Our birth was beautiful, wild and unexpected but we would not have been able to peacefully surrender to it had we not worked with you both. We will forever be thankful for you women!
At 33 weeks I started experiencing surges that began to progress throughout the week. One evening the surges became more intense than usual and we decided to start timing them. When we realized they were 2 minutes apart for over an hour we decided to go to the hospital to be seen. My OB diagnosed me with gestational hypertension and confirmed that I was in prodromal labor. Due to the diagnosis our OB requires a mandatory induction at 37 weeks and bed rest up until then. We left the hospital with an induction date set for 27 April.
Initially I was upset and felt very defeated. I felt that my body had failed me despite how much mental/physical work I was doing to prepare for birth. My heart wanted a natural birth but my body was trying to tell me it had other plans. I took the rest of that weekend to allow myself to feel all the emotions. My husband and I agreed that although it wasn’t the birth we had planned, we still would be able to lean into the Hypnobirthing methods.
Leading up to the induction date I would listen to the recorded scripts twice a day and would spend time each day picturing a positive birth scenario with our new circumstances. When the induction day came my husband took me to the beach (my place of peace) and we listened to our Hypnobirthing and Christian Hypnobirthing scripts on repeat. The Hypnobirthing method not only helped us prepare for birth but it strengthened our relationship.
Day 1:
We checked into the hospital at 1030 PM still with a plan to go as natural as we could but also ready to accept change. I received my initial cervix check at 1130 by a resident OB and was told I was 3cm and that they would not be introducing any induction methods that night to see if my labor would progress. 4 hours later I received another check and was told I was at 4cm and was offered a membrane sweep (this was painless so I became skeptical) and I accepted. Up to this point I was still having irregular surges but was comfortable.
Day 2:
At the 8am shift change I received my third check and unfortunately was told I was 0cm and the resident must have been mistaken from the other night. Instead of a fearful or angry reaction to the news my husband and I were able to calmly make a choice in how we wanted to proceed with induction.
We decided to begin with Cytotec which was given to me orally with increasing doses every 4 hours to help ripen my cervix. The first dose I was met with intense surges that came every minute for 4 hours. I spent that time listening to the scripts or worship on my birthing ball and getting up at the top of every hour to take a lap around the hospital room. The second dose the surges seemed to let up but I was experiencing severe nausea and vomiting that did not let up until I was off the Cytotec. We proceeded with the Cytotec for 4 doses before moving to the next induction method. At the end of the 4th dose I was at 4cm and received a true membrane sweep. (Totally felt that one!)
Prior to starting our induction our doctors and us agreed that mechanical manipulation of my cervix was completely off the table. I had been fearful of this method and knew in my heart I would need more assistance with the pain than I was ready for. However we knew after the Cytotec that most likely the use of a balloon to ripen my cervix would be the next step. Our doctors kindly let us have a 4 hour break after the Cytotec to 1. See if my body wanted to continue ripening on its own and 2. Let us rest up. At the end of the 4 hour break my cervix had not changed and we agreed to begin the mechanical ripening.
At this moment is where I truly felt my Hypnobirthing experience beginning and felt God truly working along side us. Without either of those I do not believe I would have had the ability to peacefully surrender to what my birth journey was going to be. After the ballon was inserted the nurse would come in every 30 minutes and rotate the ballon 10 times (5 each way) until the ballon fell out on its own. Our nurses did this a total of 5 times until the ballon fell out and I was 6cm.
After that procedure my surges became more frequent and stronger so again the nurses decided to see if my body could continue on its own for a few more hours. At 10 PM I was at 7.5 cm and my nurses offered to break my water. After talking it over with my husband we agreed to have my water broken but had also decided it was time to get an epidural. At 11pm I was given an epidural and shortly after the nurse broke my water although it was just a small trickle.
Day 3:
At 4am I received another cervix check and during that time I had a massive gush of fluid which is just what my body needed. At 8 am I was at 8.5cm and the nurses decided to start me on Pitocin. At this point I began to develop a high grade fever from my water being broken for so long so they started me on additional medication. Every hour until it was time to push my husband and nurses would help rotate me from side to side while utilizing the peanut ball. I reached 10cm at 11 am and began pushing. Our sweet Lola Jean was born at 12:43am on April 30th at 7lbs 7oz 20.28 in. She spent 2 days in the nicu for fluid in her lungs and was a fighter from the very start.
Although my birth was not what we had originally planned, we would not have had such a positive experience in a unknown environment had we not worked with our doula using Hypnobirthing methods.
Things that really helped me:
Recorded scripts
Christian Hypnobirthing app
Worship music
Birthing ball/peanut ball
Aroma therapy
The MOST supportive partner
The MOST amazing doula team