Greyson Steel Millet Hypnobabies Birth Story

Greyson Steel Millet’s Birth Story

This experience is one that is so amazing to me and truly has confirmed the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and that miracles can happen daily.

To preface this story, when me and Erick found out we were pregnant we knew without question that we wanted to deliver naturally without any type of induction or use of pain medication. We researched A LOT about delivering our baby and what we thought would be best for US and BABY GREY. We had a friend that had just delivered her little boy naturally using a technique called hypnobirthing. We had never heard of it and she told us only good things about it. She also talked about how she used a doula (natural birth coach) for her labor and that if anyone were to go natural hiring a doula would be her number one recommendation.

We took this information and researched more in depth about hypnobirthing and doula’s. We decided using a doula was no question, and we soon hired Tayla  Matheson, who ended up being a savior to me in my birthing time (labor). Tayla is an accredited doula that uses hypnoBABIES. At first I thought this was the same as hypnobirthing, but it turns out that they are much different. I won’t go into explaining all the differences now. but for Erick and I hypnobabies was a better fit.

We started taking the hypnobabies courses which were 3 hour classes for 6 weeks. This course was absolutely amazing. More than anything it was a class that taught the options of birth that most people are not aware that they even have a choice. We learned how to relax our bodies instantly and became more informed on how the body functions and is physically able and made to have babies. I never knew how much I would learn from this class, and I quickly became sad for anyone that hasn’t been informed like they should. So many people in my opinion go into childbirth with no plan and no true knowledge of what is happening. Learning everything I did just confirmed how important it was for me to deliver naturally.

The class also had “homeplay” which was about an hour that was devoted to strengthening my hypnobabies tools every single day. I think that this was the hardest part, was doing this everyday for weeks until I delivered. Now looking back though I know that my mind would not have been strong enough without doing these exercises daily.

For days I had been having contractions that would build up every night. My contractions would get as close as 3 min 30 sec apart for up to 4 hours or so and then they would just decide to fade out. I was fooled so many times by this happening that the night I actually went into labor I didn’t really know for awhile that it was the real thing.

It was April fools and I was 2 days past my due date. That morning I woke up and could tell that the baby had really moved down a lot because I could feel him all the way down in my butt. This was new and it was hopeful that things were getting closer, but I didn’t think anything else of it. Especially because I had just had my doctor’s appointment the day before and I was 75% effaced and BARELY dilated to a 2.

That morning me and my mom had made plans to go shopping and try and find me a night gown I could where for delivering the baby in. We then spent the rest of the morning walking around the mall for a few hours. I would have small contractions here and there…but nothing that I hadn’t been experiencing for weeks.

I came home and felt good enough to clean so I did that and then decided that I should probably pack my hospital bag since it was something I had been putting off for a long time and knew that the baby had to be coming soon. I laugh now looking back remembering how I really had no clue that baby Grey was coming that night. At this point it was probably around 4 pm and I was still having contractions. These ones were starting to feel like my typical night contractions that were always stronger then ones that I had during the day. So I wasn’t hopeful at all in having them actually turn into something. I really was just waiting for them to fade out again.

I decided that I should text my doula Tayla and update her with the fact that the baby had moved down further and that I could feel him in my butt, I also let her know that I was feeling 75% of my contractions in my back as well as in my stomach which was new. Pretty soon after this she called me to just check in and see how I was doing. During our phone conversation I was having contractions and she could tell that I was having a little harder time talking through them although I could if I needed too. At this point she straight out asked me, “Kelsie are you having your baby today?” This wasn’t the first time she had asked me this, and all the other times I always just said I wanted too, but I didn’t think it was going to happen. This time I said “yes, I think he is coming”…which actually caught myself off guard, because I was still so hesitant that it was really happening.

Erick was still at work and so Tayla stayed on the phone with me and helped talk me through my contractions using relaxation techniques and reciting scripts from hypnobabies. This was incredibly useful and I could tell that I was very much in control of the situation and I was just excited about having my baby.  Erick finally made it home from work and we briefly talked. He ended up having to leave and was gone for an hour and a half. During this time I just bounced on my birthing ball and listened to my birth day affirmations CD.

