Rebecca & Curtis's Birth Story

So Monday the 4th at 0030 I got up to go to the toilet and my waters spontaneous broke. We went to the hospital to check it was my waters and they confirmed it was. So I elected to go home to labour as I had only had a couple surges with the plan I had to return at 5pm for IVABs if I wasn't back already due to the labour. I had irregular surges all day and went back in for the IVABs. I was offered the oxytocin drip then but declined to see what my labour would bring overnight. We used the bath, Curtis used the cheat sheet and read scripts to me, I used the tens machine, we got to move and change positions regularly, I used a comb and listened to music and surge of the sea.

I regularly contracted all night but still never went into active labour and things slowed right down post the bath and an attempt to sleep. At 0630 on the 5th Curtis and I decided it was time to start the oxytocin drip. The CTG would not stay on bubs so we decided the monitor that goes on bubs head was for the best. Bubs was posterior so I needed to get her to turn around and explained why I felt the surges so strongly in my back. I went through all the different positions to turn her. I requested the gas at this stage as the drip had been turned up and surges were very intense.

When we got to the peanut ball I was pushing with every surge and concerned I shouldn't be so was telling them Im pushing I can't stop it. Initially the midwives were telling me not to as its too early but I kept telling them (yelling at them) I can't control it, my body is pushing. So they asked to do a check and I had no cervix and bubs was coming.

So there was suddenly a rush in the room. I had turned bubs and she was coming. I was struggling mentally at this point and exhausted but oh my gosh was Curtis amazing. He kept refocusing me and empowering me and knew I could do it and just didn't stop encouraging me and telling me this was the final bit. He said later to me that the knowledge of transition and the final stage was just invaluable and allowed him to be my voice with everyone when I couldn't talk. At 1139 Octavia was born, with an arm over her opposite shoulder (ouch, haha).

No one told me to push and let me go with my body, they just encouraged and cheered me on with each surge. I agreed to the oxytocin injection on discussion with Asha, I was still given time for the placenta to come out which it did quite quickly. Cord cutting was delayed.

We definitely converted more midwives to hypnobirthing after they watched our experience and one of the newer midwives we had even said she was keen on doing a course or seeing one to understand it more as she was just in awe of the way Curtis spoke to me and how I talked myself through surges out loud.

Not everything went the way we thought it would but there was no surprises with our options due to all the knowledge we had gained so we felt so empowered making decisions as we felt educated. We have no regrets with any of our decisions and felt they were all the right ones for us at the time. I feel so accomplished to have had her with just gas.

I am just so proud of me and Curtis with how we handled the labour and birth. I just can't even imagine how different it would have been if we had not been empowered with magically hypnobirthing powers haha.

Thank you so much again for everything you taught us!