A HypnoBirthing story--Jewel & Nathan

Jewel & Nathan took my HypnoBirthing classes at Indigo Dragon Health & Wellness Center on Thursday nights. Here is their birth story:

Everly's birth story:

My birthing experience wasn’t what I envisioned. It started out in all the wrong ways, or so I thought, but my daughter was born in a calm, peaceful environment without the use of pain medication and that’s what I wanted most in the end. It took me awhile to realize HypnoBirthing worked wonders for me.

Labor started on Monday January 17 a little after 1 in the afternoon when my membranes released. I was 39 weeks 3 days. I had a feeling the baby would be coming during the week because I wasn’t feeling like myself all day on Sunday. I felt a small gush of water and went to the bathroom not quite believing it was happening. Fluid continued to trickle so I knew it was definitely my water. I didn’t have any surges though.

Mild surges started about twenty minutes later. They were very short and just felt like a general tightening around my abdomen. I called Nathan and told him that my water broke and asked him to come home as soon as he could since he had an hour drive back home. I didn’t want things to go too quickly and have him still be a long way away. My surges were pretty irregular but I wrote them down and tried to remember to pay attention to how long they were. I finished some chores around the house, not really feeling any different. Once Nathan got home, nothing had really changed with my labor. I wasn’t even sure if it had even begun since I was so calm and relaxed. We took our dogs for a walk and relaxed around the house. We started to question when the right time to go to the hospital was. I remembered Carol saying 4-1-1 (surges that are 4 minutes from start to start, lasting one minute & consistently happening for 1 hour) and decided that would be when we would head down. It would take us 30 minutes to get to the hospital as I was delivering at Kaiser. We continued to go on a few walks to get things going but I never felt like I was progressing. However, I just kept thinking that I was so relaxed and well-prepared for the delivery of our baby that maybe my labor was progressing more than I was aware of (wishful thinking!)

The surges never seemed to get more intense but at 10:30 that night we decided to go to the hospital so we could get settled in our room. I wanted to be set-up in the room before things got too intense. I had been listening to the Rainbow Relaxation on my iPod and practicing my breathing up to this point.

When we got to the hospital we checked in and they put us in a small triage room just like Carol said they would. We ended up being stuck in that little room for almost 3 hours because it was such a busy night. The first doctor I met with wanted to check me but with my membranes not intact, I knew they shouldn’t be doing a lot of checks, but I also wanted to know where I was so I allowed it. I was still under the impression that I would be much farther along attributing my progression to my relaxed state. But when he said I was only 3 cm, it was somewhat crushing. I would’ve bet that I was at least 6 cm. But I hadn’t really had to breathe through anything, so that should’ve been my first clue I wasn’t that far along. The doctor mentioned pitocin which equated in my head to an epidural and c-section. I told him that would be a last resort and I wanted to try natural induction methods.

Once we got to our private room, we went over our birth plan with our nurse who was supportive in our wishes for a natural birth and about forgoing the pitocin. I sat on a birthing ball for a little bit and we walked the hallways. The time was going fast and my surges weren’t changing enough according to the nurses. Nathan read me the balloon fear release script and I tried to listen to the Rainbow Relaxation but I was getting frustrated and couldn’t find a position I was comfortable in. And on top of all this, pitocin was looming in the background. We were so exhausted. With each surge I wanted Nathan to do light touch massage on my arm, but the poor guy could barely keep his eyes open. But I’d nudge his arm when I needed him and it really helped.

Just before 7:00 am the nurse checked me again and I was only at 4cm so pitocin was brought up again. By this time I was so tired that all I could think of was the long road ahead and I was so far away. So Nathan and I agreed to the pitocin. I was so defeated and upset that I was going to have it. I knew it would make my surges much more intense than without it and I didn’t think I could do it without any pain medication to help me through. At this point I wasn’t listening to my Rainbow Relaxation. I was just trying to breathe through my surges.

