2nd time Hypno-Mom’s husband says , she’s the “poster child” for Hypnobabies!!!

Thanks to RaeAnna from the Hypnobabies Yahoo Group for sharing her birth story with us.

I am sitting here with my precious baby girl on my chest and I’m
giving thanks again to a God who answers prayer! I was hoping to go
into spontaneous labor with Eva Mae but as 41 weeks came closer and
closer I began to lose hope and knew that I would be heading to the

hospital on Monday night, Dec 5. I prayed that if I had to go in at a

certain time, the Lord would make a way for the birth to go the same
as my son’s 2 years ago.

 

At 9:00am on December 5th I drank a mixture of castor oil/juice/almond

butter and champagne to try to stimulate my uterus into contracting

and labor. It started working around 3pm and we enjoyed a relaxing day
at home getting ready to head to the hospital. My mom came over around

5:30 and we went to dinner and shopping before heading up to the

hospital for the induction. I was having contractions but they were
really easy to work through. Just pressure and a tightening sensation.

At 9:00pm we checked into Vanderbilt and met our nurse, Sylvia. She is

a wonderful lady and I’m really glad we were put in her care!!!

Melissa (the midwife) came in to check me and talk about our options.

I had done a lot of progressing over the past few days and was at a

good 6cm and -1 station. Effacement was only 50% but she said that

subsequent pregnancies are typical to not efface as quickly as first

pregnancies. She allowed us to spend a few hours walking around and

using the breast pump to stimulate stronger contractions and I could

tell that they were getting stronger! Whenever I was hooked up to the

contraction monitor they saw some great progress – Melissa even
mentioned that with the progress of the contractions there was no need

to worry at all about having pitocin. My body was doing what it needed
to do!!! Yay! (In fact, I was also allowed to decline a Heplock IV so
I had NOTHING in my arms!!!!! I was so glad to have that freedom to

move around without distraction!!!)

At around 11:30 or 12:00 Melissa came in again and asked if I wanted

to be checked. I am so glad that she continued to let me labor on my

own without the constant “hovering” and checking that I know some

women have experienced in labor situations. I knew it wasn’t time to

push so I asked if we could just keep doing what we were doing and

check on dilation later on. She was happy to work with me and my
wishes! Throughout all this time I was in such a great place mentally.

I had my CD playing my Hypnobaby tracks and when we were walking

outside the room I played my tracks on my iPod. The most helpful
tracks to listen to were “Easy First Stage,” “Birthing Day
Affirmations,” and “Visualize Your Birth.” I love the relaxing

background music and the soothing voice of Terri, the founder of
Hypnobabies!

At 2:00am Melissa came back in and between a contraction she checked

on progress. I had a very bulging bag of water and progressed to a 7
but I was still 50% effaced. She asked if I wanted her to break my

water and ever since I arrived at the hospital I was open to having my
water broken as long as the baby’s head was engaged low enough to

eliminate a risk of cord prolapse. I think I was a -2 station at the

time and Melissa was confident labor would be quick after breaking my

water so I agreed. It was a weird sensation to feel all the water gush

– Nick said Melissa’s face was priceless when she saw how much water

there was!!! I was really happy to hear that there was so much

amniotic fluid because low fluid is a side effect of gestational
diabetes at 40-41 weeks gestation.

The contractions were a lot stronger after my water broke and I had to

really concentrate through them. Fortunately not many were right on

top of each other so I was able to walk around and keep my mind off of

the discomfort. I also spent time in and out of the shower with the
hot water spraying on my back and that helped a lot! Throughout the

contractions I kept myself in a deep state of hypnosis using the words
“Peace” “Relax” “Release” and “Open” – all those reminders helped me
keep my body loose and limp throughout a contraction so that Eva Mae
could descend quicker and I would dialate faster.

At 3:30ish I had several really hard contractions that were more

intense but not as long. I could also tell that they were a little
different – like they were lower than the others. All of a sudden
during one of the contractions I knew it was time to push!!!! Sylvia

and Nick were the only ones in the room and Sylvia called her team of
helpers to the room while Nick tried to find Melissa.

I jumped up on the bed and yelled “She’s coming!!!” and started

pushing! I couldn’t wait and my body knew exactly what to do! Sylvia

told Nick to put on his gloves and they were still waiting for Melissa

but Eva Mae’s head started coming out before Melissa got there! When

she came in the room I could hear her laugh and say “I thought I was

just coming in to check her!!!” She came over and guided Eva Mae’s

head and shoulders out and right then Eva Mae started crying and shot

out! She came out so quickly that she completely slid past Sylvia’s
hands into Nick’s hands! From the time I got on the bed to push to the

time she was out was 4 minutes!!!!

