This was like part of my vision that I
was like, I hope this gets to happen is
with the waterbeds and the position that
I was giving birth in, I was going to be
able to catch my baby maybe. And so at
the moment where he was like his
shoulders through, he's coming out. My
midwife was like, catch your baby. So I
like reached down and I pulled him up. In
front of me and I'm kid you not like
makes me want to cry. This was almost
seven years.
This is the kind of video that I
searched for and longed for in my first
pregnancy that honestly helped me feel so
much more prepared heading into birth.
And so I'm so excited to share with
you my first birth story with my little
son, Max and. Share a positive example
of what it looks like when you
actually feel really empowered to going
into labor and how the principles of
Hypnobirthing supported me in all the
different stages of Labor and why I
recommend it now to like everyone who
is open to you. The idea
and interested in the idea of
hypnobirthing. And like I
said, this is something I love to
take in in my first pregnancy. I
love to hear examples of woman's positive
birth stories. Not to kind of put
down or shy away from those who
had negative stories, but I feel like
growing up I'd only mostly had.
Negative stories about birth. I'd mostly
only heard things about Beth that
was fearful or said it was
like extremely painful and just I
didn't really have positive narratives
around it and in turn that
meant I didn't have that many
positive. Helpful beliefs about birth.
And I certainly didn't have many
positive beliefs about my own
capabilities to give birth. And that's
where other women's birth stories, the
positive ones, the ones that were
calm, felt empowering. They just gave
me so much. Hope and
they completely just opened my eyes,
opened my mind to the possibility,
opened my heart to the possibility
that ohh, my gosh, positive birth
experiences are actually possible. And I
have proof because all these women
have had incredible birth experiences.
Than if it's possible for them, why not
me? And what really helped me see that
it was possible for me was I started
to learn how they prepared for Beth. I
started to just pay attention to the
helpful beliefs they had, the helpful
minds that they had, and most
importantly, the steps that they took. To
be able to achieve that themselves. And
then from those examples, I gathered the
best bits of evidence or the things that
stuck out to me the most and did
them in my own life. So I want
to share with you here my incredible
birth experience. It was a water birth in
the hospital and I'll share with you. The
whole labor story in hopes that it
inspires something within you so that you
walk away from this video thinking, yeah,
I could do, I could do that too. And
whether it's the exact same best plan,
whether you would love to have a water
bed as well, whether you would love to
have a hospital bed as well or not, you
know, you can apply. And take from my
lessons and hopefully it'll help you
shape your own journey and justice, give
you that extra bit of evidence, that
extra bit of proof that it is
totally possible for you as well. All
right, I'm going to back up and
this is actually six years ago now
and. Still remember it so clearly. I've
little photographs, photographic images
in my mind of like different stages
of my labor. And I'm going to
share with you the key milestones today
and how it all unfolded.
So I was 11. I was 12
days actually. OK, I was 11 days
overdue past my due date with my
son, Max when I first went into
labor. I was 12 days overdue when
I actually had him. So we're going
to focus, we're going to start on
the 11th day past. My due date.
And if you were a mum who was
that far beyond your due date, you
already know. Due dates are just an
estimate that you know. Most first time
babies are born after their due date. So
I need to expect that I'm like, OK,
I'm like definitely giving space for at
least a few extra days. Like I didn't
have like a hard deadline and you're out
type of thing. Quite the opposite
actually. I really wanted me and my baby
to like sync up and send my baby to
be born on his own, hopefully without
induction, especially because I knew that
my preference was to have a water birth
in the hospital and I didn't want.
Induction to like speed up labor and
to speed up contractions and the strength
of them. I wanted that to all
happen naturally and for my labour to
unfold. Just
without medical intervention, right? So
yes, so my midwives and I would
just keeping tabs on the baby. I
went in for an ultrasound a week
after my due date. Fluid levels were
still really good and things were good.
