Sometimes I wonder about the impact of yoga for my students in their birth experiences, because so often people just seem to disappear from classes when they give birth. So I was extremely grateful to this mom who was able to share her birth story with me. It illustrates just how much being empowered and trusting in your body and your baby can influence our ability to lean into the circumstances of our labor and birth.
She writes:
“Dad and I just want to send a huge thank you in regards to the education and confidence that you provided during the Spinning Babies and Hypnobirthing classes. We used every single thing we learned in order to best prepare for Baby’s arrival into the world!
And you know with my & “advanced” maternal age of 38, fibroids, plus several other medical concerns, I just knew that home birth was not for us. We figured that type of experience is meant for the low risk folks. Well, Bec....do I have a story for you lol
Baby’s EDD was 6/28. On 6/23, I started experiencing these surges, but they were so sporadic from 2-10am, our doula as well as the doctor told us not to come in especially because we had not seen the mucus plug nor did the water break. After 10am, I was completely fine.
The next day, Friday 6/24, 2am, same surges from the day before, and still sporadic. I was doing the exercises, had my yoga ball, Dad was doing the massages and breathing with me - doing all the things we learned. By 7am, I felt a drop in my pelvis (and Baby has been head down for 1.5 months now), still confused as to what that drop was, but after I felt that, my body just started pushing something and I had this awful back pain. It was creating a surge like I had never felt before. So, I tell Dad we need to call the doula and doctor again - they tell us the same thing as before...no bloody show, no mucus plug, no water breaking? Well, continue to do what you’re doing and wait until the surges get to “5-1-1” which they weren’t yet.
So, Dad runs some water in the tub because I reminded him that the women in the videos in the Hypnobirthing class looked a bit more relaxed in water. So, he ran a bath, lit some candles, got me a pillow, and it definitely felt a lot better. But then, those strong pressure things started again and I sounded like I was pulling in all the energy around me to do these deep exhales....and then we saw the mucus plug....and then we heard a POP (water breaking, I was told, but I was in water, so I didn’t know that’s what it was), then another strong, deep surge that brought this deep guttural moan from the depths of my soul that shocked both Dad and I (LOL) and then we called the doctor and doula again - at this point the surges are seconds apart.
The doula says we’re not going to make it to the hospital and the doctor says & “see you when you get here”. 8am, another deep surge as Dad went to go get dressed. He comes back to the bathroom and yells to our doula on the phone & “I see the head! The head is out! The head is out!” And I’m in a daze, trying to figure out what head is out
and then, out of nowhere pops out a body (I don’t even remember having a surge for the body) and Dad puts baby G on my stomach as the doula tells him to call 911.
Paramedics arrive, carry me downstairs because my back is still in so much pain. Get to the hospital, deliver the placenta, baby is so calm through all of this, and as soon as the placenta was out, I felt such relief! My nausea, headache, and back pain - ALL GONE! All I felt was hungry at that point LOL!
And what you taught us in regards to advocacy was huge! From the doctor checking for a tear that was not there....to advocating for our baby.
After the placenta was delivered, the doctor told me she brought the suture kit for my tear. I said “oh, did I tear?”. Her response “Well, most unprepared women who have an unplanned home birth, tear” and she proceeds to check my vagina for this “tear” I asked her to please be a bit more gentle to which she gives me a fake apology and then tells me she’s really looking hard because she does not see a tear! Then she asks the nurse to come over and check, to which she replies in shock that she also does not see a tear. I said well, you don’t see one because it’s not there. So, are you satisfied now? I would never have been so confident to say something like that before. I would have just cried through it, guessing I must have a tear if they are so adamant on finding one.
Dad and I also agreed to only have the eye cream and Vitamin K shot for Baby on Day 1 - she’d get the Hep B at her first peds appointment. The number of medical professionals that kept trying to convince Dad and I that Baby just HAD to have the Hep shot in the first 24 hours of life, was ridiculous, to the point where Dad said “She is not getting the shot in this hospital. Let's move on.” Again, that confidence we never had before.
And don’t get me started on the cardiologist and hematologist (because of my other medical challenges). I was a bit dizzy getting up to go to the bathroom as soon as I delivered the placenta and so they wanted to do a fluid IV, EKG, run some blood tests....and it seems they got really excited to do so much and Dad and I said we delivered a baby with no drugs and no IVs. How much water do I need to drink to equal a fluid IV? The cardiologist said “Two of those little pitchers.” I said OK; to which he responded “In 2 hours.” Like it was a dare or something. Bec...I finished 3 in 2 hours because I was so thirsty and then my headache/dizziness went away and my heart rate went down by the evening. I never saw the cardiologist or hematologist for the remainder of our visit.
They also wanted to take Baby to the nursery for their physical and we asked if they could do it in the room - they said no. I said OK well can Dad or I come to the nursery to see what the physical is about, and the pediatrician said she had to get permission, which she did, and Dad was able to go with them.
Then, when it came to Baby’s blood work, they said they have 40 babies in the nursery and they go down the rows pricking the heels of the babies and putting their blood on the little cards. We asked if that could be done in the room as well and they said “no, we do it in the nursery”. We said “yes....but we would like theirs done in the room where we can hold and soothe them - not in a room filled with so many other crying and stressed out babies.” Apparently, they had to get “special” permission and said they could do it at 5am the next day and then had the nerve to come around 9:30am with no apology or notification or anything, but then made mention that we were the parents that wanted their Baby to have their blood work done elsewhere. As to say “Don’t be upset with our tardiness as we changed the rules for you.” The nerve.
I was up walking around the same day as giving birth. No IVs. No drugs of any kind. Had the room with low lighting in postpartum just as I desired and Baby was able to stay with us aside from the physical, during our entire 2 day stay at the hospital. I never actually thought a birth experience like this would be possible, in no way, shape or form, before your classes. And even with the classes, I still didn’t think a homebirth, by any means, was in the cards for us.
So, again, a huge, huge HUGE thank you, Bec!