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Does one Hypnobirth?

‘Does one hypnobirth?’ That is the question…I’m not going to lie, I always feel a bit uncomfortable when people say ‘I hypnobirthed’ with no further elaboration.

It sounds like an exclusive club that only certain people are allowed into. A ‘hypnobirth’ is not something to aspire to. It isn’t a thing.

Hypnobirthing is about providing people with a tool box full of techniques. These techniques are both physical and mental. They range from fundamental education about how the body works, through to breathing techniques, visualisation and so much more. To change our mindset about birth we need the combination of all the tools in the toolbox.

However, when it actually comes to birth you might use some of the birthing positions, someone else might use the breathing techniques, another person won’t use the physical tools at all, but will simply labour feeling empowered because they understand how their body is working.

Don’t be put off. This isn’t an exclusive club. Hypnobirthing is for you if you want

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A birth that is connects you are your partner more deeply,

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To understand how to create the perfect birthing environment (for you)

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To understand how the body actually works

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To birth without fear

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A positive calm and empowering birth.

So no, he wasn’t a hypnobirth, but I did use my knowledge of how the body works to empower me to birth how we wanted to. If you want to know more about what hypnobirthing can be for you send me a message, let’s chat.

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Sam’s refresher

Just had our hypnobirthing refresher with the lovely Hannah Percy. Lots of positivity was just what we needed with everything that is going on in the world at the moment. Time to put all of the techniques into practive again and get ready for our little lady’s arrival (Sam, Solihull)

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Open minded review of hypnobirthing!

We joined Hannah’s course unsure about what hypnobirthing was really all about and if it would be right for us, but open minded and keen to learn. What we found is that the course covers such a broad approach to pregnancy, labour and beyond that there’s a multitude of techniques and advice that will speak to even the most cynical hypnobirthing newcomer. The combination of science and the practical and emotional aspects of labour and birthing provides a wide range tips and tricks for all types of parents-to-be to take comfort and confidence from.

It would be difficult to sum up just how much we took away from the course as each lesson taught us so much than we expected. I went into the course very anxious about the prospect of labour and birth but now feel well equipped to face any twists and turns we might encounter along the way feeling calm and informed. The course led us to conversations and thoughts about birth that we would have never considered ourselves normally, helping us to feel even more prepared. The skills we learnt are applicable not only to pregnancy and birth but to everyday life and something we will take into parenthood with us.

The course gives the birth partner an important role allowing them to feel a key part in labour and birth rather than a spectator. Alongside an understanding of the process, the partner gains a toolkit of ways to help and support the mum to be. it allows any birth partner to feel confident and involved, allowing the mum to be to concentrate on herself and the baby, safe in the knowledge the birthing partner knows what to say and do for her, and what to communicate with the hospital staff.

Hannah went over and above every week to provide additional information and advice tailored to our own preferences and situation. She was on hand to answer any questions in between lessons and we feel we can turn to her even now having finished the course and leading up to the big day. We can confidently recommend the course to any parents to be or birthing partners whether it’s their first time or not. There’s so much to be taken from the course and Hannah’s efforts that we’re sure it will contribute to a calm, positive experience regardless of birth preferences or previous births. (Katie, Kenilworth)

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A man’s view of hypnobirthing

If you are anything like me – an ill-informed bloke – the word hypnobirthing will initially summon wacky scenes of shamanistic rituals involving alchemist potions, bizarre animal noises, and enchantingly repetitive breathing. Turns out that only some of it was true (I will leave you to discover this for yourself). Whilst guided by the extremely knowledgeable Hannah, I came to learn that hypnobirthing is so much more: a fresh approach to life rather than a quick ‘life-hack’.

