I’m so excited to be sharing this story. Courtney and her partner joined my Hypnobirthing Australia classes as they prepared to welcome their third baby into the world with a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean). Of course, the world decided that having twins at home and a baby on the way wasn’t enough and it threw in COVID. This is Courtney’s positive VBAC story – all in the age of COVID.
All images by Sara Bresser Birth Photographer
My birth story….
Sunday 3rd May
On Sunday 3rd May (40 weeks) at 7:00pm I went to the bathroom and noticed some brown blood when I wiped. I got excited as I realised this is what people called their ‘bloody show’ and was a sign of things getting started. Within 30 minutes my contractions had begun. They were different to the Braxton Hicks I had been experiencing throughout my pregnancy. The contractions were coming every 5-7 minutes and lasting for about 40 seconds. They were nothing that I needed to breathe through at this stage but they were painful enough that I couldn’t sleep through them. So I set up my birth space with my affirmations, fairy lights, fit ball and music.
Monday 4th May (40 + 1)
After little to no sleep overnight, I decided it was time to call my parents and ask them to take the boys as I thought this was it! Once the boys were gone, I was able to relax a little more, I put on my tens machine and moved around on my fit ball. The contractions continued to come every 5-7 minutes and lasted about 40 seconds. I decided it was time to contact my midwife Sam and birth photographer Sara and let them know what was going on. Due to Covid-19 Sara was unable to come to the hospital with us so instead took photographs of me laboring at home. After having a shower things died down and my contraction became more spaced out. I tried going for a walk to our local park to get things going again and did some curb walking. When we got home, things were still fairly mild so Sara went home and told us to call when things got going again. As the day continued, my contractions started to become stronger and I had to breathe through each one. I called Sam again and she thought it was a good idea to go in to hospital to get checked as my contractions were coming more regularly. During the phone call she let me know that tomorrow was her rostered day off and that another midwife Dani, whom I had not met before was going to be on call. As soon as I hung up the phone, I was overcome with emotion and cried at the thought of not having Sam there in an already uncertain time with many Covid-19 restrictions being in place at our hospital. Once I composed myself, we drove into the hospital to see how things were going.
The car ride to the hospital was not fun at all and sitting just made my contractions more painful, longer and closer together. Sara met us there to get some photos of us arriving at hospital and walking in. When we arrived, we went to MAFAU where I was hooked up to a fetal monitor. They could see that I was having regular contractions but not very strong. Then they did a vaginal exam and told me that I was only 1cm dilated and 80% effaced. Feeling disheartened, we went home with some Panadeine Forte to try and get some rest before the big show really began. Even after taking the painkillers, the contractions continued throughout the night. This was night number 2 with no sleep.
Tuesday 5th May (40 + 2)
Things ramped up the next morning and my contractions became too strong for me to breathe through and I began to become quite vocal. I joked about scaring all the other soon to be Mums in hospital with my loud moans and groans. Again, I called my birth photographer Sara and she came over and continued to document my labour at home. My Mum also came over as an additional support person. I used a range of Hypnobirthing techniques to get through each contraction including light touch, positive affirmations, listening to my Hypnobirthing tracks and the fit ball- swaying, bouncing and leaning over it to name a few.
Around 10am I phoned the midwife on call, Dani and updated her with how I was going. At first she said I sounded good and that I should continue to labour at home, until I had a contraction over the phone and she told me to go into hospital again as it sounded like things were happening. I was convinced this was it… active labour and was excited to meet our baby. Another excruciating car trip later and we arrived at MAFAU again for monitoring. Following another vaginal exam, the midwife revealed that I was 100% effaced but still only 1cm dilated and she could feel the babies head. I was shattered and wondered what my body had been doing this whole time and why things were so painful when nothing was happening. One of the doctors came in to see me. She walked into the room and without a “hello” or “hi, my name is…” she said, “I think you should consider having another cesarean”. I immediately became defensive, asked her why as neither our baby nor myself were showing any signs of distress, then said no, there is no reason for it. Nick later told me that I was quite rude and aggressive about it. Luckily Kate from Bright Mums Hypnobirthing had armed me with all the information and research I needed to feel confident with this decision. The doctor must have sensed my frustration and anger regarding her comment as soon after a lovely midwife came in to discuss my options. She said that she thought I should stay in overnight to be monitored, have some morphine and get some rest but Nick would have to go home. At this point I lost it and cried hysterically asking why Nick could not stay with me as he was playing an active roll in my labour. After calming down yet again, I realised that I was just absolutely exhausted and needed some rest as I was still determined to have my VBAC and needed all the energy I could get. I decided to stay in MAFAU overnight, take the morphine and try to get some rest. The midwife also suggested that my body may need some rest to get things going. Following the morphine I was able to get some light sleep (still feeling contractions regularly) for 3 hours or so before they began becoming more painful as the medication wore off.
