Surrendering to birth…

Story by Kayla & Matty

“Towards the end of pregnancy I really surrender and trusted that my body could birth our baby naturally. The Calmbirth course had such a positive impact for us and helped us really work as a team and focus on what was important during the birth.”

Our beautiful girl Freya arrived on the 1/9/2020, the first day of spring at 6.07pm. Bringing the sunshine with her.

I feel very fortunate to have had the calm, joyful and drug free birth we had hoped for.

I had been experiencing braxton hicks more frequently the days prior to Freya’s birth. On Tuesday morning (at 39 weeks) around 3am they started up again, I felt something was different but I didn’t over think it and tried to go back to sleep often waking and stirring. At 5am when Matty usually gets up to go to work I asked him to stay home to take me to our scheduled midwife appointment and the acupuncture I had booked as I didn’t think I should be driving.

Little did we know neither of these would be necessary today.

Then the contractions started to build, they were still a little sporadic. What confused us is that they were 10mins and then 5mins apart off and on and then eventually 3 to 5 mins for the rest of the day. I think Matty and I expected for them to start at 20mins but that didn’t happen.

Sometimes i found myself still thinking it was false labour or still Braxton Hicks. So we called the hospital and our Doula to let them know, they agreed I was in early stages of labour.

Matty and I decided to stay home in our environment, we played music, stretched, kissed and cuddled lots, went for a walk on the beach close by our house. It was a beautiful day. I listened to a Calmbirth meditation, Matty was doing amazing with hip presses at almost every contraction I had and belly sifting on and off and acupressure/massage. I really felt supported and loved.

We also used a TENS machine and this helped, I didn’t experience lower back pain during labour. By 3pm I felt the contractions getting much stronger, and I felt self doubt creeping in, some thoughts ‘I don’t know if i can do this for another 20 hours’ it was feeling really intense. We called our Doula who was close by to come over at this point. Little did we know I was most likely in transition. We decided to head to the hospital, our Doula drove and Matt supported me in the back. Contractions would come in the car, I lent over the back seat on my knees. When I had small breaks from the contractions I was filled with joy and excitement, saying our baby is close. This continued until Freya was born and felt great (oxytocin and endorphins were definitely working well).

We arrived at the hospital and I felt very ready to push, Matt and I were in the shower for 30mins while we waited for the water birthing midwife, she arrived and we moved into the pool. She asked if we wanted to check for dilation first which our Doula and Matty had said that there was no need and the baby is not far away.

I was so in the zone by then and couldn’t hold back the urges to push. Our doula had the room with music playing nature sounds, dim lights and I remember getting into the pool and it feeling amazing.  Soon enough I was able to reach down and feel the crowning, and another push and Freya was in Matty’s arms taking her first breathe. Freya was very alert and calm. An incredible moment in life for Matty and I, filled with so much happiness and love. I can remember saying we did it and feeling so proud

From there physiological third stage happened, Freya had her first breast feed and it all went really well. We are loving Freya’s first weeks.

Towards the end of pregnancy I really surrender and trusted that my body could birth our baby naturally. The Calmbirth course had such a positive impact for us and helped us really work as a team and focus on what was important during the birth.