Cissie’s Birth Story- April 2021
Born at 40 +3 - Spontaneous labour, normal vaginal water birth, physiological birth of the placenta, early discharge home.
We did the hypnobirthing course with chloe at 28 weeks and were in the baggarook program at the womens, where we were able to have amazing continuity of care with the one midwife.
From starting the course to our birth we were doing the meditations every night, diffusing lavender and using soft touch massage to create a calming environment which always helped us to sleep too, often we didn’t actually complete the entire track.
I was seeing an osteo throughout and from 37 weeks started to go to see an accupuncturist which definitely helped my 3rd trimester insomnia and also made me feel really nice and calm in the days leading up to the birth.
At 40+3 in the after noon I started experiencing some surges, only little niggles in the front of my pelvis so we went for a walk to try and keep them going. By that night they had increased in intensity and length however still were about 10-20 minutes apart. I tried to listen to my meditations however needed to move too much with the surges and I kept falling asleep then waking mid surge and wasn’t properly managing the pain, so on came Beverly Hills housewives and lots of deep belly breathing. Throughout the night I really needed to move a lot during the surges and needed a bit more support so I put my tens on my tummy which was amazing and when I felt the surges were overtaking me hopped in the shower and calmed myself back down. By 5 am, I needed help to get through them and woke up my partner benno, and had him do some support work of my tummy with a swaddle throughout the contractions, and they were still 1 in 10 so we created a nice dark calm environment, did lots of light touch and the contractions increased to 2-3 in 10. Suddenly by 9:30am I got this urge that I needed to squat, so went and checked myself in the shower and swore I could feel membranes just 3/4 of a finger in so trusted my body, called our midwife and toddled into the hospital.
We arrived at the ED where we were assessed, and the midwives definitely still thought we were just in early labour then we went up to the assessment centre where a midwife checked. I could see on her face she wasn’t quite sure if we were maybe about to have a baby or possibly she was about to send us home. I was 10cm with bulging membranes then all hands were on deck to fill the bath. We walked into the room then where we would soon be meeting our baby.
I stripped off and just needed to be in water, and could feel things were getting real. In the shower whilst waiting for the bath to fill I instinctually lifted my leg during a contraction my membranes burst and then the sensations of each surge changed. I was pushing and had no control of it, trying to keep deep breaths and low tones.
Birth pool was eventually full and the midwives were making a beautifully safe space around me setting up salt lamps, and lotus flower was playing in the background. My body has taken over by this point and I was doing anything during the surges to try and release my pelvic floor as I could feel her venturing down. I did a 180 in the bath, and a big squat and out came her head and I think a few profanities. I could feel her restituting inside of me, it was the most amazing but overwhelming sensation of my existence, seeing that little head in the water half earth side. Then Benno and our amazing midwife brought her up on my chest with the next surge and my entire world changed that very second and Cissie was born at 11:11.
However I wanted a physiological third stage so the work was not yet over, conflicted about where to be and trying to manoeuvre out of the bath with my beautiful little Bub I eventually made it to the bed and tried to keep my oxytocin levels high whilst waiting for the placenta. Surges were still continuing however far milder so the use of deep breathing in for 4 and out for 8 were not yet over, and maybe 30 minutes later my beautiful and bloody ginormous placenta came out and the relief was amazing!
A few stitches were needed where I once again used the breathing techniques, they are invaluable throughout the entire birth and post partum no matter what path it takes.
We spent the next 6 hours in the birth room doing skin to skin between the two of us and then off we all went home.
The course really helped with our mindset, I definitely wish I did more practice of the pushing breathing. But the relaxation breath was a massive saviour. The midwife that checked me in the assessment centre came in after our birth to congratulate us, and was joking about how the ED midwives were like no way this girl is in labour she is still smiling, but actually I was going to have my baby not even an hour later! I couldn’t be happier that we did this course, and even after the course was over chloe has regularly checked in and helped me with some anxiety I had at about 36 weeks and really helped in reshaping this, which only helped empower me and create the experience I had been manifesting my entire pregnancy.
Chloe Thornton is an AHPRA Registered Midwife, Registered Nurse, Birth Mentor and Hypnobirthing Australia™ Certified Practitioner.
She provides group classes virtually to families across the country each month and also has a small number of spaces available for private bespoke sessions online or in-person. She can be contacted by email at chloelouisethornton@outlook.com or phone 0493108658.
You can learn more about her Hypnobirthing Australia™ classes here.