Late morning on Saturday 12th November 2005 I noticed some light spotting, but felt as I had for the last few weeks. I had been experiencing mild surges (or tightenings) that must have been Braxton Hicks.

At about 1.45pm I felt a twinge and a gush as my water bag broke and started to leak. They were stained with brown bits and I instantly phoned Ginny who said that I should get straight to the hospital and that she would meet us there!

My waters continued to leak and the surges started to feel like menstrual cramps! I was feeling pretty anxious wondering if my baby was in distress. My blood pressure was taken and was pretty high!

At 2.40pm I was given a vaginal examination and was disappointed to hear that I was only 3cm dilated. Ginny reminded me that this meant nothing as I could be fully dilated in an hour or the next day!!

I continued to worry about the baby until Dr Paul Tseng arrived and confirmed that he was not in distress and this was not an emergency! My blood pressure was normal at next check. Doctor Paul said that dilation occurs on average at 1cm per hour. OK, another 7 hours!

The surges intensified but were manageable. They felt like intense menstrual cramps! I was feeling pretty euphoric and spacey between them.

I climbed into the tub at about 4pm and the first surge I experienced was so much less intense. Great!

Then came the first of what I would describe as very intense pulsating surges. In hindsight I realize that these surges signaled that the baby was moving down the birth path. I got the shock of my life as this sensation was unlike anything that I had experienced or expected to! I thought my body was being stretched apart!

I think I was in shock at the intensity and for a few surges I was almost unable to breath. I started to feel disappointed in myself. I thought I was failing because I was not feeling as comfortable as I had thought I would! I had no idea that I was in such advanced labour, and I started to doubt that I could do 7+ hours of this, and said so!

All of a sudden I found this inner strength and I knew I could do what ever had to be done! I found that I was able to follow Ginny's breathing prompts, and Michael's encouragement soothed me! Although the surges continued with great intensity I found my rhythm, realized that this was the bearing down urge, and began to just go with it. I refused the next VE.

After what seemed like half an hour in the tub (it was just over 2 hours-you really do lose your sense of time) I was certain I could feel the baby's head! Ginny buzzed the nurse.

Then everyone went into a flap! The room was prepared and I was instructed not to push until the doctor arrived! Yeah right!

I was on the birth stool ready to go when Dr Paul walked in. Up until this point I did not know how not to push, then when everyone started telling me to push, I found I was too confused and anxious to!! I was so scared of tearing! I had not realized this was such a concern until that moment!! Finally I had some control as the surges seemed to have stopped and it was all up to me! Dr Paul told me to push through the stinging sensation and out slipped Raphael Josef! It was 6.08pm. After the fear of tearing there was only the slightest nick that did not require stitches, and the actual birth didn't hurt at all!

Raphael was so alert! The first thing I remember seeing were his bright eyes! He was looking around the room from the moment he came out. He has continued to be a very alert and contented baby!

Looking back I realize that we got the exact birth we wanted in every way thanks to HypnoBirthing and our Doula Ginny. During my pregnancy I kept dreaming that I was giving birth at home after a very quick labour that I was unable to feel! That really freaked me out! I learnt to visualize what I wanted: to be mentally and emotionally equipped to deal with every turn my birth experience took; to have a labour lasting between 3 and 5 hours; to have a clear indication of when to go to hospital, and; to feel the different stages of labour! Michael also wanted the birth to be on the weekend and not in the middle of the night, and he regularly told Raphael so as he talked to him in the belly!

I'll be visualizing an under 2 hour labour that I barely feel for the next one and I'll definitely be using hypnobirthing again!