Daina + Porter’s Hypnobirth
Tuesday 17th August 12.30am, I woke up and noticed I had a ‘bloody show’, without letting myself get too excited (I’d been wanting her earthside for a good week prior), I said to myself-‘remember, people can have their ‘show’ a good week or even longer to the main event. I went on back to bed, and started getting period like cramps but on a small scale. I didn’t need any strategies here. These went on for an hour, so I thought ‘this may be for real’. I started timing them and they were regular, but at about 5-6 minutes apart. I didn’t sleep from then on and continued in the same fashion up until around about 5am when they begun to slow. I was a little bit annoyed by this because I know people who have had surges (contractions) for days! I got up, told Marty about it all and he excitedly said oh so it’s ‘go time’ then. I had to explain that this could go on for days. He went off to work.
Andi + Alfie’s Hypnobirth
I could feel the stages my body was moving through and found this comforting because I knew if I kept it up it wouldn’t take long. I kept focusing on all my affirmations, repeating them in my head - ‘my mind leads my body’, ‘the sensations are never too strong for me because they are me’. I used my surge breathing - visualising my uterus working just like it should be; strong, rhythmic, efficient. The back pain I was experiencing was unbearable at times but I had trained my mind to stay calm and just embrace each surge like a wave; coming and going.
Andi + Belle’s Hypnobirth
I went into labour on the 29th of November 2016 (4 days before my guess date) after experiencing 12 hours of pre labour. I managed to have a proper dinner and Michael and I got out for our typical evening walk before I thought “hmm these surges aren’t going away”. I hate to cry wolf, but after experiencing pre labour contractions I really doubted whether this was actually the real deal. So, from 7:30(ish) till 11:30pm I stayed at home with Michael and started to practice all my hypnobirthing strategies.