Baby No. 1. Before Hypnobirthing;
The Set up: At 24 years old I learned I was pregnant with my first child. Scared and nervous, I found a doctor and put all my faith and trust in him. I thought I didn’t need to learn anything because I had a Doctor to do that for me. The office had 2 doctors I saw both and whoever was on duty would deliver my baby. I liked both but felt more confidence in one particular doctor.
The Set up: At 24 years old I learned I was pregnant with my first child. Scared and nervous, I found a doctor and put all my faith and trust in him. I thought I didn’t need to learn anything because I had a Doctor to do that for me. The office had 2 doctors I saw both and whoever was on duty would deliver my baby. I liked both but felt more confidence in one particular doctor.
My Prep Work: To Prepare I watched TLC’s a birth story and took a class from the hospital that was 3 classes and a tour. I was ready. At this point I felt strongly against being induced. Too many people I knew who were induced had ended in C-Sections, something I didn’t want. At 38 weeks the doctor I felt more confidence in asked me at my appointment if I wanted to be induced over labor day weekend for convenience. he assured me that the baby was ready, I asked if being induced would increase my chances of a C-section, he said no being induced is actually better because we can control everything. We said no and walked out of the office. In the parking lot, we looked at each other; nervous, first time uninformed parents that we were and quickly discussed all our fears of my water breaking at work, him being far away when I went into labor, how we wanted this doctor and not the other one, so we walked back into the office and scheduled an induction for 11am on Saturday. The doctor assured us it would be great there would be no pressure because he would be at the hospital all day any way.
The actual birth: We got set up in our room, put on the gown, they wrapped the monitor around my big belly and the heart rate monitor for me, the IV for the Pitocin and laid me down in bed. The contractions started, the nurse told me not to be a hero and to get the epidural. She assured me that getting the epidural would make my labor go faster; at this point I was at a 2. So they gave me the epidural, put in a catheter (which I never realized was part of it but makes total sense right) and we laid and waited and waited and waited after a few hours the baby’s heart rate was dropping. I laid, unable to move at all, staring at the baby’s heart rate monitor while they checked and check and checked and I stayed at a 2. I was so numb from the epidural I couldn’t even lift myself up when I was sinking down on the bed. At 11:00pm (12 hrs of labor) the doctor informed me that I wasn’t progressing and recommended having a C-section, I told him I would like to wait he then said the babies heart rate kept dropping and that we needed to get her out. He explained to me that I would never be able to have a regular birth after having a C-section, my mother was standing next to the bed when he told me this, he asked her if she had a C-Section my mother nodded and said yes with her indicating me. The doctor nodded and said you see then you had all C-sections correct? To which my mother told him she had gone on to have 7 more children without having a C-section, he said I would need to have C-sections any way and left. They gave me some medication to prepare for the C-section I began vomiting almost immediately. But since my stomach was empty I just kept dry heaving and puking up stomach acid as they wheeled me down the hall. They performed the C-section held up the baby for me to see and swept her away. My husband went with the baby while they wrapped her up then he brought her over so I could see her closer, then he and the baby left. The anesthesiologist said I needed to sleep and asked me if I wanted this drug. He said they give it to everyone after a C-section etc. and stupidly I said yes, then while my brand new baby who I had been so desperate to meet laid hungry and alone in the nursery I slept groggy and full of drugs. I felt angry at the time I lost due to this drug induced sleep. They brought her to me when I woke up. I have absolutely no recollection of holding her or what happened that first day. I left the hospital angry at the doctors and nurses but really it was my fault for not being informed for going into the situation blind.
I felt so mad and so stupid. I felt like this moment in life; this most important moment, was lost. I didn’t even know what a real contraction felt like.
Baby No. 2 Hypnobirthing
The Setup: 3 years after I had my first daughter I found out I was pregnant. I was so elated, not only did I desperately want this baby, I also wanted a second chance to do it right.
My Prep Work: After I had my first baby I was introduced to the video The Business of Being Born. Watching how the medical system works in this country and hearing the statistics for the US vs. other countries I knew I needed to be educated this time and having taken the hospital class the first time around that was a tour, and a very basic anatomy class, I knew I wanted more. My sister, who’s first birth story was identical to mine, had done the leg work and discovered HypnoBirthing. At first, I thought she was crazy but after seeing her success, I was a believer. I decided this time I would be educated. I would be in control. I wouldn’t lose one of the most important moments of my life again. My husband said it was all hippie crap, but that he would support me and go with me. The first birth experience I remember him being on the other side of the room, his chair was not even close enough to the bed to hold my hand. He was as nervous and uniformed as I was. We started the classes and I was in love, I loved having the knowledge of not only how my body worked, but how the hospital worked. Why they did things the way they did, what their expectations were vs. mine. We watched so many births that by the time the class was over that fear of the unknown was gone. Watching all these women calmly give birth on film gave me confidence that it wasn’t a screaming, bloody mess. I didn’t listen to the tapes and practice as much as I could. I finally had the information but didn’t utilize it to the full extent, even so I was able to make the choices I wanted and have the birth experience that I had envisioned for so long.
