My Pregnancy Journey and Labor of Love

When we saw the two pink lines, we were ecstatic. Our life was about to change for good. We were expecting our little bundle of joy. When I heard his heartbeat for the first time, I felt it to be the best song of my life.

However, the happiness was short spaned. I had bleeding in week 6, immediately went to see the doctor. The doctor explained that this might be a case of threatened abortion. The ultrasound was suggestive of subchorionic haematoma and advised bed rest to me. Then at the week 12 scan, I was detected with low lying placenta, so the bed rest period got extended. In the week 20 scan, the placenta had migrated upwards. Also, I was diagnosed with a fibroid during the pregnancy, and it was growing in size. Though it was outside the uterine cavity, it was very near to the cervical opening. The doctor had asked me to be careful and avoid exercises except walking. Then, in week 34, I got mild contractions in week 34 with threatened preterm and was again advised for complete bed rest.

Everyone was speculating that I will have a preterm baby via C Section. But my angel proved it wrong, and I delivered in 38 weeks and 5 days via vaginal delivery.

Though my pregnancy journey was a roller coaster ride: by God's grace and love and blessing by near and dear ones, my angel came to me splendidly.

I can say positive affirmations have helped me to pass every hurdle in this journey. I used to chant my affirmation lines like a mantra. I have had prepared my positive affirmations, which were of 2-3 lines based upon my circumstance. 

I used to talk with the baby, just like the way we do with a person in front of us. Womb talk was one of the daily rituals during these nine months.

I did meditation almost 90% of the days. They made me stay calm even in difficult times.

I used to chant mantras or listen to a few of my favourite bhajans. 

I have watched TV and series but have avoided all negative and violence-related topics.

My husband used to sing and read stories to the baby before sleeping. 

Labor of Love : 

BK Sister Shivani says: The process of childbirth should not be called labor pain. It should be named the labor of love. 

After the week 37 scan, my doctor told me: the things look favourable, and I will have a normal delivery. I thought to myself, What!!! Am I even prepared for it? 

Immediately to train my mind for the same, I started doing an affirmation - I am having an easy and painless delivery and visualised it almost throughout the day whenever I got time. Also, I increased my daily walking frequency.

On 15th July, I went to the doctor for my weekly appointment. She internally examined and said the baby will be here in the next 3-4 days and asked me to keep my hospital bag ready.

Around 2 pm, I started having backache after I was back from the hospital. Gradually I started feeling weak and felt as if my periods are due. I started walking inside the house to divert my mind. I had an early dinner at 8:30 pm. My mom said, let's sleep early; we might need to go to the hospital. I slept at midnight after doing meditation. At 12:30 am, I started having pricking pain and started to have potty pressure. After some time, my water started leaking, and I had bleeding. We rushed to the hospital and got admitted at around 2 am. The contractions were at their peak. The on-duty doctor checked for the dilation. It was 4cm, so they rushed me to the labor room. At 2:30 am, I was almost 8cm dilated. My sister was my birthing partner and was with me throughout my labor. She is a Gynecologist and helped me with the pushing techniques and timings. She asked me not to waste any contractions and push the baby when there was an active contraction. I followed her words, and by 3-4 pushes baby's head was visible and then by another 3-4 pushes, I could hear my baby's cry. And the miracle moment had arrived, on 16th July before 4:20 am, my divine baby was in my arms. 

My delivery process was the way I had always visualised - Easy and Painless without an epidural.