In this episode I’m sharing a birth story recorded before Covid 19, from one of my wonderful Hypnobirthing clients, Suzanne. In the midwife unit and labour ward at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. This is a great example of the importance of knowing how to make decision and having support in this, so that even when your plan changes you can feel empowered.
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In this episode, I’m sharing a birth story recorded before Covid 19 from one of my wonderful hypno birthing clients. Suzanne, this birth is in the midwife unit and the labor ward at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. This is a great example of the importance of knowing how to make decisions and having support in doing this. I know that can help when your plan changes to still feel empowered and have a positive experience.
You’re listening to the Pregnant and Aberdeen podcast, a podcast for those expecting in the northeast of Scotland. I’m your host, Jake Gordon, clinical hypnotherapist, hypno birthing teacher and doula. My aim here is to bring you local information, birth stories like we have today and tips and techniques. So let’s get started. I’m here tonight with Suzanne who’s going share a wee bit about her birth story.
Tell me how, how old is everyone now? She’s three and a half months now. Gone so quick. Yeah, It still feels freely recent though compared to like some of the people we’ve heard from have been like a year or more. So still fresh in your memory. Yeah, that’s what I was just to say, I probably haven’t forgotten as much as some people.
Yeah. So you came on to one of our group courses. Yeah. And obviously I gave you all that homework and stuff to practice. So what did you enjoy practicing at home? For me, I really liked the, the MP3s. I listened to them every night. Yeah, more actually. I felt they really benefited me during pregnancy cause I really struggled to sleep.
But once I was listening to those MP3s, it really made a difference to sleep. And I did some of the accounting, you know, you visualizing and counting down. Yes. And that I, to be honest, I still use that now cause I, I feel like I do that. It puts me in a right. I’m ready to sleep.
Lot of the things that we learn in class are life skills. They’re good just for parenting or even just sleep at night Quite hard, you know, cause my little ones right beside me and it’s hard to not just be checking on her every two minutes. I do kind of do that like Right. She’s fine. Chill out, get some sleep Switch off.
Yes. So which, which MP3s were your favorite? What did You, well they had the ones that you sent me originally, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the lady’s voice so you sent me the other one, which was like the rainbow. Yes. Relaxation technique one. And I really like that one. I like the different colors and stuff.
That one as well. So yeah, I enjoyed that one. That’s good. Yeah, I really liked that one too. That’s probably why I sent you it. Yes. So tell us a little bit about the last bit of your pregnancy then. When you were going into labor. Did you go into labor yourself? I did, yes. So I thought I was maybe in labor,
so I went for a walk, like down to the the seafront, which is always what I Oh nice. That I wanted to do the seat kinda calm and relaxes me and stuff. So we took a walk down the seafront and then back up and then I actually decorated my Christmas tree as well after that. And then went to sleep or tried to anyway.
But I was quite calm about it all. I wasn’t, I wasn’t even that sure I was in labor. Yeah. Like I knew that I was having contractions, but I was like, oh, I expected these to be worse. So I was quite just chilled about it and I think because would like learn so much with you guys and I just kind of knew.
Yeah. It just helped me be like, okay, I need to kind of preserve my energy a bit as well. Yeah. So try and get some sleep and I just wanted to lie in the bed really. So I just did that for a couple hours until we were ready to go into the hospital itself. Was it during the day? No,
it was, it was like early afternoon when it first started and then, yeah, overnight. And then we went into, we didn’t go into hospital until the next, yeah, in the morning the next day. So yeah, we got into the hospital and I knew that I wanted Waterbirth if I could. So I had myself all kind of prepared for it could be occupied,
it may not be occupied. Yeah. But luckily when we got into the hospital it was available. So my plan was to have a waterbirth. That’s what I’d hoped for. And we started off that way in the water. We had our little lights and we had a playlist that we had all set up. So nice music, nice water, plenty of like snacks as well.
So I had brought bubbly breakfast biscuits. Yeah. Surrounded by crumbs in the water. Are You hungry then? You kidding? Of Course, yeah. I just, yeah, I ate the, well I went through all my snacks just, I just felt so like almost, I felt real, so relaxed. I felt like I was in a spa or something.
