HypnoBirthing Stories
It's hard to put into words how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to learn and practice hypnobirthing. This was my second pregnancy and I knew I didn't want a birth experience like my first. Although we took prenatal classes, I reflect back now and realize how conditioned my responses were to my first birthing experience. I was acting in all the ways I had seen in movies and TV (getting frustrated, tensing, fighting against contractions) and it only made things worse. In the end I was so distraught and exhausted I hardly could or wanted to hold my baby; I was heartbroken. So it's no surprise that for my second pregnancy I was on a mission to find out how I could have a more controlled and enjoyable birthing experience. Although we were initially hesitant, after reading Mongan's book and understanding the history of childbirth and the theory of hypnobirthing, we knew this was what was needed to help us achieve the birthing experience we envisioned. Brenda was so easy to talk to and wonderful at answering all of our questions, she really helped make us feel at ease. If I wasn't already convinced, Brenda helped solidify that hypnobirthing was going to help me achieve a peaceful birthing experience when she led a session and my own visioning produced a physical reaction in my body. I knew then that I had the power to control my surges and work with my body to have a wonderful birth experience. And that's what I had. As my son made his debut I was focused, relaxed and in control. When I had moments where I needed extra support, my birth partner was right there beside me and knew what to do. The bliss I experienced when my son was born was all thanks to the practice of hypnobirthing. For that and many more reasons I would recommend hypnobirthing a thousand times over. Hypnobirthing gave both my husband and me the confidence and tools needed to have a birthing experience I dreamed of.
THANKS BRENDA AND HYPNOBIRTHING!!!
J-Kitimat
THANKS BRENDA AND HYPNOBIRTHING!!!
J-Kitimat
My hypnobirthing experience:
Our son arrived 9 days after our due date. My hypnobirthing classes gave me the confidence to ask if inducing was necessary and to confirm that the baby was healthy and I was healthy. The doctors at the prenatal clinic said that they were comfortable with me going 10 days over so I was hopeful that he would come before that. When I was 8 days late I started to have cramps but wasn't sure if it was the real thing. I had a lot of Braxton hicks. That night I had more cramps but they were very bearable. The next morning I woke up and was sure I was in latent labour. I used the breathing techniques, visualizations, and listening to nature sounds and yoga/meditation music alternating between the bath, yoga positions and lying down in bed. I was very calm and not in pain. I had a scheduled prenatal appointment for 2:30 at the hospital which the doctors asked me to come to even though I was sure I was in labour. When I got to the hospital I was monitored for 2 hours. I was still using breathing techniques and was feeling really good. I didn't realize I was already in active labour. At this point there was concern because our son wasn't moving much so this was our first circumstance. There was concern that there was meconium in the fluids so the doctor wanted to break my waters. We remained calm but at this moment realized that things were going to go quickly. Once my waters were broken I was a little shocked but was able to regain calm after some breathing, reassurances from my partner and visualizations. I was still not in pain.
There did turn out to be meconium in the fluids and still not as much movement, at this point the head of obstetrics was called in to evaluate. We were still calm, and I was managing with breathing but we weren't sure how serious things were. After an assessment we were allowed to continue on, I was now at 9cm and had only been at the hospital for 3 hours. This was reassuring and I started to feel ready to breathe the baby down. He was stuck and not ready yet. I used a lot of breathing, and a lot of visualizations and we also used the polar bear position to try to reposition him. This worked and I started to breath with the surges. Things were progressing well until his heart rate dropped with every surge. Yet another special circumstance. At this point I could feel the tension in the room and the urgency to get him out. I began to push but I still was able to breath and remain somewhat calm through this.
Once his head has crowned they used the vacuum to get him out to check on him for his heart rate and lungs because of the meconium.
Our son was born at 8:47 that night 6 hours after we arrived at the hospital. I was very thankful for the strategies that we both learned from hypnobirthing I was able to have a very relaxing latent labour at home and used strategies to remain calm through special circumstances and my husband learned to remain calm and had the confidence to be the perfect birthing partner for me.
The fears that I had about pain during labour were addressed during the course and I felt confident going into labour. In hindsight, I did feel pressure not pain for the most part, and I had anticipated 6 hours in the hospital in our class visualization which was exactly what happened.
The nurses even commented on how well we were connected and how calm we were with each other during the whole time.
Thank you very much Brenda for your course. Even though our birth wasn't exactly as we planned, we were able to be calm and worked very well together.
K~ Terrace