My Birthing story
Oct-2014 (Proactive planning)
The story starts in mid Oct-2014 when I was 9 months pregnant with my 1st baby and staying in Chandigarh with my parents for the delivery. My husband was searching for a new job and got an offer to permanently relocate to Hyderabad. Being a North Indian myself, the first thought that stuck me was NOT of sadness of leaving North India BUT of extreme happiness – Why? Because, I had already read of Natural Birthing and of Midwife Krishnan, and Healthy Mother Sanctum Natural Birth Center in Hyderabad.
Before I start the birthing story of my 2nd child, I need to mention that nightmarish experience of delivering my 1st child in a premium Government hospital in Chandigarh. Though normal deliveries are the preferred mode in Government hospitals across India and the one in Chandigarh was no exception, the way the doctors and nurses deal with delivering mothers is a sad tale. I was unfortunate to be dealt in such a way (though we could afford a private hospital, my mother was insistent that the delivery happen in a Government one) but now I feel fortunate as it made me bear and learn the way deliveries happen there –
1. Lack of beds meant 2 heavily pregnant women sharing one bed – Imagine lying down and looking at the legs of another delivering mother.
2. All the nurses were rude to us, and would shout at us to keep our voices down – Imagine you being shouted at with the pain you bearing instead of a comforting hand or a chat
3. After three painful pelvic exams, I was bullied into a Pitocin induction, No freedom of movement was provided, and I was confined to the bed in labor room and left all alone. At 5cm dilation, my membrane was ruptured artificially. Soon I was taken to the delivery room. With lots of fundal pressure and episiotomy, I delivered my first child .Though everything happened in 4 hours, that experience had left a scar in me to remain forever.
All of the above + a few other things made me headstrong to take a decision of delivering my 2nd baby naturally.
Oct-2015 to May-2016 (On the way to delivery)
A year went by since delivering my 1st baby. The very next day post celebrating her birthday, I decided to take a home test and it came positive. I had already reached out to Midwife Krishnan at the start of year and thus began my journey of birthing with her. Until my delivery on 28th Jun, I had monthly visits to her center which became bi-weekly and then weekly as I neared my 30th to 36th week. I vividly remember most, if not each of these meeting with her. She was comforting, talking sense into my mind whenever I wandered into depression. Most of all, my Midwife acted more like a friend, than a midwife to me in this time.
27th and 28th Jun-2016 (The 2 days that felt like 200)
A child birth is an euphoric experience and is a way of accessing the unique power of the body!
I clearly remember the 1st pain I had in this pregnancy, during an evening walk on 26th alongside my husband and my toddler. My husband worries a lot for me, so I had put up a great act to cover my pain in front of him. Else, God knows he might have insisted we get to the Birth Center right away. I called my Midwife who listened while I explained the pain and asked me to note its progression. She mentioned I may not be far away from delivering. With thoughts to delivering in the next 48 hours running through my mind, I drifted to sleep that night. The entire next day my contractions were highly irregular. On 27th night. I spent the whole night unable to sleep because of the pain, due to pelvic pressure and strong hip pain. My husband napped in between my contractions.
To make matters worse, we had no help as my mother was leaving from Chandigarh to Hyderabad by train on the 27th. My thoughts were wandering, as I wondered who would take care of my toddler if I were to rush to the Birth Center, and as to why the baby was coming before the due date,  and that too when I had no help other than my husband!
28th morning – The D Day.
Having not slept the whole night, I was feeling unusually nimble. Though the pain was there and contractions per us were around 3 minutes apart, I had to work to make breakfast for the toddler. I spoke to my Midwife, who asked me to reach the Birthing Center for a checkup. Got admitted at 9.30 am and found that contractions were quite irregular and sometimes even 20 minutes apart. By afternoon that day going through continuous contractions, thoughts of those people came to my mind that used to tell me 2nd delivery is easier!! For me, it was turning to be tougher and slowly frustration started to grow. My Midwife and her team were constantly there for me, and the nurses were very kind to continue massaging my back and kept hot water bottle. I even asked for a pelvic exam because I was so confident in my midwife, and that indeed turned out to be a better experience than how it was done during first.
Oh – Should mention thanks to my neighbor and my maid – who spent extra time with my toddler that day and night so that I and my husband could concentrate on the delivery
6pm on 28th and I went deep into labor and with contractions were at 2 minutes apart. The pain was not subsiding one bit and my Midwife suggested I got into the water tub and try water birth. I have always been fascinated with water birthing and I jumped at the opportunity for trying that out. Sadly, though the pain subsided a bit – It was not enough to impact an effect on the perception of the pain in my mind. The good news was that I lost my mucus plug in the water. Coming out of the water, I certainly felt the urge to push..
My Midwife suggested I sit on the toilet seat, but my mind was driving me towards the steel bar wedged in the wall. I took the suggestion my mind was driving to, and began to try and do a squatting position. My Midwife took to the floor beside me and sat down. It was already 7.30 pm and I was getting dead exhausted with all the work. Even this time, sadness and depression did not leave me alone. I cried my heart out then and there, thinking I need episiotomy..(Kind of doubted my body strength).. and it was my Midwife who once again held my hand, comforted me and gave me the push I needed to see this through. Finally my water broke at 9 cm (this feeling of water releasing, was so different than the Artificial rupture of membranes that was done without my consent during my first delivery)
At 8.32 pm with constant pushing the baby came out like an explosion. I was suddenly bathed in the cocktail of hormone and oxytocin rush which made me forget the pain instantly!!
The baby was placed upon my chest for skin to skin contact. Everyone in the room was feeling a bit emotional, especially me to have felt the tiny squish on my body. With all the excitement, it was a few minutes before we remembered we don’t know if it is a boy or girl. The excitement of delivering had made me forget. It was a boy, though both of us were expecting another girl. The cord was cut after it had stopped pulsating. I even got my placenta imprinted then and there at my request.
I am still amazed how my body showed me its real potential by letting me deliver the baby naturally. Seems it’s quite true that when you doubt your body, it rises to the occasion and amazes you!
I now call the squat pose "The Goddess pose". Gravity really helped me in pushing my baby down.
My postpartum journey has been a breeze ever since this birth. My husband and my toddler got sick on the third day of postpartum. I took care of them, not to miss mentioning that my toddler is still going through sleep regression phase due to sibling acceptance. I am sleep deprived but not for once I experienced any meltdown. My cuts got healed so quickly. I was scared that I might have groin pain or experience pelvic discomfort but there was none like in the first one. I am nursing my child without any discomfort and this time it’s all the love relationship with breastfeeding unlike my experience in the 1st one. I feel the entire birthing process plays an important role in the successful breastfeeding.
Few things I want everyone to know from my experience –

1. 2nd time baby does not come early in all deliveries, and

2. Water birthing may not be the comfortable option for some people
Every pregnant woman deserves to have someone who will listen to her, advocate for her, support her and believe in her. I and my husband are so grateful to Dr Vijaya Krishnanand her team for accompanying us on this journey. It was so refreshing to go into the pregnancy with caregiver who trusted in my body to a birth healthy baby. Even the whole experience of prenatal checkups was so different than the first one. After our initial meetings I felt encouraged, empowered and most importantly confident.
My story is long but it is empowering to me. The ability that my body has to grow and then birth a living being is the greatest power I have ever felt.
~ Kamana Gautam
P.S

Attaching few of the shots from my pregnancy

Labour at home with my littlie

Birth of my second child