I had a baby boy – Benjamin James (BJ) seven weeks ago. BJ arrived 2 weeks early and in a hurry (and no pain relief)!
I had been practicing the techniques we learnt at the Mindful Mama course in the lead up to my due date. I used the relaxation/visualisation tools with and without the accompanying music. I also used the mantras and helped “reframe” any fears or anxieties I had in the lead up to my labour.
On 14 August, my waters broke at home about 3.45am, and I had some mild contractions at home for about 45mins. When making our way in the car into the hospital after 4.30am, my contractions went from 5 minutes to 3 minutes and increased in intensity! By the time I was in a room at the private hospital and examined sometime about 5.30am, to everyone’s surprise I was 9 cm’s dilated and the baby was on its way! After a quick trip to the birthing suite, BJ was born about an hour and half later at 7.45am.
I used relaxation/visualisation tools between contractions and used the time to rest and conserve energy. Later the midwives remarked that I was “one chilled out mumma” during the delivery and were surprised of how far along I was when I got the hospital as I was “not behaving like other mothers to be in the transition period”. They also remarked that I had a high pain threshold. Looking back now, I realised that the “Braxton hicks” or cramps I was having overnight in the preceding days before my labour were actually pre-labour pains. I had used the relaxation techniques to deal with them and go back to sleep!
I do think that the Mindful Mamma course was helpful for preparation for and during labour. It also was helpful that the midwife during my delivery was from the UK and her acent matched that on the CD! Lucky for that as I didn’t get a chance to even put the CD on as everything happened in such a hurry.
Lee