It was really, and Phil was really like calm as well cause he went on the course with me. So I think because we both knew kind what was going on and what stage I was at, kinda understanding the, the biology of it and the what medical procedures could happen and stuff. I think actually having all that knowledge made it easier to be a bit calmer about it all.
Yeah. So yeah, I was in the, the pool, eh, they had me in there for about four hours and I didn’t, I was just using the breathing technique so I wasn’t using faster or anything to start with. And it honestly like, it felt like, this sounds like a crazy thing to say, but it felt amazing. Like I just felt like,
ah, like I felt really empowered and, and I felt like the breathing was really helping me. I didn’t feel scared. I didn’t feel worried like, yes, I’ve kind of got this, they took me out and examined me after four hours and then I went back in for another four hours. That’s when I started taking the gas and air after that cuz it,
it was getting a bit a bit stronger. It took me a while when I was using the gas air. I think that threw off the breathing that I’d doing, that I’d like to practice in. So Phil was really good. Like Phil was like, remember your breathing, remember your breathing. Because he like knew that was spoken about it. And then once I was able to get the breathing with the gas air,
then yeah that was, it made a huge difference. So I was glad as much as the course was kind of more for my benefit, it was really good that he was on it as well. And he knew like that’s the kind of thing. And he was doing the, the shoulder squeeze as well when I was in the war. Like that touch association that was helping me relax as well.
And the music, half music just made a world of a difference as well. Cause at one point it did pause and I could hear someone else in the wards. Okay. So actually half music kinda drowned that out a little bit. Yeah. I didn’t, you know, my anxiety wasn’t rising cause I could hear someone else because all I could hear was my own music.
So. Yeah. Yeah. Observed doesn’t it more like it’s your own like homely place rather than Yeah. It, it was, and the, the room in the maternity wards where they’ve got the water pool is really lovely. Like they really do make it nice. And the midwife just kind of sat and we just chatted. She was so lovely. Couldn’t have asked for a better midwife.
She was so nice and just like kept us all relaxed and stuff. And we’d that, we’ve done the hypno birthing course and she was like, well I would’ve, I would’ve guessed that you’d done something because the way I was like breathe. And she’s like, you can tell when you know someone’s done something like that. So yeah, that made me feel better as well.
Cause I was like, at least she kinda understands all and and knows that. Yeah. Yeah. Someone ask me like, will the midwife, will they know what hy birthing is or will they accept it or will they think, what are you talking about? Yeah, my midwifes that were at the doctor surgery as well, when I mentioned to them that I was doing a hypno birthing course,
they were all like, that’s brilliant. Like they, they all, they were all really supportive and I think they’ve all seen as well the difference that it can make. Especially if you’re likely to be, for me, I’ve been really worried about grief. Cause when I was younger I had a lot of asthma attacks and I hyperventilates when I was panicked.
Yeah. That was the main reason for me that I did hypno and to, so that I could feel I was in control of breathing and it’s so much more for me than that. But it really, really helped me with the breathing. Yeah. Like I never, never even thought of reaching for an inhaler once. So I don’t even know if I took it with,
which is quite bad. But yeah, I’m True. So yeah, as the, as the birth progressed, I wasn’t really moving on. I wasn’t dilating and they eventually suggested that they would break their waters for me and because of everything they’d learned, I kind of knew what that entailed. Yeah. And me and Phil were able, and the midwife as well who was there,
were able to have the discussion and I was like, right, I think I want to hold on a little bit longer. But then eventually it just wasn’t happening for me. And the midwife is great as well cause I wasn’t too sure at what point I wouldn’t be allowed back in the birthing pool or not. Yeah. But she explained it really clearly to me.
