Michelle’s Amazing Hypnobabies HBAC – A Photo Essay
“He was 9 pounds! I would have never have guessed with how easy it was! Hypnobabies worked amazingly!”
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This was one of my first pressure waves (Hypnobabies word for contraction) after my doula/photographer arrived. They had began a few hours previously, but were all completely easy to get through. They STARTED for me at 3 minutes apart. I had a lot of practice pressure waves the nights leading up to this. But they were irregular, but more powerful than Braxton Hicks, so I knew they were different.
Here I am a few minutes later with my Light-switch in the off position (Hypnobabies technique for entering hypnosis). I believe the track I was listening to was Early First Stage (Hypnobabies main birthing day track). I rotated between this and Birthing Day Affirmations (Hypnobabies special positive affirmations about birth), and Deepening (Hypnobabies hypnosis track to bring you deeper into hypnosis) throughout my birthing time (Hypnobabies word for labor).
Another viewpoint. I was so comfortable and relaxed, on my birthing ball just imagining opening up and relaxing my muscles to allow baby Gavin to make his way down.
My midwife arrived about 30 minutes after my doula. Here she is just entering some information of what had been happening so far, my blood pressure, etc. I was in center here.
Got back on the ball and this is after another pressure wave.
Here I was letting her know another wave was about to start, so I was getting ready to do the Finger-drop Technique.
Finger is dropped and I am switched off.
Right after the wave and having a little laugh here in center (Hypnobabies technique for being in eyes-open hypnosis). Just wanted to show a progression of how it was going through most waves. In between I would make sure to drink ice water from a cup with a straw, and my midwife kept that full for me. I was a single mom at this point in my life. I did all rehearsing on my own, and explained everything to my doula and midwife and provided them with all the terminology so they were aware of how I had envisioned how it would go.
Here I am with my then 17 month old daughter. My hypnosis tracks were still continuously going in my earphones. I had tucked the phone into my bra to be able to move around hands-free.
I was living with my brother at the time due to the circumstances (unfortunate situation that caused this, but Hypnobabies Fear Clearing really helped me cope with everything chaotic going on in my life so I could concentrate on having a beautiful birthing day!). The little girl with the pink headband is my daughter, then 4 yr. old Kendra, and her cousin is right next to her. The girl in the background is my doula’s 18 year old daughter who attends some births with her. My mom was also there. I was able to stay focused throughout all of this by staying in center when not in the off position.
At this point is was about 8:15 pm (doula arrived almost 6 pm I think). Everyone was eating at the table a late dinner so they would be ready for the rest of the birth. I had taken a few bites, but felt I was getting to the point if where I needed a little more concentration. I could feel I was opening more and was actually trying to slow it down with my mind to allow everyone time to finish eating.
I felt a shift and needed to switch positions. This was transformation (Hypnobabies word for transition) for me. I knew it. I got on the couch backwards and found myself making a low humming sound. It caught my doula’s attention so she stopped eating and grabbed the camera. The pool was about half full here.
Oh, forgot to add this one above, but I love it.
This is me during a pressure wave with my toddler on my lap. She went to bed right after this, but my 4 year old stayed up, and my niece left with my brother to go to his girlfriend’s house to give me privacy.
I then felt like I wanted to go to a quieter space, so during center I moved to my bedroom and used pillows to lean over. I kept my legs spread apart some. I was still completely comfortable, and actually began falling asleep during the waves. They were about 2 minutes apart here lasting about a minute, maybe more. My midwife noticed I was falling asleep and knew I was getting close, so she went to check on the water level and temperature, and my doula went with her. The next pressure wave I felt my body pushing and I could not control it. It was during that wave that my water broke because my body was pushing, but I was in the room by myself at this point.
Here they are checking the water while I was in the room. After my water broke, I called for my midwife and doula, and they took my shorts off. Baby was still in so they asked me if I wanted to move to the pool. I said yes so they walked me down the hall.
You can see my mom and daughter in the background coloring.
Here she is helping me switch to Pushing Baby Out (Hypnobabies track for pushing). How exciting!
I love this photo. Notice my hands are relaxed and open, and my mouth open, allowing for all my muscles to relax so I could breathe baby down. My doula was helping keep me focused, but all was going great. No discomfort, just feeling baby move further down.
Here I am with my Light-switch off, but allowing my body to push during a wave, but keeping everything else relaxed.
Baby was crowning here and I was sensing some stretching so I was asking my midwife to make sure everything looked good, which she assured me everything was great so I continued on. After I birthed him, she told me his hand and arm were coming out at the same time as his head. I still did not tear. Letting my body do its thing and the position I was in I feel really helped prevent that.
Baby came and I turned around and my midwife helped hand him to me. 40 weeks 3 days and he was still cheesy with vernix! My mom and my daughter came over from the other side of the room to meet him!
I felt amazing! He was born at 9:25 pm, only about 3 hours after my midwife got there.
Just going to post a few pictures of right after, while we were waiting for the cord to finish transferring the blood from the placenta and waiting for that to birth…
Yup, boy! And those cute feet!
First time nursing, helping stimulate my body to release the placenta.
My placenta was ready to be birthed and I did that while holding my baby and going into center so I could use my hypno-anesthesia, yet be able to communicate the sensations with my midwife. It is an interesting sensation, but not really uncomfortable.
I got to cut his cord! This was about 30 minutes after he was born. Cutting through it was a lot different than I thought it would be. Different texture than I expected, but such a cool thing to be able to do!
First time I let him go. My midwife dried him off so we could start doing his newborn exam.
He was 9 pounds! I would have never have guessed with how easy it was! Hypnobabies worked amazingly! I am just going to post a few more, then I am done!
We called my brother so he came back home. My nieces first time seeing a baby being nursed!
Open eyes!
First diaper. I felt great! I can not stress that enough! The whole birthing process was so gentle and calm, and he was such a calm baby.
I love midwives! Checking out reflexes and everything here.
Checking his suck (he ended up having a lip, tongue and buccal ties we got revised a few days later).
Footprints!
My mom snapping a picture of her first grandson! She is a pediatric nurse, but was respectful of the process and let me do my thing. She is usually really outspoken, but being firm with her before the birthing time helped let her know that I wanted her to be there, but if she made me uncomfortable (she was a little nervous about my birthing at home 17 months after an emergency c section), that I would not hesitate to ask her to leave/go outside. She was great!
Last picture.
I hope this visual and explanation helps some of you who are nervous or having problems visualizing having your children/relatives, etc there during your birthing. Just make sure everyone at your birth understands that it is a peaceful event and to respect you. It is your and your baby’s birthing time. (And your partner if you have one).