The Birth: I went into labor 1 ½ weeks after my due date, which felt like an eterinity, at 10:00 at night. We went to the hospital at midnight. I finally knew what contractions felt like, that sounds silly but I wanted to know what it felt like. This pregnancy had more complications than my first; it started with placenta previa, when that issue resolved itself, then the placenta started to detach, a few weeks before I went into labor the doctor said if the placenta detached it would be life and death for the baby and me, he said they would let me try to do a Vaginal Birth after a C-Section (V-BAC) but that if the placenta detached and I did not have an epidural already in place that they would have to put me under general anesthetics and my husband would not be able to be in the room during the surgery. Even with the compounded stress, I was able labor, until 5:00am at which point exhausted and fear of the placenta detaching effected my choice to receive an epidural. This time I did not push the button over and over and was only mostly numb, not completely numb. I didn’t feel paralyzed. After I got the epidural the baby’s heart rate was dropping, so I started pushing and the doctor used the forceps and the baby was out. I wanted to hold her immediately but she was having some problems. Several doctors came in to stare at her for ten minutes. My husband now (because we discussed it during our HB classes) knew how much holding her right away meant to me and feeding her and bonding and all those things that we didn’t know the first time around. He said to the doctors "Are we all just standing around staring at her or what." Finally they gave her the "all clear". Just then the nurse came in with the scale "Let’s just weigh her real quick" she said, "That can wait" my husband told her she was annoyed and left, and finally I was able to hold her and it was amazing and perfect and I remember it and I remember the feelings and I fed her right away and she nursed so well, and I was proud and so happy. I felt like my husband had learned how to fight for me and be my voice when I couldn’t. I felt like even though I’d wanted a natural birth, this experience was still leaps and bound ahead of the first one. It was amazing and triumphant and incredibly empowering and I attribute that to the knowledge I gained from HypnoBirthing. The classes cover so much. It’s not just hypnosis, it’s a total education about everything; about your job as a mother, about dads job, about the hospital about everything. You learn it all then apply it to your situation and life. I tell everyone they should take it even if they don’t want a natural birth it still does so much to lessen your fear of child birth and it gives dads a purpose and teaches them how to help their wives. My experience and my husband’s experience was different this time.
If I ever get the chance to have another baby I would take the classes again I would write down a lot more things. Practice them and give my husband the things I wanted him to remind me of. I would tell anyone to take the classes. Even if your journey ends in C-section, that peace of mind in knowing you did all you could and that you made informed decision and that there really was no other way: is just priceless. I will never have that peace of mind about my first birth, but at least with HypnoBirthing I was able to get it right the second time.
-Kay of Provo
The actual birth: We got set up in our room, put on the gown, they wrapped the monitor around my big belly and the heart rate monitor for me, the IV for the Pitocin and laid me down in bed. The contractions started, the nurse told me not to be a hero and to get the epidural. She assured me that getting the epidural would make my labor go faster; at this point I was at a 2. So they gave me the epidural, put in a catheter (which I never realized was part of it but makes total sense right) and we laid and waited and waited and waited after a few hours the baby’s heart rate was dropping. I laid, unable to move at all, staring at the baby’s heart rate monitor while they checked and check and checked and I stayed at a 2. I was so numb from the epidural I couldn’t even lift myself up when I was sinking down on the bed. At 11:00pm (12 hrs of labor) the doctor informed me that I wasn’t progressing and recommended having a C-section, I told him I would like to wait he then said the babies heart rate kept dropping and that we needed to get her out. He explained to me that I would never be able to have a regular birth after having a C-section, my mother was standing next to the bed when he told me this, he asked her if she had a C-Section my mother nodded and said yes with her indicating me. The doctor nodded and said you see then you had all C-sections correct? To which my mother told him she had gone on to have 7 more children without having a C-section, he said I would need to have C-sections any way and left. They gave me some medication to prepare for the C-section I began vomiting almost immediately. But since my stomach was empty I just kept dry heaving and puking up stomach acid as they wheeled me down the hall. They performed the C-section held up the baby for me to see and swept her away. My husband went with the baby while they wrapped her up then he brought her over so I could see her closer, then he and the baby left. The anesthesiologist said I needed to sleep and asked me if I wanted this drug. He said they give it to everyone after a C-section etc. and stupidly I said yes, then while my brand new baby who I had been so desperate to meet laid hungry and alone in the nursery I slept groggy and full of drugs. I felt angry at the time I lost due to this drug induced sleep. They brought her to me when I woke up. I have absolutely no recollection of holding her or what happened that first day. I left the hospital angry at the doctors and nurses but really it was my fault for not being informed for going into the situation blind.
