JO AND NIALL'S BIRTH STORY
I'll never forget the moment that I first touched my little girl's head and felt a full head of hair... one more breath and she appeared, slowly and smoothly moving down through my perineum which stretched easily after three weeks of massage. I felt overwhelming amazement as she was passed through my legs by the midwife, an alert bundle of cries! After ten minutes on my stomach getting her energy back, Scarlett started to root and with help crawled towards my breast, latching on instantly for her first feed. I felt so proud that Niall and I had created this perfectly formed little person and brought her into the world naturally, at home, together.
Despite starting our HypnoBirthing classes late at 37 weeks, the daily practice enabled us both to enter a deep state of relaxation, and in the latter stages of labour helped me to ride the discomfort with relative ease. The Birth Companion's Script was such a beautiful reading to visualize to, and hearing Niall's voice gave me comfort and reassurance. As the surges got stronger and more frequent, the birthing pool became my comfort, slowing the surges down and allowing my body time to stretch and open.
Two hours before Scarlett emerged, the first midwife arrived and she was so respectful of our HypnoBirthing wishes. To our joy, on examination she couldn't believe that I was already fully dilated. She left the room to call her colleague and Niall heard her say: 'I need you here now, she's ready to go, she's ready to go!'. They spent the next two hours discretely observing, monitoring and encouraging me as I breathed Scarlett down in various different positions - the toilet being the best for getting things moving! When she was born, our midwife Catherine told me that she felt privileged to be a part of our experience and asked if she could come to our next birth. I'm not quite ready for another baby yet, but this experience was so positive that I would go through the birth again tomorrow with no hesitation.
Thank you, Lisa, for providing us with the opportunity to fully experience the birth of our daughter in such a positive manner. Two months ago I was preparing myself for a hospital birth with possible interventions because I lacked the confidence and knowledge that HypnoBirthing gave me. In the end I let my body and baby take control, concentrating on the positives of giving birth and looking forward to meeting my baby for the first time. Scarlett Rose is a very chilled little girl and we are very proud parents.
