Bee’s Story
“He was 10 lbs and almost 11 ounces…and it was perfect.”
Bee had a 2-hour active labour, with 11 mins of breathing her baby out into the world, minimal pain and pelvic floor damage, and without ever needing to push.
I’m still in awe of Bee*. She has a beautiful story, and I feel honoured to have worked closely with her and her husband for the birth of their second child.
*Name has been changed upon request for privacy.
When we first met to chat about HypnoBirthing, it was clear that the couple had mixed feelings about their first birth experience and wanted to prepare differently this time. Bee reflected on her first birth and said it felt like she wasn’t given enough information or the space to make her own informed decisions, feeling like she had no choice in the procedures being offered and done to her and her baby. After a straightforward and uncomplicated pregnancy, her membranes ruptured naturally at 37 weeks prior to labour starting, which led to a rushed induction with contractions that her body could not tolerate. The intensity of the situation forced her to opt for an epidural, despite her desire to avoid it. Her baby was also hooked up to internal fetal heart rate monitoring, which was a point of stress for her husband witnessing the procedure. As a result, they felt lost, overwhelmed and coerced by the entire experience, so understandably, carried some worries and distrust into the second pregnancy.
“I feel like in my first birth, birth happened to me.”
~ Pregnancy
Unlike her first uncomplicated pregnancy, she remembers her doctor being concerned right off the bat about a few things presenting in her second pregnancy. Bee shares how there was worry that her placenta was low, which led to some talks early on about a potential c-section, if the placenta didn’t rise. Her baby was also measuring larger than average.
"He was measuring big throughout the pregnancy," Bee shared, recalling all the extra ultrasounds to monitor her baby's growth.
With all that, the fears started creeping in. She really wanted to steer clear of multiple medical interventions this time.
Determined to take the reins for her upcoming birth, Bee and her husband decided on HypnoBirthing. “We knew we wanted to know more. We wanted to be more prepared than the last time," she said. With her goal set on a natural birth, Bee confided early on to her OB that she wanted to experience the full spectrum of labour.
"I have no idea what a natural contraction feels like and I really want my body to be able to do what it needs to do to have this baby."
But even after sharing her desires and fears with her OB, the thought of medical interventions was still hanging over her. As her pregnancy went on, Bee found herself a bit frustrated. "I felt like I wasn't able to really enjoy it," she said. Conversations about potential induction and the baby's size became a constant backdrop, distracting her from the excitement of welcoming her little one.
~ Labour
As the weeks went by in her pregnancy, the strength, confidence and trust Bee was fostering within herself really started to shine through. Even though this was her second baby, the sensations of natural labour were still elusive to her, and she wasn’t quite sure what to expect. In the lead-up to her birth, things were a bit of a rollercoaster with lots of starts and stops. For weeks, she felt practice surges, which pumped her up, but as time dragged on and the baby still hadn’t arrived, she couldn’t shake the nervousness about having more talks with her OB about possible induction and c-section.
Just before hitting the 38-week mark, the date that the OB originally wanted to schedule an induction, she had a vaginal check and found out she was already 4 cm open. That really changed the conversation about induction and showed that her body was diligently preparing in the background.
Then, the whole family got sick.
One morning, about a week into their illness, Bee began experiencing regular surges that were getting stronger and more frequent.
"I'd been having surges all morning, and they'd been getting progressively worse," she remembered. She describes having to turn on the relaxation recordings to get through while balancing the household chores.
With everyone still sick and suspecting that labour was finally starting, they had to switch up their original plan for their daughter to stay at a friend’s house and instead called in a relative for help. This brought some complicated family dynamics along with it and a worry about bringing baby into a household where everyone was ill. As soon as the relative showed up, labour stopped. Bee quickly realized how sensitive the birthing body was to stress and this reinforced her belief that she needed to trust the natural wisdom of her body and baby. It seemed like they both had decided that it just wasn’t the right moment yet.
One week passed and labour was still on hold. As they recovered, the relative eventually left, and almost immediately after the relative walked out the door, labour began again. As Bee recounts this story, she laughs, what a powerful illustration of how the environment and mind influences the flow of birth!
Things were heating up again. Bee was now approaching 41 weeks, which she is told was the maximum time her OB would wait before having to schedule an induction, as per the hospital policy in her province.
A day before her scheduled induction, she gets a cervical check and finds that she is now 6 cm dilated. Because of this, her OB suggests a membrane sweep to get things going.
"We did a sweep, and I walked out the office door, and my water broke right away," she recounted. With the surges ramping up fast, Bee felt a mix of determination and a bit of anxiety as her husband hurried them to the hospital.
"I was like, okay, we can get through this. We've got time."
When they arrived at hospital, they ended up quarantined in a private room due to their recent illness. Bee described it as feeling like they’d entered a space station. Even though it was an unfamiliar setting, she felt a strong sense of purpose and quickly found her position on her knees at the foot of the bed, using her breath and affirmations to guide and ground her through her regular surges.
Even with all the hustle and bustle from the hospital staff, Bee kept her focus sharp. She knew her husband had her back and could handle any questions that came up, and she felt really in tune with what she wanted and needed during labour.
~ Birthing Phase
As her body sank into the Birthing Phase, that’s when things really started to shift.
“All of a sudden, I wasn’t in the same discomfort. I could feel my body pulling up and then really pushing down.”
The attending physician was an OB that Bee hadn’t met before and it was clear to her from the get-go that she hadn’t read her birth vision. Amidst the OB’s urges to coach Bee on pushing, reminding her of her big baby, offering her medication, and telling her where she needed to be, Bee stayed grounded and didn’t let the fears in the room shake her. She knew how to advocate for herself and was so connected to her body that she could feel her muscles moving the baby down. This was a true moment of resilience and healing for her.
At one point saying to the insisting OB, “I’ll work with you, I’ll be on the bed. But I’m not going to be on my back…I’m not pushing because baby’s here”.
Just 11 minutes later, with one powerful loud breath, baby arrived!
“I opened my mouth, and hollered, and he was there! And he was a really big baby! He was 10 pounds and almost 11 ounces. And it was, perfect.
~ Recovery
From the sweep to birth, Bee’s entire labour and birth was just 2 hours long. Miraculously, even with such a quick one, she experienced minimal issues with her pelvic floor.
“I only had 1st degree tears. I don't feel like my pelvic floor was damaged. My pelvis felt so good after this delivery, felt so much better.
“I am proud of myself. I feel 100% different about the second birth than I did about my first birth.”’
With comprehensive info and unwavering support at her side, Bee’s birth journey is a testament to the power of trusting one’s body and instincts. Everyone in the birthing room that day was blown away at what had happened.
With pride and excitement in her voice, she shares that the nurses had expressed to her, “how did you do this, and with only 1st degree tears??”
“I felt so much more empowered this time.””
~
Afterwards, Bee shared her thoughts withe me on the program, insisting that with the right tools, education, and support, all moms can make informed choices and have the births they really want—even if their desires are different from each other.
HypnoBirthing, she explained, is really about connecting with what you want, finding your voice, and feeling empowered in your choices. Bee’s story is a shinning example for everyone going through the birth journey, reminding us of what is possible when you are truly informed on your body, can advocate for yourself, and have relaxation techniques to lean on during the twists and turns of the birthing process.
By sharing Bee’s story, I hope to encourage you if you’re about to give birth to embrace your strength, explore your options, and prepare thoughtfully for your own unique journey into motherhood.