Hypnobirthing Stories
"From the day we commenced our hypnobirthing course my attitude towards the birth of my child changed dramatically. An event that I was secretly dreading turned into something that I was really looking forward to. My partner was extremely supportive and towards the end of our pregnancy we were practicing at least one of the relaxation exercises each day."
"Know that you are different and nothing that you have seen before you needs to define you and your experience"
Baby was 4 days past her 'due date' when my waters went rather suddenly and dramatically. We decided to go out for a walk straight away to collect our thoughts and encourage labour to start, and boy did it! I started having surges quite intensely over the half an hour walk so came home, showered and started timing them. They were intense and very irregular but were approximately every 4-5 minutes. I called the midwife-led unit so let them know what had happened and said I'd like to stay home as long as possible. As my waters had gone, she said to leave it no longer than 2 hours before calling back. I lasted 45 minutes with a TENS machine and the birth ball before calling back and saying I was heading over, as the surges were coming every 2 minutes and were very intense.
I listened to the affirmations and the magic carpet visualisation in the car on the way and my partner was fantastic at reminding me to breathe and stroking my arm and leg.
When we got to the MLU, I asked for an internal examination and and the midwife explained everything was working as it should but could either stop or progress so not to get in the pool yet. She said I should stay an hour to see how I got on but could probably go home.
After she left, the next hour was really tough as my body started pushing at the end of surges but I didn't realise what was happening. I got Martin to call the midwife back and I explained how I felt, she observed a surge and I asked for another exam. However, complete credit to a wonderful midwife, she said she didn't need to examine me and I needed to listen to my body - if I wanted to get in the pool I should. So, at 8:00, I got in the pool and instantly soothed. After 2 surges, I requested gas and air and then breathed the baby out with Martin's and her help. Baby arrived at 20:44, exactly 6 hours after my waters broke and within 3 hours of arriving at the hospital.
The placenta was a little harder to deliver than I'd anticipated but it came away within 20 minutes without any pain and no stitches were needed at all!
Hypnobirthing helped me in so many ways:
I had a lot of fear to get rid of throughout pregnancy but I managed it with the visualisations and practice
I did perineal massage and pelvic floor exercises and that helped me understand sensations during birth and may have prevented tearing
I had a plan of going for a walk if my waters went so I didn't panic when it did happen
I had no intervention, such as membrane sweeps, when I went overdue
Martin was an exceptional birth partner because he felt so well prepared and always had ideas ready to help me. As we both understood the anatomy of labour more, it helped us both make sense of what was happening
Water birthing was the best possible way to bring Lexi into the world and I've never known such a calm baby. I don't know how anyone gives birth out of water!
So there you have it - a wonderful birth story! I don't know how I'd have managed without hypnobirthing, it really saved my anxious mind from spoiling my baby's birthing.
At 10.10pm, realised it was actual labour because I couldn't talk through the surges, so, I put my hypnobirthing tracks on, and just breathed through the surges while hugging my partner.
Things seemed to slow down once we got to the hospital. We were waiting in the waiting room for a while before they took me to be examined. The surges were getting more uncomfortable but when Nat hugged me, it didn't feel as painful! I was examined and they said I was only 3cms. I was a bit disheartened but remembered what you had said, about the dilation only showing what has happened, and gives no indication of what will happen (which I found to be all too true!).
Once the midwife left the room the surges increased tenfold. It was quite scary but I didn't panic, I just tried to focus on the tracks and focus on my partner's hand on my back. At about 3am, I felt a lot of pressure down below. I put my hand there and felt something. I told Nat and she had a look, then she went to get the midwife. When the midwife came in, she said the baby was being born now! They rushed to get the pool ready. Once it was half full, they said I could get in it. I had one contraction and then somehow got into the pool. It was only half full so I lay on my back. When I had contractions in the pool, the midwife told me to push. I think it was about 8 surges and the head was out, then one more and she was born!I feel proud of myself for giving birth without any pain relief, but also feel massively proud of our baby for birthing herself, since she did all the work!I've got no other pregnancy to compare to, but I honestly think without hypnobirthing, I would have been much more stressed throughout both pregnancy, and the labour.
"My advice to any pregnant woman would be to do hypnobirthing. It can’t guarantee you a pain-free, intervention-free birth or even a vaginal birth but it can give you a positive, euphoric and life-changing experience whatever the outcome and that is priceless"
‘If somebody said, ‘You’re going to do it (giving birth) all again tomorrow,’ I’d go skipping in there.’
I had heard about hypnobirthing through a yoga class I had started and I really thought it would be a good idea for me to look into it and start as soon as possible. At first I was nervous but after meeting Jenny for the first time I couldn't actually believe how relaxed and excited about our birth, at the same time.
We were booked in for an induction as baby's waters were lower than normal. At 12 noon a midwife gave me a gel pessary to induce my labour and I started my positive visualisations of a opening flower, which in my opinion really kickstarted our birth. Around 4pm my waters broke naturally, at this time I was using the up breathing techniques, listening to my CD, imaging to hold my beautiful baby and using a scarf with a lovely smell with every 'surge'.
Shortly after that, my body just took over and it felt like I was in full labour, still using my breathing technique but instead of up breathing, I swapped to down breathing, which made me feel a little more relaxed and in control. At around 6:15 pm I started using the provided gas and air to ease my body into into carefully and calmly birthing my baby at 6:50 pm. I had my golden hour and delayed cord clamping and now because of all those lovely things I have mentioned I'm now successfully breastfeeding. Our hypnobirthing experience was amazing and so effective all throughout my time practicing it. Special thanks to Jenny for believing in us 100% and boosting my confidence and connection with my body and baby throughout my pregnancy. We would like to say a big thank you, so much.
More Birth Stories can be found on the Hypnobirthing Website Below
After attending our first class and going away with all the information I had a positive feeling and was excited to give birth to our little girl. With my last two pregnancy I have had gestational diabetes so the risk of induction became higher, so after a bit of research came across Jenny and her Hypnobirthing class.
Sunday the 1st of May, I woke up with back ache worse than normal. Later that evening about 11pm I asked my partner if we could take our two other children to my moms and pop up the hospital to see if anything was happening. On the way to the hospital I was so excited I was going to be meeting our baby soon. We got to the hospital about 12.00, we waited downstairs for about 15 mins to be taken to the triage, and they popped me on the monitors for 20mins to see if I was contracting etc.. About 1 o'clock in the morning I was examined I was 3cm. The midwife said we could go home if I wished or I could wait to see if anything happens in the next hour. We decided to wait. At this point I pulled out my blue scarf and my partner began to massage my hand like we had been taught in the class. During this time I was so relaxed and even begin to sing songs on the radio. After what seemed like a short amount of time I felt a burning feeling down below, I asked Ashley to get a midwife.
The midwife arrived and I asked her if she would check me again as I felt a burning feeling , she had a look and to my shock and hers our baby was about to be born. The midwife at the time never had time to take me to the delivery suite so had to buzz down for help and blankets and towels. This is when I changed my breathing ready to deliver our baby girl. I delivered our baby girl at 2.02 am with no pain relief and only used the breathing methods I learnt in class with Jenny, because of this and learning how to to down breath I also didn't need any stitches.
The birth was really empowering and left me feeling like anything is possible!
I can not recommend Hypnobirthing enough!