Hypnobirthing – what every mum to be should know!

 

What are your thoughts when thinking about labour?  Having only ever watched One Born Every Minute and hearing horror stories from colleagues, my view was to avoid labour at all costs.  The problem comes when you realise you are pregnant and wonder how exactly the baby is going to come out!

In moving away from fear and horror, every new mum to be should consider Hypnobirthing.  This is a fantastic way to understand how the body works in childbirth and can really make the delivery easier regardless of what happens on that special day when you finally meet your Little One.

 

Our Story……

 

I am a right wuss when it comes to pain – I couldn’t even bear the blood tests during the pregnancy so I couldn’t even begin to imagine how on earth I would endure labour.  My thoughts about labour were that it would be difficult, painful and really should be avoided.  When I first found out that I was expecting thoughts soon turned to the dreaded labour.  Initially I was determined that the only way to deliver the baby would be by caesarean.

 

After a few months I did begin to contemplate giving birth naturally.  My mum found an article about hypnobirthing which led us to book the classes with Lyn.

 

The classes with Lyn were brilliant – we learnt so much about how the body works in childbirth and by the end of the first session we decided that we would like to have a home birth.  I was totally amazed at how I felt confident to have a natural birth rather than my initial thoughts of a caesarean.  At the classes we practised different breathing and relaxation techniques and then continued with these in our own time.

 

My due date was fast approaching but nothing was happening.  Sadly, my home birth was looking more and more unlikely as each day went past beyond my 40 weeks.  As we had got to 42 weeks with no sign of Little One, we agreed that I would have to be induced.  This absolutely terrified me – I had a phobia of hospitals and this was so far away from my ideal of a home birth.

 

We started the induction process at 3pm on 12th October.  The midwife was convinced that nothing was going to happen and that the second pessary would be necessary, which was due at 9pm.  We spent the remainder of the afternoon walking round the hospital and my mum and dad came to visit in the evening.  I was starting to feel uncomfortable with a dull period like pain in my tummy so we decided it was probably best to head back up to the ward.  We got back up to the ward about 8pm and as I was feeling uncomfortable, I started to do the 20 – 20 breathing we had practised.  With hindsight the waves of discomfort were in fact surges but they just felt like waves.  As I was due to have the second pessary at 9pm I went to the toilet about 8.45pm and was bleeding.  When we fetched the midwife she told me it was probably a reaction to the pessary.  By about 9pm the waves were coming much more frequently.  Although we were on the ward, we just carried on with the 20 – 20 breathing and balloon visualisation.  I asked the midwife if I could use my Tens Machine as I was feeling uncomfortable but she wanted to start the next stage of the induction process before doing anything else.

 

The midwife put the heart monitor on, but meanwhile the surges were getting stronger – although they just seemed to last for longer and were not more painful.  When the midwife came back to check the heart rate, with each surge the baby’s heart rate was decreasing – this should not have been happening.  The midwife decided that I needed to be transferred to the labour room so I could be closely monitored.  I did offer to walk but was told that I would be wheeled on the bed.  At this time I had only removed my shoes and tights. We got into the labour room and John suggested that I should take off my skirt and knickers.  I calmly told him that there was plenty of time to get undressed but thought that perhaps he did have a point so duly obliged.  It was now about 9.45pm and my body moved to the next stage of childbirth.  I felt a change in my body from the waves to needing to push.  As the baby’s heart rate was continuing to decrease the midwife wanted to go and fetch some further help.  In telling her that I needed to push, she advised John that if I said this again then he needed to press the pull cord.  Just as she had left the room I needed to push, so John had to use the pull cord.  The midwife returned to the room and the speed of which things were happening led her to pull the emergency cord.  It seemed as though the world and his dog then arrived in the room.

 

There seemed to be a general air of concern amongst the medical profession – the baby had to come out.  I asked the senior registrar what I needed to do and she told me to breathe with each push.  I then remembered we were into J shape breathing.  The registrar was getting more concerned about getting the baby out quickly.  I continued with each surge with the J shape breathing.  I remember being told that it was not possible to give me any pain relief as it was too late.  I do recall thinking that I didn’t need any pain relief – my body was doing exactly what it was designed to do.

 

In order to help get the baby out quickly, I did have an episiotomy – with hindsight we do feel that this was probably not necessary but given the circumstances we just went with the flow.  The registrar then informed me that she was intending to use forceps.  I was determined that this would not be needed and with the next surge the baby’s head was out.  I couldn’t believe it when I was told that with the ‘next contraction’ my baby would be born.  So with another big J shape breath Kieran was born at 10.15pm.  In total there was about 8 surges and Kieran had arrived!

 

For the delivery of the placenta and for being stitched I was given gas and air but again I continued to use the breathing we had practised.  I did use the gas and air as I had been advised by others it was good!  I have to say I spent longer trying to work out how to use it rather than feeling any benefits!

 

I couldn’t believe that I had delivered our baby through breathing and without the need for pain relief – this is exactly what we had learnt through hypnobirthing.  It is possible for the body to deliver a baby and my thoughts have certainly changed from what I would have said a year ago!

 

I truly believe that all of the breathing practice really helped me and that the hypnobirthing course and techniques enabled me to stay totally calm throughout the whole experience.  Both registrars and the midwife commented on how calm I had been.

 

In one of the sessions with Lyn we had visualised a speedy experience.  During the session we independently set a total childbirth time of 2 hours.  Through using the affirmations and asking for a smooth, quick and comfortable delivery this was what happened.  “I am prepared to calmly meet whatever turn my birthing takes.”  This affirmation had stuck with me throughout the preparation and was borne out in my experience.

 

My husband is quite sceptical when it comes to alternative therapies but in being supportive he agreed to get involved.  Having seen my attitude change towards childbirth and the experience on 12th October, he would also recommend hypnobirthing.

 

Although I had not wanted any medical interventions and I ended up having to be induced, we were able to use the hypnobirthing techniques we had learnt and practised, which meant that we did end up having a wonderful birth.

 

On a personal note, our sincere thanks must be given to Lyn.  The classes were fun and we learnt so much and had a good laugh at the same time.   Lyn was brilliant and offered us a great level of support particularly when I had to go into hospital to be induced.