Hypnobirthing and Natural Childbirth

Natural childbirth, or a drug-free labor, can seem daunting to pregnant women. But women have been giving birth without drugs or induction techniques for thousands of years. having a drug-free labor and birth in a hospital or birthing center gives modern women the benefits of both worlds: access to the latest technology in case of a complications, but also the freedom to experience a drug-free labor and delivery is desired.

Giving birth to my son in November of 1998 was tough, but a "typical" first baby experience. My water broke, I was at 3 cm, so they admitted me. When labor didn't progress as expected, I was induced with Pitocin. The pain and anxiety caused by hypercontractions led to the drugs and epidural I'd hoped to avoid. I had a vaginal delivery and Ben was healthy, but my dream of natural childbirth had nothing in common with the myriad technical intrusions I'd experienced.

When we decided to have a second baby three years later, I aggressively pursued a natural childbirth. I chose certified nurse midwives for prenatal care and delivery, hired a labor doula, attended exercise classes at a physical therapy center, and read extensively about natural childbirth. My husband, Erik, and I also studied Hypnobirthing.

Hypnobirthing teaches self-hypnosis and relaxation. Anxiety during labor brings out the "fight or flight" response in the body, forcing blood from the uterus and organs outward to the limbs. By remaining calm, the blood flow to the uterus remains strong, reducing pain. By using relaxation tapes, guided imagery, and characterizing birth as a natural process, rather than a medical emergency, our Hypnobirthing instructor, encouraged us to think of the contractions as surges, strong stretches that aided the baby's birthing.

On April 1, 2002, one week past my due date, the contractions I'd felt for eleven days finally kicked into high gear. We called our labor assistant and she came to our house. For the next few hours she used heat, compression, massage, change of position, and even a 1.5 mile walk to help me deal with the stretching pain. If I took each surge one at a time, I was fine. I hit "play" on my MP3 player when the contraction began, listened to Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings" and sank into a deeply relaxed state until the contraction ended, then chatted, ate, or moved around between contractions, feeling normal. I experienced none of the anxiety or overwhelming hypercontractions I'd had in the hospital with my first son.

When transition hit I began to shake and weep, so we headed to the hospital. I think I went from about 6cm to full dilation during the ten minute drive! We walked into the maternity ward at 1:45pm; my midwife arrived around 2pm. She prepared to do an exam when I yelled, "I have to push!"

"So push!" she said. I was confused for a second--although I believed in and wanted a natural approach, I expected to be told what to do based on a machine readout or her exam. I was shocked she trusted my instincts.

So I pushed! One more and my water exploded. I panicked when I realized this was the point of no return-and when I panicked, the pain increased. I focused on my Hypnobirthing techniques, muttered "I'm not panicking" like a mantra, and got myself under control. The only way through this was to push, and at 2:25pm (forty minutes after our arrival) I pushed our second son into the world, all 8 lbs., 10 oz. of him.

Afterward, as he nursed, I cut the cord myself, examined my own placenta (it looks and feels like a giant piece of liver!), and felt clear and alert. I felt none of the exhaustion or depression that plagued me after Ben's birth. We'd been skeptical of Hypnobirthing's claims of "pain free" childbirth. Some of that skepticism was well-founded: it DID hurt. But because I understood the pain, banished the anxiety, was better educated and surrounded by supporting and nurturing people, I was able to shepherd Reilly into this world naturally.

Tips:

1. Customize Hypnobirthing to meet your needs. I used my own music rather than a Hypnobirthing tape.

2. Stay at home as long as you can during labor, where you can control distractions and noises that might interrupt your deep relaxation.

3. When you tour your birthing facility before giving birth, ask if the nurses and staff are familiar with Hypnobirthing. Some nurses are very enthusiastic supporters, while others have never even heard of it.