First-Time Mother's Beautiful Hospital HypnoBirth

Kali Yeado Photography

I started having very inconsistent surges on Monday night (10/9), so I warned Erin and Will, but told them "nothing would most likely happen soon." I slept through the night with some waking up from the surges until about 6am when my membranes released (although it was a slow release over the next few hours). Once that happened, the surges got stronger and much more consistent, so I figured I'd shower and start the day. The water really amped up the surges, and they were consistently 4-5 minutes apart by 7:30am. This was the point I woke Will up and sent Erin a text that we should go to the hospital.

Once at the hospital, we were put in triage until a room became available, and that's when we found out that meconium was present in the amniotic fluid; so, due to hospital policy, I needed to be monitored, and the water birth I was hoping for was not going to be possible. I got a room eventually, and everything started to blur together after that. Apparently I was very "in the Hypno zone," and wouldn't talk much. I labored in bed for awhile before moving into the tub, which was far better and made it a more comfortable position to handle surges.

I felt like I got to be in the tub for 10 minutes, but Will insists it was over an hour! Once I felt like breathing baby down, they moved me to the bed - I didn't like the bed, and the surges weren't moving things along, so my midwife suggested I go to the bathroom. Apparently I got a little too comfortable, because I was shortly forced off the toilet after being told, "this isn't the water birth you wanted!" So, back to the bed it was, and I found a more comfortable position... and the next thing I knew, little Rory was in the world, just six hours after we arrived at the hospital!

I know HypnoBirthing helped me through, and talking with Erin about options and what was happening made everything easier. I felt very taken care of. Even though I didn't get the water birth I hoped for, I still got to labor in the tub, and my baby girl arrived happy and healthy. Another bonus is that I didn't need to be induced (which was scheduled)!

Thank you, Suzanne and Will, for sharing Rory's birth story!