So we went ahead and she broke my waters for me. After that. I did go back in the pool for a little bit, but the pain was a lot stronger after, after she’d done that. So that’s when I decided to have the morphine. Actually you can’t go in the water after that. But I was still in the midwife unit and I still had the,
the music playing and the lights and everything. And at that point as well, I think that’s when like Phil’s part of the, the process kind of stepped up cause that’s when I was needing more reassurance and he was doing the shoulder and remind me about the breathing. Cause that’s when it started to, as the pain get more, it’s quite a lot harder to be relaxed.
But with him there he was just, yeah, he was really good and yeah, he wasn’t the, it wasn’t his idea to go on the course. I’m so glad that he did. And so is he, cuz he, he even says himself like he kind of went into it like, oh I’m not too sure what this is. And the stuff that he learned from it,
it made all the difference for him being able to, to help me. One thing that I’d always said that I didn’t want was an epidural. I was really against the idea of it, but I ended up having an epidural. So it wasn’t by the time that the midwife had suggested that I really was tired by that point. I’d been in labor for quite a long time.
So we spoke through the, the decision making and Phil was really good at making sure as well, one thing you hadn’t, I hadn’t really thought of is because you’re on morphine, there’s times when you’re more lud than other times. So he was like making sure that I did know, did know what I was agreeing to. It was the right thing for us.
So we did, we agreed for the epidural. At that point, the midwife that I was with got called away for a medical emergency. So had kind of made the decision I was ready to go. Yeah. And then she, then she left. So had a bit of a delay and at that point I felt like the hyp of birth and really came in to itself as well because I was able to just say,
okay, right, this is the situation and just kind of do my counting and relax and then kinda prepare myself. Cause I knew at that point I was gonna be leaving the midwife unit and into the labor unit. But yeah, that delay actually helped a bit because it gave me the time to be like Right. Relax It. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
And almost come to terms with it. Say Right, this is maybe not exactly how I wanted but you know, baby still tilted in fine and I’m still doing fine. This is the safest thing, this is the right time for it. And you’re making that choice as well. You’re not feeling pushed into it, it’s that an option. Exactly. Yeah.
Remember like said the class we like took up what you want and don’t want and it’s almost always an don’t want list. But yeah. Like it’s need and it’s Yeah. Can be a positive thing. Yeah. And by and by that point I think by the point I’d reached that decision to take it, that was when I was starting to come away from being positive about the birth.
I was starting to get that I can’t, I can’t do this kind of mind. But yeah, I was like right, no, I’ve got to that point now and I could make the informed decision that yeah, that’s what I wanted to do. Yeah. And the midwife as well was really good at making sure that it was a decision. It wasn’t her saying,
we need to do this now, you need to do this now. Cause it was, it was a decision. It wasn’t forced upon me. Yeah. Yeah. So when we went through the labor ward, the midwife finished her shift then. So she went away and we got a, a new one. So they gave me the epidural, they examined me again and by that point I was fully dilated.
But they said, because they’d given me the epidural, they didn’t want me pushing or anything for two hours. Okay. Cause it was better to like, like baby Make their way down. And like that was something that I felt like, well actually I had the visual in my head of that little video you’d showed of I the baby, like the contraction supposed to baby and everything.
So I kind knew in my head what was happening. Yeah. Inside my body. That’s weird kinda limb of having these two hours where I couldn’t, it didn’t feel like anything was happening. But I knew in my head like, this is like my body’s doing its thing and yeah, this is what’s happening. So its a bit bizarre. I phoned my appearance,
I hadn’t told them I was in labor until that point. So I phoned them and like, I’m gonna have a baby within the next probably four or five hours. Strange phone call to receive. It was so, it was hard. So they’re like, how do you know this? I was like, well they did like, cause they said to relax and try and have a sleep.
But for me by that point I was just, I wasn’t anxious or nervous anymore. I was excited. I was like just, just doing our thing. I’m not feeling in pain anymore. I’m just kind of ready to, to meet my baby. So yeah, film managed to sleep on the floor, but I was not sleeping. So then yeah,
after that they, they explained to me how I would have to pouch. And again, I kind of knew all that already. So I knew there wasn’t a single part of my birth that was like, oh, I didn’t expect that. Like everything kinda, I was like, okay, I knew that could happen. I knew that could happen. Yeah.
