“Hi Ann and all the lovely Yoga ladies and bumps,
Well I have eventually got around to writing my birth story. It is just over 4 weeks since our baby girl Awen Beatrice (pronounced ‘Ahh-When’ – welsh name meaning Muse) was born at 4.59am on the 28th October but it already feels as though we have never been without her.
After my third sweep on Friday the 26th October, I was booked in to be induced on the Monday (29th). I really didn’t want inducing but being 8 days over I was more than fed up and prepared myself for having to go through with it. However, on Saturday morning I started getting back pain. Having suffered on and off with back pain throughout my pregnancy I didn’t think anything of it but by late afternoon the pain had become more intense. Even though the pain was not at regular intervals I called the hospital at 10pm, they said I could be in the early stages of labour and to stay at home.
I had a bath and sat on my Yoga ball for most of the time as it helped with the pain in my back. I went to bed about 11pm to try and get some rest. Listening to Ann’s relaxation CD helped me to dose between the back pain until about 2am, when the pain moved around to include my side and I got up to have a shower (the power shower head spraying on my back helped a lot with the back pain). On climbing back into bed at about 2.30am, I was practising some deep breathing to help me relax when I literally heard a ‘pop’ and my waters broke. After this the pain became very intense and we quickly got dressed, packed the car and headed to the hospital. On reaching the hospital at 2.50am I was unable to move during contractions which were now very strong and every couple of minutes. I was told I was 5cm dilated and they began to run the birthing pool for me. At about 3.15am I went to try and give a urine sample and began heaving, I didn’t realise to begin with but my body had started pushing, the midwife spotted it and told me to get back on the bed. On examining me again I was told I was fully dilated and it was time to push. I got handed gas and air but found after taking two sucks that it just made me feel dizzy and had little effect on the pain. I did start getting rather annoyed at this point and got a bit snappy at the midwife because the birthing pool was not ready. However, my husband calmed me down, gave me a straw to help regulate my breathing and began massaging my lower back, which helped to calm me down, 20 minutes later our daughter was born. And I was in shock for a good 10 minutes!
Unfortunately after the birth there were some complications with Awen, she had a very high level of infection and had to go into intensive care for a week. After such a ‘good’ birth this was obviously really upsetting but she has recovered well and we have been home now for just over a 3 weeks and she is doing brilliantly.
Looking back, other than missing out on using the birthing pool, I couldn’t have asked for a better birth and am thankful at the speed in which it all happened after my waters broke. Having attended yoga since my early pregnancy I felt it helped me to automatically start deep breathing and trying to visualise in order to take my attention off the pain. I remember repeating ‘relax’ to myself and I knew it was important to allow my body to take over and visualised meeting and holding our baby. I cannot recommend the couples yoga session enough, as this definitely gave my husband the tools to help calm me down, especially towards the end when I became scared and angry and the pain becomes so intense that you are unable to think clearly. Yoga helped me feel prepared and kept me as calm and focused as I felt I could have been.
I would like to wish everyone well in the yoga class, it will be the most intense but amazing experience no matter how the little one comes into the world, and they are more than worth it.
Thank you, Ann for running such a fabulous class giving us the tools to be confident in our bodies’ natural reaction to birth. I look forward to our paths crossing again in the future.
Namaste, Carly and Awen”