A low threshold for pain

My daughter, Austen, was born on her due date after an almost 20-hour labour. I attended your classes 2-3 times a week from 16-38 weeks pregnant and I can honestly say that the techniques I learned there were invaluable in helping me get through what I’m told was quite a difficult labour.

To put it into perspective, I allegedly have what my husband refers to as ‘a low threshold for pain’ (funny) so he wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I went into labour. My first perceptible contractions started at 8 and a half minutes apart and were already too strong to make lying (let alone sleeping!) in any position comfortable, despite starting at approximately 11pm just I was about to go to bed and within 3 hours were 5 minutes apart. I was actually listening to one of your relaxation recordings when I first felt it come on! I let my husband grab a few hours sleep while I tried various positions we had learned in class to manage the pain and settled into alternating between stomping and hand wringing (!), sitting on a birthing ball and standing in the shower (after trying them all!), breathing, breathing, breathing throughout. It is a testimony to the effectiveness of these techniques that my husband said later ‘I have never seen you like that before. It was like you were in a trance.’

Once we did finally go to hospital after my waters broke 6 hours later, the midwifery staff also commented on how amazing it was that I was just breathing through long and strong contractions, mostly on the birthing ball at this stage or hanging from my husband’s neck...although I was tiring. I ended up having an epidural 10 hours into it, because I was just spent and Austen was a bit ‘stuck’, so forceps were required in the end. But for me this represents incredible progress in terms of accepting and welcoming discomfort as opposed to resisting and avoiding it. Our bodies (and minds) can do amazing things! 

Thank you for providing an environment which develops and supports such belief in ourselves and our bodies, while also promoting physical strength and relaxation. I can honestly say my pregnancy and the birth were much easier for it.  How grateful I am for having had the opportunity to attend Yogababy’s pregnancy and active birth workshops.