“Thank you so much for your support. You are such a calm, grounding and knowledgably practitioner. I really love the hypnobirthing program and I am so grateful for it!”
Lauren, Peaceful Birthing Mother
Sienna Maya Giacobbe made her very speeding entrance to the world on the 1st of December at 6:26 pm. She was 3.262 kg and 49cm’s tall – not small like they had been concerned about. She was bigger than Milana and born earlier. The growth scans etc. were very inaccurate!
My surges started on the 30th of November in the middle of the night, they were sporadic and manageable. In the morning we decided it was time to have Milana picked up by my mum so we could relax and focus entirely on labour.
“We had such a lovely day and a half at home. We spent the time walking, watching TV series and relaxing. I was listening to the hypnobirthing tracks, expressing colostrum, drinking raspberry leaf tea and using clary sage in the diffuser. I continued to have sporadic contractions. “
We had decided with my doctor to go into the hospital and be monitored in the afternoon on the 1st of December. This was to make sure baby was okay as they were a bit worried about her size and potentially being too small. We went to the hospital in the early afternoon, baby was all okay and we were sent home. With my doctor we had decided that if labour hadn’t progressed in the next couple days, I would go into the hospital for a stretch and sweep.
“When Jason and I left the hospital we went to the supermarket. I was still experiencing contractions sporadically and in the supermarket I had a contraction, immediately after that my waters broke. It was quite funny and we quickly left our groceries and went to the car. This was at 4pm and I was so excited that we were going to meet out baby soon! At home we packed, and I said to Jason that I think I am further along than the hospital think I am.”
At 5pm we arrived at the hospital and were placed in the waiting room. I was having surges every 4 minutes and they were becoming more intense. After 20 minutes Jason asked if we could be moved to the birth suite.
Once in the birthing suite I could sense that the hospital was very busy and unfortunately the room was not calm and quiet like I had asked in my birthing preferences.
“I sat on the birthing ball calmly breathing through the contractions with the hypnobirthing tracks playing through my headphones. I was also using the tens machine on my lower back. The contractions were still coming every 4 minutes and I was still able to manage them calmy using hypnobirthing. Therefore the hospital did not think I was as far along as I was and that I would be giving birth any moment. After about 1 hour in the birthing suite I felt an intense need to push and got down on all fours over the birthing ball. Sienna was born within 5 minutes at 6.26pm“
The pushing stage was intense and very different to what I had experienced in my first birth. At one stage I said I couldn’t do it as the pain was so intense, a nurse reassured me that I was doing it and that was exactly what I needed to hear. After Sienna was born I was in shock as it all happened so quickly.
Sienna’s blood sugars were a bit low (I had gestational diabetes), but we were able to get them stable with colostrum and some formula. We were out of the hospital and home within 24 hours, which I was thankful for.
Before I was discharged my doctor came and sat with me to debrief and talk through my birth, it was nice to speak to a familiar face and to better understand what happened. She explained that because it was so quick my adrenaline was high but there was not enough time for my oxytocin levels to come up and that is why the pain of pushing as so intense this time around and I felt very different afterwards compared to Milana’s birth. For a few days I felt like I was walking around in a haze, however once my milk came in and I had seen some of my family and friends I felt a lot better.
“I am very grateful that we had the day and a half labouring at home. It was a lovely calm time and I felt so happy. I am also grateful that Sienna decided to come when she did and I avoided any unwanted interventions.
Thank you so much for your support. You are such a calm, grounding and knowledgably practitioner. I really love the hypnobirthing program and I am so grateful for it.“
Welcome earthside baby Sienna!
Baby Sienna was born December 1 2022 at 6.26pm weighing 3.3kg.