Hypnobirthing helps you to adapt to a change in circumstances

Thank you to Deb and Pete for sharing Oliver’s birth story, which didn’t quite go to plan but with the tools and techniques they had learnt from my Hypnobirthing classes they were able to adapt to their change in circumstances, so they still had a positive birth experience and were able to avoid having drugs and interventions. They utilised tools and techniques they had learnt to remain calm, ask questions and prepare for labour and birth knowing their baby was going to be born prematurely. Here is their story…..

We attended your Hypnobirthing classes because we were hoping for a calmer and more pleasant birth experience for our second birth along with more knowledge and confidence. Our first birth experience involved a posterior baby, artificial rupture of membranes due to an antepartum haemorrhage, epidural, vacuum, forceps and episiotomy.

We were both highly anxious about what would happen next time.

All I can say is Thank You!!

Your Hypnobirthing course is wonderful and gave us the preparation, courage and confidence that we required…even when our beautiful baby boy decided to shock everybody and arrive at 33 weeks and 4 days!

I feel I may have been in early labour for a few days and not realised it – thinking I was experiencing BIG Braxton-Hicks contractions. As it wasn’t my first and I had been in labour before, I kept doubting myself and told myself this couldn’t be the real thing surely, not at this stage. I had a difficult night on the Thursday – with my usual evening reflux, insomnia, sciatica and increasing Braxton-Hicks and then woke to some spotting Friday morning and then felt more cramp like feelings in my tummy.

I rang my Obstetrician as we had a similar bleed with our first post intercourse. The symptoms I was describing over the phone didn’t set off alarm bells and she said feel free to come in and see her and get checked if I felt concerned, however what I was describing sounded like cervix aggravation post sex.

I doubted myself and went about my day as normal with my 2yr old boy. The bleeding stopped but the cramps continued through the day. By the time my husband came home I was getting concerned about the increased intensity of the cramps and wanted to check on bub. We rang the labour ward and spoke to a midwife who again didn’t seem alarmed at anything I was describing. I don’t know if I sounded cool and calm or not but the fact that I was concerned was the reason she wanted me to come in.

So off we went at around 10.30pm Friday evening with my purse & phone in hand – nothing else, thinking we will have bub checked out and come back home. On examination bub seemed fine and happy, but they wanted to do an internal to see if there was an answer for the earlier bleeding. The most shocking words I’ve ever heard were then said to me…you’re about 5cm dilated and going to have your baby, we will call your Obstetrician right away!

I’ve never been so shocked and scared and all I remember saying to Pete was “It’s too soon…it’s too soon…it’s too early…they’re not ready.”

We had also come to hospital with none of our hypnobirthing resources – no headphones for music, no aromatherapy, no tens machine, no visualisation tools, no food or drink. We had a lovely midwife who lent us her phone headphones, and we tried to prepare ourselves the best we could. My Ob gave me an injection to try to slow or stop the labour – even for a day or two to help with bubs’ lungs, however I then had a big bleed and my cramping feeling which I had been experiencing (were actual surges!) now continued and were increasing with intensity.

We made ourselves comfortable and settled in for the night – dimming the lights, using my breathing techniques, me listening to affirmations and music on my phone, massage, acupressure points during surges, trying many different positions to see what was comfortable, emptying my bladder regularly, small bites of food and drinks.

My cervix continued to dilate to 10cm – I required no pain relief and I believe my breathing and music helped me through every surge. 

Then things seemed to stop – my membranes were bulging but wouldn’t break and I had no urge to bear down. We let things continue with me trying all different positions to see what felt comfortable and if I felt like I needed to bear down in a particular position. It seemed like hours, but in the end my membranes were artificially ruptured as bub was now starting to show signs of distress, and it was believed that there were complications with the placenta, and this was the cause for the bleed.

I had told Pete that I did not want to give birth lying on my back, but it is crazy that this was actually the only position that felt comfortable at this stage, and I finally had an urge to bear down and push my baby out. It did not take long, and I was reaching down and bringing our baby boy up onto my chest for a brief cuddle before the paediatric team had to assess him and transfer him to the Special Care Nursery – with my husband following. I birthed the placenta, which we found was calcified in areas and was the most probable cause for the bleed and sent me into early labour.

Baby Oliver was born on Saturday 10th March at 8:33am weighing 2.25kg and 45cm long.

Oliver had to spend over a week in the Special Care Nursery, but he progressed really well. The CPAP machine was removed after 48hrs, surfactant medication was given for his lungs, and he had a nasogastric tube in place for his milk feeds – and then commenced on suck feeds. It’s was such a roller coaster ride, which will probably continue for a while with having a premature baby…but I wanted to say thanks. Your Hypnobirthing course gave me the confidence and techniques to experience a beautiful natural birth experience with minimal intervention…unfortunately it was just a little bit earlier than hoped for!!

Pete was an amazing birth partner who was there for me every step of the way. He really gained a lot of knowledge & confidence in how he could support me from your classes.

Deb & Pete, 2018

My name is Vicki Hobbs, and I am a Childbirth Educator (Back to Basics Birthing), Hypnobirthing Practitioner, Certified VBAC Educator, Remedial Massage Therapist specialising in Pregnancy & Postpartum Massage, Birth & Postpartum Doula, Certified Placenta Encapsulator, Hypnotherapist, Aromatherapist, Reiki Practitioner and Life Coach. I am a serial workshopper and learner, so that I keep up to date with new research and information so that I can provide you with up-to-date resources. My focus has always been on the mind, the body and the emotions and how they all need to be in balance for harmony. You can subscribe to my newsletter by adding your details in the box on the right-hand side and when you do, I will send you a free relaxation meditation to help you feel calm and relaxed. I am based in the northern suburbs of Perth and can be contacted by email at [email protected] or go back to my Blog Page for more great articles and information.