When I fell pregnant with my first child I was beyond excited. As the pregnancy progressed, fear began to seep in as I contemplated what birth may be like. So many stories with negative connotations surrounded me. The birth stories from women in my life all had similar themes…pain, fear, and feeling overwhelmed. I would wonder how something as natural as birthing your child could be so distressing for so many women. I began to push birth to the back of my mind as something to deal with later.
It wasn’t until I came across Hypnobirthing that I became excited and hopeful about the possibility of a positive birth. The thought of having little control whilst birthing was scary and I was looking for ways to alleviate my anxiety. Hypnobirthing provided me just that. The class reminded me that releasing my fears involved a holistic approach to create a calm and safe experience.
Relational safety was key. Trusting my support team and knowing that they understood my birth plan, wishes and concerns helped me to feel held. The very people who were going to be with me whilst birthing had my best interests at heart and knew what they needed to do to keep me calm and regulated. We were all on the same page and I felt safe.
The next step was to respectfully ask people around me to not share unsolicited birth stories filled with despair and fear. I needed to shift my mindset and managing the stories I heard was crucial. Storytelling plays a huge roll in the human experience and shapes how we think, feel and make sense of others and the world. I ventured into reading books that allowed me to be exposed to the strength of the human mind and body during birth, with women feeling empowered.
In the Hypnobirth class we were provided many positive affirmations and were encouraged to create our own affirmation cards. Being exposed to positive birth affirmations may seem silly to some, but there is power in words. Having my positive birth affirmations on the fridge and around my home gave me constant exposure to ideas that would support me to mentally and physically birth my child. I still remember my favourite ones that I specifically used during birth, as surges became more and more intense.
Every surge brings my baby closer to me
The power and intensity of my surges are never too strong for me…they are me.
Let go and surrender
I practiced the hypnosis tracks, visualisations, breathing and massage techniques regularly with my partner, and more often as the birth drew near. This was key to create positive and relaxed associations between mind and body in preparation. My two children were both born using Hypnobirthing techniques. I can honestly look back and say I had no fear during both their births. I trusted my body to do what it was designed to do and I have never felt stronger.