After I saw you on Tuesday morning last week, I went home and properly relaxed - that session did me so much good. On
Wednesday evening I started with irregular contractions which continued on and off (more on than off) from that point on.
It was like one long training session on how effective surge breathing is, as the surges got gradually more intense but were
perfectly manageable (and comfortable) as long as I relaxed and got my breathing right. On Saturday night during the night,
I could tell things were gradually picking up and becoming more regular. I decided to go in (to the birth centre) to see where
we were up to (basically because I thought it would be nice to hear that I was making progress after a long three and a half
days). When we arrived the midwife was convinced she would be sending us straight home as my behaviour did not suggest I was
in labour, but when she examined me at 10.30am I was 3 cm dilated. I chose to go for a walk with my husband as it was a gorgeous
morning - kind of an odd walk as I was like a clockwork toy, only getting 50 yards between each surge where I would stop and
concentrate on my breathing! We returned to the birth centre at about 12.15. We went into the active birth room and I started
to get settled in for a long wait. The midwife said she would examine me again at 2pm-ish to see if I was far enough along
to use the pool. I was feeling really good and confident, and was enjoying moving around, finding as many positions as possible
to get comfortable and focussed. About 1.15pm I started to struggle a little - the surges were so intense and building so
quickly that it felt kind of impossible to get my breathing sorted before they had hit me. My husband was absolutely fantastic
though at getting me back on track and concentrating so that I could get back on top of the tension I was feeling, relax and
breath properly, and get back to what I had been doing all along i.e. using the surges rather than fighting them. My main
fear was being able to keep this up long enough, fully expecting that I would be examined at 2pm and only be 4 or 5cm. However,
when I was examined at 2.20pm I was fully dilated and ready to give birth!The midwife said there wasn't time to fill the
pool as my body was working so efficiently, so I gave birth on the floor of the active birth room against a beanbag instead.
I did push as the need to was so overwhelming, but still felt controlled and relaxed with it. After my small panics of earlier
(which now made sense as I had been much further along than I realised) I felt really strong and confident while I was giving
birth. I felt great and still do; I had a birth which was a wonderful experience for all three of us, with no need at all
for pain relief, that happened very quickly and comfortably, and only leaves memories that we will always look on very fondly.
The fact that we have immediately settled in as a family, and our baby is so calm and happy I put down to the experience we
had. I will be recommending HypnoBirthing and your fantastic teaching of it to absolutely everyone who will listen!
J
& S, Rotherham
I just wanted to thank you for recommending HypnoBirthing to
us... I really couldn't have asked for a better experience. I was so relaxed through the surges that the midwives couldn't
tell that I was in active labour. Without me consciously doing anything, the birth was a complete relaxed happy blur until
I thought 'Ouch' a little bit as he came out... although even that was more of a satisfied 'ahhhhh'!
N
& R, Bristol
HypnoBirthing was extremely helpful as it kept me sooo much calmer than
I would have been while in hospital. I was able to meditate, use the TENS machine and relax while the surges started.... the
midwives couldn't believe how calm my husband and I were and how well I was handling the surges. We are at home now and
J is amazing. She is a fairly calm baby and only cries when something is wrong - she has a great pair of lungs! Although this
wasn't a typical HypnoBirth I still found all the techniques very useful and highly recommend the course!
K
& G, Sheffield
I gave birth to my beautiful daughter.... it was a completely natural
delivery. When I called the midwife out we were both shocked when she examined me for the first time and said I was 9cm dilated.
She was amazed at how calm I was and said she felt like she had come to watch how a labour should be done.
Just
wanted to thank you for the classes, I would highly recommend them.
L & P, Sheffield
The
breathing exercises were so helpful, and the midwife in triage wasn't going to examine me because she decided that I wasn't
very far along because of the way I was handling my contractions.
H has been a superstar at feeding, he has gained
weight really well and is generally a happy baby. We really appreciate everything we learned at HypnoBirthing. Thanks so much
for everything!
K & D, Sheffield
The breathing
exercises definitely helped me through the night, and I wish you could have seen the doctors face when he found I was 8cm
and had at that point only had co-codamol!
S & 0, Sheffield