Wednesday 6th May (40+3)
The following morning a midwife came in to give me another VE. I was so nervous that I wouldn’t have made any progress overnight but to my surprise she said I was dilated to 4cm and that it was time to go to labour ward. So they inserted my Cannula (I had consented to this before going into labour as a precaution). I was over the moon that things were progressing and called Nick to come in, we were excited and ready. As soon as we arrived into our birth suite Nick set up our birthing space with fairy lights, affirmations and my Hypnobirthing tracks.
Sam (my midwife) arrived at the labour ward. The doctors were concerned about how long I had been laboring for already and started to put the pressure on with time constraints. Sam recommended another VE to make sure we were starting at the correct dilation in order to show the amount of progress the doctors had wanted. I was absolutely shattered to find out that the junior midwife who sent me to labour ward at 4cm dilated was actually incorrect. I was only 2cm dilated. Again, the tears flowed and I started to think that my dream birth was going down the drain. By this point my contractions were excruciating and I was so tired that I was falling asleep between contractions. Soon after I asked Sam for an epidural as I just needed some rest if I had any chance of pushing this baby out! Luckily I didn’t have to wait long for the Anaesthetist to put the epidural in. There was instant relief and my tense body and mind instantly relaxed.
Image by Sara Bresser Birth Photographer
Soon after a group of doctors came in and said that they would like to see me reach 5/6 cm by the time I have my next VE in four hours. They suggested using a tiny bit of Syntocinon to help get things going and I consented. As soon as the drip started my contractions were back to back (luckily I couldn’t feel them at all) so Sam reduced the amount to the smallest dosage possible. Then I slept soundly for the next 4 hours… I was still aware of what was going on around me but was so relaxed listening to my Hypnobirthing tracks. Unfortunately Sam had worked her maximum amount of hours so had to call the relief midwife Dani in (the one who I was talking to the day before) to come and take over from her. Dani woke me up to do my next VE and as soon as I got into the right position she said, “Your baby has lots of hair!” I was a bit confused and asked her, “How many cm am I?” She said that I was fully dilated. Again, confused, I asked, “So how many cm is that?” She told me that I was ready to push and that my babies head was right there.
All the worries and challenges of the days prior just melted away in that moment and my face lit up with pure joy.
I called my Mum straight away and told her the amazing news, “I have some bad news…I’m not 5cm dilated… I’m 10!!!!” and she cried with relief and utter happiness for me. We waited for another 45 minutes to make sure our baby was ready to go. Dani told me that it usually takes a first time laboring mum 1-2 hours to push their baby out. I used everything I had learnt and practised from my Hypnobirthing classes about ‘poo pushing’. Pushing with an epidural was fantastic. I was able to talk, laugh and take it all in between pushes without any pain.
I felt my babies head come out and felt his head of hair. Soon after his shoulders followed. Dani helped me to put my hands under my baby’s arms and with one last push he was out and I pulled him up onto my chest. As soon as he was there I naturally placed my hand under my babies bottom only to feel testicles… It’s a BOY!
We had skin to skin for hours afterwards and he was able to breastfeed straight after birth. We called all of our immediate family who weren’t able to be there due to Covid restrictions and showed off our new perfect little boy.
Congratulations Courtney & Nick!
Kate Vivian is a self-professed pregnancy and birth geek who is finally learning to embrace the chaos of having 3 kids. It was the birth and ‘bringing baby home’ experience of her first baby, and the overwhelming guilt that went with it, that led her to start Bright Mums – and create a world where Mums matter.
A Certified Hypnobirthing Australia Practitioner, childbirth educator and postpartum doula, Kate works with Mums-to-be not only supporting them through pregnancy, and birth but also teaching them to honour themselves at a time when the world is telling them their baby is the most important thing.
With almost 2 decades in adult education, Kate has the ability to create a safe space, a non-judgey space. A place where Mums can relax and feel supported regardless of what their journey looks like.
A keen traveller in a former (pre-kids) life, Kate dreams of the day her kids are big enough to take skiing and they can completely show her up while she is busy falling down mountains.
Click here to find out more about Kate and how she can help you approach your birth with confidence.