Over the course of several sessions, we explored the connection between the mental, physical, and emotional aspects of the birthing process. Contrary to my initial assumptions, the discourse was entirely fact based and science led (Hannah is very level-headed). We delved into the complex choices we will be likely to face as soon-to-be parents, sparking internal conversation that taught us just as much about ourselves as it did about our unborn child. We learned to adopt a mindset that will arm us to make well-informed decisions whatever happens throughout the birth experience. I feel that this is what makes hypnobirthing an essential addition to the more common antenatal courses.

As we are currently in the third trimester, we cannot predict how our birthing journey will go. However, having completed the hypnobirthing course with Hannah, I believe that we will be in control to navigate through it successfully. And yes, while my wife will do the heavy lifting, I learned that there are plenty of things that I can do to support her through what I am confident will be a positive birth experience. (Koen, Kenilworth)

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Sophie’s Amazing Hypnobirthing Experience

I had the pleasure of teaching Sophie & Sam my short hypnobirthing course. This course is 6 hours of teaching time split over two sessions at around 36 weeks of pregnancy.

They came to me excited but apprehensive and wanting to birth with more knowledge and more power! There birth story will follow, but for now here is the news they shared with me following the beautiful calm birth of baby Isla.

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Sneha’s 2nd Birth

I started getting twinges at 11pm and woke Dave at 4am when things were ramping up. I stayed home until 8am with a combination of warm bath, tens machine and breathing. When I got to hospital I was 9cm. As soon as I got into the birth pool I needed to push, and there he was!! I declined gas and air as the breathing was so much better!! I had a wobbly that I wouldn’t be able to deliver babies head, but Dave was amazing. Thank you so much for everything.

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Niamh’s hypnobirthing journey

I knew I wanted to use Hypnobirthing not long after I found out I was pregnant. Birthing is treated like a secret society, like it is something you have to suffer through and everyone wants to share their horror stories like it is funny even when you are scared. It becomes this looming deadline and it is now inescapable. I refused for that to be me.

Then I saw two birthing videos on youtube of women talking about hypnobirthing/positive birthing/calm birthing. And they had labour for hours, both their babies were back to back and got stuck and one had to have an emergency c section. They both smiled and talked about how happy they were and what they loved and how they managed their pain relief and how they had planned and prepared and whilst things changed they felt ready and it was their choice to change tactic and proceed.

My mother booked birthing classes, she had had birthing classes for both me and my brother (15 years apart) and was adamant they were the best thing I would get all pregnancy (spoilers, she was right). So I found Reena online, and we booked private lessons after talking to Reena about my severe phobia of needles, my partner’s possible fainting at the sight of blood and our desire to find someway to take this ridiculous mix and make a positive, calm birth experience from it.

My partner and I went from overwhelmed to informed, and panicking on the inside to complete calm and conviction in the first session. It is about commitment – commit to the work and you’ll see the difference immediately. I had some techniques so well rehearsed my body would shift immediately into calm. It was brilliant and also the chance to bond with my partner more over our pregnancy, having the time each week to just be together, focus on this life event without any of the other complications or distractions that come along with it getting in the way of our love and care for each other. Our love and care made this amazing person become real and it needed to be celebrated and acknowledged too. Our bond deepened and grew with each class.

At 38 weeks we suddenly found out baby was breech. This was a complete shock and almost felt unreal. We had very little time to get to grips with it and change our original plan and preferences to accommodate this new reality. Reena was a star. We had finished our classes but that didn’t mean suddenly she wasn’t there. She offered advice and support, asked me how I was and how my partner was doing (something no one else asked) and gave me more advice and options and gave me practical advice of how to adapt certain techniques to help for the ECV and c section.

Please, if you do nothing else for yourself, make sure you get these classes. The books are great but nothing beats having a person there to help you and explain to you what you need.

I had a wonderful birth and think on the whole experience with joy. Thank you so much for helping me with that and gifting me that experience.

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The birth of Lennon

So after a great hypnobirthing course with Reena and a fairly straightforward pregnancy I was very positive about giving birth to my first baby boy. 

At 37 weeks pregnant I went to my appointment with the midwife for the usual checks only to be told that my bump hadn’t increased in the last 3 weeks. 

