This week we had our first hypnobirthing class (of five). I have been [most times] politely ignoring comments from people the past 25 weeks about how painful their births were, how scary birth can be, how XYZ intervention had to happen because of ABC, how I have no idea what I'm in for, how I'll know I want an epidural once I'm "in the moment," and how I won't get a medal for going natural... the list goes on- I've filtered MANY messages. People aren't eager to tell you how capable you are, how strong you are, or remind you that a woman's body was MEANT to birth... not the common person, but ahhh, enter the HYPNOBIRTH INSTRUCTOR! TA DA!
You can birth!
It doesn't have to be excruciating!
Your body knows what to do!
Your baby knows what to do!
Birth can be beautiful!
How many people have heard these affirmations from an OB/GYN? I sure hadn't. I have done a good amount of reading the past few months, I have read of ecstatic and even orgasmic births in Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, I have seen You Tube videos of peaceful hypnobirths, and I have followed some great blogs about natural birth. Thank the LORD for the internet so I can seek out my own positive supports. I decided hypnobirthing was for me long before I knew anyone personally who has done it, and it's been nice that I have found a crunchy mama here and there who has done it (all have great feedback), but I was largely going into this on my own instinct, deciding that what I understood of hypnobirthing aligned with what I believe. People (mostly at work) think I'm crazy when I say that I am looking forward to birth, I see the potential for what an amazing day it can be, and like everything else in my Type-A life, I want to be good at it!
Enter Kate, our hypnobirthing instructor, who we met Monday. She is one of the few instructors in the state who offers private in-home classes, which we needed to fit around John's work schedule. In our email exchanges Kate was friendly and kind, I got the impression we'd enjoy learning with her. When she introduced herself this week we heard a bit about her own hypnobirth... she delivered twins naturally using hypnobirthing, in an operating room (talk about ambiance, eh?). What an endorsement! If she can deliver two kids in one day with hypnobirthing, surely I can deliver one.
The goal of hypnobirthing education is that by alleviating unnecessary fears around childbirth and enhancing confidence in mom and baby's bodies and instincts, total relaxation is feasible. The modules have the perfect mix of logic and science for the academic in me, and it just... makes sense. Have you ever asked yourself why humans are the only mammals that scream and cry and wail in childbirth? Maybe we're doing it wrong...
Hypnobirth talks about Dr. Grantly Dick-Read's Fear-Tension-Pain relationship... Fears about birth or labor, often created and enhanced and perpetuated by media and medical professionals (and ladies at work, at the grocery store, and great Aunt Millie at the family picnic)... these fears, however irrational they may be, create tension... which leads to... PAIN! A great example we heard in class was flexing of a bicep, when you contract a bicep, it doesn't hurt, you can curl your bicep and hold it for 30-60 seconds... might get tired, but doesn't hurt. This leads to a crazy question... Why would the uterus be the only muscle in the entire body that hurts to contract? Probably doesn't have to be that way. When you run without breathing properly, what happens? You get a cramp, the cramp hurts... if you were breathing and contracting properly, running wouldn't be painful- and thus.. childbirth doesn't have to be either. Hypnobirthing does not by any means promise a pain-free labor, but most women describe it as uncomfortable at times, and not nearly as painful as the typical water cooler traumatic birth story.
If left to its own devices, the uterus will contract and expand on its own, thinning the cervix and opening the birth canal. If a woman is NEVER instructed to push on demand, told to count to 10, and just sat back (or laid back or squatted, wherever she needs to be), simply breathing deeply can help the baby down. There is a series of muscle actions that can occur if the woman lets her body work with her baby, called the Maternal Fetal Ejection Reflex. If this series of muscle activities is allowed to occur in a relaxed mother, the uterus will on its own accord push the baby out, slowly and gently, and the birth canal will stretch in gentle waves as mom's body slowly guides the baby down... no counting to ten, holding breath, or straining beyond the norm required. Understanding this phenomenon is empowering, my body knows how my baby needs to come out, when each need rest, and it all happens when one surrenders to the birth process. I feel empowered knowing that all I need to do is relax, for the next 15 weeks, I will practice this... relaxing!
The hypnobirth education program includes 2 cd's with 4 guided meditation/relaxation exercises, these include birth "rehearsal" envisioning the perfect birth (hello, self-fulfilling prophecy), affirming that mom's body knows what it needs to do, reminding that baby is aware and also will instinctively know what to do, and educating mom and partner on how to relax quickly and deeply. The first few nights I've been doing these CD's I have had some great experiences
-I am sleeping better than I have in weeks, definitely falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer
-I love feeling the baby react to my relaxation exercises, I know I'm giving her good endorphins and oxygen now, and will create a more peaceful birth for her when she's ready to make her entry into the world... what a great birth day gift!
-I feel empowered knowing birth doesn't have to be dreaded, feared, or miserable!
I'd love to write more, but I have some laundry to fold before relaxation exercise time :-) Before I close, I'm going to attach a YouTube link to my favorite online hypnobirth video thus far, please take a few minutes to view, it's INCREDIBLE what birth can be.
*Hypno Water Birth at a Birth Center*
*Nancy's Home Hypno Water Birth*
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