Birth Story from Annie and Jared

An empowering experience for Annie knowing her strength and using the tools she learned from the She Births® course.

Hi Nadine!
I hope you are well & everyone is ok up your way after the floods.
I am currently lying in hospital unable to sleep after a big delivery on Wednesday. If there was a textbook She Birth I think we had it!

So I wanted to send you a big thank you, the course we did with you was invaluable obviously for me but I think even more so for Jared.

He tried all the techniques we learnt through the contractions, he was the most amazing doula & support person. I couldn’t have done it without that support.

Not so quick summary: I’d had a little scare with a bleed while we were on the GC for Jared’s birthday at 33 weeks & spent 8 days in hospital at GCUH. Managed to get home & baby was none the wiser.

Got Covid week 37 which I finished Tuesday.

Wed (yesterday) I had an appointment with my OB Jan Dudley & she said I was 2-3cm dilated & I should head straight to the hospital.
So I was there at 1.30 pm with mild tightenings that had been happening for about 35 hours (20-30 mins apart).
You wouldn’t believe I got on the bed for a little lie-down & your Instagram live with my Pilates studio Bodylove came on as a sat down, so I watched it for 15 means, it was such bizarre timing 😍.

At about 5:30 pm Jared watched your acupressure video on the app & did them all on me. Then the contractions ramped right up. Jared used all the techniques he had learnt at SB (my favourites being the bum press & the hand pressure point – I definitely have bruised hands!). He also coached me through the breathing, trying to steer clear of panting & relaxing my face (happy face happy vag were his words). You really need someone to remind you to do that.

Jan came in at 730pm & said I was 3-4cm dilated & she expected to see me about 6/7 am, I was so disappointed as I wasn’t sure how I could go that much longer!

So Jared did another round of acupressure, I got in the bath and it ramped up.

By 9 I was asking what my pain relief options were & they gave me some Panadeine. At about 10 I was having such heavy contractions that I said I needed an epidural & I couldn’t keep going without it (which now I realise as I am typing that I was obviously in the transition phase) the nurse got the epidural ready but she checked to see how far dilated I was, I was at 9.5 cm. It gave me so much hope that I said don’t worry, I’ll just take the gas. So sure enough a few puffs on the gas I was was ready to do that poo.

The midwife called for Jan, she arrived 10.30 pm & guided me through the pushing. The pushing didn’t even compare to the pain of the contractions in the transition phase & just prior. Pushing was easy!

So baby was born 11.04pm, no rips/tears/instruments. She said, had I had an epidural there would have needed to be forceps as the baby’s heart rate dropped. But I was able to feel the contractions & push well enough.

So I am happy to introduce to you Sienna Grace Ashdown 💗

The most amazing thing ever, thank you for playing a part in bringing her into the world 🥰

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