Hi Sue,

I am pleased to tell you that our beautiful baby daughter arrived on Sunday (19th), 12 days overdue! I am even more pleased to tell you that I went into spontaneous labour on Sunday and was able to achieve a successful VBAC with no drugs - okay, I had a panadol!!!

I woke at 4am on Sunday feeling contractions but they weren't very bad, but they were 10 minutes apart. When our son woke at 5.30 he was really cranky so we got up and the contractions subsided a bit. By 7.30 I was having them again but they were varying between 6 - 10 minutes and I was feeling some lower back pain. We rang my mum to come and get Jack. By 8.30 she had arrived with my sister in tow who was going to help us with the birth. By 9.30 my contractions were 3 minutes apart but still more than bearable. I was unsure about ringing the hospital but I had been clearly told I should come in at 3 minutes. So we rang at 10am and they told us to come in. By the time I got to the delivery suite they were 1 minute apart and more intense but still okay. At 12 noon the midwife did an internal and I was only 3cm dilated! I tried not to be disappointed and just continued on. The contractions became more and more intense. At 2pm my waters broke and I was 9 1/2 cm dilated!!! I was told not to push because I wasn't fully dilated but I could hardly stop it. At 2.30 I was put on the bed and I began pushing proper, the doctor soon arrived and at 3.35pm Darcey was born.

The doctor was going to use the ventouse, and he did give me an episitomy so then the vacuum was not needed as I started pushing more effectively. It was wonderful to have David and my sister with me and they were both great in their support. I really felt that the calm birth course made all the difference as I stayed really focused during both stages. I can't say I was as quiet as the women in your videos, but I tried to use sound to help with the contractions. I felt like I was calm and in control. And mostly I just stayed positive. I just kept telling myself "you got through the last one, you can get through this one" and "it will pass in a minute".

I was really lucky because I had a midwife who let me do whatever I wanted and when she needed to monitor me she came to where I was and told me to continue what I was doing and that she would work around me. And also when my waters broke, the second midwife who was starting her shift came in and she had looked after me after Jack's birth so it was lovely to also have a midwife that I knew.

Finally, David was just magnificent in his support. He got so much out of the calmbirth course and it really showed on the day. He was really calm and strong. We are so thankful that we now have such a positive birth story. We had all but given up as we were booked in for an elective caesarean for the following day as I was so overdue and we had decided not to be induced again and my doctor was reluctant to induce anyway being so late and a vbac attempt.

So there you have it. Another successful "calmbirth" and a vbac to boot!

Thank you for all your support, while we were doing the classes as well as your advice afterwards when the baby was breech. I will be sure to be recommending you to all my friends!!

Kind regards, and I hope you and your family are well.
Kellie Heathcote

oooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo

David's Story...

Our expectations of a text book labor/birth for our first child were shattered. The hospital antenatal classes poorly prepared us for the painful sequence of induction/epidural/emergency caesar. Early in the process the hospital staff relegated me to the bench. I felt useless and short changed with skills to emotionally support Kell in the time of her distress. Afterwards I was committed to never letting that happen again.

So if Kell thought calmbirth could help both of us, and particularly Kell, achieve a traditional birth, then I was right behind her.

The rationale behind calmbirth is not ‘new age’ inspired, it simply made sense; fear causes/worsens pain so manage fear and hence reduce pain. The relaxed, family setting for the classes was endearing and the morning/afternoon teas were great.

So spontaneous labor occurred and off to hospital we went. Beforehand, I’d cleaned out my tool bag as there was very little that I would try to fix. The only tool I carried was an understanding of Kell’s/our approach to this birth, to not be afraid and her acceptance that this is what her body was designed to do.

We went into the delivery room this time truly as a team. I didn’t make suggestions, talk too much, ask silly questions or make stupid jokes. I knew Kell would always tell me what she wanted. I did nothing but be beside her, rub the right spots, respond to her requests, remind her to breathe, hold her and assure her.

And hey presto, after a relatively short labor with no drugs/intervention and my wife never getting feisty with me, a beautiful baby girl, Darcey, entered this world. It was a loving and intense session and the happiest moment of my life. Even better than the final siren sounding in the ’89 Grand Final.

Thank you calmbirth for your guidance, it was invaluable and to my brilliant wife Kell, for your gift of life.