Katie and Mario

Hi Launi! I did it!

Alec Daniel

Born: Friday, December 12, 2008 (7 days past the given due date)

Weight: 7 lbs 4 oz

Height: 18 ½ inches

Parents: Mario and Katie

Well, I can’t say my performance was flawless, but it was a successful natural, unmedicated birth! Mario did quite well also. He knew all the right things to say. Which was simply “breathe and relax.”

I began having surges Thursday night. I was so tired, that I was able to sleep through most of them. They were occurring every 30 minutes or so. By Friday morning they were quite strong and consistent. There was a lot of pressure actually, but not from the uterine surges. I think he was facing the wrong direction because every time a surge came, I felt a tremendous amount of pressure in my pelvic region and my lower back. The breathing technique was working for the abdominal surges, but not the pain in my back. I got down into the polar bear position and the pressure alleviated. Honestly, I didn’t think I was in labor because I felt nothing in my abdomen. Mario started timing what turned out to be surges. They were four minutes apart.

We decided to call my obgyn. He didn’t think I was in labor either because of the description of pressure I was experiencing. Just as I hung up the phone, my water broke. So, we gathered everything up and jumped in the car. We dropped off our daughter at my mom’s and stopped into my doctor’s office. He was quite surprised to find out I was 100% effaced and dilated to a 5. From there, we headed over to the hospital, but made a quick stop at McDonald’s for a cheeseburger.

I thought we had a little time, but I was wrong. We didn’t even have time to give our birthing plan to the nurse. The nurse checked me and said I was dilated to 6 ½. I had to have an IV for antibiotics, and as she was putting that in, the pressure in my pelvis was becoming so intense. I looked at Mario and I caved. I didn’t think I could continue with the pressure for the next several hours. So, I asked for an epidural. Five minutes later, the Anesthesiologist came in. Of course, I began to relax knowing the pressure was going to subside, I began the slow breathing, and the head began to crown. I was sooooo excited! The baby was coming! I wish I would have recognized the signs that Marie points out in her book about the feelings you experience when it is almost over. That way, I would have realized how far along in labor I was and not asked for the epidural.

I was a little excited and I jumped up on my knees. I accidentally ripped out the IV and asked the nurse to take off the pressure cuff. I had an over whelming urge to push, but when I did, I felt a tremendous amount of pain at the vaginal opening. I let out a gasp. I could hear the Anesthesiologist Doctor, in a middle eastern accent say, (I had my eyes closed most of the time) “It’s ok lady, your just having a baby.” At first, I was thinking, “Do you have a vagina? Have you ever given birth?” But then I realized he was right, I was just having a baby. I began the breathing down technique.

I informed the nurse, and she started to panic, of course. Nothing was set up, there was no doctor, and I was on my knees ready to deliver. They sent out a “code white.” Later I learned it meant for assistance from any doctor, not just an obgyn. Luckily, there was another obgyn on the floor attending to another patient. They called Dr. Nance, but he didn’t arrive until Dr. Thorpe was leaving. (To give Dr. Nance credit, he left his patients at his office, and had run through the hospital trying to get there in time.)

When Dr. Thorpe arrived, he was patient enough to let me stay in the leap frog for about 2 minutes before asking me to lay down and put my feet in the stirrups. Of course, I didn’t really want to, but it was a little late for explanations. Then the nurse began to tell me to push. I simply said, “I am going to breath the baby down.” I heard the doctor say, well I need you to push a little bit. At this time I was so relaxed and focused, I knew I was going to do it my way regardless. In no time the head came out, and with one more breath, the shoulders came out. Dr. Thorpe put the baby on my chest and Mario watched the clock for exactly 3 minutes. Mario watched and he said the umbilical cord had begun to flatten, and then it was cut.

I was able to hold him skin to skin. He immediately took to my breast.

To sum it up, the HypnoBirthing was a success for me. It had definitely worked on the uterine surges. After all, I was up and walking around eating cheeseburgers for most of the labor. Ha! I had a weak moment, but I want others to know that just when they think they can’t do it any longer, just as Marie Mongan talks about, to relax, because that is when you know your baby is coming to you!

Thank you Launi!