The pitocin started. I asked for the minimal amount knowing I’d have a better chance than if they gave me a big dose all at once. So it started low and within a couple surges I was asking the nurse about an epidural. I wanted to know how long it would take to get once I determined if I wanted one. I was so tired and didn’t think I could go any farther. Nathan was in my ear telling me what a great job I was doing and that I could do one more surge. Finally, I relaxed into a reclined position and put in my earphones and listened to the Rainbow Relaxation. I bent my knees and pushed my hands against my knees whenever I had a surge. I remember thinking it was like a wave and if I could get past the first peak I would come down and work my way through to the end of it. Nathan kept telling me to breathe deeper when he could tell I was struggling with it. I kept my eyes shut most of the time, only peeking at my surroundings every once in awhile. Nathan continued to do light touch massage on my arm and he cooled me down with some ice. I wouldn’t say the surges were painful, but they were difficult and required work to get through.

Sometime in the 10:00 hour I felt a lot of pressure down below and asked if I could push. One of the nurses checked me and I was 9 ½ cm. They told me I could start pushing soon. I felt like I needed to push as the pressure was intensifying and also the fact that I was so surprised how close I was to holding my baby in my arms.

Nathan’s biggest regret is that he let me push so hard instead of doing my birth breathing to gently breathe the baby down. But my pushing even felt out of my hands. It was something my body was telling me to do. It wasn’t what I planned for, but so far nothing had gone according to plan except for the fact that I was relaxed and calm. In my relaxed state, I even heard one of the nurses exclaim that she wished all her patients could be like me and another one say that my focus and control was amazing.

About 4 hours after the pitocin started (almost 22 hours after my membranes released) I gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Everly Grace. She was 6 lbs. 8 oz. She was calm and alert. The doctor placed her on my skin and I’ll never forget looking into her eyes for the first time. She wasn’t crying like they wanted her to (I attribute it to the fact that she’s a HypnoBaby) so they took her from my chest after a minute. She was just fine, crying within a few seconds of leaving me. Unfortunately due to my purple pushing, I did have some tearing which required stitches so meanwhile the doctor had proceeded to stitch me up. Only after they took Everly from me, did I notice the pain. Nathan says that at one point I said that it hurt and the doctor asked if I needed more epidural to which all the nurses in the room (there seemed to be about 20) responded that I didn’t have an epidural. I remember the look of shock on the doctor’s face because she had been stitching me up quite vigorously for a few minutes without any type of pain medication. You think a doctor would know if the patient was on any medication or not!

Anyway, my HypnoBirth was the topic of discussion between all the nurses that day. They were impressed with how calm and focused I was.

Nathan and I were on such a high after meeting our daughter and working through such an intense experience that we couldn’t stop talking about it with each other. I was so surprised that with all the obstacles we encountered, I was still able to achieve a somewhat-natural (minus the pitocin) un-medicated birth. The Rainbow Relaxation and breathing techniques helped me achieve the birth we wanted. It took me a little while to understand that HypnoBirthing worked because my birth story wasn’t as easy and quiet as some of the videos Carol showed in our classes. Also it wasn’t what I envisioned so I had to let go of the image of “the perfect birth” that I had in my head.

Nathan and I want to thank you, Carol, for educating us and helping us to prepare for one of the most important and rewarding days in our lives. We were able to have an amazing birth experience while welcoming our daughter into this world because of HypnoBirthing and your guidance. It was the most intimate experience for Nathan and me and I feel like it has bonded us to be better partners and parents for our little girl. We can’t thank you enough.

~Jewel, Nathan, and Everly
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Congratulations Jewel & Nathan! You did an amazing job dealing with the intensity of the surges & with the pitocin! It just goes to show that if you can keep your mind in the right place and stay focused, you can have a natural, vaginal birth even with pitocin!

Thank you so much for sharing your birth story! Enjoy your babymoon!
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If you would like more information about HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, CA, please contact Carol Yeh-Garner via her website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. If you are outside San Diego, CA, you can visit www.hypnobirthing.com to find a practitioner near you.