Melissa helped me position myself on the bed to hold Eva Mae and I was
able to bond with her for 45min to an hour before they took her to

weigh and get her footprints! She latched on to breast feed quickly
and has been a champion feeder ever since!!! When they took her to
weigh I couldn’t believe she was 10 pounds! She seemed so much lighter

than Christian but she ended up being longer and only a half a pound

lighter!!! (10lb 1oz, 22in)

We were able to go home after 24 hours and we’ve been so blessed with

her sweet nature and easy disposition!!! I am so in love with my baby

girl and so thankful that the Lord answered my prayer for an easy,

safe and comfortable childbirth!!! Just like Christian’s birth in

2009, I can’t thank the Hypnobaby program enough for the education and

support of natural childbirth! Nick says I’m the “poster child” for
Hypnobabies!!! The Vanderbilt Midwives are so supportive and

encouraging and I’m thankful that the opportunity is here in Nashville

to have a hospital birth with a midwife! Melissa was amazing and my
primary care under Linda was such a wonderful experience!!! I pray

that the Lord will allow us to have more children in the future with

awesome birth stories!

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87% Cesarean rate at the Brazilian hospital where mom has her Hypnobabies natural birth!

Thanks to Barb from the Hypnobabies Yahoo Group for sharing her birth story with us.

She lives in Brazil so it was interesting to hear how her birth went!

It’s long, but it was beautiful and completely amazing. I am so confident in myself and my body. Even the way I see my body has changed through this birth. I am completely blown away and grateful for the experience. It has been almost two weeks and I still squeel like a little girl when I think about how exciting and wonderful it was. SHE IS HERE!!! My Julie is so adorable. We couldn’t have asked for more 🙂

Go to her blog to read the whole story!

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3 Part Birth Story

Brittany – A contributor to The Gift of Giving Life shares her Hypnobabies Birth Story on her Blog.

Between Worlds:  A Hypnobabies Birth Story Part 1:  Early Birthing Time

After I got off the phone, I decided a nap was a good idea (it was early afternoon by this point). I got in bed and listened to Hypnobabies again. I think I did the Fear Clearing track. I knew I needed that. I got some sleep.

Part 2:  A Hypnobabies Birth Story – Things Get Really Moving

I grabbed the Hypnobabies Birth Partner Guide and opened it to the birth prompts I went to the music on my phone and turned on Easy First Stage. I wanted to get into hypnosis as fast as I could and make this easier.

Part 3  A Hypnobabies Birth Story – The Baby Arrives

Kim suggested I get on the bed and lean forward on the birth ball. That position was perfect. I used the ball to help me rock, sometimes back and forth, sometimes side to side. I started saying “peace” out loud during the pressure waves. Kim said that when I had gotten off the birth ball, the waves had suddenly gone from about 6 minutes apart to 3 minutes apart.

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Changing the Perception of Fear and Pain in Childbirth

I found these insightful blog posts from one of our wonderful Hypnobabies moms who’s also a researcher and a well-spoken author.

These posts offer research and support for how birth hypnosis, and a new language paradigm surrounding childbirth, can make all the difference for women.

Enjoy! I sure did.

• Fear and Pain: A Cultural Picture of Childbirth…and What We Can Do to Change It
• Part 2 – Fear and Pain: A Cultural Picture of Childbirth…and What We Can Do to Change It

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Tabitha’s Birth

Thanks to Melissa from the Hypnobabies Yahoo Group for sharing her birth story with us.

So, I have been a member of this group, albeit somewhat in the background, for some months now. I haven’t posted any questions, mainly because everything I ever needed to know (and more!) was covered through other questions. I have really enjoyed reading all the questions and responses though, and thought I would share my story.

Tabitha was born 2 weeks late, on 1st December – I was scheduled for an induction at 12 days over, but when I went along they said I could leave it a couple more days if I wanted to. I really didn’t want to be induced and Tabitha was very happy where she was, so I jumped at the chance. I was told that 14 days over was really as long as they would recommend me waiting though, so booked me in for an induction at 14 days over.

 

Tabitha obviously decided that she didn’t want to be induced either, as my waters broke the night before the induction. I was really excited, as I had planned to give birth in a birth centre rather than in hospital. I called the birth centre, and they advised me to take two paracetamol and go to bed, as the chance of anything happening that night was very slim. About ten minutes later, my contractions started – there was no gentle build up, they were full strength from the word go! I have to be honest, this did make it difficult for me to use the techniques I had learned through the Hypnobabies course. I will say though that if my breathing was slow and controlled, and I was focussed when a pressure wave hit, I could breathe through it. If I lost focus and wasn’t ready, it was a lot harder.

