Hypnobirthing with medical intervention
Hypnobirthing and medical intervention are often words we assume shouldn’t go together. If you’re sitting there thinking that Hypnobirthing is just for straightforward, mermaid assisted water births, it’s time to think again!
Hypnobirthing can really help when things go off plan and medical intervention is being offered. The practical tools and know-how will help you ask questions, make informed decisions, and ultimately keep a sense of calm and control. This is the story of my daughter’s birth and I think it demonstrates perfectly how much Hypnobirthing benefits ALL births.
I was 5 days “overdue” and had a midwife appointment where she was trying to book an induction. I declined the offer, but did consent to a sweep...not very comfortable and with hindsight it probably wasn’t necessary, but it felt like the right decision at the time. Once home I started having some mild surges, quite spaced apart, so I got on my birth ball and listened to my hypnobirthing tracks. My friend came over and we had tea and cake, which was lovely 😊
In the evening, when things started getting a bit more intense, I used my breathing techniques to breathe through each surge. I found them easy to manage and stayed nice and relaxed. I was just looking forward to meeting my baby! The plan was to go to the Birth Centre for a water birth. But when we arrived in the early hours I had protein in my urine and raised blood pressure. So I decided labour ward was the best place for me to be.
Not gonna lie, I was gutted to miss out on the Birth Centre. The pool on labour ward wasn’t free, so no water birth for me 😔 Still, I had mentally prepared for this scenario, so I didn’t panic. Being able to adapt to change is an important part of preparing for birth.
Surges were coming pretty strong now and I asked for some gas & air just to take the edge off. I remained upright, leaning on the bed and circling my hips. In between surges I had some snacks and lots of water. The midwife remarked how calm and quiet I was...I was in my zone, chilling on a beautiful beach in my head.
Things continued like that until I hit transition where I opted to kneel on the bed with my arms over the back (great position by the way!) And this is when things went off plan.
My daughter’s heart rate suddenly dropped and the midwife must have hit the emergency button as in rushed a doctor and more midwives with a resuscitation station.
Panic stations right?!
Nope, I was still pretty relaxed. I discussed options with the doctor (bear in mind I was at the end of labour and my baby was very nearly ready to be born). I weighed things up and decided I would agree to an assisted delivery (with forceps). Medical intervention wasn’t part of my birth plan, but this is where Hypnobirthing tools really came into their own...
Being calm meant I had the clarity of mind to deal with the situation and not panic.
Decision making tools helped me gather all the info I needed.
I had the confidence to make the decision that felt right for me.
And so my daughter was born, all 8lb 3oz of her 🥰 She was calm and content and looked up into my face with her big beautiful blue eyes...a moment I will never forget!
I really think that had I not used Hypnobirthing, my labour would have had a very different outcome. I didn’t get the perfect water birth I always wanted, but I did feel pretty awesome and I will always remember the moment she was born and how strong and euphoric I felt.
