HypnoBirthing® UK

[DeborahS]

I am expecting my first baby on New Year's Day(I'm 38 weeks) and have been practicing HB since week 30 with my lovely husband and a local practitioner. I read many of the fantastic hypnobirthing stories when I began (along with a lot of less useful stuff from elsewhere!!!) and now I can't find any new ones. Is everyone too busy with Christmas I wonder? Is there anybody out there?

[Danielle]

Hi,
I felt that I couldn't read and run without writing a reply, have you read my sons birth story, you will have to click on my website link.

I also have another birth story, it happened about 2 weeks ago.

One of the mums I teach just had her baby, I saw her for a refresher session on the Thursday night, all great, she was 40 weeks the next day, 1st baby, membranes released at 4am, went to hospital, they said she would be 24-48 hours yet, had the baby just after lunch. As the hospital had told her it would be at least 24 hours she didn't realize how far along she was and had the baby in the bathroom, with the father on the phone to the paramedics! I found out because the 1st midwife to arrive was the one who delivered my baby a few months earlier (but that was planned at home). I'm not writing this to encourage you to have your baby without a midwife but because thought it was a great birth story.

Hope this helps and sends you lots of positive thoughts about a nice short birthing
Danielle

[DeborahS]

Thanks Danielle, I have read your own story and many thanks for this 'top-up'. As Christmas approaches and I meet up with old friends all keen to give me the low-down on their birth traumas, I'm getting better at suggesting we all wait till I have an experience to share. I am looking forward to having my own gentle, amazing HB story to tell!

Happy, Happy New Year

[Danielle]

Sometimes people who have had babies and had pain just want to go on and on about it when they hear your doing HB, it like they had a bad time so they want you to have a bad time too. Keep thinking positively and tell them you don't want to know, sometimes you really have to be quite blunt.

I look forward to hearing your birth story if you feel like posting it when you have a quiet minute after the birth.

Danielle

[ockysmith]

Good luck with the birth!

You can read some testimonials and my own birth story (under about me) on my website:

http://www.birthfriendly.co.uk

Have you looked at the US forum? http://www.hypnobirthing.com

Sarah

[ronac]

I would be really interested to hear how you got on.

I have been practicing for around two months and at 29 weeks have a few weeks to go yet. I am worried that it will all go out the window when labor starts for real. I agree that there are many skeptics who laugh off hypnobirthing and seem to relish the pain and fear they think every women must go through.

[Danielle]

And sometimes it seems as though they are determined that you won't enjoy birth because they didn't and they found it painful. I remember those people from aquanatal...

[DebS]

Hi I'm back (I changed my e-mail address & forgot my password but it's still me!) This it turns out is the 'when you get a quiet minute after the birth' that Danielle mentioned- only one year and one month after the event! I had my HypnoBirth and it worked

My babe was expected on New Years Eve/Day and from 38 weeks midwives began banging on about avoiding induction - curry, raspbery leaves, membrane sweeps - I got tired of it - I had my lovely image of me taking off in my birth balloon all my fears dumped over the side and then all these health professionals seemed to be dangling off the tethering ropes shouting, 'take off, take off!' I had to struggle to remind myself 42+1 is late not 38 weeks.

I found in the week leading up to New Years Eve my tummy hardening and relaxing. Slow and gentle. I had a strong show on New Years Day and developed for the first time the pregnancy waddle when I walked. I began to feel very mild period like cramps on the 2nd Jan by the evening I was experiencing pain. Not terrible, but very low down and very, very disappointing and also I felt afraid - where was my lovely HypnoBirth? I attached my TENS (some people love 'em, I am not one of those people) I couldn't lie down and get 'loose and limp' and my thighs went into spasm with each surge.Between surges I rearranged the cushions, but foolishly, possibly because I was so furious, I didn't put on my music or affirmations or the rainbow relaxation! My husband didn't want to get in my way and didn't suggest it. Eventually at 7am the next morning, without getting really bad, these pains died away.

I had a choice. I got out my HypnoBirthing book. I had a word with the baby and after some careful practise and some rubbing and patting of the Babe we went to bed. Surge free, pain free.

That night the surges started again, intense, but not painful. I was able to lie in bed, sleep between (and through some of) the surges and did not wake my husband! At 7am the next day something went 'pop', not painful but surprising, like a balloon bursting - I expected to find myself in a puddle but didn't - suddenly I didn't feel I could manage on my own and woke hubbie (about time too!!) I went into the bathroom and went into an intense phase - still didn't use any of the music, affirmations etc (I know- hopeless)and found there was an intense not very pleasant ( but not painful) set of surges. I submerged myself in the bath (too cold and too small and underwater is not great for balloon breathing) I got out and was sick twice. Now I realise the intensity, feeling of only just coping and vomiting are classic signs of transition, but despite all my reading I didn't think of this at the time. Even when a little squeeze on my bladder seemed to help - I sat on a towel - I didn't recognise this as moving baby into the Birth path.

We set off to the hospital at 10.30 am where a very casual receptionist tottered off to find a midwife ( I didn't seem to be in labour I was smiling!) The midwife was exactly what we wished for quiet, gentle, respectful. She asked if she could examine me and told me my baby was ready to be born.

The birth pool was filled and was bliss. At the height of each surge my body seemed to push of its own accord. This phase was slow and unhurried (Baby had been skipping in the cord and this tangling slowed things down). Shortly after 11 her head emerged, no pain just heat and when our baby was fully born she came to the surface wide awake.

Looking back the experience was a good birth, if I were to do it again I would have more faith in believing I was progressing. Also I'd ask my partner to be more involved in gently reminding me of the hypnoBirthing stuff and pointing out signs of transition (although I am a great believer in less talking = better birthing)Things got lovely when I was told the baby was well on her way and I was truly able to relax - up till then I had a secret fear that I would be told, 'this is not real labour' - the experience of a (non HypnoBirthing) friend when she was in real pain after 14 hours.
I can honestly recommend HB, so can hubbie and Baby.

[Danielle]

Congratulations. I guess this is why not many people get round to telling their stories because their babies keep them so busy! Your birth sounded great-well done

[clairejk75]

what a fantastic, inspirational story, well done! My son is almost 1 and I still haven't written mine.

Congratulations