He was just cozy. And then to
be honest, and I had a couple
of stretching. Sweeps to try and get
labor started. I think about 8 days, 8
or 9 days past my due date. The
second day that I had to stretch and
sweep was the morning of the 11th day
after my due date. And then that
afternoon labor kick started. So it did
take a little bit of health. But
it wasn't like a full on induction, you
know?So it was really
interesting actually. I don't know if I
was like in denial, but I wasn't certain
that I was in labor because obviously
with the timing, I could be in labor
being that both passed my due date. But
I'd had Braxton Hicks pretty consistently
and early contractions for me felt very
similar to that. and some had kind
of started and then slowed down like a
couple of days before and the day before.
So I was just like, umm, not certain that
it was really big yet, but I definitely
knew like my body like was moving in that
direction. So it was the afternoon 11
days post due date and I started to feel
like. More regular Brexit Hicks and they
started to feel, I don't know, there was
just something the energy about them felt
like a bit more legit, but not painful,
OK. And you know how Braxton Hicks, most
of the time they're not painful, At least
that was my experience. Not painful. So
it's just the tightening of the uterus.
So I just felt that I'm like, OK,
interesting. And then it was. Dropping,
you know, fairly regularly, I would say
every like 7 to 10 minutes at the
beginning. So, you know, fairly spaced
out, but a regular enough pattern that I
was like, OK, this could be it. Like
if this sticks and if this is progress
progressing, this is obviously labor. So
I'm just at home. My husband was at
work. Chilling in my living room
and this stage was actually really,
really fun for me. And I'll go into this
in another video for you, but I was so
excited to go into labor and honestly, it
was because of the birth prep that I did
and because of hypnobirthing. I was just
so excited to have the experience of
birth. And I just felt so good, so
confident going in, even though it was my
first time. So there's some unknowns. But
I felt, I felt genuinely excited. I'm
like, yeah, like I've been, I've been
waiting for this and. Ohh yeah.
I was having fun in early
labor because I was just practicing
my breathing and my visualization
techniques during each contraction and it
just felt like pressure and tightening
and so I breathed through those.
I would do my hypnobirthing. For
us. And then in between, I just felt
totally normal. OK, so that's the cool
thing about labor between contractions,
you just feel totally normal. And I just
love that design because we do get this
little break. It's not non-stop labor the
entire time you're in labor. And yeah, it
started really gently and lovely.
I remember texting my husband and I was
like I think I might be in labor. Not
sure, we'll see. Clearly didn't portray
any type of panic because on his way home
from work he stopped at his friend's
house to get a PS4. Don't remember why,
Don't remember why he would needed this
PS4 at this stage of Labor. Belabor
it all he did and obviously, but um,
clearly felt pretty chill and then he
also picked us up some take out for
dinner. So gets home, we eat. I am on
my birth bowl in my living room. So you
know, there's like big yoga bowls. I love
that in the lead up to lava just to
especially to get my baby. Into position
because he was flipped not not breach,
but flipped like Sunnyside out in the
weeks leading up and I had I did a
whole thing. I'll make a whole other
video on this at some point around
flipping him spinning babies is a good a
good resource for this. But yeah, I was
on my best ball during labor. Really
enjoyed that. And I remember as the
evening went on, they were points where I
would get a contraction and then I'd just
be like, OK, we're not going to talk
during contractions because I'm also one
of those people. If I stubbed my toe, if
I like hit myself in any way, I cannot
speak like to someones like ohh, what's
wrong? Are you OK? I'm like. Don't speak
to me like I cannot speak if I'm
feeling any sensation of pain. So yes,
during this labor, I wasn't experiencing
pain yet, but definitely more intensity I
would say at this particular stage. But I
just wanted to stay on top of things.
I wanted to stay feeling like calm and.
Grounded so anytime a contraction would
come, I would just like to put up
my hand and my husband knew, no, we're
not chatting in that time. And I would
do my head, no breathing, breathe for
that contraction and then carry on.
