My birthing time started when my water broke spontaneously. The first pressure waves started within an hour, and I started listening to Your Birthing Time Begins and followed up with the Fear Clearing track. My husband was working from home that day and asked if I could just give him two hours to finish up a project. I didn't mind at first, because I had plenty of tracks to choose from, but the pressure waves became fairly intense faster than I'd imagined. Soon enough we were working together through a Miles Circuit and various other positions, and after about four hours, I got in our bathtub and listened along to the Deepening track. That track, along with the warm water, really helped calm me down and focus my attention on the hypnosis. (possible Bubble of Peace) After getting out of the tub, however, I became really nauseous and started vomiting. The pressure waves were down to three minutes apart, and at that point, we called the hospital and my midwife told me to come in immediately. ​

​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. ​

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!