By the time Erick  got home I told him to call Tayla and just touch base with her. While they were on the phone Tayla could tell I was having a contraction in the background and just by hearing me she knew it was time for her to come.  This was at about 9 pm and she got there really soon after our phone call.

Erick hadn’t packed anything for the hospital and still needed to get the car seat into the car so he worked on that while Tayla sat with me and helped me use my hypnosis during my contractions. It was amazing to me how well I was handling the contractions. I was completely in control and only felt pressure. At this point every single contraction I was feeling in my very lower back, tailbone area. I had Erick if he could or Tayla counter pressure this point by pushing on my back during the contraction. This was AMAZING….and helped tremendously.

I remember then all of a sudden feeling like I needed to go to the bathroom, Tayla helped me walk there stopping along the way and breathing through contractions. As soon as we got there I didn’t really have to go and suddenly felt nausea and light headed. (Probably because I never had dinner and hadn’t eaten since lunch.) Tayla had me start smelling her peppermint essential oil which instantly helped and took away both the nausea and light headed feeling. At this point I wanted to lay on the floor and couldn’t quite make it before a contraction hit, so I breathed through as I was on all fours. Tayla at this point turned to me and said “Kelsie, it is time to go the hospital. Are you ready?” This completely took me off guard because we planned on laboring at home for most of the labor and Tayla was aware of this. I couldn’t believe I was that far into labor. Mostly because I still felt so in control of what was happening. So we made our way to the car, I was terrified having to make this drive without Tayla in the car (since she was following us so she could come home after I delivered). I honestly didn’t’ think I would be able to make it to the hospital without her. She told me I would have 4 contractions by myself without her and that I could do it. So I got into the back seat of the Xterra to lay down and once again found myself on all fours, and this is how I stayed for the whole car ride there. Erick drove careful but fast. I just wanted to get out of the car. The car ride was up to this point the hardest part of my labor. I did lose some of my hypnosis and relaxation and really had to try and just get through my contractions.

We finally made it to Ogden Regional around 11 pm where we dealt with problems with the nurses at first. It seemed like it was taking forever to get me to my room and get situated. They definitely were in no hurry…they had asked if my water broke which it hadn’t…so they seemed to think they had all the time in the world. There were other problems we had to deal with too with the nurses about answering questions. But I won’t go into all of that.

My first nurse told me I needed to lay on the bed so that I could be monitored. The last thing I wanted to do was lay on my back, because this was were I was feeling all my intense pressure and I also did NOT want to deliver on my back. I was planning on squatting, I asked the nurse if I could be in a different position and she said no. So reluctantly I got up on the bed. They checked me and I was at a SEVEN. Everyone I think was surprised because my water hadn’t broke so they didn’t think I would have been this far. At this point things start to get a little blurry for me because there was so much going on.

I remember Erick saying “You guys know she is group strep B positive right?” The nurses didn’t so they hurried and got the antibiotic going since I had to have at least one whole dose before I delivered the baby.

A few contractions after having been checked my water broke. After this they checked me again and I was now an 8.  Not too long after that I remember feeling the intense urge to push, so I did. My nurse quickly stopped me and told me I couldn’t push yet since I wasn’t fully dilated. They checked me and I was still an 8. This was the hardest part of my entire labor, from an 8-10 (which was about 45 min) I had to resist the urge to push on every single contraction and instead breathe through them. I continued listening to Erick and Tayla as they helped me breathe and moan through my contractions. At this point I remember saying I couldn’t do this any more. Erick and Tayla were both extremely encouraging. Erick told me “What do you mean you can’t do it? You ARE doing it!” After this he started describing my special place to me. (This is a place I had created for my safe place months ago and had created it in my mind to help me relax. The special place I had created was in the middle of an empty celestial room with me and Erick holding Greyson in our arms) Erick begins to describe everything in details that I had once used to describe the room to him. It was amazing how much this helped me get back on track and relaxed again and back to where I felt like I was more in control again.

