Felicity and Kevin attended my HypnoBirthing Perth course in January 2020, with the intention of creating a birthing experience for their second child that would be different from their first birth. They came to each class with a strong willingness to learn everything they could about birth and the options they had before them. On March 29, they welcomed their precious son. Here, Felicity shares their story…
My waters broke spontaneously at around 1.15am on the 29/3/20 as a trickle while I was asleep. I woke Kevin and called mum as she was 5hrs away in Albany. I had started getting period like cramping. I went back to bed and was getting regular surges every 2-4 minutes lasting around 40seconds. They were manageable and I could breathe through them but I couldn’t sleep through them. Eventually they spaced out enough I could fall asleep and I got a few more hours sleep before waking at 6am.
Mum arrived on our doorstep around 6.30am. We started our day having breakfast and a cuppa and preparing the house for birth. We really weren’t expecting baby for a few weeks. I was only 38w1d. I was getting surges that I could easily breath through and they were fairly spaced out and random.
In the afternoon mum and Oliver had some quiet time and kevin and I hung in the sanctuary we made in the living room. Elevation oil in the diffuser, and my hypnobirthing soundtrack playing. I rubbed my birthing oils on my ankles and tummy. I was sitting on the birthing ball and also walking around going for a wee frequently. We weren’t sure if we needed to call anyone so around 2pm we started to time contractions again waiting for the 5min apart for 1min. They were averaging around 6 minutes apart and lasting a little under a minute and were getting more intense. We were chatting and laughing between surges.
Soon kevin decided to call the midwife. And we were discussing if I was ready for her to come in 1-2 hours or now. It would take her around 40min to get here. I wasn’t sure so Kev said we would call soon. About 5min later everything was intense and moving along so we called her right back and asked her to come. Surges went from every few minutes to nearly back to back. I was feeling pressure and my cervix stretching. I felt suddenly nauseous and needed a bucket. And I started to push involuntary. I changed to all kinds of positions and couldn’t get comfortable. I felt the baby was coming. I was hanging off kevin and my body did all the work. We put towels on the floor and I half lunged off the bed. Before I knew it Kevin told me the head was born. The rest of him soon followed. He was born at 4.03pm 29/03/2020 3.55kg 7pd 12 ounces, 51cm long.I listened to Kevin’s instructions so I could pick him up myself through my legs. I sat down and kevin and Mum made sure I was comfortable. I couldn’t believe I had just done it. The paramedics were on the phone asking questions checking we were ok and arrived soon after. They observed until the midwives got there.
After an hour the placenta still hadn’t come. The paramedics wanted me to go to hospital. Fear I would hemorrhage. I did not want to have surgery after I lovely home birth. I needed the placenta to come. I cut the cord and had the shot in my leg and a catheter to empty my bladder and I relaxed, breathed and pushed and my midwife helped guide the placenta out thank goodness! The paramedics can leave now yay!
Very surreal and a very positive birth! I am very thankful for Hypnobirthing. The techniques definitely played a huge part in my positive birth experience and I would recommend to anyone to do the course!
Felicity & Kevin x
All images used in this post are the property of Belle Verdiglione.
Click the link below to learn more about my HypnoBirthing Perth classes and how they can empower your birth…
My name is Fiona Rogerson and I am an ACA accredited counsellor, and Hypnobirthing (Mongan Method) Practitioner. I work with women and men to overcome emotional and psychological hurdles surrounding conception, pregnancy, postpartum, parenting and identity. I am also available to provide professional development training and workshops to various organisations. I am based south of the river in Perth and can be contacted by email at fiona@fionarogerson.com.au or phone 0402 017 425 or via my contact page. Find me on Facebook and Instagram.
