Abinaya and Anoop, first-time parents had just relocated to Hyderabad. When Abinaya discovered she was pregnant, the couple were excited. They looked forward to this new chapter in their lives. The journey through   pregnancy was a smooth sail right through to term. When Abinaya crossed the expected date of delivery, she began to get impatient. She kept in touch with her doula who reassured her that her labour would start when her baby was ready. Over the next few days Abinaya and Anoop spent time doing a lot of pre-birth bonding activities.

At 40.3 weeks, Abinaya began with her waves. She stayed in touch with her doula and spent the next 15 hours at home relaxing, having warm showers, eating and drinking, moving around and timing her waves. By night, her waves got more intense. They were advised by their doula to visit the hospital. On examination by the midwife, she was found to be 2 cm open. Abinaya had her dinner, a relaxing shower and caught up on some rest. Around midnight, her waves picked up and Abinaya was shifted to the dimly lit birthing room which was filled with the sweet fragrance of rose. She found the birthing ball very relaxing and spent a lot of time on it. With each surge, she would breathe and vocalise surrendering herself to the process as her body was opening. When she felt ready, Abinaya informed her team she would like to enter the pool.

Abinaya immediately felt a sense of lightness in the warm waters of the pool and changed into positions of her comfort- all 4’s, squat and side-lying. Her doula kept wiping her face and kept her hydrated with juices and her midwife kept a close watch on the baby’s heartbeat. Anoop was an amazing birth partner. He seemed to know Abinaya’s every move and he stood by her like a rock, encouraging her. He was filled with admiration for Abinaya as she rode through each wave with grit and determination. Three hours in the pool and Abinaya felt the urge to bear down. She spontaneously released her waters. She continued changing positions in the pool and after an hour of bearing down came out of the pool to empty her bladder. Abinaya was exhausted and wished to rest for some time. Almost immediately, the baby’s head began crowning and within a few minutes she birthed her baby boy gently into the world. Abinaya could not believe she was holding her bundle of joy. The baby lay against his mother’s bosom enjoying her warmth while Anoop was beaming with pride seeing his just completed family.

Congratulations Abinaya and Anoop for achieving the birth you wanted.