Natural Birth Experience Stories

Hypnobirthing Helped me have a Wonderful Birth Experience

At 11.30pm that night Jason and I headed to the hospital; my surges were 5 minutes apart. I listened to meditations and relaxing music the whole way there and focused on my breathing techniques.

It was so nice to arrive at our lovely birthing suite at the M.L.U. Our midwife was filling up the birthing pool for me when we arrived.

Jason put up post-it notes all over the room with positive affirmations and kept saying them aloud. He kept me focused on my breathing techniques and giving me massages with our homemade lavender massage oil :)

I wanted to put on my nice new pyjamas and as soon as I did my waters broke! It was so exciting!

When I was 4cm, our midwife let me get into the birthing pool. The warm water was so soothing. As the hours went on I found it more difficult to focus on my breathing. The surges got really difficult for me. I decided to have the gas and air so that helped me get through.

At around 8.15am I got out of the pool and onto the birthing stool, with Jason holding me I began to push. I couldn't breathe the baby out as I had thought I would!! The midwife said she saw a lovely head of dark hair. I had Winnie on my hands and knees. When she came out it was an unbelievable feeling. She latched on soon after her arrival and I've been breastfeeding since. I can't thank you enough! Grainne, Jason & Winnie

I couldn't have done it without Hypnobirthing!

I wanted to let you know how the birth went! Baby Timothy bounced into the world on Feb 9th. He was 12 days overdue and I managed to get the doctors at Holles Street to prolong the induction day as much as possible. At 13 days, however, there wasn't much more stalling to be done. Reluctantly I accepted that I would be induced despite weeks of squatting, guzzling pineapple and raspberry leaf tea and marching the streets of South Dublin.

I was determined that I would still try to have as calm and unmedicated birth as possible, whilst keeping my options open depending on how the induction progressed.

After two rounds of the induction gel, things started moving quickly. The midwives on the antenatal unit read my birth preferences and said they'd do their best to help me have the birth I'd envisaged. In practice, this meant keeping me out of the delivery suite for as long as possible to avoid the continuous monitoring etc. that would be mandatory procedure due to the induction.

"I laboured to nine cm over the course of about six hours
using breathing techniques & visualisation
In the ante-natal unit & then off we went for the delivery!"  

I kept my eyes closed and put my remaining strength into relaxing despite the hurrying around me. Due to the baby's distress, the team performed an emergency episiotomy and Timothy shot out into the world in 3 contractions weighting exactly 8 lbs.I have wondered since the birth what would have happened if we had waited a few more days for things to start naturally. I felt that I had gotten as much leeway as possible and couldn't see anyway to avoid an induction.

  All The Hypnobirthing Practice & Breathing Techniques Paid Off.

I decided to use all I had learnt through hypnobirthing classes and breathing techniques to help me stay calm throughout whatever unfolded rather than getting anxious that things were not going as I hoped.

I am extremely grateful for having learnt the skills to allow me to do this. I look at my birth experience as a positive one. I had had a beautiful healthy baby, with no pain relief other than tens and some gas & air towards the end.

Timothy latched on almost immediately and the oxytocin rush post birth was the most tingling high I have ever felt.

The interventions that were performed were all discussed with me and done according to my birth preferences.

I Felt Empowered, Proud, Calm
Oozing with Love & Joy
&
Timothy Is a Delightful,Calm Baby Who Can Still Be Soothed
By Sitting Him On My Chest & Doing Some Calm Breath Work! 

 
I've Become Evangelical About Hypnobirthing Now. The Breathing Techniques, Were Invaluable Too!

I did it naturally!

"Thanks for the hypnobirthing classes  and breathing techniques- the birth went very well - I did it naturally. The recovery was very good because of it
I was out waking within a few days! I certainly used your breathing and relaxation techniques and Tam was also a lot more prepared because of the course. Thank you!! Kim, Tam and baby Cian