Although alarming I wasn’t worried as I had been told this in the previous appointment and after being sent for an ultrasound it was nothing to be worried about and was probably down to inaccurate measurements taken. I had 4 different midwifes in my checks so this didn’t help. 

I was booked in for this ultrasound that evening and I even said to my partner not to bother coming as it was probably the same thing again with inaccurate measurements. Once the sonographer scanned me she said that she too had seen a drop in the measurements of my baby and was worried that the placenta may not be working properly. She quickly said that I would need to be induced possibly tomorrow if they’re not busy. 

Panic set in immediately and I called my partner to get to the hospital so we could both speak to a doctor. I thought about all the questions Reena had spoke about in hypnobirthing and prepared them, induction was the last thing I wanted and my perfect water birth seemed to be slipping away.

The doctor seemed surprised when I said I didn’t want an induction, she said ‘why wouldn’t you’. I quickly realised that dealing with the nhs was going to be annoying. I asked what was the alternative, was it absolutely necessary to be induced. We agreed on monitoring scans every 2 days and they wanted me to see a consultant the following week. 

So at 38 weeks we went to see the consultant expecting another annoying conversation and questioning on why we didn’t want to go for that option. It was a really hard decision but we weren’t seeing any warning signs on the scans so we were comfortable with waiting. The consultant was actually really nice and said she understood our decision but she could do a check of my cervix to see what stage I was at. On first look she said actually you’re already 2cm dilated! She then offered me a sweep and I thought at the time that’s a better option than a full induction. 

Within about 5 minutes I felt strange, I said to my partner I bet I’m going to have the baby tonight. We went home in a taxi and was stuck in after work traffic for about 45 mins and I started to feel cramps. I didn’t think it could possibly work that fast but after initially freaking out when we got home, I listened to some motivational music (Beyoncé) and bounced on my ball and felt loads better. 

The waves came every 30 minutes by this point so we had time to eat, watch a film and rest. Once it reached about 10 pm my partner suggested having a lie down in bed to get some rest. As soon as I got in bed the waves started coming every 10 minutes. My partner was secretly timing them to not distract me and suggested we call the hospital to see what they think. 

They were positive but said I didn’t really need to come in unless they were every 3 mins. That soon came and I called the hospital to say I was coming in, I really wanted to get checked because everything seemed to be happening quite fast. 

Once at the hospital I was taken into triage and checked, apparently I was ‘only’ 2cm. I was shocked because it felt like the waves were quite intense and every couple of minutes. She said she wanted to monitor the baby for 20 minutes and then left us. I was on an incredibly uncomfortable bed with quite intense waves so I got up to stand. She appeared later and said oh the monitor has moved we’re going to have to do another 20 minutes. 

Another midwife then came in and said she was sending me home and if I didn’t want to go home I would have to go on the ward. I was getting very angry at this point and felt like I wasn’t getting listened to. 

The hypnobirthing helped me to focus and not to let the anger come out but I was fuming. Within 5 minutes of being on the ward I was checked and I was 7cm dilated. Unbelievably I’d gone from 2cm to 7cm in 40 minutes, so back downstairs I went but this time to the delivery suite. Finally I felt a sense of relief and I could calm down. 

With a wonderful midwife, my partner rubbing my lower back and giving me great support and with the aid of some gas and air, the surges came thick and fast and I was soon pushing. Lennon came into the world at 5:15am and it was the most incredible experience of my life.

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Rachel’s confident and rewarding 2nd birth experience

‘After an amazing hypnobirth at Solihull MLU for my first daughter, I was adamant that I wanted to have my second daughter there too! I wanted everything to be the same! But this pregnancy was not going to run as smoothly….
 
