BIRTH STORY: Meet baby Lucija

I just wanted to let you know I had my baby girl on the 12th of April!  

I've been coming to pregnancy yoga with Lauren on Tuesdays since I was 12 weeks and I almost completed two rounds of active birth with Lauren. My partner and I came for a private session with Suzanne as well.  

The birth of our baby girl Lucija was everything we wanted it to be. My contractions started slowly at 4am, I thought I had wind! We laboured at home using the gym ball like we were taught. We stayed in our dark room relaxing and massaging.  

I went to hospital at about 5.30pm holding onto the front headrest while sitting in the back.  When we arrived at hospital Mladen stepped up to his silver back Gorilla status and made sure the midwives let me relax in the dark room for a while. When they completed their first check I was 5cm.  

We laboured in the shower for a few hours alternating between standing and sitting on a chair. We then moved to the gym ball. My husband continued to massage me tirelessly and reminded me constantly to breath and 'use my lips'. I'm afraid horse lips were my 'go to' during the entire labour and by the end it must of sounded like 10 horses neighing but it worked even through the longest and strongest contractions! I also used the owwwww sound towards the end which helped me continue to exhale slowly. My husband continued to massage and shimmy my back with a scarf until it was time for delivery.  

I birthed our baby girl on my hands and knees just like we practiced in the active birth yoga class, bearing down and relaxing my bottom. It was a long labour and delivery but she came out perfectly at 5.33am, 12 hours after we arrived at hospital. The doctor passed her through my legs and we admired her chubby little body before lots of cuddles!  

I can't express enough how grateful I am for all the information I learnt during the 6 months yogababy classes. Without the techniques shown us we would not have been able to achieve such a natural and wonderful birth.   Can't wait to do it all again!   

Vanesa attended our Pregnancy Yoga, Active Birth Yoga, and a Private Session with Suzanne.