A HypnoBirthing announcement--Jenni & Bobby

Jenni & Bobby took my HypnoBirthing classes in August of 2010 at Indigo Dragon Health & Wellness Center on Thursday nights. Here is their birth story:

About four weeks prior to my due date, my husband and I had made the decision to have a home birth since Dr. Biter’s hospital rights were still up in the air. After taking Carol’s HypnoBirthing class, this decision came so naturally. We had been equipped with such copious amounts of knowledge and felt that avoiding the extra stresses brought on by hospital staff was the best decision for us and what we were most comfortable with. Dr. Biter provided us with the phone numbers of a team of midwives that he had been working closely with. I met with LaShel and explained our situation and made sure that we were both comfortable with one another. After hearing that she and her partner had room for us in their schedule, we knew we had a lot of getting to know one another and catching up to do. We scheduled the home visit for two weeks prior to my due date. This was the first time for me to meet LaShel’s partner, Jamin, and for my husband to meet both of them. Everything went so smoothly and although it was a lot of information to take in, in such a short amount of time, I had been waiting for that appointment in order to feel 100% ready for my baby to come at any time……and these thoughts were a perfect example of just how much your mind can control.

The very next night, Saturday, November 6th, I had put in my Evening Primrose Oil and gone to bed. Somewhere around 11 or 11:30pm, I rolled over and felt a little gush. Not wanting to get anything on the sheets, I laid still on my side and sat there noticing that my shorts felt completely soaked and it didn’t seem to feel the same as when the EPO leaks. I continued to feel little gushes here and there and my surges started almost immediately. They were nothing more than mild menstrual cramps that would alternate between my belly and my lower back, but they confirmed to me that our precious baby girl was on her way! After about 15 minutes, I decided to get up and change my shorts and check things out. I had definitely soaked through and it was definitely not the EPO. I put a pad on and got some new shorts and went back to bed. It being Daylight Savings, I didn’t pay attention to the time at this point, but I eventually had to get up and change my shorts and pad again. I had decided not to wake my husband, since there was nothing he could really do at this point anyways, and I was able to go back to sleep and get some rest.

At 4:30am, my husband’s alarm went off. He was supposed to meet up with some people and carpool to a golf tournament at 5:30am. When he woke up, I told him that my water had broke, to which he responded, “Wait, what??” I repeated myself, and he then asked if I was sure. Ummmm, yes I’m sure!!! I told him that I had soaked through two pairs of shorts and they were in the bathroom sink if he wanted to confirm it! Knowing that most first time moms take longer to deliver, I then told him to go ahead and play in the tournament, but that he should drive himself just in case I needed him to come home. He instantly said he wasn’t going anywhere and sent a text out letting people know he wasn’t going to make it.

We waited till about 6am to call the midwives. At that time, I called Jamin and let her know what was going on and she told me go back to bed, get some rest, and then eat a big breakfast and she would check back in a bit. Before I went back to bed, I knew I needed to get the baby’s clothes washed and some other things in order that I had planned on doing later that week. Once I got back into bed, Bobby turned on my HypnoBirthing CD and went off to the grocery store to stock the fridge and to buy a stool since our bed sits pretty high. While he was out, Jamin called to check in on me and let me know that LaShel would be checking on me next and that I should try to get out of bed and keep moving. By the time Bobby got home, which I think was around 8:30am, my surges had gotten more intense and all I wanted to do was lie in bed on my side and breathe and moan through them. At this point the surges were all in my lower back. Having suffered a herniated disc, the tightening that I was feeling instantly reminded me of the spasms that I experienced when I first got hurt and I now had to try and block out the thought of my baby’s birth doing more damage to my back.

Bobby made me some peanut butter toast and so adorably brought it up to me on a breakfast tray with a little glass of milk, a little glass of orange juice and a piece of my favorite white chocolate. Sadly, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with any of it! I forced down a couple bites of the toast and spent the next couple of hours in bed focusing and doing what I needed to do to get through each surge while Bobby was running around the house getting things ready. At some point, he returned to the room and I told him to grab a trash can for me. I had started to feel sick and instantly threw up the second he handed it to me. I knew that this was a sign of being in transition, but I kept thinking that it was too early and I had better be prepared for more of that to happen later on.

Knowing that he needed to get the bed ready and that getting me up and moving would only benefit my progress, Bobby urged me to get out of bed and get in the shower. He got the shower going for me and the warm water felt even more amazing than I could have imagined! I ended up in a squatting position in the shower and started to feel like I needed to go to the bathroom…another sign of nearing the end, but for some reason, I still could not believe that it was possible yet. The longer I stayed in the shower, the stronger the sensation got, so I decided to move to the toilet. Sitting there was not easy. Every contraction killed my back in this position. I had been and kept visualizing the crowning rose and its blossoming petals and reminding myself of the amazing gift that was on its way.