At my 20 week scan, I was advised that there was a brightening showing on the babies bowel known as an echogenic bowel. They referred me to a consultant to have it checked further. The sonographer explained the baby may have just swallowed some blood but of course when I got home I googled ‘echogenic bowel’ and was diagnosing all sorts! I was so nervous that I wouldn’t be able to give birth at Solihull anymore but after a quick conversation with Liz, I felt a bit calmer.
 
When the consultant scanned me, he had no concerns over the brightening and reassured me I could still give birth at Solihull. I was over the moon. I continued to be monitored through my community midwife.
 
Then during a conversation with my midwife at around 36weeks about where I would give birth, she advised I wouldn’t be able to go to Solihull as the baby was tracking on the 90th percentile so they wouldn’t accept me. I was so upset as I was not aware of this. As I had a scan booked in at 37 weeks to check the placenta positioning, my midwife changed it to a growth scan. Liz was really helpful here again to help me put things into perspective and discuss my options. Following the scan I was plotting just under 90th percentile so once again was allowed to be referred to Solihull! As I was 37 weeks at this point, Solihull we’re suppose to take over my care but then received a call from my midwife to advise that I couldn’t give birth at Solihull as there was an alert on my records due to the echogenic bowel. I was so upset and angry by this point as I was not clear why this hadn’t been cleared up. I spoke a someone reference the alert and was advised that my baby would need a scan on the bowel before it’s first feed and this would need to be at heartlands. My baby would always comes first and I understood if this was required but as far as I was aware, there was no concern anymore!! Liz helped me to contact the head of midwifery to escalate my concerns as not going to Solihull was no longer my concern, it was why my baby needed a scan before it’s first feed! The consultant was looking into this for me.
 
Then the day before my due date, I woke up at 2am as my waters released. I called Heartland MLU to see what I needed to do as I had no surges. They advised to come in for a quick check up. I had to call my parents as my 3 year old was asleep. They came around 3:30am and we got to heartlands around 4am. They checked my waters and the babies heartbeat and all was ok. I declined an examination as I had no surges at this point. They checked up about the scan the baby may need and found out it wasn’t required! At this point I was happy and calm to give birth at Heartlands. I got home about 6am and I decided to go for a lie down on my bed. I started to get some tightenings but were quite mild at this point. They gradually became more frequent so used the breathing techniques Liz had taught me as I walked around my room. I felt really relaxed with my home comforts and felt very in control of my breathing. My husband took our daughter to nursery around 9am when I felt the surges getting stronger and closer together. I called Heartlands and said I was coming in. When my husband arrived home at 9:30 we were back on the road again towards Heartlands with my mum in the back! We arrived at 10am and I asked for some gas and air whilst they filled the pool (delighted that the pool on the willow suite was free!) They advised that they don’t like to give it too early on in labour but I advised that I may seem calm but I think the baby was coming soon. They examined me and I was 8cm! I got into to the pool and continued with my breathing. My husband was key at this point in reminding me of which breathing I should be doing and keeping me focused. Margot Mae Whelton arrived at 10:54am weighing 7lb 7 (34th percentile!!!) The student midwife advised it was only her second ever birth and she couldn’t believe how calm I was and how quickly she arrived!
 
Overall, hypnobirthing helped me to keep calm in those situations where things weren’t going ‘to plan.’ As this was my second hypnobirth I decided to do a refresher with Liz but Liz wasn’t just there for me for that session – she was there throughout the pregnancy keeping me in check!! She reminded me that I didn’t need to give birth in Solihull to have a positive experience, I had everything I needed to create a positive experience anywhere I went! Thank you Liz xxxx’
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Reena’s Birth Story

Anya Chandarana born on Tuesday 13th February at 6:05 am

“At 7:00 am on Monday morning I had my show. Although I knew that it could be days before I went into labour I couldn’t help but feel excited and hopeful that it wouldn’t take that long. I phoned the Women’s hospital to let them know and to ask for their advice as I had Group B Strep and I needed antibiotics as soon as I was in established labour. They reassured me that I could carry on as normal and I need not come in until I thought I was in established labour or if my waters had released.

