My name is Brooke and I had two boys delivered using the induction process and epidurals. After both deliveries I had lower back pain, wasn’t very happy, and it hurt to move around. We had a family doctor who we love help deliver Wyatt and Ethan. However she wanted to raise her own family so she cut back her hours and no longer did OB/GYN care. So for my third pregnancy we had to find a different provider. We originally went with a doctor in the same clinic however we just were not clicking, our personalities clashed and I didn’t feel like I was being taken care of. So a friend of mine told me about midwives so we decided to check out this type of care and fell in love with them. We were so happy with how much care they provided both for me and for my baby. This same friend also recommended Hypnobabies as well to make the birthing a special positive experience.
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I couldn’t wait to have another Hypnobaby! I remember saying that within the same day that my second baby (but first Hypnobabies baby) was born. I loved educating moms about Hypnobabies and had several friends go on to have Hypnobabies births after I had my second. We were surprised and excited to find out that our third baby was due sometime in February of 2016.
I knew that I would use Hypnobabies again. Without a doubt, the birth of my son was such a beautiful experience and I wanted to create that again. I practiced hypnosis and listened to my tracks starting at around 30 weeks gestation. I seemed to fall asleep every time I listened. I enjoyed that peaceful time of each day. My first birth left a lot to be desired. My son came at 35 weeks and it was not the hospital birth I had imagined or wanted. I felt like I missed out and I knew there was a better way to give birth. My husband (Darrell) and I discussed home birth for our next baby but ultimately decided on a birth center. I found my awesome midwife, Cheryl, who I love and trust and started to get excited as I knew I was on the right path. After researching natural birthing methods online, Hypnobabies sounded perfect for me. The birth stories and videos were amazing and I felt it was exactly what I needed to achieve my desired birth. I also started looking for a doula as soon as we found out I was pregnant and decided a hypno-doula would make sense. I hit the jackpot when I found Anne who ended up being my doula, class instructor, placenta encapsulator and one of my biggest supporters throughout my pregnancy and birthing time. Click HERE to read the rest of Ashley's story at Hypnobabies.com.
(Hypnobabies students please use your Bubble of Peace to read this story. We love how it shows that not all births can or should be a natural, vaginal birth but that you can use your Hypnobabies tools no matter what path your birthing takes!)
Our birth story actually began the week after class ended, 11 weeks before our crazy Tuesday, May 31st. The week after class ended I was diagnosed with Cholestasis of Pregnancy, which puts baby at risk after week 36/37. I was transferred from midwife care to an OB, I began taking medication daily, I had weekly ultrasounds and blood draws and every other week clinic visits. My birthing waves started around 4 am on Monday, April 11th, but they were irregular and mild so I got up, got ready and went to work anyway. While at work I timed my waves, and after they had been regular for 2.5 hours, I called my midwife and she advised me to head home and get any rest I could, as she suspected (rightfully) that I would be laboring into the night.
Our son’s birth story starts weeks before he joined us earth side. When I was 29 weeks pregnant I went into preterm labor. Having a history of preterm labor with our first son, I didn’t expect to make it to my guess date of St. Patrick’s Day. (You can read this mom's first birth story here.) However, I had no idea this little guy would try to make an appearance so early. Due to my early gestation, I was transferred out of the care of my midwives and into the care of Perinatology and eventually the OBGYNs. Things had slowed down until I was 33 weeks pregnant, at which point I went into preterm labor again.
During this pregnancy I was experiencing a lot of Braxton-Hicks and the closer and closer I got to my guess date I became more and more ready to just be “done”. My guess date was December 21st 2015. I was also having a lot of anxiety and stress related to my guess date and Christmas as well. I also had HELLP syndrome with my first and that was in the back of my mind as well because I didn’t want to have that happen again. (Read this mom's first birth story here. A fast induction!) At 39 weeks I asked my doula if there were any natural ways to induce my birthing time since I was ready to be “done”. She suggested acupuncture, specifically the kind to help have more consistent pressure waves and to get our birthing time going. I was very hesitant at first since I had never done acupuncture but my husband was on board so we went to have that done. We then went home and tried to get some sleep. About 3 hours after having the acupuncture, I woke up having pressure waves. I didn’t think anything of them only because I had been having them on and off through pregnancy. However, this time they were not stopping. My husband decided to time them and within an hour they were lasting about 30-40 seconds and were about 5 minutes apart. During this time I was using my hypnobabies techniques to turn my switch off and breathe through the pressure waves. We called our doula and she thought we should go in, especially since this was our second birth and we were about 45 minutes from the hospital.
