The surges started on Monday morning. I didn't tell Aaron about them because I had a feeling it would take a long time. By the time he came back form work they had strengthened but were manageable.At about 11pm I spoke to a midwife who told me that I probably had a long time to wait so she said I would be better off taking a break from timing them and just relax.I slept but had a very uncomfortable night as I kept waking every 6 minutes or so to breath through a surge.

Tuesday morning and I felt quite rough, surges were still coming as they had been on Monday night and I was tired.I sat on the sofa watching TV and trying to relax through the surges.The birth affirmations and rainbow relaxation CD really helped at this point.My mum and Aaron were getting concerned and told me I should go up to the hospital to get checked out.I just remember thinking, “no way, I'm not going to the hospital until I know something is happening, I don't want any interference”.I started to use a hot water bottle to help with the period pain like surges and took paracetamol.I started to think that I didn't want to go through this ever again because it was getting annoying even though the pain was manageable and only probably lasted for less than 30 seconds each time.Tuesday night came and I had another restless night.

By Wednesday morning, the surges had diminished and were only coming every 10 minutes or so, much to my relief and Aaron's dismay.I vacuumed the floor and did some other chores and then started to watch TV again.By the afternoon the surges had changed, they were easier to deal with, less painful and just felt like more pressure all around the bump with slight pain (like period pain) at the bottom part of the bump.By bedtime they had become a bit stronger and I found that I could only really deal with them sitting on the sofa and shallow breathing fairly quickly. I dozed on the couch.I could hear Aaron snoring upstairs and then all of a sudden at about 3.30am there was a massive gush of water as my membranes released.I had to yell at Aaron to wake up and asked him to get me some clean clothes and “get the bag we're going to the hospital”.We phoned the hospital and the midwife said “come in if you want but you may still have a long way to go, are you sure your waters have gone?”She sounded a bit disbelieving when I said I had the urge to push.

We got to the hospital at about 4am.The midwife didn't believe that I was in established labour yet.By this stage I was in my own zone, all the relaxation techniques and visualisation had gone out of the window, just me doing my own thing, calm and confident.The midwife said they would observe me for 4 hours and if the surges weren't increasing they would do an internal examination.

We had the hypnobirth CD on and some aromatherapy oils going, I was sitting on the bed feeling uncomfortable.I went to the loo, to make sure I didn't need a poo and when I realised I actually didn't I thought, “oh I know what's going to happen soon”.I was kind of paralysed and locked in my own world just dealing with the surges. I said to Aaron that “I think I can feel the head, can you help me take off my pants please and just check if you can see anything?”He told me he couldn't see anything.Then the midwife came in to check the baby’s heartbeat and was a bit shocked when she saw the head.The midwife called for assistance and they rushed to get the plastic aprons and gloves on as I pushed the baby’s head out.I think it took 4 surges to push her out and I remember being totally in my own zone concentrating on what I was doing, visualising the baby coming out and just feeling like I was having a really big poo.I wasn't aware of any pain just stretching and an amazing desire to push but to temper the push so that the stretching wasn't too fast.

It was really bizarre to finally see and hear this baby being handed to me and to pick her up all slippery and bloody.The cord wasn't long enough to bring the baby up to my chest so I ended up scrabbling around trying to find a position suitable to hold the baby and sit down properly and she was wriggling around like mad.They asked us to find out what it was and in the excitement I got confused and yelled it's a boy! (it was all so swollen down there I thought I saw something else)Aaron corrected me and told me it was, in fact, a girl.

The midwife said that she thought that the birth plan was really lovely and that they would let me deliver the placenta naturally so it would take a while and that they would wait for the cord to stop pulsating before clamping.I was then able to put her to the breast and she fed immediately.Amelie is a very healthy baby. She took to breastfeeding very well and continues to enjoy it now.

The placenta took 4 hours to deliver; I'm surprised they let me wait that long and in the end they had to use manual traction to pull it out.They were then able to examine me and they had feared that I had suffered tearing as Amelie came out with her hand up by her face.They were right and I had to go down to theatre for stitching.So ironic, I managed three days of labour on only 8 paracetamol and then had to have a spinal for the repair job!

I have been recommending hypnobirth to everyone that will listen; it gave me the confidence to remain calm and relaxed throughout the birthing experience despite not consciously using the techniques at the time of the birth itself.I am sure that it was the hypnobirthing mindset that helped me remain strong and positive throughout the time after the birth.I replay the birth over in my mind and still feel very proud and empowered. It was definately an awesome experience which I look forward to repeating (at some point in the future). Since Amelie's birth I have used the techniques learnt in your hypnobirth course to help face other situations.

Thank you hypnobirth and thank you Mia!