My waters had broken at around 10.30pm, and by 4am I told my partner to call the birth centre again. They were still dubious that I should go in, but left the decision up to me. I decided not to go in, as the idea of going in and being sent home was pretty awful! By 6am, they phoned back again and said that seeing as my induction was scheduled for 7.30am, I may as well go to the birth centre and be assessed, just in case I could give birth there. They warned me that chances were I would be sent off to the hospital for the induction as planned, but by this stage, I was pretty sure that I was in full-blown labour, so we got in the car and went to the birth centre.

 

They were pretty surprised and I was infinitely relieved when they examined me and found I was 6cm dilated! They took me to a room, gave me the gas and air and started filling the pool. It was changeover time, and the new mid-wife arrived about 7.15 am, and I told her that I was feeling like I needed to push, which worried me as I knew it was too early to be pushing. She examined me and said that I was fully dilated, so I got in the pool and the pushing part got underway.  I had learned so much from Hypnobabies and was concentrating hard on my body and on moving the baby. The line about not being afraid no matter how much power was moving through my body was something I focussed on – little things like this were so helpful too me, as otherwise I think the whole power of the experience could have been a little overwhelming. It was all very calm, although very intense! The experience of being in the pool with my partner was one that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss for the world – absolutely incredible.

Once the head was out came the most amazing part of the whole experience – that final push when the body came out and everything just stopped. They put her on my chest and it was the most incredible moment of my entire life. She was and is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

To sum it all up, I am very glad that I got the opportunity to have a natural birth, and that I chose the Hypnobabies home study course to prepare for it. The mid-wife told me that she was amazed that it was my first baby, as I seemed so in tune with my body and just seemed to know what to do. I put this down to my Hypnobabies training. The course also helped me to relax throughout my pregnancy – I hadn’t realised how stressed out I was until I started listening to the tracks and found it very hard to slow my breathing! But the main thing that I got from the course was being able to look forward to giving birth. I had been scared of it and seen it just as something that had to be endured, and the Hypnobabies training made me see it as an incredible experience – which it was. My partner and I now have this bond that we didn’t have before, and Tabitha was born calmly and peacefully. Even though I didn’t listen to the tracks whilst in labour, the course fully prepared me for the birth, and I believe that the visualisations in the tracks helped my body move quickly through the latent stage of labour.

All in all I am very happy with my birth experience and smitten with my gorgeous daughter.

Best wishes to you all

Melissa x

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Hypnobabies Practice Helps Pregnant Mom with Flying and Hand Pain

Mandy, a Hypnobabies Instructor in Denver got this email from one of her students.

I wanted to share a few experiences I’ve had recently with the Hypnosis practice and CD’s.

I’ve been practicing a lot and using the CD’s and it seems easier to relax every time I do it. I have RA and this generally effect my hands and wrists the most right now so every evening around 9 pm my hands swell up and I have intense pain in my wrists making it a challenge to find a comfortable sleeping position. I’ve been listening to the CD’s and during the CD I can completely lose my sense of pain my hands—as if they are not there at all, when I come up from Hypnosis that pain is still there although not always as strong as before, so cool.

Additionally, I am a very nervous flier and I do fly often so I have been developing techniques to help me stay calm during take off and landing. Yesterday when I flew, I practice my finger drop and middle switch technique many times throughout the flight and I felt so relaxed and rested. When it got close to landing I listened to the deepening track then turned the track off and continued using affirmations for the remainer of the landing- Deeper and deeper relaxed, Peaceful, Calm and Confident and it was amazing I was sitting with my eyes closed and smiling as the plane bumped along during a very windy landing.

The added benefit was that even though I got up at 3:30 am and went to bed quite late I felt rested and relaxed through out the whole day and did not feel over tired and cranky as I usually do on a flight day.

I just wanted to share becasue I am so excited and delighted that the Hypnosis seems to be working very well for me. I was talking with my co workers about my upcoming birth and choice to do a home birth and I really felt completely confident, empowered and enthusiastic (I was glowing) which is a significant shift from how I was feeling before our class began.

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Hypnobabies helps mom shift her attitude!

Hypnobabies helps mom shift her attitude!

From: “Natural childbirth is crazy!”

To: “Childbirth can be a fun, wonderful, comfortable, and relaxing experience!”

Want to read an inpirational Hypnobabies Birth Story?    Click here to go to Crystal’s Blog and read an amazing story.

This mom goes from thinking people who have a natural birth are crazy to having an amazing, peaceful water birth.  Hypnobabies helped her have this amazing birth!

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