Empowering birth of baby Alessio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNXrzLeDczE&feature=youtu.be

I attended the She Births course on the 18th Jan this year with Radha, I was 24 weeks pregnant at the time. My husband and I both enjoyed the course and were inspired to implement as many tools as possible.

I exercised throughout my pregnancy, saw a women’s health physio and ate healthy with lots of greens from our garden, beans, protein and whole grains.
When I was 34 weeks pregnant I cut out wheat and limited refined sugar. Then I started taking raspberry leaf tablets as directed by my OB. I ate between 60-80g of dates per day and drank plenty of coconut water. I would go for daily walks right up until 39 weeks and my sister made the eggplant parmigiana before I went into early labour. I purchased the epi-no and began using it from 36 weeks and got to 9cm. I also practised yoga at home by stretching most mornings with poses from the guidebook.

My due date was Wednesday 6th May 2020. Friday 1st May I ate the eggplant parmigiana. Early Saturday morning the 2nd May I started getting period like pains and braxton hicks. Sunday 3rd May more contractions at night then the bloody show. Monday morning 5th May I was getting contractions 15 mins apart and more of the bloody show. Throughout the day contractions got closer together but were not painful. At 5 pm the contractions got to about 8 mins apart so my husband and I had some pasta, and I took 2 panadol and a glass of wine as per Radha’s great recommendation at She Births.

We played music, watched some movies and I could not sit down so I was pacing up and down. My contractions got to about 4 mins apart by 8 pm and my husband was doing the acupressure points and the rebozo sifting. I started to get more of a show and the contractions were unbearable when they were happening but then I felt 100% in between them. At 9.45 pm we decided to go to the hospital because I felt pressure lower down, had more of a show and the contractions were really strong.

In the car I had my music playlist going and I sat in the back seat with a doughnut cushion. When we got to the hospital a midwife named Jane greeted us and took us to our room. I gave her my letter and advise I wanted a natural birth with no intervention if possible. When she checked me I was 8cm dilated! YAY! My waters still hadn’t broken yet.

They hooked me up to some wireless monitors to check the baby and I got onto the bed on all fours with the back of the bed upright so I could hug it. My OB arrived and at that moment I felt the urge to push. It was about 11.10 pm at this stage.

As I was pushing my waters broke. I was screaming as I was pushing so my midwife whispered to me that I should channel the scream to each push. My husband Anthony was standing side by side with my OB and assisted in delivering the baby.

I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Alessio at 11.35 pm on the 5th of May 2020. It was only my amazing OB Dr Marisa Martin at Westmead Private, the midwife Jane and my husband Anthony in the room which was so intimate. I did not need any stitches, I had a small graze only. The placenta just slid out with no need to push or have any injections and the only pain relief I had was the glass of wine and 2 panadol at 5 pm. Crazy !!

Alessio latched onto my breast after birth and my milk came in on day 2. He is still feeding really well and putting on weight like a champion.

I am so proud of the birth and I wanted to thank She Births for empowering me with the knowledge to understand, question and have peace of mind throughout the birth.

Lots of love,
Marisa