A positive, forward thinking programme designed to help you get the most out of your birth experience.
Taylor is now five months old and I still haven’t managed to put into words his entire birth story, it’s something so close to me and personal that finding the best way to share this part of me isn’t easy. It wasn’t horrid, far from it. It also wasn’t the birth I had hoped for, I spent it strapped to a monitor on a bed, instead of in a pool with twinkling lights overhead.
I did however have the many hypnobirthing techniques I had learnt from The Calm Birth School and am still able to look back on the day as one of pure happiness, so I’d like to share with you my favourite techniques and what I loved most about hypnoborthing.
The Calm Birth School is very much centred around preparing for a positive labour, I wasn’t hypnotising myself and prancing around with flowers in my hair or humming a mantra. Instead I was mentally preparing myself during the lead up to the birth. This really helped me to feel confident for what I was about to go through.
I started the course quite close to my EDD so I didn’t have chance to absorb and learn everything, especially considering Taylor decided to arrive on his EDD of January 1st. But what I did learn was priceless!
Relaxation –
One of the most important lessons was to RELAX! Even after a stressful day at the office I would pop on my mp3s, lye back, and take a moment to wind down.
The MP3s provided by the school really do help take your mind off of other things and concentrate, I used them for relaxation whilst pregnant and they were great.
However during the birth I wanted nothing but pure silence in the room, we didn’t have music and I didn’t like people talking around me. Oops!
Calm –
The classes taught me that if I were to go into labour that I should stay as calm as possible, it’s a natural event and nothing to be scared of!
I found it was really important to learn to relax before so I was able to channel my thoughts to help me stay calm on the big day.
Surges / Waves –
One of my favourite things has to be how Hollie and Suzy refer to contractions as surges and waves, that feeling of dread you get as a pregnant lady when people say ‘contractions’ always made me feel uneasy, referring to them as ‘surges’ and ‘waves’ made it seem less daunting, as if it was something that was going to be, well, calm!
Birth Breathing –
Practicing breathing was one of the most important things I took from the classes alongside the relaxation techniques. Breathing through every stage of labour whilst thinking of positive affirmations really helped me to listen to my body.
Did it work for me?
Using the techniques from TCBS I found myself taking on the birth of Taylor Grayson a lot calmer than I had ever imagined.
I used Gas and Air during the labour to ease the pain, although I was restricted by a monitor on a bed, I was eventually able to move onto a stool and position myself better. Rocking back and forth when I was unable to stay mobile also really helped me to focus.
Before Taylor was born I wrote about enrolling with The Calm Birth School and said
“The female body is designed to birth babies, its what it does! So if we take what our body wants to do and go with it, we should be in for a more pleasant experience than if we were to fight our bodies natural reactions.”
I still stand by this after my own calm birth experience, listening to my body was the best thing I could have done.
The Calm Birth School saw me take on childbirth with such an air of calmness and confidence I never knew I had in me, I was calm and trusted my body whilst being able to focus and stay in control throughout. My partner still tells me to this day he was amazed at how well I did and I had the midwife laughing at me when I announced I’d do it all again moments after having just given birth.
Thank you Suzy and Hollie for keeping me calm !