Little side note, I felt like such a
superhero in this stage of Labor. I was
just like, I'm rocking labour. It's not
even hurting. Like all of this work has
paid off. I just felt like I had a
game plan for every contraction and I was
just in like, like cozy, calm environment
at home, which I also loved. And that was
part of my best plan as well was to
labor at home. As long as as
long as possible, as long as I
comfortably felt like good about laboring
at home. That was very intentional by
design. I know when our minds and
our bodies are in our hospital setting,
for many of us it can trigger
an adrenaline response because of all the
subconscious. Programming we have around
hospitals and it being associated with
them, urgencies or sickness or illness or
all of that stuff. And just being in
a public place with like a busy
environment and like a bustling
environment, right? It can trigger us to
have more adrenaline. And I wanted my
amazing natural birth hormones to just be
like. Optimal to be thriving. I didn't
want to spike my adrenaline. I wanted my
nervous system to stay really calm,
really safe feeling because I knew that
would be highly supportive to me in labor
for a few different reasons. One of them
is I would feel more relaxed. Another one
is I would feel less pain. And
that was a huge one for me. And
another thing is it would help the
progression of my labor for me to stay
in that calm state and for my body
to be progressing at a relaxed pace. OK,
sometimes, not always the host. I was
reading different stories and different
research about the hospitals. Slowing
things down sometimes or you know you are
speeding up during labor and then you get
to the hospital and your adrenaline
spikes that interferes with your birth
hormones and then it slows things down.
Another reason I wanted to delay going to
the hospital for as long as possible. And
again, some cases, not every case, but
that just like felt felt right to me.
The other reason that I wanted to
um. Birth at home for
as long as possible was I knew if I
was in the hospital and I was feeling
contractions and they were getting
intense, it would be way easier for me to
ask for the epidural. And I wanted to
give myself the best possible chance of
giving the like without medication. And
so I knew laboring at home. Along it
would also really benefit me in that way.
So yeah, so I was settled in like ready
to just be like, OK, let's see how things
go. Stay at home for as long as I
felt necessary and then go to the
hospital when my contractions were like,
you know, you know, the three through
three rule or whatever when they were
close together. More intense and lasting
for longer periods of time. And um, yeah,
so settled in and then at this stage
I would say it was around 10/10/30 at
night. And I'm like, OK, I'm definitely
in labor. Like this isn't, this isn't
just wrapping things that have gone on
for a few hours? Like I'm definitely in
labor. And I remember, like, calling my
midwife from being like, hey, just so you
know, I'm in labor, this is like
happening and be on the lookout for my
phone calls kind of thing. So yeah, so
my midwife was like, great. Like, settle
in, like best, best always take a while,
like, try and, you know, just chill. For
the night kind of thing. So
I'm like all right, but I also know
hypnobirthing bus can be more efficient
and speed up faster than non
hypnobirthing bus. And I also know that
you can sound more calm through
contractions because you legitly are more
calm during contractions which sometimes
can make it harder for midwives
especially if they're not. To working
with hypnobirthing moms to actually be
able to tell how far along you are based
on your breath, which is when a lot of
how a lot of midwives tell over the phone
if you're like edgerly needing to go in
or if you still have some time. So just
through in that caveat, but I always had
that in the back of my mind as well.
So things definitely started to ramp
up and I remember around midnight
things really started to ramp up
and for the first time I
felt less like a superhero and
I felt less in control and
the intensity, I actually felt pain.
Around that that point and I was like,
whoa, these contractions are really
intense. It just felt like things were
speeding up real fast. I called my
midwife back. I'm like, OK, things,
things are like this is way more intense.
She listened to me breathe through a
contraction. She's like, you're a first
time mom, like you have still got. Like
well into tomorrow, like take a Tylenol
or something and take a shower and just
go to bed kind of things. She's like the
shower could soothe you. So I was like,
oh, like you're not sure about this. I
don't even remember if I took the Tylenol
because I'm like, I don't want to
interrupt anything my body is doing. I
may have like ignored. Advice. But I got
into the shower and things were super
intense and I was like is she crazy? Like
there is no way I'm going to be able to
sleep through this. Like there is no way
she's like sleep between contractions.
