Hypnobirthing - A PAIN FREE ZERO DRUGS Natural Birth. Is it even possible??
I'm just a few weeks away from labour now... currently at week 37 and I'm getting nervous.
A few moms from my EDD group Whatsapp chat have already given birth, which is much earlier than the anticipated full-term 40th week labour. These news gave me some anxiety initially as I have not pack all my barang barang yet! Anyway.. I've already packed them and am now more or less ready. Can chiong to hospital anytime if baby wants to come out. =D
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I first came across the term
“Hypnobirthing” through a gentle birth foc session provided by my upcoming
confinement center. I was intrigued by what was shared and eventually decided
to take up the online class held from the same educator.
Everyone has different fears in
life. And for me personally in regards to birth labour, my fear lies with
epidural (aka anesthesia) and episiotomy (a surgical cut at our little sister
area), due to unknown after side effects. And of course c-section! The thought
of me getting cut up on a metal table? God no…..
Friends told me I’m brave to want to
have a unmedicated natural birth. On the contrary, I find those who went
through c-section or natural birth with epidural braver???
To me, true
bravery only occurs when one has the guts to face things that frightens us and the uncertainty that comes along with it. Thus, honestly when I heard friends
trying to praise me wanting to go through this. I can’t help but feel… Nope, I
ain’t brave at all.
So… we are all the same here! Just
different choices of birthing methods ;)
Hypnobirthing
by Baby with Bee (The Mongan Method)
A method that has been tried and tested for more than 30 years
The whole course consists of a total
of 5 session, taking 5 weeks to complete. With each zoom session being 2.5 -
3.5 hours long.
I have managed to learn a great deal of information about Hypnobirthing from Bee Ting. I’m very thankful to have come across this course and that she is so open in sharing about her own personal experiences as well. I like that she is approachable and we are able to ask her anything that we have in mind. We can also contact her after the course ended if we have additional queries.
There is so much information included in this course that I personally feel it's not quite possible to piece all the info so nicely and learn it on our own through youtube, google or the book itself. Some things are better learnt through personal sharing of real-life experiences. Which in this case, Bee Ting has shared numerous real-life examples and also sharing of Hypnobirthing videos.
What is Hypnobirthing?
Hypnobirthing is a coping mechanism
for moms-to-be to achieve the goal of having a natural birth that is free of
drugs through the use of self-hypnosis techniques. By using the various tools
and techniques available, it can help to increase our chances of attaining an
easier, comfortable and gentle birth.
Of course, a big part of it will be
our mindset. Firstly, we got to believe and trust that this system will work for
us. I personally think if we are sceptical and don’t even trust the process,
then honestly half the battle has already been lost.
Mainly, the tools used is to help us
to relax and be in a more comfortable state of mind. In scientific terms, it is
known as the Fight or Flight Response. When we are stressed up or feeling
afraid, it sends a “life-threatening” signal to our body/brain which will then
cause our muscles to tense up. leading to more pain (as we bound to focus more
on the pain itself) and ultimately the need for pain relief.
Is Hypnobirthing for Everyone?
Yes and No, depending on situation. As birth process is always unpredictable, there may be complications that arises (eg persistent severe headaches or excessive vaginal bleeding). It will be best for us to let our gynae to decide on what to do then. Interventions or C-Section may be unavoidable in such situations.
Most important is the safety of both mother and baby.
Is Hypnobirthing limited to Natural Birth only?
Answer is No. Generally, hypnobirthing is beneficial for all types of birth.
Hence it can also be applied to a caesarean delivery too. This does not mean taking away anesthesia or post surgery medications after the c-section surgery. Rather, it is about making use of the techniques to attain a more calm and joyful birth.
Happy Mommy = Happy Baby
Some Useful Tools & Techniques
- Positive Affirmations & Visualization
- Perineal Massage <-- I hope I'm doing this right. 😅
- Breathing Techniques: Calm Breathing, Surge Breathing & Birth Breathing
- Rainbow Relaxation
- Partner’s support: Light Touch Massage, Acupuncture, Hip Squeeze
Other Useful Info (Taught in Hypnobirthing Class)
- Birth plan template will be provided on what to discuss with gynae
- What to say to baby during pregnancy and after birth
- Things to do during actual birth day to make Hypnobirthing a success
Thoughts about Hypnobirthing
Now..
I am not sure if I will successfully attain the drug-free birth that I really
want. As I experience frequent Lightning Crotch in my 3rd trimester
and man… it’s quite painful. It is a kind of sharp and intense pain at the vaginal
area which will come and go without any warning. Each time it happens, it last
for a few seconds to one minute. My pain tolerance is quite high and I rate
this pain a good 7-8/10.
Imagine the song "Take my breath away" whenever this happens 😓
Because of this, it lowers my confidence of attaining the drug-free birth that I wanted. If labour contraction is going to be a lot more painful than lightning crotch and I’m going to be in such intense pain for many hours; then please lar… just give me the damn epidural. Lolx.
Nevertheless, I will still give my best shot and give hypnobirthing a go on my actual birthing day (which is coming soon). I did not practise the techniques on daily basis though (feeling guilty)… but I have made important points on what to take note of; in order to use them on the actual birth day itself.
There
is also a useful cheat sheet provided for my husband to use =p
I will not be free during the actual day as my main focus will be to relax
myself. So I can only hope that he is able to follow through whatever has been
provided in the cheat sheet itself.
I am constantly praying hard for my Hypnobirthing to be a success. I will surrender and leave everything to God now.
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