Birth Photography
My Labour & Delivery Story + Meet Dylan
A heads up – This post will have birth photography so if you are squeamish – It’s best to move on to another part of the website.
So it’s been a hot minute since I blogged on the website and here’s why!
Rewind back to March 2019 and this little man arrived.
Yes 2019 was the year I was introduced to mama hood and what a whirl wind of a year it has been – I simply can’t believe it’s almost been a year.
Oh how time flies!
Although I haven’t been blogging over here, I’ve been very busy working on other areas of the business – those of you who may be new here, I’m a music & commercial photographer – you can visit the website here and see what I’ve been up to – www.pshikotra.com
Alongside working and sleep deprivation, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Dylan, getting to know him more & growing every day alongside him 💙
I’ve never been so thankful in my life to be able to work with flexibility.
In no way is it easy but it’s been an absolute blessing to manage work and play around this little tiny human being!
I feel a little rusty whilst writing this I won’t lie but you can expect a whole lot of blog posts right here going forward as I ease myself back into weddings and work on growing the business.
I really wanted to share the photo’s & labour and delivery story I’m about to share with you for a number of reasons.
They were taken by my husband on the day Dylan arrived and changed my life.
It was the happiest day of my life to date and I’ve had some amazing experiences in life so far!
The Story
I was induced at 37 weeks and 6 days since I had reduce movement episodes during the pregnancy – It was a shock to the system since although the consultant and doctor had mentioned it in conversation, I really didn’t think I would be induced. So you can imagine my reaction on the day I went in with another reduce movement episode and the consultant tells me to go get my bags they’ll induce me that same night. I burst out crying when I got home because I’d heard so many negative stories about being induced! For those who may not be familiar – induced means they basically get your body going into labour to get the baby out sooner using a pessary of hormones.
Anyway, in went the pessary at 8:30pm the night I went in and by 9:00pm things got moving!
Oh yes, little Dylan was on the way!
Gradually overnight the surges (or contractions – surges is what we call it in hypnobirthing) got full on and by the morning and a few painkillers later, I was ready for an internal examination. They decided the pessary had to be removed because my BP wasn’t doing well.
Having surges and having a doctor up your vajay jay is not the one ladies. But needs must. I was in tears because it was so bloody uncomfy! No disrespect to the doctor but she’s asking me why I’m in tears – Errrr you’re all up in my bits whilst surges are happening – are you for real ?! I’d convinced myself she was a student doctor at this point and almost asked for her to leave the room.
They do what they need to do and around 10am I was taken downstairs to the delivery suite and hallelujah – GAS & AIR.
I remember walking in and just saying ‘is the gas & air ready PLEASE tell me it’s ready’.
I’m on gas & air and who pops through? The doc who had made me cry – Anyway all is good now I’m high as a kite on gas & air & I’m telling her the baby will be here soon. They’re all laughing at what I’m coming out with – she said she would be back in 4 hours to observe how I was getting on – I said to her in my high as a kite state the baby would be here by then. She thought I was kidding!
Turns out I was already 6cm dilated by the time I was downstairs – wahey!
For those who may not know, 10cm dilated is when the baby is ready to arrive.
So I’m using my yoga ball and doing my breathing technique during the surges I learned during the digital hypnobirthing course I did via The Positive Birth Company and enjoying a bit of Usher when the surges tailored off & I get the urge to push.
The midwife says I cant yet she needs to examine me and seriously, you just need to push when the baby is ready!
Then I remember her telling me I can go for it.
No kidding 4 hours later Dylan was here and all the yoga I’d been doing through pregnancy got me through it as did the breathing techniques learnt on the hypno birthing digital course.
The doc had asked the MW to let her know when the baby was coming as she wanted to see the birth of this one (maybe because I was chatting so much rubbish haha) but albeit she missed it as it all happen so quick.
Everything happen so fast that the birth photographer I wanted to have at the birth wasn’t able to make it though she had booked time off around my due date and so I ordered the husband to take photos whatever he could do because I NEEDED these photos (obviously high as a kite whilst demanding this)
I’m so very thankful for an amazing labour and delivery experience and can not thank the midwives enough – especially Lucy who did the delivery as she was FANTASTIC and had my back when a couple of times I felt I couldn’t do it.
Look away if you’re easily grossed by labour and delivery photos!
The Photos
If you’re planning to have a Cheshire, Manchester Wedding or a Destination Wedding and would like to hire me – Shoot me an email here or fill in the contact form here I would love to hear from you.
Priti x
