A positive labour with hypnobirthing: Raff’s birth story
I was lucky as my pregnancy was very straightforward with no real complications - I actually enjoyed it! Having the later stage of pregnancy during lockdown also gave us some quality time together as a couple and forced me to slow down a bit. The HPHB course helped us to feel prepared for the various scenarios that could happen during labour and think through our birth preferences. We wanted to go into the process optimistically but also realistically and I felt confident knowing the options that would be available to us.
The birth was overall very positive. I started having contractions at 3am and little Raff was in my arms by 3pm. We had spent a lot of time on hypnobirthing techniques (thanks to HPHB) and were able to put them into practice which made the whole experience calm and I felt in control. We stayed at home listening to my favourite music, went for a long walk, attempted a jigsaw (I didn't contribute much!) and used breathing techniques until midday. By this time my contractions were still only 2 in 10 minutes but were lasting about a minute. We decided to go to the birth centre to get assessed as they had become more intense and I was open to pain relief. It turned out I was 6cm dilated which gave me the confidence to continue unassisted. Once I got to the room everything happened very quickly. My waters broke - movie style, and about 10 minutes later my body wanted to push. The midwives were not convinced it was time, but I wasn't able to ignore it and it turned out I was fully dilated. I got into the birthing pool which was amazing and despite a bit of trouble getting his head out, he arrived shortly after.
The first moment I saw my baby I felt overwhelmed and full of love. It all happened so quickly that I just couldn't believe he was in my arms and was healthy.
I had to stay overnight in the maternity ward as there was no-one to discharge us, which wasn't ideal, but it made it all the more special when we finally came home and were able to be together as a family. I was terrified of holding Raff at first as I had no experience with babies, but it's a very steep learning curve! We had been shown various breastfeeding positions on the HPHB course which helped us in the first few days.
I would recommend HPHB to all my friends as it gives a really good overview of all the various scenarios that you could face, and it empowers both the mum and partner with knowledge. It's also useful to hear from a range of experts; their different roles, why they might be needed and the justification as to why a certain course of action would be recommended.
Top Tips
Hypnobirthing is amazing. It was particularly beneficial for my partner who initially thought he would only have a minor role in the birth, but after feeling empowered through the course, he was the only person in the birthing room I was listening to and he guided me through the whole process and kept me calm.
Perineal massage is also very worth doing!
You can read lots more Positive Birth Stories here. We have positive birth stories from all types of births, including homebirths, water births, induction of labour, instrumental deliveries and Caesarean section births.
Download our free birth plan template and other resources for your pregnancy here.
Find out more about our antenatal and hypnobirthing classes in London, Essex and online and book your place here.
Access free hypnobirthing relaxations and videos to support you through your pregnancy on our Instagram TV page here.
Watch our free pregnancy and postnatal exercise classes here.
