This weekend, we had our first hypnobirthing class. When Lyn first proposed the class to me, I was nonplussed. Why should we spend money to take a class on childbirth and hang out with hippies? We've already had one childbirth class, we hang out with hippies all the time, and we've been through one labor already. However, I'm the backseat driver this time, so I told Lyn I'd be up for whatever kind of class she wanted. Lyn researched several options and then signed us up for a privately led hypnobirthing class. We got a book in the mail. Lyn read the book from cover-to-cover immediately. I poked it a few times to see what it would do. Still pretty inimpressed.
Then we started listening to the CDs of hypnobirthing scripts. I was hooked! I love this self-hypnonsis stuff like crazy. I want to be hypnotized all of the time. So I was excited for the first class. We got to see some great birth videos (which were surprizingly quiet and subdued). Having been through birth before, I get a really really big kick out of watching babies get born. It's like getting the high from the birth all over again, but you get to go home and sleep through the night.
I think that hypnobirthing will be good for us. We had planned for a homebirth with Leigh. I labored hard from Saturday afternoon through to early Sunday morning to no avail. We tried lots of things to move labor along, but nothing worked and finally Leigh passed meconium and we were off to the hospital. I had an epidural and pitocin, rested for a number of hours, pushed, and then Leigh popped out at 7pm on Sunday. I'm happy with my birth experience overall, but we're really hoping to be able to complete at home this time. For most of labor, I was in a really great place, singing through each contraction. For hours we thought a baby would be coming at any time, but instead my contractions got more painful (or less comfortable, as the hypnobirthers would say). Singing didn't work anymore and I didn't have any other tools to help me to relax, rest between contractions, and get the job done.
I'm hopeful that hypnobirthing will give us the tools that we need to make it over any rocky places and to restart Lyn's labor if it stalls. I'm also hoping it will help with positioning, not going overdue, cleaning up our house, and making us millionaires soon. Bring on the brainwashing! I'm writing affirmations, erasing the word "pain" from my vocabularly, and pushing Lyn and myself to practice so we can have baby #2 at home.
P.S. WE (both) FELT THE BABY MOVE OVER THE WEEKEND!!!! Sorry for the all-caps, I'm a little over-excited.
Parenting Right Now
2 years ago
6 comments:
how totally fabulous... i have not been able to convince dakota (that once we are pregnant and there is a birth to plan for) that we should consider a home birth... i would love it. i think the birthing center is as close as we will get, but i will keep the hypnobirthing in mind for further exploration once it is relevant. i could use some help with the house cleaning and a cool million wouldn't hurt either.
i remember when TL first felt the baby! she was overcome with joy!! it's an amazing feeling. now, pepita kicks her hand away and plays little games with her. they are already starting to form a bond.
i was curious about the hypnobirthing, but i'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to meditation and yoga and all of those other silent activities. i should give it a whirl - perhaps read more about it. i'm sure i'm going to need something more than just my "i think i can..." if we decide to switch to the birthing center.
thanks for the inspiration!
Hooray for moving babies! I pooh-pooed hypnobirthing too, and therefore didn't use it, but after having labor stall as soon as we got into the hospital, I now am very much in favor. I definitely got in my own way with wanting to control the process and be ok and stuff. The pain was not such a big deal (I had back labor. It hurt a *lot*...er...felt very less-good.) but feeling stuck was scary for me & my partner. Hopefully y'all will be mentors for us should we have the chance to do it again.
I'm really looking forward to hearing more about your experiences with the Hypnobirthing method. As you know, Strawberry and I have choosen to take a Bradley method class. It will be interesting to share our different perspectives.
Hopefully you will get the birth that you are looking for, and that extra money wouldn't hurt.
congrats on feeling the baby from the outside, totally fun! good luck on your quest to give birth at home, we have a few friends who did and loved it. i am too neurotic to do it but admire those who do...
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