I want to start of my success birth story with BIG THANKS to all the midwives at BV and to my sweet sister & hubby for their support and encouragement.
My first child- a daughter who was born at 37 weeks by c-section in june 2013 due to advice from my OB. She later developed pneumonia and we lost her on April 30th, 2015.
When we started analyzing what went wrong we came to a conclusion a baby born before 37th weeks has less immunity and prone to breathing issues but none of the Careproviders agreed with our statement and we became vexed with corporate hospitals. So we stopped talking about our Daughter as no one agreed with our thoughts and people were quick to blame me as the mother. We never thought we would get pregnancy again due to other medical issues but we began ayurvedic treatments and in 3 months I was pregnant.
This time we didn’t want to take a chance and began thinking of going for a vaginal normal delivery. We choose one the best hospitals in Bangalore.
Initially, the Dr was very supportive and always told us a normal delivery would be possible. At 34 week we went for a checkup where I felt the dr had changed her mind and said a CS would be better.
I couldn’t sleep whole night as negative memories of delivering a baby in a hospital with C-section came back. I really wanted to have a VBAC but did not know what do to at this point as everyone seemed against it.
Next day I was watching a move JUNIOR where a hero goes to a midwife’s place for delivering. All the stories of midwives that I heard in my childhood begin to roll around in my brain. I started searching the net for a home birth. I found birth Village and I immediately contacted them through the mail. The responses came back very quick and very encouraging.
We planned a Skype call with the midwife and she was the first person in the world who agreed with our views on C-section, and was positive about us having a VBAC. We both were convinced and excited and we packed our bags and headed in my 35th week to Cochin to Birth Village and midwives.
We attended all the Lamaze classes where so many of our doubts & myths we had heard vanished from our minds. Lazar home stay(where we stayed at Cochin) owners jaicy and joy were very supportive also and became my extended family .A New place, new weather and whole new outlook on pregnancy and birth all at 35 weeks but within one month we knew we were in the right place and felt confident of our choice to have our baby here. We loved this place, we loved the intense 3 time weekly work out classes, long walks on the Ft kochi Beach and long conversations with the midwives which relaxed my Mind. I knew this was the place to give natural birth. Every night before going to bed, I used to recollect the sentence in the book and poster in BV from Ina Mays Books “My Cervix will open and I will deliver my baby” “I Am unafraid “poster, and every class we said “I Am the most important person to my baby.”
After workout class and at every prenatal we asked lot of questions to the midwives and with their patient and lovely smiles they would clear them up. My main doubt was will I know a contraction when it happens? be what is contractions? Will I feel it ? My midwives assured me I would.
May 15th was my due date, it passed away but nothing happened and a lot of questions were rolling in the brain. Emotionally it was a roller coaster for me as the monsoons hit kerala and my daughter had left me during a similar season many years back .In every appt I expressed my thoughts, and they listened patiently and gave good suggestions and so I relaxed and leanerd to wait.They talked about how much we were still connected and that she (my first born)would always love me from afar and would always be near me . There are no words to express the closeness that I felt to my midwives as it was the first time some one was helping me to process my thoughts .
On 19th went to Vallarpadam church (which is again quite popular for pregnant women to go to and sweep the entire yard I did the same where I felt very peaceful.
On 21st went to Lulu Mall in the evening, completed 100 steps in the mall. At Night infrequent contractions started and since sister & hubby were tired I didn’t disturb them.
For every contraction, I remembered what I learned in the classes—rest and walk, rest and walk—keeping a good balance in early labor. I Couldn’t sleep the whole night.
On 22nd Monday evening we headed to the Beach, where we timed 5 min 60 sec apart contractions but after coming to home it was 6min 60 sec contractions.
At 10:05 my legs started to shiver and I was not comfortable and began vomiting also. So We called BV and told them contractions were 5 to 6 min apart and very strong. She told us to come in and we can assess.
We reached BV at 10:50 and the midwife welcomed us. She checked and said I was 10 cm dilated and even she couldn’t believe I was completely dilated and I couldn’t believe it either.We had thought we would come to be assessed and then go home so we did not bring my bags. hubby had to hurry back to Ft kochi to get my bags at this point!!!! It was happening fast!!
I was still vomiting a lot and was hard to keep food and drink down. Finally I got into water tub- which felt so relaxing and I started to sleep. I finally got out as I was too relaxed and contractions spaced way out. I changed my positions many times—Marching, walking, squatting, stairs and on the bed, on potty seat and waiting to feel the urge to push.
Finallly the urge came and with every push, I felt like taking some rest and sleep & my energy was draining, but Priyanka was so loud & clear ” SRAVANTHI PUSH, YOU CAN DO IT” My sister and my hubby and my midwives were encouraging and supporting me 100%.
At one point I felt I was done and the fearful thoughts of a C-section came back but then the midwives words and Hugs and positive made me fight back.
My warrior birthing goddess intuition began to tell me to push and I determined that” I WILL DELIVER MY BABY !!! (those women in exercise class will know what power this has)
I did lunges on the side of the bed and I could feel that baby head was almost near out but I was running out of energy and unable to keep any food down.
I began squatting with the Rope with hubby supporting me from the back and then into hands and knee and at 4:09 Finally my son was born and I grabbed by baby from the midwives and held on with joy and happiness.
And fell into complete bliss
I must add that along with my husband my sister who has never had a baby was also part of my birth and it has been the most amazing experience for her as well.
Bv Notes:
Women come to BV in all manner of circumstances and reasons for wanting a natural birth surrounded by love and midwives and family. First we were impressed by her sister who because she had attended every workout class knew the right things to say and do to help her sister birth her baby; secondly we were impressed by a hubby who stood with his wife in her desire to birth with him in the room and naturally. He was her rock and we watched with awe. Thirdly we felt the strength this woman had to decide to birth naturally her 2nd child after losing her first born in spite of community, society and family negative judgements on her choices as a parent. We rarely see this kind of commitment and applaud her finding her path and staying on it. We hope other women will take hear that even thru a tough journey, good can come from it if we just support and love each other.