I'm like what? Like there is no sleeping
that is going to happen but I would like
try my best. So I went back to bed tried
to sleep there. No way. There is no
way that I like could sleep and it
was really intense. OK, and I'm not
saying that to freak you out. Honestly,
the cool thing about all the best stories
I heard and is there, they're so
different and there are people who
genuinely have births that are not only
pain free. But like blissful and feel
good. Like if you've googled it, they're
orgasmic. But it's like there is a whole
range. So don't let my experience, you
know, mean evidence of how you will feel
in your labor. To
skip forward to my second birth, little
spoiler, and I'll link to my podcast
episode below. On this one, my second
birth, I didn't have like that same level
of pain by any means. It was so cool.
But yeah, that was just my experience at
that particular stage of Labor. So I
called my midwife back. I'm like, I'm not
sleeping like things. That's so intense.
And I wasn't going by the textbook, so
my contractions were still quite a few
minutes apart, like between 5:00 and 9:00
minutes, but they were lasting a long
time and they were super intense. So
she's like, you know, while I'm at the
hospital for another birth, like come in,
I'll check you out. Yeah, so my husband
and I grabbed my hospital bag, go to the
car and drive to the hospital and on the
way I started getting like the edge to
push. I was like ohh my gosh, like things
are going fast. There was no one around.
We were on like the quietest Rd. but
there was a traffic light in the middle
of nowhere. It was literally known
around. I don't know why it turned red. I
said to my husband and I'm like, just
drive through the red light. Like let's
suffer the consequences. It's like the
police pull us out, but we could clearly
see there was zero guys around. So we
went through the red light, got to the
hospital, rushed in my hospital bag,
stayed in the car, which is. Hilarious
because I spent so long pinteresting all
of the perfect hospital bag lists. I had
so many things in there, so many extra
things that felt like luxuries. I had
like to the point where I had like
little crystals and essential oils. I'm
like, I'm just going to have like a
vibe space in the hospital. All of this
stayed in the car because things weren't
going so quickly. So I get
into the hospital. My midwife had started
filling up the bath. These birthing tubs
are huge so it was like just filling
up. I think there was like this much
water when I I'm like I just want
to get it right into the tub if
lying down didn't feel like my jam Plus
I really wanted. To Beth in a position
where gravity would work in my favor,
where gravity was working with me, for me
and my baby and just helping us along.
The water was like so warm and so
soothing. It just felt like so right to
be in there. The lights in the hospital
room were really dim. And it was
just my midwife who I known for
like the nine months before and another
backup midwife as well. And it was,
it was my husband and I and
it was just such a calm, lovely
environment. So I get there, my midwife
checks me and she's like, ohh. My
gosh, am I because I was ohh. So we
get there, like I said, it was so intense
that I was just like, I was like, I
want an epidural. Like I really want an
epidural. Can I have an epidural? She
checks me. She's like Emma, you are 8
centimeters. Like she didn't say you were
not getting an epidural, but. They left
me in the eyes and this is what
having a support system around you who
know you, who know your birth preferences
and I knew my birth preferences. But this
is where having someone just remind you
of your power in the moment that you
forget it is so, so helpful and exactly
what I needed in that particular.
And I'm so happy that I could descend of
like, no, I'm going to push for what I
want or I'm going to let you talk me back
into my power right now. There's like a
little discernment that happened in that
moment where she just looked me dead in
the eyes. And she's like, Emma, you
wanted to have a multiplier. Let's like
you wanted to have. Water there and that
clicked something in me to just remind
myself I'm like I can do it.
