Brooke’s Hypnobabies Hospital Birth Induction
“They anticipated the catheter would be in all night and I would just try and sleep, well my body had other plans. The catheter came out after a few hours. The pressure waves (Hypnobabies term for contractions) went from 0 to 60 rather quickly.”
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Well, I can’t believe it’s my turn to tell my story, but here we are! I was a little apprehensive to do Hypnobabies with a goal of all-natural birthing due to the fact I have been going through a divorce during pregnancy and felt like it would be too much. However, through lots of encouraging posts…I believed I could…and I did.
It was decided to do a medical birth induction at 40weeks, 4 days. I am 40 years old, and this was my first pregnancy. I can’t tell you how incredible the overall experience was and the tribe of women that held me through every twist and turn is utterly humbling and a true gift and blessing I experienced.
I switched to a midwife group at 36 weeks. My doula recommended them and also recommended Hypnobabies . So, I started classes and tracks around 30 weeks. I am so glad she did. I planned to birth in a hospital as I had insurance challenges with the birthing center. I was ok with that.
After adopting two boys, this was my first pregnancy and may be my last. I really wanted to do what felt safest, most natural, and really truly have the full experience of bringing life into the world.
Well, sometimes plans change and things don’t go as we always expect. However, other than a very very low dose of Pitocin…I did birth all natural. Lots of Fear Clearing (Hypnobabies track to release fear) and Change of Plans (Hypnobabies track for when there is a change in birthing plans) tracks around this induction and change of plans.
I really was supper calm going into it all. I had my mom and doula by my side and a midwife and the most amazing nurses I have ever had, that work along these midwives often.
Well, the birth induction itself progressed rather quickly. I had tracks, like Deepening Your Hypnosis (Hypnobabies track to deepen level of hypnosis) and Easier First Stage (Hypnobabies main birthing time track) on the entire time and my doula speaking many positive messages throughout and applying lots of counter pressure to my lower back. They started with a balloon catheter to manually dilate. I was already effaced and soft. Dilated about a 1. They anticipated the catheter would be in all night and I would just try and sleep, well my body had other plans. The catheter came out after a few hours. The pressure waves (Hypnobabies term for contractions) went from 0 to 60 rather quickly. This really caught me off guard, but I continued to listen to the tracks and when the catheter popped out, they stopped, and I had a long break. The nurse said I progressed from a 1 to 4, and to sleep and if they subsided, we would start a little Pitocin in morning and help get into active birthing time (Hypnobabies term for labor).
I was able to sleep and woke up feeling pretty perfectly normal. Nurse checked and said I was about a 5 and they would start a very low dose of Pitocin. So around 8 am would be the time my birthing time actually began, although the balloon did get me nice and ready in a very short amount of time. The pressure waves from the birth induction with Pitocin started immediately and at first weren’t quite as intense as the night before but they continued to progress. I lost track of time, but the intensity and closeness continued to rise. My doula was there every step of the way. They were getting a room with a birthing tub ready and that felt like it was taking forever and there was a moment I told my doula I can’t do this, and I need something to change. I was about a 7 and she reminded me you ARE already doing this!!
I did ask the midwife to break my waters to relieve pressure. We decided to wait and see how the bath helped. And when I went to the bathroom to get in tub…my water broke. It’s amazing I instinctively knew it was time for that to happen. We somehow got to the tub, but it progressed so quickly I didn’t find much relief and started to feel like I needed to poop. And I did!! Along with pushing baby. We got to the hospital bed quickly. I can’t say all of this felt peaceful and that I felt like I could do it the entire time. But my Pushing Your Baby Out track (Hypnobabies track for pushing) kept playing and my doula and now 5 other women circled around my bed and kept telling me I can do this, and I am doing it.
I struggled a little with connecting completely with the pushing process. Part of me felt it was my fault, I really felt like something within me was resisting pushing him all the way through. I think there was fear of the discomfort. Doubt I could push through the discomfort and then the actual concern that eventually came from the midwife that we did need to get the baby out, as he had been crowning for a very long time. I know she held off as long as she possibly could, but she had to do an episiotomy. At that point safety was all that mattered. Maybe it wasn’t just me that kept him from coming through?
Each woman that surrounded me and held me in love and support played her part. There was the nurse that new safety was becoming a priority and although they all respected mother directed pushing for a very long time, she saw the need to give me a little structure and counting. There was the nurse that held the baby monitor to my stomach the entire time even when I was on all fours to make sure baby was good, and he was good the entire time . There was the doula continually reminding me of all my Hypnobabies cues. There was my mom holding my hand and cheering me on.
I felt during some moments like I was never going to help him get out, and the women held me up and believed in me. My mind was always taken back to the positive Hypnobabies prompts and In between pushes, I was talking to my little guy telling him we can do this and we are in it together!
They kept telling me I could touch his head and I did a couple times but felt I needed to stay focused for the next urge to push. I do remember a different sound after another big push, and I think there was cheering. They kept telling me to look and I hesitated because I needed to focus for the part after the head, finally I looked, and they handed me my baby boy .
He was here…no more pushing, and we did do it and he was safe, and his heart was strong the entire time .
After baby was born the midwife identified internal tears and enough concerns to involve the doctor on call. It led to anesthesia and being corrected inside a quick 30-minute surgery and all went well and
I was ok. The episiotomy turned out to not be an issue and was easily stitched with a little numbing.
So, the positioning of the head as he came out created some challenges and I still don’t fully understand as everything happened so fast and baby was out in 5 hours. But maybe there was a physical reason that blocked him from coming through more easily and it wasn’t me. One of the lessons I learned from this as I had doubted myself. I think I did the best I could, and I was in the right place with the right people, and we were both safe.
In the end, I had the natural birth I had dreamt of. I know the birth induction process would have been longer than 5 hours without Hypnobabies that helped prepare my mind and my body for this big day. I know that I would have given up and asked for medication. I am proud that I was able to listen to my body and be in any position and be alert and aware of each moment. I loved the moment and will never forget being fully present the moment they handed me my boy.
I did not anticipate all of the change of plans, but he is here, and we are all safe and well and my birthing time was exactly as it needed to be for me and my baby. I do not look back and wonder or regret. I am just grateful for the amazing opportunity and the confidence in knowing every step of the way I did the right thing for me and my baby.
Thank you Hypnobabies!!
If you enjoyed Brooke’s story please read Candace’s story HERE
