Nina and Baby Jesse’s Birth Story

Dearest Gowri, Billi, Marina, and Ingrid,

I wanted to write to share with you the amazing story of the gentle birth I had yesterday. I do not doubt that my experience was in great part so beautiful because of all the preparation and encouragement I found with you. So first of all, thank you for all you do. It is life-changing for women like me.

I started with light surges in the morning, and I realized that this would be the day. The previous evening I had been at Ingrid’s yoga class—and because of the advice in Gowri's book, I had stayed mobile throughout the pregnancy with a long walk the evening before at 41 weeks and 5 days.

As stage one of my labour started, I had some food and a shower and then went into my bedroom, where I started listening to Gowri's hypnobirthing track for phase one of labour.

My husband called the midwives and set up the birthing pool as I went deeper and deeper into relaxation. To my surprise, as I listened to Gowri’s voice, I could ride each surge like a wave—the sensations felt completely manageable—I was in a trance-like state.

As the midwives arrived an hour and a half later, they let me labour in peace while they did their observations. I was in the zone, listening to the same track repeatedly. Then I was surprised that I already felt the urge to push—after a very long first-time labour, I couldn't quite believe how easily I had already arrived at stage two of labour.

I decided to go downstairs and get into the birthing pool, even wondering if I was making a mistake by getting in too early, as surely it couldn't be this quick or easy.

As I got into the pool, we started listening to stages 2 and 3 of the visualizations. As the surges came, they felt comfortable, and I started to push. My midwife later told me they saw the purple line, so they knew I was ready, even though I was still completely calm. My husband later said he couldn't believe how quickly and calmly it was all unfolding.

After a few more surges in the pool, still listening to the track, I birthed our son’s head. It didn't feel painful at all—I just breathed him out. He turned out to be a very big boy, and his shoulder was a little stuck behind my pelvic bone—so I got out of the pool, and the midwife helped unlodge it. Then he was in my arms!

I couldn't believe how easy, calm, and quick it had been.

As I held him in my arms, and he rooted to find my breast—my mother, husband, doula, and midwives gathered around and made me comfortable on the sofa as I held our son.

My placenta came out fully intact soon afterwards, and as I held my baby, we had a lotus birth, waiting for the cord to stop pulsating. It was only cut after two or three hours—and finally, daddy and my toddler daughter had the chance to hold and have skin-on-skin with their son/brother.

Meanwhile, the midwives examined me and told me I had suffered barely any blood loss and had no rips or tears to my perineum. It was fully intact.

After a magical few golden hours… we weighed our son. He was 11 pounds, 58 cm long, and his head was 37 cm! We wouldn’t believe how calmly and easily he had been born, especially as we realized how big he was. I had been able to be mobile and active until and even during the birth—we didn’t suspect he would be eleven pounds!

It was an incredible, transformative, beautiful experience. I have never felt so empowered, calm, and secure. It felt easy and even enjoyable. I never sensed any fear or pain.

Thank you so much for helping me prepare for this momentous birth. I owe you all so much as my wise guides and birthkeepers.