Sara's birth story - first baby born at home, 4.5 hour labour....
Read how Sara used Natal Hypnotherapy CDs, and techniques she and Adam practised at her workshop, to prepare well for the labour and birth, creating her own memories board with affirmations which had special meaning to her.
Eloise Martha Jones was born at home in the pool weighing in at 7lb 10oz. I wanted to share my birth story to show how Natal Hypnotherapy helped me achieve a positive birthing experience.
Preparing for the birth, I had used Natal Hypnotherapy; my husband and I met with Barbara for a day session which helped us start to plot our preferences for birth. Our house is pretty old with suspended wooden floors, except in the kitchen extension which can be pretty cold, so we chose to hire a heated pool from Birthworks in Farnham. This was a really brilliant decision as towards the end of my pregnancy I was able to climb into the pool every evening to relieve my aching back and feet! I also "practiced" birth using the natal hypnotherapy CDs in the pool. To help with the visualisation encouraged on the CDs I created a memories board with some photographs from our honeymoon and holidays. I supplemented this by printing my favourite birth affirmations.
After keeping us waiting a while (41weeks + 5 days) Eloise decided to make a run for it, with a very rapid 4.5 hour labour (from first twinge to delivery)! We managed to call our fantastic midwife, Eleanor May Johnson from Neighbourhood Midwives just in time to catch me in transition and get me in the pool. Since this was my first labour, and so rapid I had no idea that I was so far along - I remember saying to Adam my husband, if it's going to be like this for very long, I won't be able to do this at home - I was worried I might have 5 or 6 hours ahead of me at that volume of pain. Little did I know I would have a baby in my arms within about 45 minutes! Eleanor was able to hook me up to some gas and air, which I had about 5 or 6 draws on during the end of transition and the pushing stage. Three pushes and she was out. This girl is going to be an impatient lady as she grows up we fear!
We had a fabulous intervention free birth- (2 listens to baby's heartbeat and no examinations). Things happened so rapidly, I didn't have much time to focus on my visualisation board, but I strongly believe that the act of listening to the CDs and preparing the board prepared me mentally for the birth and gave me the confidence to trust by body to birth Eloise. The "reducing adrenaline" track on the natal hypnotherapy CD was very useful in transition as it was very directive and cut through the "noise" of transition.
By a stroke of bad luck I did have some retained placenta, so I did have to pop into the local maternity hospital to have a minor procedure, but the treatment from the hospital team was very good and I was home the next day. This was totally unrelated to, and not exacerbated in any way by our decision to have a HB and was just "one of those things". We are now nearly 3 weeks down the line and we can look back on Eloise's birth as a truly magnificent memory.
Sending positive birthing vibes to all of you planning or thinking about HBs.
By a stroke of bad luck I did have some retained placenta, so I did have to pop into the local maternity hospital to have a minor procedure, but the treatment from the hospital team was very good and I was home the next day. This was totally unrelated to, and not exacerbated in any way by our decision to have a HB and was just "one of those things". We are now nearly 3 weeks down the line and we can look back on Eloise's birth as a truly magnificent memory.
Sending positive birthing vibes to all of you planning or thinking about HBs.
Sara's memories board