By about 12pm, I asked Bobby to call LaShel and update her. Things had gotten very intense and I was starting to feel like I needed some sort of progress report. Time distortion was definitely on my side and the hours had passed so fast, but the intensity of it all had grown just as fast and I could only help but think I had SO much more to go. Bobby talked to LaShel and she told him she was going to shower up and then come over. I was still sitting on the toilet when Bobby came back in to tell me what she had said. After he let me know that she would be over soon, he wanted to make sure that I was still staying strong mentally and said to me, “No matter what she tells you when she gets here, you’re not going to get upset, right?” Knowing exactly what he was getting at, I agreed while thinking to myself, “Hell no!! If I’m not nearing the end, I’m going to break down!”

I don’t know how long I sat on the toilet, but once I got up, I could feel my body relax again and I started pacing up and down the hallway and through the bathroom, leaning on the banister, the counter, or our dresser during each surge. Bobby had brought up my birthing ball and encouraged me to give it a try. I sat on it for a bit while he provided counter pressure that helped IMMENSELY and he just kept telling me to breathe and go to my happy place! HAHA! At the time, it helped SO much, but I can’t help but laugh every time I think about it now.

I think it was about 1:30pm when LaShel got to the house and when she walked into the room, I was standing between the bed and the dresser in the middle of a surge. I remember having some sort of a conversation with her, but I don’t have the foggiest clue what she had asked aside from her telling me that she wanted to check me and I needed to get back on the bed. I think I must have waited through 4 or 5 surges before I had the guts to make the move on to the bed because it seemed like every time I changed positions, the surges were double the strength. During one of those surges I remember LaShel telling me to relax every muscle and then she specifically told me to relax my buns. Once I was able to relax them, it was like instant relief. Imagine that! Even though I had been concentrating and doing my best to keep my body relaxed, I wasn’t 100% successful. This made me realize that I needed go deeper into myself and allow my body and my baby to do what they were meant to do. When I finally got up on the bed, she checked me and I remember thinking that there was no way I was more than 3 or 4 cm……boy was I wrong! LaShel grabbed my hand and looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Jen, you’re a rockstar! You’re already 8 cm! The baby’s head is RIGHT there!” She then told me she needed to go call Jamin, Dr. Biter and update Bobby. I don’t think I have ever been given better news. I was so relieved, but just wanted to return to my side lying position. I did so as LaShel left the room and I laid there amazed that this was it. My little baby girl was about to make her appearance!

LaShel and Bobby both returned to the room and Bobby had to fill in as her assistant for a bit until Jamin arrived. Once she did arrive, she let us know that she had given Dr. Biter a call, but had not been able to reach him. We didn’t have time to wait, so they got me into position to push. It was all so surreal and although I couldn’t really put birth breathing into effect, I pushed for 44 minutes and beautiful Jordan was born at 2:29pm, only an hour after LaShel had arrived! She came out with a nuchal hand (go figure, after all of the ultrasound pics with her hands covering her face!), one big cry and then looked me in the eyes, looked around the room and was completely calm. She was placed on my belly and I was told to leave her there because the umbilical cord was really thick, but short. I know I heard the words, but I kept forgetting and trying to lift her closer to me. Once the umbilical cord was cut, I brought her closer to me and stared at her in amazement! I had just experienced the birth of my daughter, my first child, and it was a better experience than I could have ever dreamed of. My husband was truly amazing throughout my entire pregnancy, labor and birth. He may not think he did much, but the little efforts that he did make could have moved mountains in my mind. Just knowing that I had him there supporting and encouraging me was pure motivation to see this through.

I also cannot express how appreciative we are for the amazing team we had behind us. Not an appointment went by that we did not laugh with Dr. Biter or break out in some sort of sing-song in the ultrasound room! Because of him we were introduced to this “alien” birthing technique of HypnoBirthing. Then to commit to it and meet Carol made us both realize that we were headed down the right path and I could not imagine having gone through this blind and uninformed, like so many other women do. I am so passionate about everything that Carol taught us and have since tried, and will continue, to enlighten others. We were then put in the hands of LaShel and Jamin when we decided to do a homebirth. It was an instant connection with them and we were so blessed to share this day with them both. Dr. Biter, Carol, LaShel and Jamin were all so loving, comforting and easy to work with. Bobby and I are forever grateful for them all and hope to build our relationships with them throughout my future pregnancies and children’s births.
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Congratulations Jenni & Bobby! Thanks so much for sharing your story! Continue to enjoy your babymoon!

