I was led to hypnobirthing, because I was looking for a tool to help me to have a natural childbirth. I had wanted to have a natural childbirth with my first child, but the class my husband and I took only taught us a few breathing techniques. We didn’t practice, and so I became overwhelmed and received an epidural. For the birth of my second child, I decided to take the easy way out and get the epidural before things got rough. But I did not feel good about an epidural for my third child, and so I needed to find something that would help me get through.
This time around my worries were different from my first two pregnancies. I trusted that my body could deliver a baby. I knew that I could handle everything until I hit transition on my own. I was confident that I could do this, as long as I prepared myself for the event. I knew that preparation was the key. I considered finding a doula, but decided that it was not the right fit for me.
I began to look at childbirth classes. I already knew that Lamaze was not going to work for me. I really liked what was offered in the Bradley method classes, but decided that finding a babysitter for the time required, was just too much. The Bradley method also focuses a great deal on the pain of the experience. They do this to give you the techniques necessary to get through the childbirth experience, but I knew that all the focus on pain was not what I wanted my class to be about.
Then I stumbled across hypnobirthing. It seemed like a great fit. Basically hypnobirthing is deep relaxation which allows your body to work naturally. Because you are so relaxed, you are supposed to be free from the pain of your experience. I did not need an entirely pain free birth, but this seemed to be the tool I needed to give me the courage to go natural. I liked this because the philosophy underneath the program was that your body could give birth without a lot of interventions. I also liked the emphasis on a pain free experience. This seemed to put birthing in a more positive light.
I found a home study program that allowed me to complete all my training at home. I decided that this would work well with my hectic schedule. I went ahead and ordered the program. In my next blog I am going to write about how hypnobirthing worked for me.
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