Maggie’s Hypnobabies Birth Center Story

Hypnobabies student in Birth Tub just before giving birth

Maggie’s Hypnobabies Birth Center Story

“My hypnosis was so powerful I wasn’t totally aware of what was happening in my body (how far along in birthing I was). To be honest, I felt bothered more by my body sweat than the intensity of my waves (Hypnobabies term for contractions). I remember thinking, “These waves are not strong or constant enough to get the baby out!” I had no clue I was in transformation (transition). The hypnosis really worked! The waves were powerful and just what my body needed.”

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Like so many third trimester mamas, I was ready to meet my baby. The day I went into my birthing time (Hypnobabies term for labor), I grappled with physical aches and pains common in late-stage pregnancy. My 3-year-old chose not to flush the toilet that morning and my dog made a waterpark of the soiled water. I was beside myself trying to support cleanup at 39 weeks, 6 days along. What got me through those trying moments was remembering my affirmations. Reciting “I am patient” and thinking about how good it is to have a full-term baby was comforting.  

Hypnobabies student in Birth Tub just before giving birthThe big cleanup job required me to shower at a minimum. When I arrived late at my morning mom’s group meeting, I beaded a bracelet honoring my Hypnobabies journey. I used hues of oranges and strung the word “PEACE” for my bracelet. I decided I’d wear it for my birth…whenever that would be. I had no signs of birthing time through this point.

Once home, I passed enough mucous that it covered an entire square of toilet paper! This was the change I wanted to see. I’d been checking for a while, so it was exciting. My Hypnobabies training reminded me to stay calm with the progress. It wasn’t long after that my water broke at 12:05 pm. I texted my spouse, doula, and on-call midwife. Hypnobabies prepared me to ask for what I needed while talking with providers. I advocated for myself fearlessly. That was a miracle given how hard self-advocacy is for me.

While I waited the 40 minutes for my husband to get home, I tuned into my headphones and got in the zone. Everything fell into place as I followed what my Hypnobabies training told me to do.

We arrived at the birth center around 1:15pm. Listening to the Hypnobabies hypnosis tracks helped me not feel adrenaline while getting to my birthing room. I was focused. I followed my body’s lead on what positions felt best.

My hypnosis was so powerful I wasn’t totally aware of what was happening in my body (how far along in birthing I was). To be honest, I felt bothered more by my body sweat than the intensity of my waves (Hypnobabies term for contractions). I remember thinking, “These waves are not strong or constant enough to get the baby out!” I had no clue I was in transformation (Hypnobabies term for transition). The hypnosis really worked! The waves were powerful and just what my body needed. The hypnosis made them completely manageable.

I chose to move to the bathtub when my waves were at their highest intensities. The water made it easy to squat as wide as possible and angle my body into the ideal position for birth. I was only in the bath for 10 minutes before I said I was pushing. I released a lioness roar while our baby crowned. The midwife helped me birth her shoulders and our daughter, Maggie, was born at 1:59 PM. It was just under two hours from my water breaking to birth.

The photo I include was 2 minutes before Maggie was born. If that isn’t the essence of relaxation, I don’t know what is!

So, what helped me along the way?

When I consider my three births, I marvel at the difference Hypnobabies offered. The skills I learned helped me have the birth of my dreams: serene, simple, safe, and full of joy.

Visualizing my body as loose, limp, and lazy was very helpful. Maggie was 17% larger than my other babies and weighed in at 9.25lbs. While I had a small abrasion, I did not need stitches. This was a big improvement from my earlier births where stitches were mandatory. I believe the visualizing was what made the difference there. I also did not push and, rather, let my body do the work for me. A night and day difference!

I imagined my pelvis opening with every wave while in practice during pregnancy, and during birth. I read stories of other hypno-moms. I cherry-picked my favorite tips from what they did to design an inspirational card with my favorite encouraging reminders. This worked well because I found those connection points and did what came most natural to me.

I listened to my Hypnobabies tracks most nights while falling asleep when I was pregnant. While I was not perfect with daily practice, my birth was perfect anyway! I did the best I could, which is all anyone can do anyway. I tuned into the Joyful Pregnancy Affirmations track while doing errands in the car. My personal best varied each day. I told myself whatever I did that day was enough.

I find myself thinking, “I can’t believe it happened!” while also feeling so grateful that it did. Thank you so much to Hypnobabies for giving me the best birth I’ve ever had.