1st baby, labour ward (induction of labour/physiological birth)

Due to my age of 42 and being a first time mother, my consultant was very keen for me to be induced at 40 weeks.  I had initially agreed to it at one of my first appointments with the midwifes without really knowing much about it.  In doing Gemma’s Natal Hypnotherapy weekend workshop I learned more about induction and what was involved in it, as well as learning a lot about what to expect and how to deal with all kinds of scenarios that come up in labour, and how labour really works.

After learning more I wasnt keen to be induced, however I reluctantly agreed to go in a day after the 40 weeks.  Once in hospital, I postponed my induction for a few days to give my body a chance.  Instead they monitored my and the baby’s heart rate.  A few days later i went in again and this time agreed to be induced.

“Natal Hypnotherapy really helped take away a lot of the fear and gave me lots of tools to pull from. It kept me calm to the point that they thought I wasnt in labour until just before Brodie was born.”

Thinking I would be in for a few days I rocked up to the ward with lots of bags – yoga mat, birthing ball, magazines etc.  And the natal hypnotherapy cd to listen to along with a long playlist of favourite tunes.   

After being given the pessary, myself and my partner hung out, went and got coffee, read, had a laugh and just relaxed.  It was exciting but what I didnt realise that, as i was being chilled out about it all (well I was still nervous but kept thinking positive thoughts), I was actually in the first stages of labour, in the excitement phase. 

To cut a long story short, late that evening the midwife didnt think I was in labour when i wandered along the ward to tell her that I was experiencing what felt like period pains every couple of minutes.  I went back to bed, lying on my side and breathing through what they thought was my cervix effacing.  It wasnt, and after 3 and a half hours of breathing, 321 relax, and increasing contractions, I was taken through to the labour room.  Fifteen minutes later I gave birth to a healthy wee boy, Brodie.  

It was amazing to just let your body take over – there was just this bearing down and an excitement when my waters broke that it was nearly over and i was going to meet my new baby.  The only pain relief i had was gas and air.  And no need for the yoga mat, the birthing ball, all those bags of things!

Natal Hypnotherapy really helped take away a lot of the fear and gave me lots of tools to pull from.  It kept me calm to the point that they thought I wasnt in labour until just before Brodie was born.  Most importantly it made me realise what a natural process giving birth is, no matter how it is started and to keep as relaxed as possible.