I’ve just had a message from one of my lovely clients who has given birth to a beautiful baby boy. She was complemented on her calmness throughout her labour and was told it was obvious she’d been using hypnobirthing techniques!
Her partner was delighted he was able to use what he had been taught to support her. It got me thinking of how I felt when I found out I was pregnant. Scared. Worried. Full of doubt about my own ability to cope. I pondered about how my life would have been different had I not found hypnobirthing for my own experience. I was so proud to have helped her face one of her biggest fear. Labour.
I wonder what it is about birth that makes many women doubt their own innate abilities. We have the most amazing and powerful bodies designed to birth a baby safely and normally and have done since the dawn of time! We know instinctively how to give birth and how to work with our bodies rather than against it. All we need to do is tune into ourselves, trust our bodies and fully understand the mechanics of labour so we can work with our bodies. But we seem to have forgotten how.
The birth of this little boy warmed my heart as she had no pain relief at all and used all her empowering tools and techniques to manage her own birth together with her partner who questioned doctors’ suggestions of a C-section. The baby was not in distress but my client had not ‘made sufficient progress’ in accordance with standard hospital timescales. Babies don’t have timescales!
Pain Relief
I’d like to point out that using pain relief is not a ‘dirty word’ in hypnobirthing. You haven’t ‘failed’ if you request relief. Hypnobirthing is as much about gaining the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions, conquering our own fears, as managing our own discomfort with breathing, position, visualisation and massage. It’s definitely not a weird watch swinging practise. It’s logical, evidence based, positive birth preparation.
Top Tips
One Born Every Minute
Taking One Born Every Minute off series link is definitely something which pregnant women everywhere should consider as a positive first step to eliminating negative images which can inadvertently have such a detrimental impact on our labours.
Focus On Yourself
Take the time to learn to relax and focus on yourself especially if you have a stressful or busy job. But remember that you come first!
Position
Another top tip from about 30 weeks is to really focus on your position. Modern day life has done us no favours regarding the position of our babies. My mother-in-law told me that right up until the night of my husband’s birth, she was down on all fours scrubbing the kitchen floor!
I’m not saying you have to get down on the floor like this but as the baby’s head is the heaviest part, choosing open and forward positions encourages a head down position. Try not to slouch or sit in ‘bucket’ seats which put your pelvis into a more difficult position for baby to turn correctly. Think about UFO. Upright, Forward and Open. Perhaps try leaning forwards on a birthing ball (this is more comfortable than it looks!)
Help With Sleeping
Difficulty sleeping? Sleeping on your left side is best for blood and nutrient flow to the uterus, fetus and the kidneys. But if you need a little bit of a change and want to ease pressure on the back, try placing a pillow between bent knees for a better night’s sleep! It reduces pressure on the spine and putting a flatter pillow under your abdomen helps to support the bump too. Some women experience heartburn whilst pregnant so propping your upper body up with the good old pillow will help ease this.
How can hypnobirthing help empower you and help you look forward to the birth of your baby?
Want to find out more? Here are our course dates in South Milford:
7th, 14th, 21st and 28th August, 6:30pm – 9pm. Booking essential. Contact details on www.hypnobirthinginleeds.co.uk.
Note – please always consult your doctor.
If you have enjoyed reading this post, why not read 8 self-care tips for new mums or 5 tips for better pelvic floor function.
Bio
Hello everyone, I’m Lindsey Fake (it’s my real name I promise!) and I’m a wife, a mummy and a hypnobirthing teacher. I am lucky to have been in adult and primary education because knowing different teaching styles helps me present and explain the ins and outs of hypnobirthing to parents in a way that’s fun and easy to understand. The course has been rated 5 stars 🌟 by parents who I’ve helped prepare for calm and wonderful births.