I felt so mad and so stupid. I felt like this moment in life; this most important moment, was lost. I didn’t even know what a real contraction felt like.
Baby No. 2 Hypnobirthing
The Setup: 3 years after I had my first daughter I found out I was pregnant. I was so elated, not only did I desperately want this baby, I also wanted a second chance to do it right.
My Prep Work: After I had my first baby I was introduced to the video The Business of Being Born. Watching how the medical system works in this country and hearing the statistics for the US vs. other countries I knew I needed to be educated this time and having taken the hospital class the first time around that was a tour, and a very basic anatomy class, I knew I wanted more. My sister, who’s first birth story was identical to mine, had done the leg work and discovered HypnoBirthing. At first, I thought she was crazy but after seeing her success, I was a believer. I decided this time I would be educated. I would be in control. I wouldn’t lose one of the most important moments of my life again. My husband said it was all hippie crap, but that he would support me and go with me. The first birth experience I remember him being on the other side of the room, his chair was not even close enough to the bed to hold my hand. He was as nervous and uniformed as I was. We started the classes and I was in love, I loved having the knowledge of not only how my body worked, but how the hospital worked. Why they did things the way they did, what their expectations were vs. mine. We watched so many births that by the time the class was over that fear of the unknown was gone. Watching all these women calmly give birth on film gave me confidence that it wasn’t a screaming, bloody mess. I didn’t listen to the tapes and practice as much as I could. I finally had the information but didn’t utilize it to the full extent, even so I was able to make the choices I wanted and have the birth experience that I had envisioned for so long.
The Birth: I went into labor 1 ½ weeks after my due date, which felt like an eterinity, at 10:00 at night. We went to the hospital at midnight. I finally knew what contractions felt like, that sounds silly but I wanted to know what it felt like. This pregnancy had more complications than my first; it started with placenta previa, when that issue resolved itself, then the placenta started to detach, a few weeks before I went into labor the doctor said if the placenta detached it would be life and death for the baby and me, he said they would let me try to do a Vaginal Birth after a C-Section (V-BAC) but that if the placenta detached and I did not have an epidural already in place that they would have to put me under general anesthetics and my husband would not be able to be in the room during the surgery. Even with the compounded stress, I was able labor, until 5:00am at which point exhausted and fear of the placenta detaching effected my choice to receive an epidural. This time I did not push the button over and over and was only mostly numb, not completely numb. I didn’t feel paralyzed. After I got the epidural the baby’s heart rate was dropping, so I started pushing and the doctor used the forceps and the baby was out. I wanted to hold her immediately but she was having some problems. Several doctors came in to stare at her for ten minutes. My husband now (because we discussed it during our HB classes) knew how much holding her right away meant to me and feeding her and bonding and all those things that we didn’t know the first time around. He said to the doctors "Are we all just standing around staring at her or what." Finally they gave her the "all clear". Just then the nurse came in with the scale "Let’s just weigh her real quick" she said, "That can wait" my husband told her she was annoyed and left, and finally I was able to hold her and it was amazing and perfect and I remember it and I remember the feelings and I fed her right away and she nursed so well, and I was proud and so happy. I felt like my husband had learned how to fight for me and be my voice when I couldn’t. I felt like even though I’d wanted a natural birth, this experience was still leaps and bound ahead of the first one. It was amazing and triumphant and incredibly empowering and I attribute that to the knowledge I gained from HypnoBirthing. The classes cover so much. It’s not just hypnosis, it’s a total education about everything; about your job as a mother, about dads job, about the hospital about everything. You learn it all then apply it to your situation and life. I tell everyone they should take it even if they don’t want a natural birth it still does so much to lessen your fear of child birth and it gives dads a purpose and teaches them how to help their wives. My experience and my husband’s experience was different this time.
If I ever get the chance to have another baby I would take the classes again I would write down a lot more things. Practice them and give my husband the things I wanted him to remind me of. I would tell anyone to take the classes. Even if your journey ends in C-section, that peace of mind in knowing you did all you could and that you made informed decision and that there really was no other way: is just priceless. I will never have that peace of mind about my first birth, but at least with HypnoBirthing I was able to get it right the second time.
-Kay of Provo