            The rest of my labor is a huge amount of blur to me and I only remember little bits and pieces. It has been interesting listening to Erick retell the story because there is so much that was going on that I didn’t know until he told me later. Once I reached a 10 I remember everyone seeming to be rushing around a lot…Dr. Arrington got there and I was told I could now push. I was laying on my back with Tayla on my left holding my hand, Erick on my left holding my leg, Dr. Arrington at the end of the bed and then my two nurses on my right one holding my leg and one holding my hand as well. I was listening to a hypnobabies track “pushing baby out” in one ear, listening to Tayla in the other, hearing the sound of my oxygen mask (which I don’t remember when I got this), and then Dr. Arrington trying to talk to me. There was so much going on and yet I was completely inside myself. I would switch my focus from listening to the track, to listening to Tayla..who would regularly have to repeat what Dr. Arrington was saying to me, and then sometimes I would just be somewhere else inside my head trying to keep positive and tell myself that my body was made to do this and that I was strong enough to do so.

            I was so relieved when I was able to push…my body had been wanting to and it felt so good to give into it. During my contractions when I was pushing I felt absolutely nothing. It was AMAZING. I remember I wanted to just keep holding out the push because of all the relief I felt when I did. Unfortunately I kept being told “breathe Kelsie, breathe!” I remember not wanting too, but of course I knew I had too.  With each contraction I was able to usually push four times.

            I ended up pushing for 3 hours, which when I was told this I was blown away. To me this time of pushing felt like a half hour, maybe 45 minutes. I also didn’t realize what a serious situation me and Greyson were in. I was so inside myself I just kept listening to my body and kept just pushing.

            During this time I guess Greyson’s heart rate was dramatically dropping into the low 50’s every time I was having a contraction. For awhile it didn’t seem like I was making a lot of progress either. Greyson was posterior and because of this it was making it extremely difficult for him as well as for me to push him through the birth canal. Erick as well as Tayla after the fact told me that Dr. Arrington was nervous, you could see it on his face. He never once actually said C-section but everyone in the room besides me I guess was just waiting for him to say it.

            I know that it is a HUGE blessing that I was able to continue through my delivery and have Greyson natural. Dr. Arrington for some reason allowed things to continue as long as Greyson’s heart rate would jump back up. In order for this to happen he would have me stop pushing and breathe through contractions all the way up until I had him. (I hated doing this, especially because I honestly didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation. I’m so thankful now that I listened and was able to do so.)

            I also know that Heavenly Father played a huge hand in this delivery as well. I know that He knew how important it was for me and Erick. We had been praying nightly for months about being able to have a natural uncomplicated birth. With our situation we realistically should have had a C-section.

            I also believe that if I would have gone medicated or with an epidural that I WOULD have ended in a C-section. I say this based on the fact that pushing was an amazing experience. My body knew which way to push and when…I didn’t always push the same. This was such a blessing to be able to know how to push. There would be several times that the nurse would voice out, “that was a great push, do it that way again.” But, I knew I wasn’t suppose to push that way again, so I wouldn’t. I believe if I would’ve been under an epidural I would have just listened to the nurse and continually pushed in that one way, and who knows what situation I would have ended up in.

            Towards the end of my pushing I do remember becoming super exhausted. In my head I speficially thought…I have 3 contractions left in me that I can push and then I’m done. This was as much a plea to Heavenly Father then anything else. On that third contraction I remember feeling the “ring of fire” and I knew Greyson’s head was beginning to crown. This was enough to lift my spirits and give me the energy I needed to finish.

            I’m not sure how much longer it took, but I know I was so happy and so determined to see my baby. I pushed with everything I had at this point, and next thing I knew I felt Greyson’s whole body slide out. THIS was one of the most amazing feelings I have ever experienced. There is simply no words to describe that feeling.

            Born at 2:46 AM. Erick cut the cord, and they had to immediately take Greyson away because of the meconium. Erick stayed with him every second which I was so thankful for. I don’t really remember hearing Greyson cry, but I recall glancing over and seeing his tiny foot come up in the air while laying in the incubator.

            I was so exhausted and at this point and I felt like I had no strength. They weighed Greyson, 7 lbs 6 oz and then swaddled him up. They asked if I was ready to hold him, which I said no. I wasn’t quite back with it yet and was afraid of holding him because I felt so weak. Erick took the opportunity at this point to do skin to skin with him. I am SO glad they had this bonding opportunity. After about 20-30 minutes I was finally ready to hold him. I still couldn’t believe I had accomplished what I just did. It was an extremely gratifying and amazing experience. Holding Greyson was everything, I never knew I could love someone so much.