Opening the baby gate (2)

Prelude . .

4th breech baby.
Last birth – twins – and 2 C-sections
So scared that another C section was to happen as she had had such bad anesthetic reactions she was to have a G.A. if the baby was coming that way.

After many ‘opening baby gate’ sessions – at least 2 sometimes 4 hours with me – she experienced ‘the most amazing experience of my life’. She said of her husband – ‘he was so present and was every night doing his homework – moxa and massage – every night – it is the best thing that could have happened for us and the family’.
I said – you were both up for it – you envisaged this and did every thing to get there. Some of what he did

What I had to do was release the incredibly broken and misplaced coccyx – as well as retrieve her health – which after HELPP and both pregnancies ending in emergencies with high BP and so on – was no small task . .
Where baby was lying was the least of the issue (I saw her from 29 weeks) – and we dealt with them in sequence – ending as you see – in a very easy birth of a new family.

 

Encourage the pelvis . .
This is what dads use to do . .
Duncan talks with Chris – two generations of caring companions

(How great for dads to talk it over).

What one dad did . .

And changed his, her and their lives – he WAS her epidural’  and so much more. .

 

Birthing

“I had contractions pretty much since Thursday a week ago but nothing that really impacted my life or exhausted me (except that one night at the start). My 5yo got sick over the weekend and things had slowed down cos you know my mummy instinct was like – I can’t go into labour when another one of my kids needs me.

‘Thankfully her cold only lasted a couple of days and she was better on Monday. We decided that we would just let nature take it’s course, and although tempting, to try natural speeding things up methods we decided against it. We did birth prep as prescribed by you and moxa every night. He got really good at the end I made sure he did opening the baby gate properly every night.

‘Hubby took Fri last week, Mon, Tues this week off so I could just rest and stay home and go for small walks. I had probably contractions maybe every 10-15 min or so. But they didn’t even interrupt me, so I wasn’t bothered. Wed morning he went into work for a few hours because I’m like – well who knows what this baby is doing – I was meant to go into the hospital  that arvo for another OB app. Meg (homebirth midwife working as my doula), Chris (husband) and I made a plan the night prior that nothing happens, not even CTG’s/ ‘well-being’ scan unless I feel to do it until 42+3, so I was just gonna tell them that.

‘Wed morn upon waking I lost a bit of bloody show. Contractions still only 10-15 min apart but felt different. Called Chris to come home and we both decided to cancel OB app, as I felt like he’s gonna come in the next 2 days the latest.
Rested throughout the day, either sleeping, lying or, doing some rocking on birth ball. Ate home made chicken soup. We decided to get the kids to a friends house over night, so we can be relaxed and just in case I need to go in a hurry.

‘We drove the kids in two cars to my friends at 7pm as she would need the family car. Me driving Chris’s work ute with baby seat 15 min down the road, with contractions every 10 min that definitely had increased in intensity was funny.
When we got home i told Chris to get the back seats ready with plastic sheets and towels, just in case. Repacked everything, had a long bath, more birth prep and off I went to bed. I slept until 12 am with kind of waking every 10 or so min ‘cos of the contractions. At 12 I kinda needed to change positions in contractions so got up for a bit, then got back to bed for a bit… at 2 am I’m like – I probably should time them. I woke Chris.

‘I was then breathing thru contractions but still coping really well, however I did get more back pain. I said to Chris, let’s time and check in with Meg (doula/midwife), I might wanna head out soon if back pain increases to get into the birth space, do our thing. After getting our act together and sorting out the timing app. (He hit the wrong button the first few min), they were 4 1/2 min apart lasting around 80 sec.

‘At 2.30 I sent Meg a text with the times and said I feel like we wanna head in soon, text me when you leave and we leave 20 min after so we arrive together. Meg’s travel time is an 1 hr 20, whereas ours is just 1 hr. Chris got dressed and made coffee, I just hung over the birth ball with each contractions. At 2.50 I was like – we need to go now. Same time I get a msg from meg saying she left, I said we are leaving now too, I ‘need to feel safe’.

