HypnoBirthing with Liz Stanford
We are Amina and Peter, we were expecting our first child and had heard about HypnoBirthing from a friend. We started a HypnoBirthing course with Liz at home towards the end of my pregnancy. Liz took us through all aspects of child birth as well as the HypnoBirthing techniques and relaxation methods. These sessions in themselves were relaxing and calming taking away some of the fear about giving birth for the very first time.
Once we had completed the course we practiced the techniques in preparation for the day of the birth. A week after my due date I felt some surges at about 4 O’clock in the morning. I started using the breathing and relaxation techniques as shown by Liz. This kept me calm and feeling in control. I called the midwife around midday to say that I would be going into the Solihull birthing unit. She suggested that I should come in once the surges were regular and once they felt stronger.
At 7:30pm that evening we went to Solihull hospital feeling concerned that they may send me home as I may not be ready to give birth yet. It was to our surprise that when I was examined by the midwife I was already 4.5cm dilated. I spent the next hour listening to the HypnoBirthing CD, practicing breathing and relaxation techniques before entering the birthing pool. When I entered the birthing pool I felt relaxed and still in control. Once again in the pool I used the HypnoBirthing relaxation and visualization techniques to control my breathing and to maintain a calm state. At 9:30pm the midwife asked Pete if he would like to see the head and he thought yes when it comes out…and then he realised that she meant right then. A few seconds later our baby boy Zakariya was born weighing a healthy 9Lb 2Oz.
I had not felt any need to take any drugs or gas and air during the birth. We couldn’t believe how effective the HypnoBirthing had been. This is our opportunity to say thank you to Liz for taking the stress out of child birth and helping Zakariya to come into the world in a calm manner.