05/01/2021
I am so happy and grateful to share this wonderful birth report with you from one of my course participants 🥰.
Hi Franziska!
I’m really thrilled to be writing this email to you!
I guess you may know why… Baby Marta is with us since Wednesday. And what can I say – the birth was one of the best life experiences in my life!
It all started very unexpectedly and fast! Ten days prior to the birth I had the last check up with my doctor and she said that the baby is still very high. Knowing that once the baby is in the birth canal it might take another two to four weeks for first time mom before the labour starts, I was prepared then for the French due date on 9th November (in Poland the due date was established for 31st October).
On Wednesday morning we did set up the alarm for 6:15 a.m. to go for the last blood test needed for the anaesthesiologist. 6:10 a.m. I felt sudden burst inside me and massive pain. I started panicking, thinking that maybe the waters broke, but the cervix probably is still closed. No one prepared me for this scenario, is it even possible?! I went to the toilet and confirmed that the waters broke and the labour started. I told my husband that as the waters broke, we probably will have to go to the hospital. He started packing the bags in the car and I quickly went to take shower, washed my hair and shaved. I was not ready on the outside at all to greet my baby! Emoji In the shower I was counting the surges and realised that they are regular, every 4 minutes and relatively powerful. You can imagine how fast I finished getting ready at this point, knowing that the hospital is 30 km away and the baby picked morning rush hours! The surges in the car were getting more powerful and frequent, with every surge I felt more water coming out. At this time, I was already using the TENS machine.
We reach the hospital by 8 a.m. At that time, when they examined me, I was 2 cm dilated. The surges were very frequent, at some point I felt like I’m having a powerful and a very long one. There was not much time in between them to “take a break”. I started considering the epidural, even though my plan was to try to manage without it. However, to take the epidural I had to do the blood test that I haven’t managed to do in the morning, so that obviously took more time. They eventually give it to me at 11 a.m. when I was 8 cm dilated. From this period of surges, I remember them being very powerful and frequent, to the stage that I was totally exhausted after each one, unable to stay up by myself. I was changing positions moving from bed to a birth ball, hanging on my husband or even walking with his support. I guess, the breathing techniques, my husband’s support and the TENS machine helped me to manage the pain until the epidural came, but at that time I knew I will not manage until the end without any pain relieve. Somehow everything was moving so fast that there was no time to think about the environment and relaxation techniques. My husband played the soothing music and my affirmations, so he says, I don’t remember that at all. I told him not to touch me during surges and there was little time for massage in between.
I’ve been moved to another room where the epidural was injected. I think the dose was perfectly managed, as I still felt surges coming up and had to use breathing techniques to ease them. I was totally aware of how my body was responding at this time. In general, I was afraid that with epidural you feel nothing, and you kill the joy of the whole process, but as I say I still felt everything just without the powerful sensation of the surges. We played some dance music in the room, joked and had actually a good conversation about what is happening. The medical staff was very helpful and friendly, they were constantly cracking jokes with us. I’ve been told that France is very medicalised and natural approach to birth is unusual for them, that really worried me at some point during my pregnancy. But in the clinic I felt that they actually read our birth plan and were approaching things just as we wished for – gave us space, let me move around, administered epidural when asked for, delayed cord clamping, etc.
At 12:30 I felt that I need to go to the toilet and my body started shaking uncontrollably. I said that to the midwife and she ensured me that it’s actually the baby ready to come out. With a smile she asked whether I’m ready. Of course, I was! I wanted to see her as soon as possible. I guess my body was shaking because it also knew what’s coming up next. I was super excited! Emoji At 13:00 there were two midwives, a gynaecologist and my husband by my side. I wasn’t coached to push, I felt everything. Between pushes we managed to make few jokes about how good the feeling is and once they said they see the baby hair, I asked if it's ginger?! 9 minutes later she was in my arms. I did tear a little bit, but as they said it was only outside and nothing serious, I needed two stitches. During pushing they asked my husband if I’m doing any sports because they see I’m quite athletic and the body is coping very well with the labour. Besides, they never seen first time mom pushing so well and birthing baby within 9 minutes, as it usual takes around half an hour. Would the practice in the toilet during the pregnancy also helped here? Emoji
Now… my husband laughs that the hypnobirthing did not help me much. I think otherwise. Despite the fact that I eventually took epidural, I still managed the surges until 8 cm, the last stage was super-fast, and the good mood and positivity never left me. I’ve been drinking the raspberry leave tea regularly, I ate dates but only when I remembered, I was doing perineum massage, practicing also with Anibal and finally I spent last few weeks prior to the labour on my birth ball at home. I feel that the good preparation was there and I wouldn’t change anything and any decision made on that day. That was the perfect experience for me and I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed it, what stuns many of my friends! It really is possible to make this experience a great one.
Franziska, thank you very much for taking part in our adventure.
Keep what you're doing and take care!
Anna, Martin & Marta