For anyone interested in having Dr. Biter & his new partner, Dr. Cobb for their OB/GYN care, please contact them at 760-642-0800.

For more information about hiring LaShel & Jamin for your OB/GYN care or for a homebirth, please visit their website at www.sandiegomidwife.com.

For more information about Carol's HypnoBirthing classes, please visit www.AWellLivedLife.Net. If you are outside the San Diego area, please visit www.HypnoBirthing.com to find a practitioner near you.

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

A HypnoBirthing announcement--Mikayla & Brian

Hi-

Mikayla & Brian attended my classes at Indigo Dragon Health & Wellness Center on Thursday nights in April/May 2010. It was their 2nd birth. Mikayla had a vaginal birth the 1st time around but was somewhat traumatized by the experience, especially the pushing phase. They took my classes to help her feel more confident about her ability to have a better, more comfortable birthing experience.

She contacted me when she was a few days overdue & wanted to find some natural induction recommendations. I recommended acupuncture & prenatal massage.

Here's her birth announcement:

Hi Carol,
I contacted Indigo Dragon Health & Wellness Center and had an acupuncture appointment on Friday. That morning I thought I was feeling surges, but decided to keep the appointment. I really enjoyed it. That evening I continued having surges . After a calm labor and very in control of myself and the experience, I gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy at 8:25 am on Saturday, July 3rd. Declan M, 7 lb 10oz and 19 1/2". Thank you for all of your help!!! I must have listened to Rainbow Relaxation 30 times during my labor!

Fondly,
Mikayla & Brian
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Congratulations Mikayla & Brian! Enjoy your babymoon! Thanks for letting me share your story!

All my best--Carol

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

A HypnoBirthing baby #2 for Sarah & Troy

Sarah & Troy took my HypnoBirthing classes for baby #1 in May 2008. She had her baby at UCSD Birth Center & had a wonderful HypnoBirth. You can listen to her 1st birth experience at http://www.pregtastic.com/sarahs-birthing-story/.

Sarah contacted me a few months back to arrange for a private refresher class in preparation for baby #2. She & Troy came to my office in May for a 1 1/2 hour session. We talked about the fears & concerns they had about birth & becoming parents & reviewed key points about HypnoBirthing to help Sarah feel confident about what techniques to use & how to use them during her 2nd birth experience. Then I did a hypnosis session with them--a fear release & a birth rehearsal imagery. They left feeling really relaxed, excited & confidnet about their upcoming birth experience.

Here is their birth story:

Crash! Boom! BAM!

My labor started Saturday night at straight-up Midnight. It was pre-labor so it was random in both time and intensity, so I just stayed quietly in bed and thought about millions of things. I carbo-loaded and hydrated all Saturday like I was getting ready to run the 2010 Rock-n-Roll Marathon. I packed the remaining items in my hospital bag and walked the dog. I spent as much time as I could Saturday meditating, listening to my HypnoBirthing CD and relaxing.

By late afternoon I knew Saturday was not the day of my baby’s birthday. However, when I woke on Sunday I knew that birth was sooner than later, because I called Alma (my Mother’s Helper) in the morning for her to watch Miss Riley that day. The pre-labor continued with the surges/contractions gradually increasing in strength. Timing was still random, but even with eating a ton of carbs and drinking more Smart Water than all the marathoners combined, the surges/contractions strengthened.

We went to the grocery store late in the afternoon and it was all I could do to make it through the store or even to the front doors. I went to bed around 8:00pm to meditate and listen to my HypnoBirthing CD. Troy laid down with me and I was squeezing his hand when the contractions started and stopped. From there, I lost track of time. Alma was called to watch Miss Riley for the night and Kayti (Kayti Ricker my bad-ass doula) was called to come and assist us with the birth.

Kayti arrived around 11-11:30ish pm and she got me out of bed to finish the deed! I lunged, yes, the workout routine move, around the house until I could do no more. After the lunges, we just walked until I could not walk anymore. I kept eating and drinking until I could do no more. Then it was time to head to UCSD Birth Center and we left the house around 2:45ish am. At 3:10am I was checked in at 6cm, fully effaced, -1 station and at 4:00am Colby Cash was born.

