First Time Mom Leah’s Hypnobabies Hospital Induction
“In 30 minutes, I was holding my perfect, beautiful baby girl. The nursing staff was impressed that a first-time mom was able to focus so well and bring my baby down so quickly.”
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I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl on Tuesday evening and I wanted to share how I used my Hypnobabies tools even as my plans had to change, and change, and change.
My OBGYN practice is small and I started having conversations about using Hypnobabies during my birth to avoid an epidural early in my pregnancy. My doctor was great, she had worked with a couple moms who used hypnosis before and while she said it had been a while, she was happy to support me. When COVID19 cases started coming up more and more in our area my doctor told me that she was recommending I give birth at another hospital that she does not go to, but she set me up with her colleague who is likewise very patient centered.
I spoke to the other doctor and felt heard and comfortable. As my guess date (Hypnobabies word for due date) came closer, there were some complications in my pregnancy that led my doctors to recommend induction at 39 weeks. The earliest appointment the hospital would give me was 39 weeks, 4 days due to how busy they were. At that point I was 37 weeks, so I used my Bubble of Peace (Hypnobabies tool for keeping negativity away) to stay calm and trust that my baby would come at the perfect time.
As the induction date came closer, I began feeling more anxious and really liked the Fear Clearing (Hypnobabies track to help release fear) and Visualize Your Birth recordings. After listening each time I felt much more calm and confident.
Just a week before my scheduled induction I found out that the new doctor who I had spoken with, was called up to the reserves and I would now be in the care of a much bigger practice. There was no one to have a conversation with, I had no idea who would be on call the night I came to the hospital. As the induction date came closer, I became more and more anxious. Pregnancy hormones and fears about COVID19 cases led me to be extra weepy and scared. Listening to all the various tracks really helped me stay centered as much as I could. I also bought the “Come Out Baby” extra track (Hypnobabies track to encourage baby to born).
Then the day came of my induction. I had hit my peak of intense emotions the night before and wished I felt more accepting of my situation. So, I remembered that even though the induction would start at night, it was still my birthing day, so I started listening to all my birthing day tracks. By the time I got to the hospital I was feeling more cheerful.
BUBBLE OF PEACE – the next part involved many changes, and how I coped with them
Once I was checked in, the nurse informed me that I would be taking Miso (Cytotec). I hadn’t even seen the doctor or been checked so I self-advocated to speak with the doctor to better understand my care plan, but also to share with him my desire for a slower induction so my body could ease into birthing time (Hypnobabies word for labor) and I could best take advantage of my hypnosis tools and be able to get in a rhythm. This was not something my initial nurses were inclined toward, but I was kind and firm that I needed to speak to the doctor. I asked him why he was recommending one drug over others, and ultimately agreed to the first stage of my induction plan. They needed me to be hooked up to a fetal monitor overnight so I asked that they use a wireless one that would give me as much mobility as possible.
In the morning I was moved to the labor and delivery floor. The nurse checked me and had difficulty, so she asked the doctor to check me again. When he checked me, he intentionally broke my water, without first consulting me. I was 1 cm and immediately began feeling heavy birthing waves (Hypnobabies word for contractions). I became scared and as the doctor left, he told me not to wait too long for my epidural. Our conversation the night before was gone, and we were, where we were. I had to accept the change in my birthing plan.
I felt like I had lost my confidence, I tried getting back to my hypnosis rhythm, but ultimately decided to get the epidural. I expressed my concern to the WONDERFUL nurses who really listened and cared for me. With each change in shift they shared my birth plan with the next nurse on duty.
My biggest focus was on moving as much as possible to keep my birth progressing well and keep the baby in a good position. The nurses were totally on board. They put me in my side with a peanut between my legs, they moved me to my other side, they propped me up. They were even willing to try to help me get on to all fours in spite of my totally numb right leg… I didn’t get far with that one, but they were totally willing to help me try. After that one I could feel the pressure waves getting stronger. I had taken a real from my hypnosis it soon realized it could still help me in my situation.
The pressure on my lower spine and rectum was heavy and I was struggling. I started listening more to my hypnosis and at a certain point asked to be checked again. I know we don’t birth by numbers, but I really just wanted to know. I was 6 cm but was very uncomfortable, so I decided to listen to my Pushing Baby Out track (Hypnobabies track for pushing). I followed the breathing cues and was really focused. This was the most I had been able to get into my rhythm.
Within an hour they were shocked, I asked if the VERY heavy pressure was okay and normal, they said usually it means you are ready to push… but most likely you still have a while. Still they checked me and low and behold I was rapidly getting closer to transformation (Hypnobabies word for transition). I kept using my breathing and made guttural sounds… that… they weren’t on board with. They told me that kind of pushing doesn’t work with an epidural, so I agreed to do it their way.
*just as an aside- clearly, I made it from 6-10 cm quickly for a reason 😉
In 30 minutes, I was holding my perfect, beautiful baby girl. The nursing staff was impressed that a first-time mom was able to focus so well and bring my baby down so quickly. So, it wasn’t the birth I had planned, I didn’t always have the support from the medical staff, but I did keep using my tools, and they really do help.
If you made it this far, hopefully you feel empowered that no matter what comes your way, you are prepared. You can do this.
