Hypnobabies with a Doula

S. called me at 4:00 PM on Monday afternoon.  She was 41 weeks pregnant and had just come from an appt with her Obgyn.  She was having some mild pressure waves and felt pretty confident that her birthing time had arrived.  As previously discussed I instructed her to call me back when she was ready for me to join them.  At 6:30 PM I met S. and her husband at their home.  Her pressure waves were coming about 5 minutes apart.  She and her husband were working beautifully together.  The lights were dim and S. was using her birthing ball.  I put on a relaxing nature sounds CD that I had brought.  During pressure waves S. closed her eyes and used Hypnobabies to relax.  She preferred that the room be quiet and did not want to be touched during her waves.  Between pressure waves her husband showed love and affection with kisses and offered encouraging words and compliments.  I did some back and leg massage.  We both made sure that S. stayed hydrated with water on hand at all times.  We arrived at the hospital at 10:30 PM.  When S. was checked she was 4-5 cm open.  As the large relaxation tub was being filled S. had an IV placed for antibiotics as she was gbs+.  S. entered the tub at 11:20 PM.  Her husband and I continued to offer her praise and encouragement between her pressure waves as well as cool compresses for her head and ice water and Gatorade to drink.  At 1:00 AM S. got out of the tub to cool off and try some different positions.  She thought she wanted the ball but soon discovered that standing and leaning over the bed offered the best relief.  At 1:10 AM her nurse checked her and told her that she was at least 6 cm open but it was difficult to get a good read because she was standing.  The nurse let us know that she was going on break and introduced her replacement.  Ten minutes later as S. was leaning over the bed during a pressure wave her membranes ruptured.  Her husband let me know that during the birth of their first son everything happened very quickly after S.'s water broke.  I stepped out to let the nurse know that S.'s water had broken.  When I re-entered the room I noticed that S. was making very low guttural sounds.  This was notable because up until this point she was very quiet during her pressure waves.  She told us between waves that the baby was coming.  Her husband buzzed the nurse and grabbed a towel.  I put on gloves and grabbed a blanket off the warmer.  As the nurse came in the room the baby's head emerged.  S. was still in a standing position and the nurse asked her to get up on the bed but she declined after having received prior permission by her OB to birth in whichever position she chose.  Everything got very hectic as the nurses were telling S. not to push while they waited for the OB.  I tried to keep her calm by telling her to trust her body and reminding her to breath.  Her husband carefully supported the baby's head and assured S. that everything was okay.  The OB got there just in time to receive the baby at 1:32 AM.  The baby appeared to be in distress as evidenced by his bluish/gray coloring.  He was brought to the warmer where he was suctioned and rubbed vigorously and he quickly recovered and started crying.  S. made her way onto the bed and her son was placed on her chest where he soon found her breast and started nursing.

My roll at this birth was to offer S.'s husband suggestions on how he could comfort and encourage her and also to ensure that everyone who cared for S. had read their family birth plan.  Her husband and I worked well as a team ensuring that lights and voices were kept low and that S. was well hydrated.  Since S. was following the Hypnobabies program we also made sure that her tracks were playing continuously.  She even brought them along for the car ride on her iPod.

This amazing birth could have been a promotional video for Hypnobabies.  They had practiced and prepared during her pregnancy and she had used the program once before when their first child was born.  She embraced her birthing time as a celebration and never showed any signs of distress or discomfort.  She was giddy from the moment I arrived until the moment I left.  Even when things got a little hectic at the end she remained calm and focused.  I was so amazed by her strength and the intimate bond she and her husband share.  While many couples fear and dread their birthing time this couple embraced and welcomed the experience and I can tell their relationship is even stronger now because of it.