1a – Natural Birth Stories
Emy’s First Baby: Hypnosis- and Water-birth!
Emy was a single mom at the time she contacted me. She surprised me with an unusual common sense and such strong determination to “do the right thing” for her baby’s sake! She had a lot to be scared about but she was extremely wise and smart in choosing her “helpers” in this fantastic journey! She chose Dinah Waranch, a nurse-midwife owner of The Lover’s Lane Birth Center and opted for a waterbirth! She also learned self-hypnosis and the “Quantum Birth” program with me. Her baby boy was born Thursday at 5:21 AM in the water after only a few hours of active (strong) labor.
Here is her story in an email she sent me a few months after:
“It was such an amazing birth!”
“I started feeling the first signs of labor at about 11:30 Tuesday night, very mild contraction.[That is what is called early labor, no need to change anything in your routine]….[Sonogram appointment on Wednesday, doctors want to induce, midwife said get a good night sleep, we'll do it tomorrow... ] At 11:30PM on Wednesday night, my water broke and it was obvious no induction would be needed.
The hypnosis worked wonders during the first 24 hours of labor. In fact, sometimes I wasn’t completely sure if I was really having any contractions because as soon as I felt something I would relax and all of a sudden it seemed to disappear. During the stronger labor, it took a lot more effort and concentration but I still think it went absolutely amazing.
It was more tiring than anything I have ever done which is pretty much a given with something that works you out like labor. I was already about 5 centimeters dilated when I got to the birth center which was an hour or two after the strong labor started up. It went so quick from there. I was only in the strong labor for about 5-6 hours.
Sometime during that time, I have no idea what time exactly because I was so zoned out, I decided to get into the water and it helped a lot. I remember thinking how I was afraid Dinah (my midwife) would think it was slowing my labor down because it was so relaxing. I could feel the contractions but they weren’t near as intense. I got out of the water at one point so I could lye on my side in the bed and then all of a sudden I just felt the need to push and started doing it.
At that point Dinah called her assistant and I went back into the water, it just felt right to birth him there. It was amazing feeling him come down the birth canal. I could actually feel him move back a bit when I closed my legs after a contraction so I had them hold my legs apart in between contractions (I was laying on my side because that kept me underwater best). Then I pushed him out with this energy that I have no idea where I got it from and I remember feeling this movement and I assumed it was Dinah doing something and I asked her not to do it because it hurt and she told me that it was the baby moving his head, how cute! And with the next contraction he was out.
I asked my mom about how long I was pushing and she said it was about 10 minutes. I remember feeling him being put on my chest and it took me a few seconds to open my eyes because I was just so focused on the feeling of him being pulled up and set onto me.
After a few days, I started thinking how I can’t wait to have another one…. I think a big part of what made it so amazing was the fact that I did it myself. I had assistance when I needed it, but I still did it myself, no one did it for me. I honestly don’t think I could’ve had a better first birth experience.
The one thing I would change about that day is maybe with the next one I’ll get more sleep once the baby goes to sleep. I was too excited and kept staring at him and didn’t take advantage of the opportunity for sleep. 
Well, I’m really tired and must get some sleep. Can’t wait to see you!”
Emy
Dallas, February 10, 2006
For the record, Emy’s baby was 8lbs10oz and she had just a little tear that did not need stitches. I have seen it over and over again: small women can birth big babies, if they are in the right (relaxed) environment, and allowed to follow their body’s lead in terms of position, “pushing” and everything else at the time of birth!
Also, it is more difficult to stay in the pain-free “zone” all the way without a partner or a doula trained in hypnosis… (More on the important role of the partner in another blog)
Comments? Questions? Do you have a similar story you want to share?
Continue reading Emy’s First Baby: Hypnosis- and Water-birth!
When Hypnosis is a Great Adjunct to Hospital Birth!
I am so grateful to Shari for allowing me to share her story with you! She is living proof that learning self-hypnosis and getting informed and prepared for childbirth is always worth the time and money even when “things” don’t go exactly as planned!
Shari with her newborn baby Asher
Listen to what she has to say just a few days after the birth!
