Logan’s
birth was one of the most amazing days of my life. Sure, it was hard work, but
it was most worthwhile! The journey through Logan’s pregnancy was a good one,
with the help of my husband Ashley I was able to achieve a sense of calmness
and relaxation in my life that I don’t remember having before.
When
we discovered that we were going to have a baby calmness and relaxation became
a focus of our lives. It was a surprise pregnancy and we didn’t feel like it
was the best time to be having a baby (and have since discovered that there is
no best time!). We were already using hypnosis in our psychology practice but
had never used it on each other or for pregnancy. At around the 14 week mark
Ashley suggested trying hypnosis, purely for relaxation. The hypnosis was used
in conjunction with weekly massage, exercise with a qualified trainer twice a
week, ante-natal aquarobics, 1 hour walks five times a week and good nutrition
(chocolate and alcohol were first to be crossed off the shopping list – albeit
reluctantly!). (It all sounds very contrived I know but this healthy lifestyle
during pregnancy came very naturally and was very enjoyable).
I
went about reading as much about pregnancy as I could, as most women in this
information era do, and through this came across an article outlining the
benefits of using hypnosis for birthing. Although Ashley had already been
helping me achieve a deep state of relaxation through hypnosis, it now became a
bit of a mission to find out as much as possible about how to use the
techniques for a natural birthing.
The
more I learnt about birth the more determined I became to have as natural a
birth as possible.
Three
weeks before the estimated due date (EDD) I started to experience quite strong
surges (aka contractions). I went for walks, relaxed in the bath and did all
the things you can do to help labour become established, 10 days later I was
4cm dilated and still not in established labour. To minimise the chances of an
emergency cesarean and to have as natural a birth as possible, we decided that
an induction would be the best decision for us at that time, based on the
information provided by our caregivers. With many of the tried and true methods
of natural induction of labour well and truly exhausted the inducement was
welcomed by both Ashley and myself.
On
the morning of the 20th of May 2003, we went into the hospital ready
to meet our baby. The Syntocinon (artificial oxytocin) was put in at around
10am and the surges began again, just as they had been for the past 10 days. My
labour progressed according to the textbooks, 1cm per hour from noon onwards.
By 2pm I was focused totally within, Ash had taken me quickly and easily into a
deep trance and I stayed there for most of the day, the depth of trance varying
depending on environmental factors and personal needs. At one point I looked up
and asked if someone had given me some pain relief (I had requested in my
birthing preferences that none be offered) but Ash assured me that non-one had
even been in the room; my endorphins had kicked in and I had a wonderful warm
tingling sensation flow down through my body (an endorphin rush!).
Ash
helped me to the shower a couple of times during the labour which was a
wonderful change of scenery. Because of the hypnotherapy and the way that I
chose to interpret the sensation of the surges, there was no sharp pain,
however, the feeling was still intense, the pressure was great and the
tightening was, well…tight! The shower offered me a different sensation to
focus on, a new position to try and was refreshing during the hard day’s work.
By
the time second stage started, the pushing sensation was a welcome relief from
the internal pressure from the first stage and with Ash’s guidance and
encouragement I used my breath to make the most of each downward surge, only
working when my body needed me to and resting between surges. I had quite a
long second stage as Logan was a relatively large baby (4.2kg), but still no
sharp pain, just hard work!
The
overwhelming joy and awe at the new life before us was the most wonderful
reward for all of the work and effort that we had put into having a wonderful
pregnancy and birthing. Happy and healthy we had achieved our goal; healthy
mum, healthy bub. Despite having woken at 5am that morning and being in labour
for 10hours that day, I was still wide awake and full of beans at 2am the next
morning; one of the wonderful side effects of using relaxation and hypnotic
trance during labour is the restorative benefits it has for your mind and body
(not to mention the lovely cocktail of natural mothering hormones surging
through my body!).
Five
weeks later, Logan had put on over 1kg, was feeding and sleeping well and
I headed off to a 5-day course to
learn how to use hypnosis for childbirth (luckily the course was held just down
the road from home and I was able to duck off every tea break to feed and
cuddle my baby).
At
the end of those five days my passion for birthing had been fully ignited and I
spent the next 6 months reading everything I could get my hands on to do with
birthing, natural and medical. My passion is not just for birthing, but for
choice. I want women to have
choices during their pregnancies and birthings and to feel empowered to make
those choices. In August 2003 I became a certified HypnoBirthing practitioner,
but after studying the program and teaching it for a while, I became aware that
there was something more to offer Australian couples. Hypnosis is a wonderful
tool for pregnancy and childbirth, but there is so much more that women can do
to help themselves maintain their wellness and wellbeing during this special
journey into motherhood.
After
18 months and working with around 50 couples, I began referring to my new program of childbirth education as
BirthSkills. The BirthSkills program incorporates hypnosis, natural therapies,
physiology, anatomy and biochemistry of pregnancy and birth, natural and medical
choices. It is an evidence-based program founded on principles of health
psychology and mind-body medicine. This means that all of the skills taught
have been shown by research to be useful and effective in pregnancy, birthing
or for deep relaxation.
The skills involved in
birthing your baby in a calm, positive and welcoming way, have, to a large
degree, been lost to many women in modern western society. Skills that in some
cultures are passed from mother to daughter or from sister to sister, from
aunts and close friends. In an era
where elective caesarean is a relatively common option for birthing, many women
are handing over the management of their birthing to obstetricians, doctors and
other medical personnel. Fear of the unknown leads to relinquishing control and
with no-one at fault, women find themselves in submissive and vulnerable
birthing situations.
On the other hand, women
who are free of fear, who are well informed about the birthing process and
their options during the process, who are well supported by an informed
partner, who trust their bodies and nature and who are prepared with techniques
and skills for creating a positive birthing environment will not find
themselves handing over decisions regarding their body or their baby to someone
they hardly know. They will be calm, confident and in a good position to make
choices that will lead to a positive and welcoming birthing experience for
themselves and their baby.
The program is based on the
belief that all women should have access to the skills and knowledge that will
enable them to birth their babies in a calm, confident and welcoming manner. By
teaching these skills to a generation of women who are already empowered in
other areas of their lives, who are competent at their work, efficient, and in
control, hopefully, future generations of women will learn the skills of
birthing from their mothers, sisters and friends and their communities will
support them in this endeavor.
Despite
two interventions, the Syntocinon and the episiotomy, I am very proud and happy
with the experience of birthing my first child. I was calm throughout and felt
in control of what was happening; nothing happened without it being my choice.
There are a few things I would choose differently next time, but I trust that
we will make the best decision for ourselves at the time.