Kirsty's Positive Home Waterbirth
Kirsty's home waterbirth, using hypnobirthing tools and techniques, enabled her to have a positive birthing experience, just as she had visualised.
My Hypnobirthing Sessions Were Enjoyable
I decided to do hypnobirthing as soon as I found out I was pregnant for the second time. My first daughter was born in 2019, her birth was pretty 'text book', however I didn’t feel in control and I felt decisions were made for me when I was in a clinical setting.
I really enjoyed my hypnobirthing sessions with Julia. I have a scientific background and I do believe people think hypnobirthing is something that is a tad out of the ordinary. However, I saw it as trying to understand the evidence, understand how birth works, trust that my body knows what it’s doing and learn what my options were. I practiced my breathing techniques and did the hypnobirthing work every day during my pregnancy. It’s not something you can do just once. After doing all the work and understanding my options, I explored the idea of having a home birth. If it wasn’t for Julia’s explanation and knowledge, I would never have considered this.
People Thought I Was Putting Myself and Baby at Risk
It was frustrating when people thought I was putting myself and baby at risk, by not following the ‘norm’ and having my baby in a hospital setting. I explained to people who told me I was being 'brave'- that a home birth was actually low risk for me and lower than the risks of giving birth in hospital.
My due date was the 30th sept and when I went over this date, there were lots of talks from medical staff, about me being induced. This gave me lots of anxiety, as I really wanted my homebirth. My midwife booked me in for induction for the following week, however on Sunday the 6th October, my waters started leaking. I had the odd contraction here and there, but managed to carry on as normal and I used my Hypnobirthing techniques to focus my mind and relax. I dropped my eldest daughter off at school at 9am the next morning and my Mum came over and we had a coffee. By 11am my contractions were ramping up. I used a TENS machine - which as a pharmacist, I was rather apprehensive about its effectiveness for managing labour pain, but it was fabulous in early labour. I would definitely recommend women trying this in the early stages of labour. By 12 noon, I got in the birthing pool and by the time the midwife arrived at 1pm, I was in the full throes of labour. My contractions were very close together and I felt the need to push. The midwife was amazing. She didn’t examine me, she just told me that she was there if I needed her and she was very much in the background. This was exactly what I had wanted. Eventually, I felt the top of my baby’s head and this motivated me to focus and breathe calmly, birthing my baby into the water. I picked her up out the water and placed her onto my chest. We had skin to skin for 45 minutes and left the cord attached. I was so proud of myself and relieved that I’d had no medications or gas and air. I just managed the labour and birth through calm breathing and keeping my mind focused. By the time my daughter returned home from school, my newborn baby was settled in my arms. I didn't tear, so I’d had no stitches and I was enjoying a Prosecco and crumpets on the sofa!
It was such an amazing experience, I never would have considered a home birth if it wasn’t for undertaking hypnobirthing classes. I am so grateful I went down this route, I can’t stop thinking about what an amazingly perfect experience my birth was.
Home Births Are Magical
I'm so glad that Kirsty had the birth experience that she'd wanted. Giving birth at home increases your chances of having a much calmer, quicker, positive and relaxed birth experience. Plus, because you are in your own familiar, safe surroundings, your labour is more likely to feel less uncomfortable. This is how Kirsty managed to give birth without any pain relief. Her body was calm and relaxed and so she felt much more comfortable. Being at home reduces fear and the risks of intervention during birth. It is only in recent years that birthing in hospital has become the norm. However, our ancestors had been giving birth at home for thousands of years. My hypnobirthing course helped Kirsty to make an informed decision about where to give birth to her baby and allowed her to feel in control and to trust her instincts.
Hypnobirthing Courses For All
If you'd like to do a hypnobirthing course with me, visit my website and see how I can help you to increases your chances of having a positive birth experience. Hypnobirthing is for ALL births, not just for home births or waterbirths. The tools and techniques that you learn on a Hypnobirthing course can be used in all birthing scenarios.
Julia x