Hypnobirthing

I wanted to share my experience with hypnobirthing. A few people have asked for details about it, and I found it helpful to read other people's experiences when I was deciding what to do. So here's the story! Just a fair warning, there are a few *TMI* moments.
(Now you can stop reading if birthing stories aren't your thing ;)

 Quick background information: I was induced with Brooklyn when she was exactly 37 weeks, because I had preeclampsia. I was *barely* dilated to a 1, and I wasn't effaced at all when I went in. I was in labor for 5 hours, and only pushed for about 2 or 3 minutes before she was born. That's pretty fast for a first time Mom, who was induced early. (Keep that in mind when you read my story below) Because of my high blood pressure, I had to get an epidural almost right away. It started to not work when I dilated to about an 8. (I learned this time around that it was indeed working.) Because of the epidural I ended up with a horrible back ache that lasted a few months.

 I have a friend who teaches a hypno birthing class. Jason is good friends with her husband, and he was telling him about it when I was first pregnant. Jason knew how much relief the epidural gave me, and told him there was no way I would ever want to do that. Later Jason told me about it, and I laughed and agreed. No way would I want to give birth without an epidural! Time passed, but the concept of hypno birthing stayed in the back of my mind. Finally when I was about 35 weeks along, the memory of the horrible back ache I got from the epidural came back. I started thinking that maybe I COULD give birth naturally if I could learn to relax. My friend was due with her baby basically any day at that point, so I couldn't take her class. She was kind and offered me a quick mini session. The class is 5 weeks, 2 1/2 hours each class. I had a 1 hour class. Jason and I also read the book, and we practiced relaxation techniques almost every night.

 At 38 weeks, my blood pressure went really high, and I noticed a huge decrease in fetal movement. In the back of my mind I knew something wasn't right. The doctor decided to induce me right away. The good news: I got to have my baby!! The bad news: It's REALLY, really, hard to give birth without an epidural when you are hooked to pitocin. I had heard that over and over again. But I was determined to try it anyway. The doctor was supportive, but reminded me that an epidural would help my blood pressure stay low. I told him I would accept it if I really needed to.

 At 6:30 PM I was hooked up to pitocin. I started out dilated to a 2, and 70% effaced. By 9:30 I was still only a 2. I was told by the ultra sound tech earlier that week, that I had more fluid than normal, and most of it was below the baby, and it was preventing her from moving down. I knew the only way we would progress is if the doctor broke my water. After he did that, I steadily dilated 1 cm each hour. The contractions weren't bad at all! I was able to stay calm and relaxed, and I didn't have one high blood pressure reading. At 12:30 the nurse came in checked me. I was only a 5. She said, "if you keep this up, you won't have this baby until 5:30!" THAT really psyched me out. I had asked her to not ask me about my pain level, or offer any kind of pain medication, because I didn't want to think about it. But that comment really got me.

About ten minutes after she left, I walked into the bathroom, and I felt like I needed to push. That is something I never felt with the epidural, and I wasn't sure it was *real* because she had just checked me and I had only been at 5. So I ignored it. After that, the contractions got more, and more intense without any breaks and I really thought I was going to die. (Actually, it was more wishing I could die.) I kept thinking about what the nurse said about me only being a 5, and thought there was NO way, I was going to last four more hours with no break between contractions. (Thank you pitocin.)

 I caved. I asked for an epidural. With hypnobirthing, you absolutely can not focus on the pain, or it's really hard to get back into relaxation mode.  I had psyched myself out. Jason was so supportive. The nurse called the anesthesiologist, who had to come in from her house, and would be in there twenty minutes. The nurse asked if I wanted pain medicine until she got there. I told her no, that I would just wait.

I was the only person in labor and delivery that night. I guess she could hear me say, "Ow ow ow" and decided I might be farther a long than she thought, so she checked me again. I was a ten! That explained why I thought I was going to die. I went from being dilated from a 5 to 10 in less than 45 minutes. Sadly, the anesthesiologist who I had woken up to drive to the hospital showed up in my room right then, and had to go back home. Too bad the nurse didn't check me before she called her.

 I was REALLY needing to push at that point. They kept telling me to wait, and to just breathe. I was trying not to push, but my body was doing it anyway. I wasn't expecting that, and it put me into a panic. At that point she had just called my doctor. Jason and all the nurses in the room got to witness a delivery that you see in the TV shows/movies. I started yelling, "I HAVE to push, I have to push..." (I'm so glad I was the only one there that night) The nurse was helpful and taught me a few breathing techniques to distract myself from pushing which only worked for a few seconds at a time. I am surprised I didn't hyperventilate trying to NOT push her out. They were just trying to buy time so the doctor could get there to catch her.

 My body won, and pushed the baby out. The nurse barely had time to put her gloves on and catch her.
I didn't actually do one ounce of pushing on my own, my body did all the work. (That was a HUGE difference between no epidural and an epidural. I had no idea what people were talking about when they said they had to push) I think I could have gotten her out in two pushes, but instead spent 20 minutes trying not to push. That was the absolute hardest part of the whole experience. (That is one reason why a lot of people who choose natural births, prefer not to do it in a hospital setting, because generally a midwife would never tell you not to push at that point)
The doctor showed up 20 seconds after the nurse caught her. My placenta just kind of slipped out about 5 minutes later with no pushing. I think that surprised the doctor a little bit.

 After the birth I felt AMAZING. Not only did I feel better physically than when I had the epidural, but I had just accomplished the hardest thing I have ever physically (and emotionally) faced. I am definitely going to have my next baby with no epidural as well. I think I will take the real class next time, and not just the 1 hour class. :)

Best feeling EVER.

7 lbs. 1 oz.

19.5 inches long

Daddy LOVES his new little girl