So I carried on with my chores at home, picked Sienna up from preschool and took her to weekly pre tennis milkshake at Morrisons. After Sienna’s tennis lesson, we went home, I gave her dinner, cleared up and started getting her ready for bed. Just as I finished reading her bedtime story I felt a “pop”. I looked at Amit and mouthed that my waters had popped. I tucked Sienna in and said goodnight to her as normal and then I phoned the Women’s who advised that as waters had released (although it was just a trickle) I should come in so that I could take the antibiotics in time. I phoned my brother and asked him to come and stay with Sienna until my in laws were back home and Amit and I headed to the hospital.
We arrived at the birth centre at 8pm and were assigned a midwife who was quick to tell me that I wasn’t in labour and upon checking me advised that my waters hadn’t released.
When she checked again a little later she changed her mind and said that she could feel the baby’s head, that my waters hadn’t fully released and then came the words “Oh you’re 3cm dilated”. When Amit got excited and said “I told you you were in labour”, she was quick to correct him and said “she’s not actually in labour as she’s not contracting and is only 3cm”. She then said that she believed I would need to be induced to prevent the risk of the Group B Strep being passed to baby. Up until that point I was so focused on having a calm, natural birth like I had previously but the midwife had completely thrown me off. It hadn’t even entered my mind that I may need an induction, purely because I had told myself that this wasn’t an option. In Liz’s classes my brain blocked out the section on induction and now I was in a mild panic that I wasn’t prepared as I hadn’t listened. Amit reassured me that he had been listening and told me not to worry or lose focus. He asked the midwife if it was possible to carry on as we were naturally for a couple of hours but the midwife was adamant that the doctors would want to begin induction by syntocinin drip.

When the midwife left the room, Amit went out to speak to her again away from me. Amit tried to persuade the midwife to let us continue as we were for a couple of hours as he believed I had been having surges even though I had said I hadn’t felt any. The midwife told Amit that we would either have to go home (as I wasn’t in established labour) or start the induction process.

Thankfully the midwife was called away to another labour and a new midwife was assigned.

Amit explained again that we had been doing Hypnobirthing and that he thought I had been having contractions and asked if we could have a few more hours to see if things started naturally as I was already 3cm dilated. The new midwife was much more understanding and agreed that as it had not been long since my waters had released, there was no reason why we could not review in 2 hours to see if things had progressed naturally.

Whilst all this was happening, my surges had indeed started and Amit was happy to discover this when he came into the room to tell me the good news.

I continued to labour naturally through the night. At points I felt very tired and had to rest, after resting I found that my surges had slowed down and reduced in intensity. At some points I began to doubt that I could do it, Amit would tell me that I could and remind me to breathe correctly as I lost focus with it and forgot about the breathing techniques. Once I started breathing correctly again I felt I could manage the surges. Amit also gave me sacral massage which really helped.

At about 03:00 we moved into the pool room, by around 3:30 I went in to the pool. Moving to the pool helped ease the pressure and was quite soothing. At this point I was feeling exhausted, which again was affecting my focus and I was falling asleep. When the surges would start I would be half asleep and so wouldnt be breathing correctly. Amit would encourage me and remind me to breathe as well as breathing with me to bring me back on track.
At 5:20 I felt like I couldn’t continue, the midwife who had been with us for a few hours and had been observing and gently encouraging me following Amit’s lead, recognised that I was in transition and requested a mirror to check me.
After checking me she told me that I would be holding my baby soon.

Shortly afterwards I felt the urge to push, and I began breathing the baby down.

The midwife said that she could see the baby was still in the amniotic sac (it hadn’t fully ruptured when my waters released!)

At 06:05 Anya was born. I was overcome with emotions and asked if it was a boy or a girl and the midwife reminded me 2 or 3 times that I had to have a look to see for myself!

Thank you again Liz for your amazing support and helping us prepare for the arrival of our second little princess. We couldn’t have done it without you!”

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