My labor was beautiful! Troy was my king and was so perfect. Kayti was awesome and without her, there is no way I could have had such a great labor. It was a perfect HypnoBirthing experience. Full on relaxation, meditation and assisting my little Colby during labor.

Now this is where the story takes a twist in the wrong direction. Colby hit the tile floor because I shot him out like a rocket. No pushing whatsoever! In 55 minutes from the time the midwife checked me Colby was on the floor. There was no midwife or nurse in the room to catch him. Kayti tried her best to catch the slippery fella but was not in the right position. She did break his fall, thank goodness. I was standing at the side of the bed…remember I was doing my best to dance him out. To describe it better, I was doing a modified downward dog at the side of the bed since my hands were on the bed and my feet were on the floor.

From the floor, he went to have a CAT scan of his head due to the bump and precautions. All Monday, we were in the NICU for observation and everything turned out wonderful. Colby is healthy baby boy and can take a licking with the best of them. Even the best plans and preparations along with the best labor cannot predict birth.

I used deep relaxation, breathing, meditation and the power of positive thinking to help me have my amazing birth experience. Thank you, Carol, for teaching me HypnoBirthing.
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Wow! I've heard of babies sliding out quickly without minimal (or any) pushing, but never shooting out! Congratulations Sarah & Troy & big sister, Riley! Enjoy your babymoon & thanks so much for sharing your birth story!

For more information about Kayti Ricker, local San Diego doula, please contact her via her website at www.mysandiegodoula.com.

For more information about HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, please contact Carol Yeh-Garner via her website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net or call her at 858-837-1259. It is recommended that you take HypnoBirthing classes sometime between your 5th & 7th month of pregnancy. Carol has openings in her upcoming July & August class series held at Babies by the Sea Boutique & Indigo Dragon Health & Wellness Center. Please contact her for more information.

If you are outside San Diego & would like more information about HypnoBirthing, please visit www.HypnoBirthing.com to find a practitioner in your area.

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

A HypnoBirthing announcement & story--Thanya & Elbert

Thanya & Elbert took my HypnoBirthing classes in April 2010 on Thursday nights at Indigo Dragon Health & Wellness Center. They switched OBs during their pregnancy to Dr. Biter. While Thanya was in her 3rd trimester, Dr. Biter unfairly had his OB privileges suspended from Scripps Encinitas hospital. His supporters held daily rallies in front of the hospital & Thanya was often there--even at 38 weeks--standing there for hours in support of her OB. The hospital medical board found that Dr. Biter had done nothing to deserve the suspension & lifted it & then he resigned. Thanya & Elbert had considered having a homebirth since Dr. Biter wasn't able to be their acting OB for their birth, but their 1st meeting with the homebirth midwives ended up being a few days too late. Here is their birth story...

Thanya & Elbert H's birth story:

For the first 22 weeks of my pregnancy, I had an OB/GYN that was pro-HypnoBirthing. However, Elbert and I did not feel that we were getting the attention or time that we wanted from her, and eventually switched OBs to Dr. Biter through the recommendation of MANY friends. Words cannot express how glad I am to have Dr. Biter as my doctor!

It was around 2am on Sunday, May 30, 2010 when I experienced some mild cramping in my lower abdomen that woke me from my sleep. I never experienced that feeling before throughout my pregnancy so I assumed I was having surges. They weren't frequent, probably about 15 - 20 minutes apart. I practiced my deep breathing and pictured myself at the beach to get through any discomfort, while I was in bed. Around 9:30am, we called Dr. Biter just to let him know that I was experiencing what I thought were contractions. He told us to just hang out and to call back when my contractions were about 5 minutes apart. The surges kept coming and going until about 11am. Dr. Biter ended up calling us back around 12:30pm to check up on me, and I felt disappointed telling him that the surges stopped, and Elbert and I were just out and about walking around at the Forum Shops. Dr. Biter said it was quite normal for contractions to start and stop and suggested we just go about our day as usual and call him back if anything new happened.

