An inspiring HypnoBirthing story

Here is a really inspiring HypnoBirthing birth story from one of my clients that took my class in June 2008. It shows how having a supportive team can really help even when you doubt the process....enjoy!

We have big news! A beautiful new princess has joined the B family. Kylie Anne B. was born on 8/18/08 at 9:59am, weighing in at a healthy 8 lbs 13 oz and 20.5 in long. The girls are thrilled about their newest little sister! We are home, and Mom and baby are doing very well! We will send pictures as soon as we can. I will surely have my hands full in this house full of women! God help me. Love,John, Anne, Lauren, Alexandria & Kylie

Here is Anne's birth story that she gave me permission to share: My original due date was August 12, 2008. I had an appointment with my OB (Dr. Dane Shipp at Pacific Coast Women's Health) that day. I was ready to have this baby, and discussed my options for induction. But, my doctor –knowing full well I wanted a natural delivery – told me that there was no medical reason to induce, and advised me to give it another week. So, I made another appointment for August 18, 2008 fully intending to schedule an induction at that time.

I woke up at 3:30a.m. on August 18th and knew the surges that I felt were different than the practice labor ones I had been feeling for weeks. I started timing them, and they were coming about every 6-7 minutes apart. By 4 a.m., they were every 2-3 minutes, lasting a minute. I woke John and we started getting ready. We waited an hour, but when they were coming every 2 minutes consistently, I really wanted to get to the hospital (Scripps Encinitas). We got there by 5:30 a.m., and checked in. I specifically requested a labor nurse that supported a natural childbirth, and got a wonderful nurse. She was only on until 7:00a.m. though, so I asked her to please assign us another one that also supported natural childbirth. She too was wonderful and I was pleasantly surprised at how the hospital staff went to great lengths to abide by our wishes.

When I got to the hospital, and was checked at around 6 a.m., I was 4cm dilated and 100% thinned. My doctor came in and checked me again at 8 a.m., and I was 6 cm dilated. I had been doing my breathing and listening to the CD until that time, and felt pretty relaxed through the surges; but at 6 cm, it was getting very intense and I started to doubt my abilities. About 20 minutes later, I asked my nurse for pain management options that did not include an epidural. She did tell me that I could have IV drugs, but felt that I would not like the effect they had on me.

By this time, John was really in full mode, doing light touch massage and telling me how great I was doing, how I was laboring just as I had planned through this whole pregnancy, and how I could achieve my goal of a completely natural childbirth. I really wanted to believe him, but really felt doubtful, but decided to try to hold out a little longer. Somewhere between 8:20 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., I knew that I had taken the HypnoBirthing as far as I felt I could, so I asked for the IV drugs. My nurse asked if I could wait for the doctor to check me, because she thought I may be pleasantly surprised by my progress. By 9:00a.m. when my doctor checked me, I was 9 ¾ cm dilated – so in less than an hour, I had progressed 4 cm – and was told that no drugs could be given to me now. I was relieved I had made it that far!

When I was fully opened and thinned, my doctor advised me to do what my body wanted to do naturally – if that meant pushing, great, but he was not going to coach me to push – nor was the nurse, he would just wait for my cues and follow my lead. After 6 cm, I had to abandon the HypnoBirthing breathing and really just did what my body needed (shorter breaths with longer ones between surges). But, I really tried to breathe the baby down, but did not feel that I could continue to do that, and once the last ¼ cm of cervix had opened, I pushed, but did so as gently as I could (until she crowned – then I purple pushed with all my might). The doctor turned all the lights down, used a calm voice, gave me some tips to make me more comfortable and advised what may help to get the baby out quicker, but all in all really supported me. He told me not to be scared of the actual delivery, that everything I was feeling was normal, but that I was doing great (By this time, I was shaking, having some convulsions and getting a little nauseous). He did advise me to slow my breathing down and take some deep slow breaths to gear up for the crowning and to regain some strength.

John was also just incredible during this stage, really giving me confidence to listen to my body and finish my goal, talking softly in my ear (I don't even remember what he said, it was just the sound and tone that kept me calm). I also want to point out that my membranes had not yet released by the time I wanted to push. My doctor said he was not going to advise me to break the water, that there was no medical need to do so, and to just let nature take its course. My membranes did release right after a good push, and Kylie was born about 10 minutes later at 9:59a.m. The hardest part by far was the very end when she was being received – which is when I purple pushed (I was able to help receive my baby – I just held my hands out and held on to her as she emerged –it was incredible.)

It wasn't until about 20 minutes after her birth that I really realized that her birth – although the most difficult thing I had done – was just what I wanted. No one urged me to "speed things along," I had my husband, doctor and nurse all talk me out of using any drugs or intervention – my nurse specifically said to me "I really think you will be disappointed later if you use any drugs right now, I know you can do it, you are doing great." John kept telling me how amazed he was by me, how great I was doing and that I could do it all naturally just like I wanted.

No one told me that they had to break my bag of water or anything. Really, the only thing my doctor insisted on was to start an IV because this was my 3rd baby and he was concerned that it would progress so rapidly that I may have too much blood loss – but I didn't have a problem with having an IV. Even when my placenta did not release after a ½ hour, he just kept waiting and massaging, trying to let my body do what it needed to naturally (it finally release after 50 minutes). I also held Kylie on my chest for an hour before they weighed her and checked her out.

I really wouldn't have changed anything about the way she was born. I think I was the only one that doubted my abilities – so I am so grateful that I had the support system that I did. Without John coaching me and encouraging me 100%, I am sure I would have gotten the drugs, but am SOOO happy that I didn't.

Kylie is a wonderful baby, she hardly cries, is very content and easily soothed. We are on day 2, and I feel refreshed and a lot less tired than I did with my other 2 deliveries. Although I did a mix of HypnoBirthing breathing and "regular" birth breathing, I think HypnoBirthing allowed me to get as far as I did and made this birth so successful.

I wish all the other couples a safe, happy and healthy delivery.

~Anne & John (and Lauren, Alexandria and Kylie)
We hope our story encourages other couples who want to pursue natural child birth.