Hypnobabies

I've gone back and forth about posting anything about this, but decided what the hell?

When I was pregnant with Anne Marie, Matt and I had planned to pursue a "natural birth" if possible.  We did our research, read the books, took a Bradley course.  Once labor got underway, some of that went out the window.  After two days of no sleep and a very slow but hard labor, I got an epidural.  It was the best thing for me (and I'm convinced saved me from a C-section), but part of me still wanted to be able to have a do-over. 

I had a hard recovery and wondered if some of that could have been avoided if I'd been able to have the birth I'd originally hoped for (which would have been easier had Anne Marie been turned the right way, but that's a story for another day). 

Let me just stop momentarily to say that I have no problems with modern medicine being used in childbirth as long as everyone is educated about the pros and cons of the options.  This is a really sensitive subject for women (and sometimes their husbands).  It seems like from the moment we go into labor, every decision we make as parents is subject to criticism and judgement.  I'm not trying to do that.  I just want to be able to have a better birth (and hopefully recovery) this time around.

So what made it so difficult for me last time?  1. I was exhausted and 2. Anne Marie was turned in a less-than-optimal position.

I started trying to research what I could do to combat my exhaustion.  Once labor started for me, it came on fast and I wasn't able to relax enough to really rest.  So this time I started by looking into ways to help me relax better. 

I found Hypnobirthing.  I bought the book and read it, but it was just a little too hokey for me.  I didn't think that by convincing myself I should NOT feel pain that I would completely avoid a hard labor.

I researched some more.  I read lots and lots of reviews, and they seemed to keep pointing me towards Hypnobabies.  I liked what I read about it.  It combined a lot of the things we liked about the Bradley Method (husband coached childbirth) with what I seemed to want to do naturally while in labor with Baby Girl (relax and go to my "quiet place" during each contraction). 

I have been hesitant to talk about it because it sounds so... weird.

I mean, I think it sounds weird.  Hypno-what?  So I knew other people would probably side-eye me if I started talking about it.

But I went ahead and ordered the home study course when it went on sale over Christmas, and let me just say... it's been really good so far!

It's not nearly as weird as I thought it would be.  It's really about just learning how to relax, how to turn your mind off, how to concentrate on relaxing your whole body, starting at your scalp, to your fingertips and toes.  And it's really worked for me so far.

As part of the home study course, I got a "free" MP3 download of their "Peaceful Sleep Now" for expectant moms.  By the time I started listening to it before bedtime, I'd entered the restless sleep stage of pregnancy (where I wake up and can't fall back asleep for hours, 3-4 times a week).  I was sleeping like a baby within two days of just playing the track on my ipod as I laid down at night.

The course is broken up into five weeks and each week  you read a new chapter (which includes all sorts of stuff that we covered in Bradley, like prenatal nutrition, prenatal exercises, potential issues that can arise during labor, etc.) and a set of two tracks that you should alternate every other day in order to practice your relaxation/self-hypnosis. 

They really stress "eyes open hypnosis" (I hate even using the word hypnosis!) because - let's face it - during labor, you're not really able to just lie completely still and quiet until the baby pops out.  You need to move around, to interact with people, especially once you get to the hospital, so you need to know how to do it while letting your body and stomach muscles relax.  

Every day, I really look forward to listening to the tracks.  It's seriously a treat to have 30 quiet minutes to play the track and have some time to myself.  If I listen to them before bed (usually the only time I get a chance to play them), I'm out cold in a matter of minutes.  If I'm lucky enough to play it during the day (like during Anne Marie's nap time), I feel the most refreshed I have all day by the time it's over.

Only time will tell if this helps me much during labor, but I'm already becoming a believer in its value just over the course of the last few months.  We've been through a little turmoil with the house and sleep has been hard to come by.  Except for the days when Matt's snoring (sorry, honey!) has kept me up, the hypnosis CDs have been worth their weight in gold just in the ability to help me sleep well at night.