Like I wanted to have a water
birth, I'm going to have a water
birth. And it was a bit unspoken
but I just felt like the epidural
was like a non option. Anymore so
I needed to get back on board with my
water birth plan so yeah something like a
fire just rose up in me and I'm like
gave myself a little pep talk like I can
do this I was meant for this and the
other super helpful thing to remember
that I remembered that maybe will help
you in your labor the moment you. Think
you can't do it? In so many cases,
and there is evidence around this and so
many stories around this, The moment
you're like asking for the epidural, The
moment you're like, I cannot go on. The
moment you think you can't do it, chances
are you're in the transition phase. And
that's around 7:00-ish centimeters. Plus
minus, it's in that stage of Labor where
you go from your uterus like opening and
your cervix opening and contracting and
making space for the baby to go down to
actually pushing. It's that in between
uncomfortable stage from one stage of
Labor to the other. And it's the stage
where people think they can't do it. And
even though I was like. And such, this
intense spot in my life, that little
logical fact popped in at the exact right
moment. I'm like, Oh my God. The reason
I'm asking for the epidural is because
I'm in the transition phase and I know
once I get past this stage, I'll be
in the pushing stage. And that is when
other women have. Bad. They feel like
they can do it again. Then moving towards
something. They have the Commission, they
have a purpose, their brain shifts focus
and also their pain shifts. And I just
remember trusting those other women's
experiences and being like, that's what's
happening with me right now and I just
felt that. So I'm like, OK, I'm in
the transition phase. That means soon
I'll know that I'm going to be able to do
it again. And that little pep talk from
my midwife, that little look in the eyes
of like spoke that power back into me was
just everything I needed to keep going.
So what was cool, I got into the tub and
I was like, OK, no epidural. I was like,
but I would like laughing gas. And so
they, I think it took maybe 1520 minutes
for them to get that to me. But
what I found is I breathed that in
between or during either during the
contractions or between them forgetting I
think during and it helped me breathe
again during the contractions because
like I said, I kind of lost my.
Um. My ability to really
intentionally do my hypnobirthing breath
in that particular stage of Labor and the
laughing gas helped me get it back. So
that was really cool. It was really
supportive. I don't remember necessarily
it or I wouldn't say that it took
it. It didn't take away the pain, but
it. Pain did shift like the pain no
longer bothered me and what was so cool
about doing this naturally is I could
feel like when my baby was at, I
could feel how close he was and I
really felt like we were in tandem during
this labor. And a little side note
because I think it's just. So
beautiful is that I felt so connected to
my baby in this labor. I felt like
we were working as a team. I felt
like he was safe. I just had this
overwhelming feeling and in that
particular stage, it was so cool. I was
on all fours because I was one of
the best. Physicians I remember hearing
about that was really supportive and it
felt good to me to be in that,
in that position in the tub. And I
pushed for about 20 minutes, not very
long, especially for a first time labor
and within an hour of being at the
hospital. So I got to the hospital around
3:00 AM. About 4:07 AM, he was
born and it was incredible. And I
remember hearing things like the Ring of
Fire and stuff and how it's like so
intense. But for me it just felt so
productive. It felt again, not the pain
wasn't my focus. I was like, I am
like giving birth right now. Like that
was my focus and one of the things
that surprised me, I was like, I made
a lot of noise in labor and I
was like, this is interesting. Just
personal growth moment for me because I'm
not someone who likes a lot of attention
on me or is like a loud person.
In labor, I was loud enough. Like, that's
really interesting. I remember having at
one point being like, Oh my God, I hope
the women in the next room don't hear me
because, you know, I might freak them
out. That labor is like so intense. But I
was like, I wasn't making noise because I
was in so much pain. I was making noise
because there was so much power happening
within me. And I just like didn't have a
choice. It was, it was really
interesting. But yeah, one of the things
that I absolutely loved that happened,
this was like part of my vision that I
was like, I hope this gets to happen is
with the waterbeds and the position that
I was giving birth in, I was going to be
able to catch my baby maybe. And so
at the moment where he was like his
shoulders through, he's coming out. My
midwife was like, catch your baby. So I
like reached down and I pulled him up in
front of me and I'm kid you not like
makes me want to cry. This was almost
seven years ago, seven years ago next
month that this happened. 4:07 AM. And
I will always remember it. It's like
the most powerful moment of my whole
life. I picked up that baby and
he had like these big dark eyes
and he just locked eyes with me.
And it honestly felt like time stood
still. It was incredible. It was. Wild.