Because of my preeclampsia diagnosis, I couldn't have a natural birth. On the day I was being induced, Lee and I buttered up the hospital staff with cookies from the bakery I work for. We attached the birth plans and hypnobabies info sheets to the box. That immediately started things off really well. Nurses and midwives were very receptive and curious about Hypnobabies.
At 37 weeks, I had to be dilated with a balloon catheter and then induced with pitocin. The Hypnobabies scripts helped me a lot to relax enough through the balloon dilation and then the first stages of pitocin labor. However, once the full pitocin took effect, I couldn't stay focused enough to be in a deep state of hypnosis. The discomfort became too great and I opted for an epidural. I was given a light epidural where I could still feel my legs and other sensations. Despite the change of plans, Hypnobabies still helped me to stay focused and relaxed enough through my birthing time. I was told by the midwives that I would still feel the pressure waves after the epidural, but I felt no sensations whatsoever. I think it was because Lee and I had primed me by reading scripts and listening to the Deepening Your Hypnosis on my iPhone prior to it. I even slept for several hours leading up to pushing. When it came time to push, I pushed her out with every wave in 20 minutes with minimal tearing and no discomfort. Once my baby came out, it became clear that she was much younger than we had estimated. Instead of being 37 weeks, she appeared more like 35-36 weeks. She was small, but healthy and strong and we were able to go home a week later. The hospital staff was really surprised how quickly I pushed her out, how very little tearing I had, and how I was already moving around literally within 3 hours of birthing her. Even after the epidural wore off, I felt no discomfort. I credit that to being relaxed with the hypnosis scripts beforehand. In the end, I don't see the inability to stay focused through the pitocin labor and getting an epidural as a failure with me or with Hypnobabies. In fact, it was because of Hypnobabies that my birthing time went as smoothly and quickly as it did. I think that having these tools helped me stay calm and brave. Even now, nearly 3 weeks later, I am almost completely healed. I use the scripts now to relax through breast pumping sessions and to stay at peace through late night feedings. Things didn't turn out the way I wanted at first, but the midwives and nurses really respected as much of my plan as possible and the Hypnobabies scripts helped me to stay calm and accepting of the changes. It all added up to a successful birth of my beautiful Mika! After my first birth experience, both my husband and I felt pretty traumatized. We wanted more children, but even the thought of giving birth again was terrifying to me. When our daughter was 2 and half we began looking into other options - there had to be a better way to give birth! We researched and decided on an out of hospital birthing center (Minnesota Birth Center) with a midwife and a doula and all natural birth. We were feeling at peace with our decision when I heard of hypnobabies and it was like the icing on the cake! I am a naturally anxious person, and hypnobabies felt so right to me.
Enjoy this short and sweet birth story shared by one of the Hypno-Dads in Instructor Anne's recent class:
I (Luke) caught Matías in our bathroom while on the phone with 911 :) It was a very fast labor obviously. It was dramatic the difference in Cristal with the use of hypnobabies and tools. The biggest difference was that with our first, the 12 hours were filled with fear. This time however, was different. When the first wave "hit" at 5 pm we decided to rest. At 7:30 they were still one about every 20 minutes, and we were going to go for a family walk, but Asher developed a fever, so Cristal decided to listen to one of her tracks while cuddling with our boy in bed. Her waves didn't get regular until around 10:30 pm when the were one every five, and we contacted our doula and the HCMC midwives, the car was packed, but Cristal couldn't leave the bathroom. Once the waves started coming regularly, they wouldn't let up. With each failed attempt to usher her out of the bathroom into the car, she'd go running back to the toilet. Until at 11:15, after I had almost gotten her ready, she looked at me and said, "I'm sorry I can't go, we are going to have to do this here." |
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