developed to help the mother relax when hearing the birth companion’s voice, in this case my husband’s. It goes through the colours of the rainbow relaxing all parts of your body and mind. I used to go to sleep listening to this, subconsciously absorbing that I was relaxed and that my mind, my body and my baby work in completely natural harmony.

I wrote down all my fears regarding birth and dealt with them. The hypnobirth course facilitator did a fear release, as part of the course and again via Skype when I was nearing my time :o) My husband and I also talked about each other’s fears and finally dealt with all those things unsaid regarding my daughter’s birth.

Several times a week we would practice perineal massage. This sounds really gross. But truly it was a very special time. I had lots of scarring and was unable to relax AT ALL. But with practice I could suddenly relax my perineum and vagina at will. This gave me lots of confidence that I would be able to birth my baby naturally and without tearing.

I really wanted a home birth, which my midwife was supportive of, but suddenly I realised that I wanted a home birth for all the wrong reasons. I wanted to prove that I could do it! At 8 months pregnant I changed my mind and decided on a hospital birth. I wanted a beautiful relaxed birth. I didn’t want to worry about Amelie’s birth when I was birthing another baby!

To ensure a positive experience for my family, I filed a very detailed birth plan with our local hospital. Maternal mental health added to my medical notes that I wanted and needed a calm birth. My midwife spoke to the staff about our request for a calm, relaxed, intervention free birth. I made a colourful ‘calm birth’ sign to put on the hospital room door.

I also arranged for one of my best friend’s to be our support person and ensured that she knew what she was in for.

I felt good about my birth.

My mother-in-law arrived to look after my daughter a few days before my due date. I suddenly found everything stressful and became grumpy and uptight. I couldn’t sleep. My husband said he would try to make our home life more peaceful again and within two minutes my labour started.

It was full on! Very strong contractions. Jim and Nana got the car sorted and we took the veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery long drive to town 30min away. I just focused on my breathing and tried to keep it together and to slow down my contractions. Jim hit a speed bump outside maternity quite hard, which jarred my body and I wanted to punch him!

My friend met us at the hospital and we were shown to our room. The midwife was very calm and left us to it, saying the birth pool would be ready soon. My contractions carried on and I carried on breathing. I got in the pool. I felt good. I felt assertive. My midwife had arrived at this point and was annoying me by staying out of sight, but I had the confidence to tell her I wanted her where I could see her!

Jim’s relaxation technique’s worked and I felt really good. I even said...’wow, this hypnobirthing really works’. My midwife then said that my contractions had slowed down and labour had practically stopped! I must have been too relaxed. I got out of the pool and my body took over. The contractions were super strong. I had to get Jim and my friend to carry me to my room, which they’d prepared.

They’d made a beautiful nest for me on the floor with a mattress, pillows, blankets and my own duvet. The lights were dimmed. It was like being at home really. I felt confident that I could birth this baby without any intervention. However, my friend told me afterwards that I’d said I didn’t want to go through with it and wanted to die! This is apparently normal for women in transition! I don’t remember it at all. Always tell your birthing woman that she is doing great and can do it.

The whole time the amniotic sac had been hanging out and it had kept me calm to touch it in the birth pool. Albie stayed in the sac as he entered the world and I giggled like a crazy person as he crowned and was born. I was so happy. Thrilled. Delirious really. I was also very surprised my baby was a boy.

I noticed that another midwife had come in after Albie was born and I noticed her leave. I didn’t hear her speak. Jim told me she’d whispered she obviously wasn’t needed. She’s is apparently known as a loudmouth, but I never heard her speak.

My birth was entirely peaceful. I felt empowered the whole time. I felt supported and loved. I tore along my old scar and didn’t feel it. I was sutured whilst feeding my little man and chatting to my loved ones. The birth was a truly beautiful and relaxed experience. It was very healing and amazing. We arrived in hospital about midnight and were home in time for breakfast at 0730. We were not disturbed and our wishes for a peaceful birth were entirely respected.

and just a note…my third child was born at home on the floor in the lounge, surrounded by my wee family.