I didn’t have any other surges the entire day until about 6pm. They were very infrequent, some coming at 40 minutes apart. This happened until about 9pm. Then out of nowhere, around 9:30pm, the surges came back and came back with a vengeance. I first took a long, hot shower to try to comfort myself, and after showering, I got on all fours and did my relaxation breathing to get through them. These surges were a LOT stronger than the ones I experienced in the morning. I tried my best to not let the discomfort take over me, so I rode the surges for about another hour or so before calling Dr. Biter to let him know that my surges were about 5 minutes apart. I also called Linda Goldsmith, a wonderful and amazing doula who was helping out Dr. Biter patients while he gets hospital privileges back, to let her know that I was in labor. I really needed her at this point, as I almost gave up on myself thinking that I wasn't going to be able to have the natural and relaxing birth I dreamed of. I listened to the Birthing Affirmations and Rainbow Relaxation CD, but the feeling of these surges was so new to me, I couldn’t concentrate on getting myself to relax and be in my “happy place.” I was in tears and at one point, told Elbert, "I don’t think I can do this."

Linda came over around 11pm and totally gave me my confidence back by showing me different positions and different breathing techniques. She had me constantly changing positions, such as hanging on the back of the couch or kitchen counter and swaying my hips back and forth (what she called the “stripper move”) and in a figure 8. She also let me know that it was ok to let out a low moan while breathing out. She reassured me that it was ok to make noise. I didn’t have to keep everything to myself. Linda also recited positive affirmations to me and gave me light touch massages to help me get through my surges. Around 12:30am, Linda suggested that Elbert and I go lay down in bed together to try to get some rest in between surges. So we did.

Around 1:30am, my surges came on quickly, about 2 minutes apart. Linda called Dr. Biter to let him know how fast my surges were coming, and he told her he was coming over right away.

Dr. Biter got to our house around 2am. By this time, I couldn’t even finish my sentences before another surge would hit. I wouldn't say that I was totally relaxed, but I remained very calm and each surge was bearable to endure. Dr. Biter then suggested checking me for cervical dilation. This would be the first time I got checked for dilation/effacement during my pregnancy. So I plopped on the couch, Dr. Biter checked me, and after he was done, he looked up at us with wide eyes and said, "We need to go to the hospital now or we're having the baby here at home. You're 9cm dilated!" I wasn’t expecting that response, having labored at home for only a little over 5 hours. I looked at Elbert, and he excitedly said, "Let's go! I'll start up the car!"

Linda suggested that I get on all fours in the back seat of the car since the car ride to Sharp Mary Birch Hospital was going to be quite uncomfortable with my surges if I were to buckle up in the front seat. Plus the hospital was a good 20-25 minutes away.

We checked into triage, and the nurses had a wheelchair waiting for me to wheel me to Labor and Delivery. I told them that I was fine to walk and didn’t need the wheelchair. They looked at me like I was crazy.

So we walked to Labor and Delivery, and the nurses were quickly preparing the IV and other machines. I refused being put on an IV or have a heplock. The nurses were trying to explain that every patient needed one in case of an emergency. I still refused and told them that when an emergency arises, then that’s when they can place either or on me, but I was quite adamant that I did not need to be hooked up to anything. I explained that I was planning on an all natural, non-medicated type of birth. I eventually won the fight (yay!). I eventually met Dr. Cousins, one of the perinatologists that Dr. Biter is working with for his patients who are delivering at Sharp Mary Birch. I don’t remember him being in the room again until my baby’s head was crowning. Dr. Biter and Linda were a superb doula team that supported me throughout my entire labor and delivery process. Linda kept feeding me positive affirmations and got me cold wash cloths, water and ice chips. Dr. Biter helped me constantly change positions and guided me through the entire pushing process. With both Linda and Dr. Biter there, that left Elbert to be nothing but my supportive husband, which is exactly what I needed. I’m sure all of the HypnoBirthing techniques he learned went out the window seeing how excited and nervous he was anyway hehe.