So I just felt really informed. But yeah, she said, oh I can see on the, the screen here. You’re having a contraction just now. So she said, try to push, like I’ve told you. And she said, I’ll lift the the sheet and put my hand on your tummy and I’ll be able to feel if you’re doing it properly.
And then she lifted the sheet and like, oh, oh, your baby’s head’s out. I was like, what? And then all this, I started pushing and then yes she was, she was just here, she just arrived. So she kinda come out herself within the, the, the two hours she’d, although there were monitoring her heart rate and everything,
it never raised the show that she arriving. So yeah, long, long labor with a very quick Surprise. That’s great. So then did you have her up onto your chest straight Away? Yeah. It like, I don’t, I, because the midwife had got a shock and the midwife had gone and pushed a, A button Yeah. For the otherwi to Come and I,
I just picked her up and held her to me. Like I don’t remember making a decision or anything to do. I just, yeah. And then the midwife was like, did you check the, I was like, no. Right. It’s a girl. So yeah, it was lovely. And Phil got cut the cord once, it had Boston and everything as well,
So Yeah. And then did you, so afterwards, did you get that golden arrow? Did you get time for you guys? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So we had skin to skin after she arrived and we were in a room for her own for quite a while actually. And then trying to get her to feed and everything. So I was breastfeeding from,
from then and then I got a shower and then that’s when they took me up to the, the shared ward after that. So yeah, I, with quite a bit of time with with her just like, just the three of us in the room and it was just, yeah, it was just lovely. Like you almost the midwife was there for some of it but you,
it was almost like forgot she existed. Yeah. Yeah. It was lovely. So were you in So for long I stayed in for two nights. So the first night I just had her, well I had her at 20, 28 minutes past 11 in the morning. So it was, I’d stayed in that night cause she wasn’t feeding properly the second night they gave me the choice to either stay in Yeah or not.
But she wasn’t latching on every time. We just didn’t quite have the hang of in. So they offered me the choice to stay another night and give me more support with in. And I took that option, stayed in for another night just to try and help me get that established. And then we went home after that. And, and then you were,
were you quite happy going home? Did you feel comfortable and ready? Yeah, I did. But when, when we got home I just, I think that’s like such an overwhelming thing. Like you just got home and I was like, oh my goodness, I’ve got this little thing and I’ve got all this stuff. But it just, yeah, it was really for me,
I had such a positive birth even though it didn’t go how I’d said it, I wanted it to go. Yeah. It was still like really positive empowering experience. The after I’d taken her home, that like week or so, I think as much as people tell you oh your hormones and everything, I hadn’t quite anticipated just how severe that can be.
So that was one thing for me that the hypno birthing still helped with that as well because Phil was, you know, doing the touch on my shoulder when I was, when it was getting a bit much for me and I was doing the countdown, kind relaxed myself. Cause the craziest thing would, would set me off like it was really windy was I was like,
I can’t cope with the wind now. I knew I was being, it was all in my head. I was perfectly safe in my house. I, I just, I can’t cope with it. So just having that hypnotherapy tools in the back of my head, I could be like, right, relax, you know, put on the mp3, get felt to like squeeze my shoulder and all that.
It did, it did help. Good. You obviously, like, you feel like you had a really positive experience. What were the main things that really made your birth positive? What kinda contributed to that feeling? Positive? I think for me it was being informed. Like knowing so much and knowing that it was all in my control. Yes. You I,
I could make the decision Yes I want that. No, I don’t know. And I had enough information that I knew about it as well. So it wasn’t just me going, oh no I don’t want that. It was okay, this is the pros, this is the cons. I don’t do I need to decide now or not. Yeah. Like it really,
that made a big difference to me. And I think like I, I said earlier, Phil having done the course as well and knowing what to do to support me and knowing like what I wanted and didn’t want that had a huge impact. Yeah. I think if he hadn’t done it and he’d been like running around like a headless chicken that wouldn’t have helped,
would’ve been checking him out the room gang. Quite obviously that wasn’t the case. And what advice would you give to other pregnant women when preparing for their birth? I think, well I think having birthing I would recommend to to anyone. I’ve said that to a few of my friends. I wasn’t sure or not when I signed up and now I think my birth experience would’ve been totally different if I hadn’t done the course.
