Whenever I am asked about my Hypnobirth, people always want to
know one thing: did it hurt? For this reason, I have decided to write my next Hypnobirthing post on the pain relief issue.
When I was researching which birth method to use, I saw several impressive videos where the woman had chosen Hypnobirthing and appeared to have no pain whatsoever. I’ll admit that I was optimistic; it looked so easy, why couldn’t I do it? One statistic I read found that of women who chose Hypnobirthing, around half had no pain, and around 70% reported no pain until transition (7 cm).
I wouldn’t call my birth pain-free. I would say that I had very manageable pain until transition, and during transition the pain did increase, but that was the shortest part of labor and before I knew it, I was pushing. Hypnosis, combined with counter-pressure and the tub, helped immensely to ease any discomfort. When things got really intense, I changed it up. Trying something new always helped.
I am often asked what a contraction feels like. Basically, imagine a charlie horse that surrounds your whole torso (including your back). It grows in intensity over about 45 to 90 seconds and gradually subsides. This repeats itself every 2 to 3 minutes for a very long time! They definitely hurt, but I think more than that, they are tiring! Giving birth without drugs is hard work, so prepare for the long haul!
So many women have told me they think I’m crazy for not using drugs. After all, “that’s what they’re there for!” To those women I would say, there is nothing more empowering than giving birth to your baby naturally. It is so amazing to feel everything that is going on in your body as it works to bring your baby out. You gain so much confidence in your body and your place in this world as a woman and mother. If you are trying to decide whether to have drugs or not, my advice would be to choose a natural birthing method that appeals to you and educate yourself…no…immerse yourself in it. Give it 100% of your attention. Practice the techniques daily. Picture your perfect birth. Be optimistic, and go for it! You’ll be glad you did.
Hi Fiona,
This is a really nice story – quite inspiring for people like me who are involved in HypnoBirthing. Would you mind if I linked to it from my web site please? its at HypnoBirthing Classes (UK) Web site – do let me know whether you would mind or not!
Thanks very much,
Katharine
Hi Fiona,
This is a really nice story – quite inspiring for people like me who are involved in HypnoBirthing. Would you mind if I linked to it from my web site please? its at http://www.thehypnobirthingcentre.co.uk – do let me know whether you would mind or not!
Thanks very much,
Katharine
Katharine,
Absolutely! I love sharing my experience with others who are interested. I went to your site briefly, and I’ll be sure to spend more time there in the future. Thanks for reading!
Fiona
Yeah this is somthing that im reading about but i find it funny…did it hurt???? i would think any kind of child birthing technique you use its still going to hurt a bit….but this is more like focusing and breathing and placing your self somewhere to not think about the pain…one thing about this i didn’t know about this is that there was no drugs i didn’t know what i was thinking but i thought you had some kind of pain meds…so wow! But yeah this is something im looking in to.Thanks
It’s more than just not thinking about the pain…I probably don’t describe it very well, but in the book it talks about how the pain is a result of our tension and fear which physically releases a chemical in the brain that causes us to feel pain. An ideal hypnobirth would be pain free because you are so relaxed, your body is just able to birth without interference, and you are calm enough that the “fight or flight” chemical isn’t released. That’s what I’m shooting for in my next birth.
I am a HypnoBirthing instructor in Utah County and I would also like to quote from and link back to your wonderfully comprehensive articles. I am glad that you had such a positive experience! My website is http://www.hypnobirthingutah.com. Thanks!