#vrikshambirthstory, Hi Anu Akka, My name is Sushma Boddula, I am your student for pre-pregnancy, early pregnancy, and labor management classes. My pregnancy and delivery were so smooth, though we live away from our family in Germany. It was possible only with the confidence, and knowledge I gained from your classes.

Here is my birth story.

On the early morning of June 8th, I was gently awakened from my sleep at 2:00 AM by mild back pain. I had never experienced this before, and as I lay in bed, I realized that these were contractions. I did my exercises, trying to stay as calm as possible, knowing that today might be the day, ensuring that our hospital bag was packed and ready.

As the day wore on, the contractions seemed to disappear. We spent the afternoon practicing the breathing exercises we had learned during the class. In the evening, we decided to go for a peaceful walk in the nearby fields, hoping to encourage labor to progress. After dinner, I went to sleep around 10:00 PM. However, at 11:00 PM, I was awakened by the return of the contractions. I reached for my phone and started recording their frequency using a contraction app. By 4:00 AM on June 9th, the contractions had reached the 5-1-1 level, and we knew it was time to head to the hospital.

Upon arriving at the hospital, the midwife checked my dilation level and informed us that I was only 1 cm dilated. There was a long way to go, so she recommended that we return home and come back if there was any progress. Unfortunately, the contractions seemed to fade away, and we returned home. I decided to take a soothing hot bath to ease the discomfort and relax for an hour.

Around 4:30 PM, the contractions returned, and I had a light meal of Idiyappam. At 5:30 PM, I noticed that the mucus plug had come out, a sign that labor was progressing. We called the midwife and, at 6:00 PM, we headed back to the hospital. The doctor checked me again and this time, she asked me to stay in the hospital. By 6:00 AM on June 10th, I noticed a significant amount of blood, which prompted me to inform the on-duty midwife. She checked my dilation and unfortunately, there was no progress. I sipped on some Fennel tea and continued with the exercises.

Around 9:00 AM, the contractions became exceptionally intense, and I decided to request an epidural for relief. However, even after receiving the epidural at 11:00 AM, I still experienced a great deal of pain. As the evening rolled around at 5:30 PM, the contractions intensified further. My heartbeat and baby’s heartbeat were very high and not as expected. The doctor had come and found out that the epidural was not working. So, they injected it again manually, then both the heartbeats came back to normal.

At 7:30 PM, I had reached full dilation and began pushing with all the techniques I had learned in your prenatal classes. Finally, at 8:36 PM, on June 10th, after what felt like an eternity, my baby boy made his grand entrance into the world. Remarkably, throughout the entire delivery process, I didn’t utter a single shout. It was a smooth and empowering experience, thanks to the knowledge I had gained from your classes, the unwavering support of my husband, and the invaluable assistance of the midwife. As I held my precious baby boy in my arms for the first time, the pain of labor faded into the background, replaced by overwhelming joy and gratitude. It was a moment I would cherish forever.

As per my birth plan, I had requested delayed cord clamping, and as soon as our son was born, it was honored. The precious minutes of skin-to-skin contact followed as we embraced our newborn, forging an unbreakable bond from the very first moments of his life. Within an hour of his birth, our son was breastfeeding. I have successfully finished 90 days of exclusive breastfeeding and still continuing.

Thank you once again for all the work you do and the knowledge you spread.

Regards,

Sushma