‘While most people don’t associate hospitals with safety this is where I have come too. I was excited to birth in Caboolture at a hospital

‘I was coping well with contractions I thought we had a few hours still…
The car trip was interesting – I was lying on my left at start and then on all 4s. 3/4 on the way through I yelled at Chris to stop playing my birthing music and started swearing I also yelled I don’t wanna push a baby out in the car and got a bit distressed. I told him to just drive. Sensations had changed and I felt a lot of pressure inside. He kind of thought I was loosing my focus and going into anxiety/fear and told me a bit off and said I need to focus. Neither of us realising I was in transition. I made him call the hospital to bring a wheel chair or the entry. I was fixated on the GPS that said 15 min to go… 14…

‘Upon arrival contractions were close, not sure how close, they wheeled me up did a quick scan of baby’s position ‘cos of previous ECV, I’m like who on earth wants to lie down on their back??! Babies head was quite low then. Checked heartbeat and my BP that took only like 1 min as I didn’t consent to the continuous stuff. They put a cannula in and took bloods through it which I had consented to and didn’t bother me at all. By that time Chris was up with our stuff and he was like in settling in mode and I yell at him for not seeing when a contraction is coming and he needs to push stuff on my back I kept saying to the staff midwife which was lovely, that I just feel so much pressure. She said probably just the fluid that needs to release. 1 min later, waters broke while I was leaning over the bed. Clear fluids!

‘2 contractions after that – I can feel baby descend – I said to midwife I need to start pushing. She says OK – let’s take your pants off, I wobble over to the shower and am on all 4s. By that time 2nd midwife came in and Meg arrived 10 min after. Meg helped me to reposition into a bit of a side lunge, which helped. Then I just said I think I need to stand up, they helped me. By that time he was crowning, shower was off and I just leaned into Chris. Meg helped reminding me to do little pushes and instead of yelling all my energy out, focusing the energy down through breathing and panting, which really helped.

‘It was an incredible sensation to feel that my body just took over. Like I just needed to push, there was nothing I could do against it. His head was out (anterior) and he turned, to the side which was the weirdest sensation. I yelled at the midwife – please don’t touch me – everything was so sensitive and she was like – sweetie it’s your baby turning!

After that within a few sec, next contraction and he was all out.

Midwife lifted him up to him and he started crying immediately.

‘It was the most amazing feeling ever.


From the time we got there until baby was out, it was 45 min.
Placenta took a bit longer – it was literally just as the OB walked in as we had hit the 1 hr mark and Meg guides me through a ‘thank you’ placenta thing to release it and it went whoosh and all was out. We did try pressure points, homeopathics and position changes before that.

‘Jonathan wasn’t feeding straight away, lots of vocalising, so Chris took over with skin to skin so I could have a rest. Bleeding was only 200 ml, less than I ever bled before. They checked for tears, everything beautifully intact, just swollen and a few grazes. The swelling is almost gone now (5 days later) and peeing doesn’t hurt anymore already. We got discharged at 11 am that morning (he was born at 4.45).

‘Honestly, the best feeling ever. To just walk out, feeling amazing.

All the OBs on duty and midwives came in and congratulated us and mentioned how beautiful it was to see without CTG tracing and that I had a physiological 3rd stage etc.

When we got home the kids came home for an hour to meet their baby brother and then we send them off with grandma and grandpa. So it’s just Chris, I and Jonathan for a few days – we play it by ear. No visitors except the drop ins for food, I stay in bed, and eat, sleep, go to toilet, feed Jonathan.
That’s it.

 

So yes, what a healing journey!!!!!

And the baby did just nearly fall out as you said!!!!

Xx Josi

 

Josi’s story . .

Want what she had?

Very easily done – start the childbirth education process – on your own body – let the stored tensions and past memories be gentled away.

What can you do?

Having cleared away a lot of your fears and worries with Hypnobirthing, Calm birth, Belly dancing, Yoga baby or some other preparatory work allows you both to focus on what comes next – being a family.

The easier the birth is-  the easier life will be – especially breastfeeding, and the months/years to come as all of you fondly remember your baby’s beginnings. We ensure that your structure is ready.

The development of the manual ‘What Dads Can Do’ and the accompanying videos (past DVD’s) allows you both settle into a loving ritual nightly of deep bonding as his arm loving hands are to use. The loosening of the ligaments and the releasing of the energy stored away in the pelvis is so simply done. Leaving her with restful sleeps, all aches and pains gone and no need to outsource massage or other maybe helpful late pregnancy attention. This work is extensively used in many centres internationally as it all works.

The combination of acupressure, discovered in my over 40 years of working directly in any different obstetric arenas allows you to  do any pain or discomforts she has – they are just waiting your touch!! Feel in charge as the magic day comes.

Excitement and joy greet bub as you have both done all to open up to love!

You may wish to purchase the manual and its two practical step you through DVD’s now as MP3’s . .
There is the entire package including wonderful charts to print and launch into your massage wonder.

Loving touch (and ideally moxa)

Acupressure . . .

This is in labour . .the entire package is accessed here. . .

Pregnancy resources to instantly download to have a very similar experience – here