My HypnoBirthing Diary

by Andrea Millbank, founder of Baby Coach and certified HypnoBirthing Practitioner

This diary follows my second pregnancy and the birth of our baby who was born in 2009. I hope that you will be able to get an understanding of what a HypnoBirth involves and the benefits that it can bring to achieve a relaxed and calm birthing experience.  

Week 26

I’ve decided to start my diary at 26 weeks because this is a good time to start thinking about HypnoBirthing and the ideal time to start attending classes. People are starting to ask about the birth and we’re thinking about what we’d like. We have a house move into a new county in a few weeks so I’ve got to meet my new midwife to be able to find out what options are available in the area. We had our first baby in Salisbury hospital and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience – left to my own devices to birth naturally in water with just the routine obs taken discreetly. That said, it was a long labour and the transition from home to hospital caused everything to slow right down for about 6 hours. I’d like to have a home water birth this time.

I don’t need convincing of the benefits of using the HypnoBirthing® approach, after all, that’s why I trained as a practitioner! I’ve been listening to the Rainbow Relaxation CD which comes with the course materials. It lasts about 25 minutes and I’ve been listening to it just before I go to bed which has been helping me relax before bedtime.

I’m familiar with the course but my husband isn’t so we’re going to go through the classes, just as I would with a couple taking a private course. The course lasts about 12.5 hours and is usually taught over 4 or 5 classes so we’re going to plan some sessions in the diary starting in the next 2 weeks.

Week 28

We've had a busy time recently with a short holiday and getting reading to move house later this week. I've carried on listening to the Rainbow Relaxation CD which has been a great way for me to take some time out for relaxation. I've also been practising the calm breathing which helps me to get into a deeply relaxed state. It's funny because when I do the breathing the baby has a good wriggle and kick! This is because it helps to relax my uterus giving the baby move space and freedom to spin about. My husband has started to read the book and we're hoping to go through class 1 very soon!

Week 32

Moving house has been very hectic, especially with a toddler trying to 'help' with the packing and unpacking! Luckily I've still managed to find time each day to listen to the Rainbow Relaxation or Birthing Affirmations. I'm starting to find it so easy to relax now... as soon as I press the play button on the CD I can let everything else go and drift into a deep relaxation. I've also been practicing the surge breathing (this is the breathing that I'll do during each contraction or surge as we call them in HypnoBirthing). I've been keeping active with plenty of walking and using the birthing ball while I'm watching TV. Unfortunately it seems that we can't be guaranteed a water birth at home so we're now looking into our local midwifery-led birthing centre as an alternate. It's important for me that I'm in a relaxed and calm environment and supported by caregivers who understand my wishes for a natural, un-medicalised birth.

Week 36

With only about 4 weeks to go now we've been getting everything ready for the new arrival. The nursery is sorted and I've even been buying a few bits of new baby clothes. We've decided to have the baby at the local midwifery led birthing unit so that we can have a water birth in a relaxed home-like environment. We've been listening to the rainbow relaxation and birthing affirmations each night before bed. I've been practicing my breathing which is coming quite naturally now (I have to admit that I was finding myself short of breathe when I first started)! My husband has been learning the light touch massage techniques which he will use in labour and getting used to the 'HypnoBirthing' language!

Week 40

With my babies official 'due date' now reached my midwife is suggesting that I get a date booked for induction and have a stretch and sweep at my next visit. I've explained that I'd like to wait for things to happen on their own accord.....

Week 41 and a bit!

After a very long brisk walk to a local fireworks display(!) I get home that night and start to feel like things might be starting. My husband puts our daughter to bed while I have a bath and get my self relaxed. After a few hours I decide that I should get some rest and I listen to the rainbow relaxation CD and go to sleep for a few hours. I wake up at about 3am and decide that I'm definately in the 'thinning and opening' phase. We ring the birthing centre and they tell me to ring back when I feel ready to come in. At about 7am we decide it's time to go in so that I have plenty of time to get really relaxed and settled in the centre. When we arrive I'm examined and then left to get settled, unpack and put any music or cd's on. I prefer to listen to the rainbow relaxation on my ipod and I listen to that followed by the birthing affirmations to relax.

As my surges become stronger and closer together the midwife allows me to get into the pool and I relax in there for abut 3-4 hours. Towards the end of this phase I start to get tired and feel like I'm falling asleep between the surges. It's quite a strange feeling, thinking back, I'm fully alert but feel totally rested between each surge. The midwife checks me and explains that my waters are still intact. After some discussion we decide that it will help things along if they are manually ruptured and to avoid any disruption it is done whilst I'm in the birthing pool - I hardly notice! My husband sits with me and strokes my arm and also uses some light touch massage as taught in the classes.

Things start to slow down a bit and the surges seem less frequent. I then get the urge to breathe down and I know that the baby is on its way! I decide to use the birth breathing and after about 45 minutes we birth our baby in the water. We wait in the water for the cord to stop pulsating and later on once we've had some quality skin-to-skin time he's weighed as 10lb and 10oz!!! The midwives can't believe it and weigh him a few times to double check! They tell me how well I did to have a baby of that size naturally with no stitches or tearing. Our baby boy is given an Apgar score of 10/10 and seems very happy, healthy and relaxed. After a few hours once we are all happy we are discharged and ready to go home after a long... but very calm birth. x