I think I would’ve been a much more prone to kind of get anxious or panic if I hadn’t had all that. Even if you think like, cuz I kind of thought, oh it might be a bit like eerie fairy or, or you know know I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But it’s a difference of even just being able to be like,
okay, just relax myself. It just can’t explain how much of a difference that made. And I was always like, oh I’m just gonna go in like ignorant. Like my body will just take care of it. I don’t wanna know. I did a completely 3, 3 6, things like that. I need to know everything. Yeah. Yeah. I think like honestly like I’m biased.
Yeah. I really feel it’s important to know like as much as you can like beforehand completely understand that want to bury your head in the sand. Like I do understand it, I remember. Yeah. But oh it makes such a difference if the more you learn And even in the lead up tick, like when, you know, cuz you’re, it’s a scary thing.
You’re just like sitting there waiting for this like major thing to happen and it is scary. But being able to be like, okay, I am scared but I know you know that this could happen and I know how to relax myself and I know, you know, if I can control my breathing and if I can understand like, and listen to my body,
then I’m gonna make it easier on me. I’m gonna make it easier on the baby. It’s gonna make everything easier. I think like you enjoy your pregnancy more when you’re being more, you’re more informed and you’re learning to relax. You can enjoy your pregnancy more than just thinking, especially that last trimester as you get closer to birth. Well that’s great.
Thanks so much for sharing with us tonight. No, it’s great to hear like how he can be such a positive thing when things don’t go exactly to plan as well. And when maybe you end up with something that you didn’t want to start with but you know, you ha you accept it in a really positive And that’s like if, if you’d said to me in advance,
you’re gonna have an epidural, that would’ve sent me into, cause I was, I just really hated the idea of it. But when it was happening I was like, okay, like I can accept this. Yeah. And I can deal with this and I can make this positive. Like it’s still, you know, it’s still gonna be a gauge birth experience for me.
And that’s why I draw that line from the draw the arrow to supposed to, because it really can be and there for us if we need them, aren’t they like hours, like for free available and that’s, you know, it’s great that we have that option if we need it. Yeah. Oh, thanks so much. And you have a nice peaceful evening now.
Thank you. Thank you so much. Goodnight. Bye. Thank you so much to Suzanne again for sharing your birth story both initially and for allowing me to share it here on the podcast as well. If you have a birth story from Aberdeen or the northeast of Scotland that you’d like to share, do get in touch. You can email me, jade pregnant aberdeen.com.
Here’s a couple of points I want you to take away from this birth story. Firstly, the importance of being involved in decision making, asking all the questions you have and making empowered choices. And because this is so important, we have a podcast focusing on this coming up in the next month. So make sure you’re subscribed on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever else you listen.
Secondly, how helpful a birth partner can be when they really learn tools and techniques and they know what you want and how to support you. I always encourage partners to come along to hypno birthing classes, especially if they’re skeptical. And remember, it doesn’t have to be your husband, wife, et cetera. Your partner can be anyone you choose. Finally,
the importance of the time after birth that fourth trimester or that postnatal period. And Suzanne says there’s a huge fluctuation in hormones and it’s a lot to write that especially after you’ve had a long labor. You’re trying to learn how to breastfeed, trying to learn how to care for a baby. It’s a lot to adjust to. And that’s exactly what we’ll be covering in episode six next time where I’m joined by Victoria White,
a local birth and postnatal doula. So make sure you don’t miss that one. Thanks for listening. Head over to the show notes for this [email protected] slash episode five, where you’ll find links to additional free resources and links to my upcoming hypno birthing classes in Aberdeen, Aberdeen. Sure. And also online. Thanks again for being here with me today and do get in touch if you have any questions or need anything at all,
you can email me jade pregnant aberdeen.com and I’ll be back very soon with our next episode. I hope you have a lovely week.