I was probably only in Labor and Delivery less than an hour before the urge to start pushing came over me. As much as I wanted to breathe my baby down slowly into the birth path, the urge to push was so intense that Dr. Biter told me it was ok to start pushing. I felt like I had no control over my muscles, and that my baby wanted out right away. It took a few pushes and about 3 different positions to get my baby down successfully. The first position I was in was the squat position on the bed. When that position didn’t seem to progress my baby’s head to go down the birth path, Dr. Biter suggested that I lie on my left side and hold both of my legs back. This position was quite successful in moving my baby down the birth path. I then laid on my right side and held my legs back and this was the position that my baby was born in. My baby was coming down the birth path at such a rapid pace that Dr. Biter had me stop pushing at one point. I think he had me slow down so that I wouldn’t tear, and also, Dr. Cousins was no where to be found to catch the baby. I was told that a nurse had to find Dr. Cousins and when he came running into the room, he hastily had to put on his scrubs since my baby was practically out of me. In a matter of minutes, I successfully pushed my baby down the birth path, and she gave one big cry for about 5 seconds, and then was calm and relaxed when she was immediately placed on my tummy. I was only in the Labor and Delivery room for a little bit over an hour. I can’t believe I was only in labor for about 8 hours. Everything happened so fast!

Madison Elizabeth Tipyapa H. was born on Monday, May 31, 2010 @ 5:04am. She weighed 7lbs, 13oz, and was 19.5 inches long.

Although I gave the nurses my birth plan, there were things that they did not follow, which was kind of disappointing. I was put on a fetal monitor the entire time I was in Labor and Delivery, although I didn’t mind too much since I was only in there for about an hour before pushing. They also wiped the baby down immediately following the delivery and the immediate skin to skin contact lasted less than 10 minutes. I think both Elbert and I were way too emotional and too caught up in seeing Madison for the first time that we couldn’t be upset about everything we wanted in our birth plan that wasn’t followed. The most important thing was that both Madison and I were healthy. Madison passed all of her tests with flying colors and didn’t have jaundice. We were released from the hospital the very next day since both Madison and I checked out 100% healthy.

I was also quite proud of myself that I actually went through with an all natural, non-medicated birth at a high c-section rate hospital! I felt like a celebrity that day as many nurses that came in to check on me in my postpartum room kept asking me how I did it. They were quite impressed that I didn’t need medication and that I wasn’t hooked up to an IV or use a heplock. One nurse was in shock that I was walking around in my postpartum room shortly after giving birth. The nurses had to come in about every 2 hours to take my blood pressure and check up on me, and every time they asked me, “Rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10,” I would always tell them, “Zero.”

Thank you Carol for being such a wonderful HypnoBirthing instructor! I am so happy that Elbert and I took your class to prepare ourselves for the unknown. Although I wouldn’t say that I was a total HypnoBirthing expert when the time actually came to it, I did at least have the breathing techniques down, as well as body positions that helped me relax through the surges. I think the fact that I have never experienced anything like this before caught me off guard, which made me somewhat forget about my “happy place.” All I know was that I was not remotely close to being as calm, quiet, and relaxed as those HypnoBirthing moms in the videos you showed us in class. I was a moaner. A LOUD one too!

I am quite proud that I was able to go through with the all natural birth I dreamed of having. Though there were some times of doubt during my surges, I am so happy that I pulled through and didn't give up. Labor was fairly quick (8 hours) and I am so happy that I was awake and alert through the entire process. You can't beat that feeling! I still replay the entire night in my head over and over, as this is birth experience that I will never forget. Thank you again for providing us with the knowledge and strength to have a birth experience we dreamed of having. I really hope that many more women will learn and acknowledge that pregnancy doesn’t have to be painful and the use of medical intervention isn’t always necessary. I will continue to spread the word of HypnoBirthing! Thanks again Carol!
xoxo
Thanya, Elbert, and Madison H.




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Congratulations Thanya & Elbert! Thank you so much for sharing Madison's birth story! I hope that you are enjoying your babymoon!

All my best--Carol

For more information about HypnoBirthing, please visit my website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. If you are in the San Diego area & are pregnant, I have ongoing classes & am currently taking enrollments for my July & August class series. If you are outside of San Diego, please visit www.HypnoBirthing.com to find a practitioner near you.

To contact Linda Goldsmith, Thanya & Elbert's doula, please contact her at 760-815-3852.

Dr. Biter's office information is:
Seaside Women's Health
499 N El Camino Real, Suite C102
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760) 642-0800
He continues to see patients for gynecological care & surgeries & prenatal care until he gets privileges at another local hospital.