Aadvik’s Birth Story:
We are Prabhu and Sharu from Coimbatore, blessed with caring daughter at Coimbatore who is 2.5years old. My daughter was born via a C-section at local institution. My next child, was an unexpected pregnancy, which we planned to continue and deliver the baby safely.
In January, one midnight I had a strange dream regarding my delivery. Of course, it was a bad dream, I woke Prabhu up – and we discussed about the possibility of going through a C-section a second time – which was somewhat scary. I started to search and read about about vbac delivery. One day, we got the Birthvillage link and started going through the Facebook page fully. Soon after reading Prabhu was the one who decided that my second birth should be at Birthvillage at any cost. He just did not want another knife or a scar on my body. I felt very blessed that moment.
The next day we mailed all our reports to BV and got a Skype appointment. The first appointment through Skype was really awesome because we had never had an long one hour appointment anywhere else. Our midwife’s guidance and counseling through Skype was really live and opened our minds, and left us without any doubts on vbac. Immediately after this, we were ready to plan a visit to BV and stay at Cochin for a nice vacation delivery. Before we departed, we had a discussion with our family members. As soon as we spoke the first green signal came from my mother-in-law – she really motivated me by sharing all the ancient granny home birth methods and she shared her delivery and how Prabhu was born naturally. Form her, I got an extra positive mind for my vbac. My parents were also very supportive for vbac at BV.
On March 1st, when I was 35 weeks we visited BV for a personal appointment and settled down nearby at a peaceful home with a good blessed house owner. The first personal appointment made us so refreshed with the care and positivity and the beautiful smiles we got from our team, while they were talking to us and to our baby inside. They would always start with “hello baby let me see how are you ” it made us feel so wonderful that they loved and cared for our baby. That moment I felt like me and my baby were in safe hands. Prabhu and I attended the lamaze couple class the same week, which was new to us. It’s gave us information about child birth education, infant care, breastfeeding & nutrition which all the couples should know before they plan a pregnancy. It’s definitely necessary for both husband and wife to be educated.
Our child birth class, nutrition, infant care and breastfeeding class made us mentally fit for a healthy pregnancy. Next it was the workout classes on alternate days guided by Donna. We were stunned to see the active momma workout class which is a combination of Zumba,yoga & meditation. I attended all the classes with my daughter Ananya and Prabhu. The first day, I thought – can ‘we dance with a baby inside…?’ But the next day I felt the baby is active and healthy only if I am active so I kickstart from the next class with my motivating daughter. She too was welcomed to class and she was doing all the workouts with us and cheering up everybody. The rest of the days we planned to go around Cochin and enjoy our vacation instead of calculating due dates and weeks. We almost roamed everywhere each day Lulu mall, Fort Kochi beach, Narakkal aqua tourism, Palaikari matsyafed aqua tourism, hottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple,movies with new momma friends,etc. In the meanwhile I got time to have good nutritious foods and salads which I missed during the first and second trimester.We are staying with our parents too so me and Prabhu wanted them also to be busy roaming around so that they were not always focused on the delivery. Usually we are brought up like that in society by asking pregnancy due dates and expecting a baby before the dates or on the date. But here it’s totally different where we came to know that the due date can be for several weeks after the baby is full term, and that the baby will know when to push out and the body responds naturally.
The days went by with some pelvic bone pains and tailbone pain. Then when I reached 39 weeks the contractions started step by step where I got to experience all the contractions of natural delivery, which I missed in my first delivery. It was all new for the body so it was taking good time. Soon after reaching 40 weeks we were constantly getting questions from parents and relatives which was annoying at the last moment, and successfully avoided many conversations and calls, staying focused on our baby’s journey. I started to spend time with my new momma friends at BV. The baby’s head was engaged at 37 weeks but then I had to wait for my cervix to respond. All through this time, the midwives patience and motivation helped me to wait until the final contraction.
My hospital due date was March 31st/ April first week like that. But according to the scan it was April 17th. I reminded myself that there is no due dates for me when I crossed April 17th also. I was on 41 weeks now. On April 19th I started to get tightening contractions with lower abdomen pain with discharge.The next day I started getting active labour pain that came for five mins lasting 30secs, 60secs… At midnight I called my midwife, and was asked to come in to the centre. When I reached BV, my midwife was there, she welcomed me with a smile and I was so cared for…it was such a loving experience throughout that night with my midwives. When I reached there, I was not dilated enough, since it was still early labor pains, and it could take some time. But they let me stay on because they understood that I would be comfortable that night only at BV. The next morning I was sent back home, and I just kept on saying to my baby… ‘fine I will wait… wait for this step by step, baby…’ In between Prabhu was yet to return from his work so I thought, ‘ baby and my body is just waiting for Daddy to come.’
Special part of the story:
The final day came on April 22nd 12.30 a.m. when I started having strong contractions for a long time and the water broke in a gush soon after. As soon as I called my midwife she was calm and said just wait for two more strong contractions or a bloody discharge. Prabhu was also so chilled and continued his sleep. I panicked for about five minutes, then I too calmed down. Again, I felt strong contractions and called my midwife, who understood that I had started to panic so she asked me to come. After reaching there I continued to have contractions 5 minutes apart, which midwives and Prabhu awake the whole night. They were still just so polite and patient, always with a smile…making sure I slsept inn between and rested. In the morning Prabhu was sent home for a break and I was given tea, and I was told to do a 35 minutes warm up with walking and climbing stairs, two at a time. I could hear the words of encouragement and Donna’s voice from the workout class in my mind while I was doing this – saying ‘Yeah, Yeah! And all of the instructions she used to give during the workout’ One thing I have to say about BV is that I was given full freedom all around the centre to birth wherever I was comfortable. I was using the whole birth rooms and toilets everywhere around. In the aftrenoon I started to have strong contractions and was really boosted up by with fresh juice, water and chocolates. Except for me, all the other faces surrounding me were smiling and happy. My midwives kept reminding me to ‘go with the pain, go with the feeling,come on Sharu where is your attitude, hold on your breath…breathe through the stomach….’ Even as I write this, I can hear their voices in my ears. The special thing to say about my love is that actually he is cannot stand the sight of blood, but I don’t know how he managed to stay so cool… he was motivating me with all through. He was just bearing all my weight and pressure, it was totally a team effort. Without him I don’t know whether I would have done it. I moving as my body was telling me – walking squatting, doing high marches, hanging on the rope, using the toilet seat, birth ball, water pool, bed, hanging on Prabhu… it was like a military birth. My mind was just saying ‘I don’t want to give up… come on baby I have to push you out safely to your daddy hands.’
Finally, just as I had heard in all the workouts – that I would have to do the work 100% during labor, that no one else could do it for me – it was absolutely true. My baby boy’s head came out finally, in a side lounge position and the rest of his body was in a marathon lizard position. He was born at my hands below with tears and love in my eyes…with my mind thinking – ‘So you’re the one who made us wait so long beautiful boy…’
🙂 More than God, I should thank my goddess midwives, and my other half, my love Prabhu for making this happen.
My special request to all other couples reading this is:
Natural Birthing is somewhat beyond what we think. It’s totally a team effort. Also it’s not about momma to give birth, it’s about daddy birthing also. It’s all about healthy momma and healthy Birthing. The more we are active the final result will be active and healthy.