It felt like everything around us
quieted, stopped for us to have that
moment. It was such a powerful
connection. And it's like wow, wow. Like
this little baby just went through so
much and he's so Alec and he's
just staring right into my soul and
I just like. Love you, you
know, So, yeah. So then I
like, held him, held him close.
And then we, like, got out
of the tub.
I needed stitches actually, which thank
goodness I had a water bed because
otherwise I feel like I would have torn
more because I know water birds can
reduce tearing. And so I was getting
stitched up and actually my husband did
skin to skin then with Max, which was
a really lovely like bonding for them.
And then I had him back
on me again before we went,
um. But yeah, that was our fifth
story. And because I was with the
midwives, I'm in Ontario, Canada.
And because I had midwife care at home
and they were on speed dial with me kind
of thing, I could leave. I had a non
complicated bed. I could leave after
three hours of being in the hospital. And
that might sound really early to some and
it would have sounded early to me, but it
was 7:00 in the morning and I was just
like, ah. My comfy king size bed is
calling my name and spontaneously we
messaged the grandparents you know
obviously to announce the birth and they
met us at our house. This part was
not planned I would have planned to just
it be us and like our families drop
in for like half an hour but it.
Felt so lovely to be like, can you come
cuddle this new baby? Jeff and I are
going to have a nap. So that's what we
did build. The grandparents were in our
living room cuddling the baby. We had a
nap and then had a little visit. They
left and then we had our new baby. But
yeah, that was my my birth experience.
Again, I felt so confident and excited
going in. I don't think we have
to be fearful around this. I felt
so empowered during labor. My labor was
only 14 hours long. From very early
Brexit and Hixie contractions to him
being in my arms. It was a
fast labor for. Best time, best standards
and I do think a lot of it was
how I prepared my mind physically as
well. And and I was also very much helped
by how I felt during labor. You know, I
was able to stay calm for almost my whole
labour and the parts where I went, that's
where it was incredible to have support.
Around me and my husband was I told
you about my midwife and how she just
spoke to me in that exact right moment.
But my husband was like my rock, my
calm during labor as well, especially the
transition stage. And later he sat in
front of me. Just
outside the tub and like held my
hand and just like spoke so
encouragingly. So just like the perfect
amount of speaking, you know, like just,
he was so supportive and so lovely
and just, I just felt so like
in it with him.
It was huge for like the last hour
of Labor when I was at the hospital
because I was at the hospital for about
an hour. So yeah, having young people
around and then in hindsight, just the
way that I prepared truly helped me not
just to feel excited and confident going
into labor, but also just. Help me feel
more calm, more in control, more
centered, grounded in the actual
contractions. And again, just those
facts, you know, that little educational
fact of like, you know, most people,
most women in this stage feel like
this. And you can get past this,
like just hearing other women's stories.
Experiences and feeling educated and
prepared going in really worked in
my favor favor in labor to
genuinely feel like confident in it
and making the best decisions for
me and my baby on the
go in it. So I hope
my best story. Helped you. I
hope you feel more inspired, more capable
about your own vetting abilities, whether
this is your first time baby or
not. Again, this was seven years ago
almost for me. Now I since had
another incredible birth and I have
actually become a coach from mums. Over
the last four years coaching months to
help you prepare your minds and your
nervous system to feel calm and in
control in the lead up to and during
labor as well. So this method of how
I prepared has helped other women too. So
I hope this helps you. I will link
a couple of other. Videos for you to
go deeper, one of them will be the
exact steps that I took to prepare for
labor that helped me feel so good during
labor. And then the other thing I'll link
for you is my birth course called My
Lighter Birth, and that actually helps
you apply those steps. Those
hypnobirthing steps, the mindset pieces
so that you go into labor feeling so
good, so empowered, so confident, because
you can actually do it. You can do
it. So yeah, that is it for this
video. I cannot wait to see you in
the next one. Thank you so much for
being here with me. Let me know. In
the comments, what your favorite take
away was like, what spoke to you about
your own confidence and your ability to
be able to do this now? And I'll see you
in the next episode.
