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Birth Stories > Melissa's Birth Story

Here I am pictured on the right with my second baby, after a wonderful natural birth that left me feeling empowered, particularly as I had had a caesarean for my first baby. What a difference, let me tell you about it...

My first child was born on 3rd August, 2004, by emergency caesarean section, at 35 weeks' gestation. The pregnancy had been considered "high risk" from 30 weeks due to grade IV placenta previa, meaning that the placenta completely covered the cervix. From the point at which I discovered that I had placenta previa until she was delivered, I was in a state of high alert and anxiety.

I had been hoping for a natural birth for her, before I found out it wasn't to be. I was still very keen for a natural birth, and perhaps a water birth, when I became pregnant again with our second child. Even though I felt that I'd had a "good" caesar experience, with friendly staff attending the birth, I was determined to have a more relaxed pregnancy, and no surgery at the end.

This led me to look into a course other than standard pre-natal classes, and when I found out that Julie had started leading calmbirth® courses, I was very excited. My husband and I attended Julie's course combined with the super condensed One Day Workshop, and I started listening to the course relaxation CD daily, as well as Julie's relaxation CDs. We also got hold of an Epi-No, to help build my confidence in the stretchiness of my pelvic floor. I have always had a very tight pelvic floor, due to a tendency to hold tension in that area when I am stressed.

Prelabour

I started having strong practise (Braxton-Hicks) contractions about a week before I went into true labour. The night before, the practise contractions were challenging enough, and regular enough, to keep me from sleeping. I spoke to Julie about it, and she recommended getting into a warm bath to relax. I also called the birth centre. The contractions were so strong! But the midwife also recommended a bath, and to try to sleep or at least rest. I got into a lovely hot bath at about 10pm for about an hour, and when I was falling asleep, I got out, and went to bed. At 2am, I got into the bath again and topped it up with hot water, and was able to get some more sleep after a while. At 6am, I got up with my daughter, now 2 years old, and made my husband get out of bed too. As soon as I was out of bed, the contractions started up again. After pottering around a bit, I went back to bed. I felt pretty tired, and it was much easier to be lying down.

Active Labour - First Stage

At 9am, I had my first indicator that real labour was beginning - I passed a big bloody blob - the "show". Excited, I called Julie straight away, to get some last minute reminders! She asked me, "Do you want to have the baby today?" Yes, of course. I'd had enough of pregnancy. "No more lying down, time to be upright and active."  I got out the manual from the One Day Workshop which was really helpful for reminding me of positions and other self help measures we'd covered on that Sunday. 

I called our support people, and our parents. Then I told Jeremy to take Jemima to church with him so that I could have the house to myself, to help me focus. My husband reluctantly went to church with our daughter, as he would have preferred to stay home to be with me, helping and supporting me but i just felt like I wanted my own space for a little while.  He met up with our trusted friends at church, who offered to care for our girl, and bring her home later. When home again, he started timing contractions, which had become much closer together, and regular. I tried a few of the positions that Julie showed us in the workshop. The ones that I found best were leaning against a wall, pelvic rocking, and kneeling over the front of our sofa with plenty of pillows.

I found that I preferred to be by myself mostly, but appreciated my husband heating up grain bags for me. I focused on releasing all the tension in my body with each surge, and breathing deeply and slowly. At around 11:30am, I was finding labour pretty challenging. I got in the shower, and turned the water up to hot. This was very soothing. Jeremy had called the birth centre a couple of times by now, but they said to stay at home until the contractions were 3-4 minutes apart, and regular. My husband was timing the contractions, and yes, they were close together and regular. Now I was finding the strength of the contractions to be more than I had bargained for! Fortunately, all the practise had taught me to focus inwards and work with the contractions.

Transition and Second Stage

By 1pm, I was starting to wonder whether a caesar would have been better after all. How was I going to make it through to the end of the day? Relaxing - what use was it after all? Then my waters broke. I really wanted to go to hospital! I wanted a water birth!  Our daughter came home, and we sat her in front of the television while we waited for her support person to come. Laetitia arrived at 1:30pm, having been stuck in traffic. I was now in the pushing stage, but hadn't realised. I thought I was just trying to do a poo, which I hadn't been able to get out before. On the phone to the birth centre, when I described this feeling, I was told to come in straight away.  It was hard work to get down the 33 steps from our flat, and then in the car. I knelt over the front passenger seat, and we drove to the Royal Hospital for Women, only 5 minutes from our house. I staggered through the lobby to the lift, then from the lift into the Birth Centre. Our wonderful midwife guided me into the closest birth room, and had me up on the bed to check the progress.

I leaned over some pillows, on all fours. "I can see the head!" she said with enthusiasm. She helped Jeremy to see too. "Please, run the bath!" I said. She said, "I'll run it, but I don't think you're going to need it. Push when you're ready!" I couldn't help pushing. I was quietly groaning with each contraction now, and all my focus was on each surge. Nothing else mattered. About 10 contractions later, our baby's head was out. I knew I'd torn a bit, there was a stinging feeling. The midwife told me our baby's hand was next to his head (superman style!). Two more contractions, and his body slithered out. Immediately, relief! At first, I couldn't do anything except rest against the pillows. Then I looked down, and picked up our tiny baby. It felt wonderful to hold him then. There was blood and amniotic fluid everywhere on the sheets. Euphoria! Even better than I had hoped for, a completely natural birth. It was 2:15pm when our son was born, just 20 minutes after we arrived in the Birth Centre. After a rest, I pushed a little: the cord, and the placenta came out quickly and easily.

I had a minor tear that needed three stitches. Our son weighed 3.31 kgs at birth. He latched on to the breast like a natural, about half an hour after he was born. And at that point, all the preparation, calmbirth® focused breathing, exercises, Epi-No, it was all worth it! So much better than a repeat caesar.

Conclusion

To any woman considering VBAC, I hope you're encouraged by my story! You can have a successful VBAC too. I think the most important factors in my success were supportive friends, like Julie and the fantastic midwives at the Birth Centre, and believing in my ability to have a natural birth. Doing the calmbirth® course was a big help, in retraining my mind to feel positively about birth, to not be afraid, and to learn how to make the most of each contraction. I was so apprehensive and uncertain about whether my body could give birth naturally, up until I did calmbirth, and practised with the Epi-No. After the course, I was quietly confident that my body was designed to give birth, and I would continue in a long line of women who had done so.

 

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Editor's Note: Melissa and her husband attended Julie's course firstly when she taught at the Royal Hospital for Women at Randwick during her 12 yr stint as the childbirth and parenting educator and then for her next birth preparation attended Julie's One Day Workshop and calmbirth courses at her home in Sylvania where she has been teaching over 20 years. Melissa found the home courses much more comfortable than those held in a large institution. Melissa went on to have a second, joyous natural birth, two years later, a water birth, with no tearing.

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