Click HERE to listen to the Audio interview
Shari gave birth to her second child after just a few hours of labor!
Continue reading When Hypnosis is a Great Adjunct to Hospital Birth!
The Natural Birth Story of Theresa’s Twin Girls
Vivian & Fiona’s Birth Story by Theresa Wohlfeld
Written by Theresa for the La Leche League of Dallas Newsletter in August 2003
After a long painful labor with my first daughter, I decided to take a different route when I became pregnant again. (…) Carrying two was definitely more challenging than my singleton pregnancy. I didn’t feel up to my usual daily dog walks –just chasing Veronica all day was workout enough. I tried to eat a lot of nutritious food, and I rested every afternoon for a couple of hours. I started having Level 2 sonograms, and everything always looked great. Both babies were head down, and their growth was right on track. Getting used to the idea of having twins was such an adjustment, I hadn’t given much thought to the birth. When a friend told me she was taking a HypnoBirthing® class, I was really curious. The idea is that, through self-hypnosis, you bring yourself to such a relaxed state that your body does the work of labor without interpreting the sensations of contractions (surges) as pain. Ideally you experience the surges as pressure. It sounded great to me, if maybe too good to be true.
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After talking to a few instructors, my husband and I decided to take classes from Nadine Romain and hired her as our doula as well. The classes were great, and I found that I really enjoyed practicing self-hypnosis. Being in such a relaxed state is really a pleasant experience. I used the techniques to release a lot of my fears about the birth and also my fears of being overwhelmed by the realities of breastfeeding and caring for two newborns in addition to our toddler. My husband and I practiced whenever we could, and I worked on visualizations I would have him and Nadine prompt me with during labor. I came up with a “Special Place” (my backyard) that they would describe to me to help me relax.
I had been told that as soon as I reached 35 weeks I was pretty much full term for twins, so we were getting ready and excited in early April. When I went in for my 37 week checkup with Susan, I was thrilled to find out I was 4 1/2 cm dilated and 90% effaced. Almost halfway there! I had been having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions but none were painful. It was incredible to find out I had made so much progress without even knowing it.
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Theresa & Family in August 2003
I reached 38 weeks with no babies yet, and friends and family were starting to get anxious. I was now 5 cm dilated and wondering what the babies were waiting for! I was not worried myself, but people were starting to ask me, “When are they going to take the babies?” “Take them where?” was my response. It seems that the general practice of most OB’s is not to let a twin pregnancy go much past 38 weeks. I was so glad that I was not being pressured by Susan (Akins, my midwife) to do something. She did say that she would break my water whenever I wanted her to if I became too uncomfortable and just wanted to get on with it. I hadn’t reached that point yet.
At 39 weeks I had a non-stress test, and the babies did great. I also had another Level 2 sonogram and everything again looked perfect. The amniotic fluid level was good, and the girls’ estimated weight was now 61/2 to 7 pounds each. The doctor doing the sonogram was amazed that I was closing in on 40 weeks and had had no problems. I was now setting a record for length of twin gestation for his office!
As week 39 wore on, I was starting to worry that when labor did finally start, things might progress too fast. We needed enough time to get Veronica settled with someone and get ourselves to the hospital in time. I didn’t really want an unassisted home birth with twins! My husband and I decided to pick a day that we would want Susan to break my waters. We settled on Friday May 2nd –just a few days before my 40 week due date of May 5th.
Friday came and I was very relaxed and felt very comfortable with my decision to push things along a bit. I had Nadine with me, and I had slept the night before and eaten breakfast. I felt ready for the challenge ahead of me. Susan examined me and found that I was 6cm dilated, 100% effaced and that baby A was at +1 station. Yeah! We were so close. She broke my water at 9:30 am, and I started having surges about 10 minutes later. My husband talked me through them, and I felt confident and relaxed. Another 10 minutes later the surges were really strong. I didn’t seem to get a break between them. I was getting a little panicky at this point. It reminded me a lot of my labor with Veronica, and I had my doubts that I was going to make it through without medication. The fact that the air conditioning was out didn’t help. The room was stuffy, and I was getting really nervous.
