This hypno mum and partner recently brought their baby boy into the world unexpectedly, at only 32 weeks. Birth is so unpredictable, but they so brilliantly navigated their birth using techniques to stay focused and excepted the turn their birthing took. I thank them for sharing their experience...
Our birth was completely opposite to what we had imagined. But hypnobirthing gave us the confidence and knowledge to make the right decisions for ourselves. We ended up getting induced due to being over due 41 +3 days, as well as elevated blood pressure. We tried everything we could from 40 to 41 + 3 weeks to bring on labour naturally but our little one was way too comfy in there.
On Wednesday 26th February 2020, 13 days from the due date of our sixth child, I felt our little boy was going to join us very soon. Our other children had all arrived quite close to their due dates (our third daughter was earliest, being five days before), so I had almost relied on this knowledge being true for this birth as well in making plans and getting organised.
After months of preparing, gaining knowledge and advocating for the birth I wanted, my little bundle of joy was born exactly on his expected due date. As a second time mum, I was feeling more empowered and informed of my choices and felt more confident with the extra preparation I had done e.g., hypnobirthing class, prenatal yoga and active birthing, natural remedies, etc.
I was induced at 42 weeks as I had early labour on and off for 4 days beforehand that wouldn't turn into actual labour.
Our birth started on the 14th Feb where I had 2 lots of gels in the afternoon/night. I had intense contractions (aka surges) all night (and got no sleep) but Ven set up our room with nice candles and I just listened to my calming music and hypnobirthing tracks, focusing on my breathing all night and taking the surges one at a time.
I had been having on and off mild surges for a few days, so when I woke just before 6 in the morning with a different feeling surge and instinctively knowing it was the start of my labor. I hadn’t had the best sleep the night before with such tightness, so I knew I needed to go back to bed, get some rest for the day ahead of me.
So many people have asked as we had an unplanned home birth how it all happened, so I thought rather then repeat the story I’d share a brief version for everyone to have a little insight into the best day of our lives.
Leading into Evie’s birth I wanted to be as prepared and organised as I could be to give this baby the best shot at a natural drug-free birth and also to make me feel empowered and strong on the day of her arrival. I did a bit of research and came across hypnobirthing and it sounded like something I’d like to try.
