My HypnoBirthing Experience at Columbia Asia Puchong

We've always planned to have atleast 2 kids with an ideal age gap of 2 yrs and we were blessed with my 2nd child on the 8th Sept 2016.

I remembered right after delivering my 1st, my mensus only came back from the 4th month post-partum. It was a monthly cycle too, thankfully! Because I still had PCOS on the left side. Also I was exclusively breastfeeding on demand.

After my 1st boy turned 1 year old, I manage to conceive my 2nd boy. And during the 9 months in gestation, I continued to exclusively breastfeed my 1st son throughout my whole pregnancy. He was already eating solids (3 to 4 meals a day), I was just his comfort food especially right before bed.

I wanted to have a calm and gentle birthing without any intervention for my 2nd birth and I decided to go to the HypnoBirthing seminar (which I almost missed) to find out what is it about and how it can be beneficial to both me and my husband. (Read more about the seminar here)

After 5 classes with Ms. Wendy from Beyond Birth, we were all prepped up and on our way to a "natural birthing journey"! I practiced self-deepening before bed, listened to the "Rainbow Relaxation" & "Birthing Afformation" and even practiced my calm, surge & birth breathing techniques when I'm taking a big dump in the toilet!

I bought a birth ball (a week before birth) to sit on as my lower back was hurting! Not too late!

I brought my natural birth plan to my gynaecologist and she signed it. I was suppose to deliver in KPMC (under their single-bed package rm2.5k installment plan) however, my gynae was moving on to Columbia Asia Bdr Puteri on the month of my birthing day... I decided to follow her to the new hospital because I only want her to receive my baby.

Finally came 7th Sept 2016, my husband had the sudden urge to take me out on a dinner date, so we went to SetiaWalk, Puchong for dinner and a stroll (amongst the many Pokemon Masters lingering around...) I had a funny feeling that baby was going to arrive soon. I felt the surges were getting frequent but not enough to get admitted.

Back home, after putting my 1st son to bed, I was lying down playing my phone (watching FB) and then I was sweating as I felt the surges and also minor cramps. It felt like a stomach ache, I thought it was something I ate, so I went to the toilet and waited but nothing. I then had the awareness that this could be it. So I sat in the hall at 1am moving my hips on the birth ball as I did my calm and surge breathing counting the surges.

Woke my husband up at 2am and called my mom to come up and standby to look after my son at home. I continued to move on my birth ball while my husband double checked if everything is packed and ready to go to the hospital at my call.

Came 2.30am I told my hubby, let's go. At the hospital, we parked and waited outside for abit then I said okay let's go in at 3am. Waited at the registration area for a few minutes as the rooms were fully occupied and they were cleaning up the labor room for me instead.

At the labor room, my husband briefed the nurse on my birth plan and everyone was really cooperative on it. The nurse did ask for my permission to do a Vaginal Examination (my birth plan did state limited la... At max also 2x only) so I allowed and I was 3cm dilated and had bloody show already. She then took my blood pressure and also strapped the CTG for 5 minutes. During this whole duration I was doing my calm and surge breathing. The nurse asked if I had asthma hearing me taking deep breaths... I immediately replied "No laaa... I'm doing deep breathing".

Nurse helped dim the lightings in the room & off the aircond (because it was aiming directly on the labor bed and I was literally shivering!). She told me to press the buzzer when I need anything or when I feel like I wanna take a "poo". She said it could take hours but since it's my 2nd child, it could be quicker than that.

However, knowing my body well enough, I was already in search of a comfortable birthing position, I sat on the birth ball in the room, then I move on to the bed and I also placed the birth ball on the bed and leaned over it. It didn't feel quite right, so I asked my hubby to help bring the head of the bed up to 45 degree and then I took the "kneeling, leaning on head of bed" position instead of "all fours" as per my birth plan.

The exact position that I was in as shown here. Photo credits to Google Search.

Once in position, I immediately felt the gravity and my baby going downwards, the surges started coming in. I told my husband that it's time. He was about to run out to get the nurse, I conveniently just pressed the buzzer next to me... If I could laugh then I'll probably be ROFLMAO! Anyways, the nurses ran in because they also saw my husband "so kancheong"...

At that moment, I was already in self-deepening (on my own)... Then with each surges that came I ride along with it with my surge breathing, as every sound I hear takes me two times deeper into relaxation. And every surge that came, I envisioned the "opening blossom". At the same time, my husband was giving me "Light Touch Massage" and then I was also vocalizing with each wave of surge that came. At the back of my head, a voice (my sifu, Wendy) stood out reminding me to "relax your jaws, shoulders and mouth open, as you imagine the opening blossom."

I did a mistake... At a point I flashback on how I pushed Daniel out... Then I started pushing, when immediately my husband and the nurses around me was speaking loudly telling me to "BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT"... I quickly snapped out of it, and went back into surge breathing.

My gynae came in then and immediately I felt baby's head crowning, my husband also told me the same, then there was a brief resting labor moment, that's when baby is turning to prepare to come out. Just that brief moment only, I then felt another set of surge came in and felt like taking a really big poo again! And this time we knew, this was it. The nurses were really efficient! One of them was cheering me telling me to breathe & good job, another actually helped counter pressure on my lower back/hips and it amazingly relieved and numb the surges!

It took me 5 birth breaths! And baby came out like a big plop of jelly, my gynae helped receive baby then she proceeded to guide me to slowly turn around and sit on the bed. Nurses helped me too. Turn, sit down and baby immediately skin-to-skin bonding with me.

We bonded with baby for more than 2 minutes. Because I requested for delayed cord clamping, my gynae then informed me the placenta has stopped pulsating so she'll clamp, (it was already more than 2 min) I said okay. Then waited a few more minutes for the placenta to come out naturally.

My gynae did informed beforehand (when discussing the birth plan 2 to 3 weeks ago) she will tug only when it's ready to be out but not forcefully pull it out, she'll just assist. I agreed and during the process, she was very gentle and patient throughout the whole process. I had a 1st degree tear on the outer part but it was very minor. (SO MUCH BETTER than my 1st birthing experience)

All my birth plan went according as planned except baby's care... Daddy was supposed to be with baby at all times including in the nursery when the pediatrician checks or gives injections. However, the hospital do not allow anyone inside babies nursery. Our mistake was that we did not discuss with the pediatrician at the hospital before birth.

Btw, my hospital bill at Columbia Asia Bdr Puteri only costs us RM1,600+ and baby's bill was RM950+. 

Thanks to HypnoBirthing esp our sifu Ms. Wendy from Beyond Birth, our beautiful baby Jayden born on 8th Sept 2016 with total ease.