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At this point Nadine stepped in. She had a little hand held fan that she handed to my husband to point at my face. She put a wet washcloth on my forehead and started to talk me into a deeper state of relaxation. She has a wonderful French accent and a very soothing manner of speaking that immediately put my mind and body at ease. She used the visualizations we had worked on to help me relax and also urged me to project myself forward in time to when I was already holding my babies. I instinctively started to moan softly with the surges, and I was surprised by how much this helped. The pain and panic were now gone, and I only felt a slight pressure in my abdomen as each surge peaked. I was somewhat aware of nurses coming in and out of the room, but it was not disturbing to me. We had our soft music on and the lights dimmed, and my focus stayed on being relaxed.
The staff at Baylor was really great about working with us. They tried hard to keep things as quiet and peaceful as possible. At about 11:00 am someone came into the room to take my blood. I was only vaguely aware of his presence and just heard Nadine say, “Your arm is going to float up and someone will hold it for a minute.” I gently lifted my arm and felt someone’s hand hold it, but that was all. I didn’t feel the bind of the elastic or the prick of the needle or anything! I had to ask someone later if they got the blood sample at all.
A minute later, I felt a little nauseous and then a strange sensation of my body bearing down. It wasn’t like I felt consciously that it was time to push; my body was just doing it on its own.
Nadine was startled and said, “What’s happening, Theresa?” I replied, “I think the babies are coming.” I heard her repeat my words excitedly, and all of a sudden there was a lot of movement in the room. I heard someone call out for Susan, and then she examined me and I was completely dilated! It had only been 1 1/2 hours since labor had started. Everyone was rushing around preparing to move me from the LDR room to the OR. I kept my eyes closed to stay focused, but in the hallway I heard someone ask “Where’s Dad?” We’d left Paul back in the other room where he was changing into scrubs. It all happened so fast no one was quite ready!
He soon joined us in the OR where the doctor on call was also with us. I felt nauseous again, and my body again instinctively pushed. It was really amazing to realize that I had surrendered the birthing process to my body. I just did what felt right; I wasn’t really thinking about it. I really felt that my body knew what to do, and I just got out of the way, so to speak. I moaned with each surge and just felt a tingly numbness as the first baby crowned. A few more pushes and Vivian Elise was born at 11:33 am weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz. She was put immediately on my chest, and I was so excited to finally meet her. I just remember being almost overwhelmed with how easy it was. I couldn’t believe I already had one of my babies! Paul said later that I looked almost dazed. It wasn’t too good to be true; HypnoBirthing® had worked!
After about 10 minutes of rest, I could feel my second baby getting ready to descend. This was one of the most amazing parts of the births. I felt the surge start and then the baby move all the way down my body and through the birth canal in one intense continuous movement. It was wild! This was definitely a sensation you wouldn’t feel with the birth of a singleton (as they are engaged down in your pelvis by the time of their birth). Fiona Marie was born after that one push at 11:46 weighing 7 lbs. There was no need for an episiotomy, and I had only a tiny tear as Fiona Marie came out with her hand on her cheek.
Both babies were robust and healthy.
We couldn’t have been any happier with their births. I delivered twins at almost 40 weeks after only two hours of labor, and it honestly didn’t hurt! What could be better than that? Life at home has been a little hectic with three girls under three, but the babies are nursing and gaining weight well and even sleep a five to six hour stretch at night. I never imagined that I would have twins, and now we can’t imagine life without them.
We are so lucky to have found Nadine and HypnoBirthing®. I had the unmedicated birth I’d always wished for. It was a revelation to learn that birthing is something that our bodies know how to do. Women are taught to fear the process and that pain is inevitable. The cycle of fear and adrenaline does lead to pain, and now that I have experienced both kinds of labor, I know that it doesn’t have to be that way. It was amazing to learn that labor can actually be an enjoyable experience and not just something that has to be endured. I will forever be grateful for my serene birth experience.
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Continue reading The Natural Birth Story of Theresa’s Twin Girls
