Haden's Birth

I want to add a few thoughts as it is posted on Kelly’s website for anyone looking into using Hypnobabies. My greatest piece of advice for anyone looking into different methods of childbirth would be to learn, learn, learn! It is empowering to learn what you can and then make an informed decision. When I learned about Hypnobabies it felt so good to me and it made so much sense. As I learned more about it, it felt better and better. However, for the first half of my pregnancy I was really nervous about the decision I had made to do a natural childbirth. Many of the things I read focused on the importance of relaxation when giving birth. With my first two births, I was so tense and so I questioned if women could really, truly relax while giving birth. It seemed impossible to me. When I was around 26 weeks the Hypnobabies classes that Kelly teaches began. As I learned and practiced the relaxation techniques I started to feel less and less nervous. By the end of the 6 classes I felt confident and excited for my upcoming birth. I don’t think that Hypnobabies is something that works for those who are only partly committed. It takes full commitment and dedication. It does take time every day to practice the techniques and tools, but it is so worth it. The practice really pays off. It felt so good to me to learn how to relax both my mind and body and it helped me to achieve my goals throughout pregnancy and childbirth.

Kelly was also very helpful as my doula. She answered many questions throughout my pregnancy. The morning of my birth was pretty intense and having Kelly’s support helped my husband and me so much. My labor went fast so she met us at the hospital and had the nurses ready. During my quick delivery she was by my side helping me to know what to do. After the birth she stayed for a while to help us get settled and answer any questions. She also came by our house a few days later and helped me with a few new breastfeeding positions.

I had a great experience giving birth and Kelly helped so much in helping me to achieve my goals. It was a great blessing to learn from her and to benefit from her God-given gifts.

Jenna and Haden’s birth story:

Giving birth is such a beautiful and sacred experience. When I started thinking about getting pregnant with my third child, it came with an intense desire to learn more about pregnancy, labor, and birth. My first two births were great, but both babies had a rough time moving through the birth canal even though I was fully dilated. This caused labor to be a pretty long process. I had epidurals with both of them so I didn’t actually mind the long labor, but it did leave me wondering if there was something I was missing. I believe there is always more than one right way to do something. We are blessed to live at a time where we have so many good options. I prayed to God that I would be able to figure out what would be the best option for me and my child.

Before I got pregnant this time, I wanted to have a better idea of what my options were for this pregnancy and birth. My sister-in-law was pregnant at the time and was going to classes at the library taught by her midwife. Anyone was welcome so I decided to go. The second class I went to was about different methods of childbirth. A few women gave their presentations on different services they provide and then a doula named Kelly Colvin got up to speak. I instantly felt a connection to her. As she spoke she was so calm and soft spoken yet she was confident. She taught about a Hypnobirthing called Hypnobabies. It all made so much sense and felt so right. When I left class there was no question in my mind: this is what I wanted to do and I wanted Kelly to be there as my doula. As I drove home I thanked God for answering my prayers in such a clear way.

A few months later I was pregnant and so excited. I knew I wanted to have my baby natural although it totally freaked me out. When I was 26 weeks the Hypnobabies classes started. I learned so much the next 6 weeks. I learned how to change my way of thinking. I learned how to think more positively. I learned how powerful our minds truly are. I learned how to deeply relax both my mind and body. Those 6 weeks were super busy with reading, listening to the assigned tracks, and practicing relaxation techniques every day. It was a lot of work but so worth it. By the end of the 6 weeks, I was no longer nervous. I was actually excited and confident that this was what I was meant to do.

I really wanted to make it as far along as possible with my 3rd baby because I had my first two quite early. From my classes I learned how powerful the mind is and so I told myself over and over that I would make it at least to November (my due date being November 12th). My doctor generally does a cervical check at week 36 but I asked him not to at this appointment and again at my next appointment because I felt like the checks got things progressing faster with my other pregnancies. At week 38 I felt fine about getting checked and I was at a four. The doctor said he would be surprised if I made it through the weekend (this was on Thursday, October 29th).

That Friday came and went. No baby. Saturday was Halloween. Since my goal was to make it to November, I felt fine about having him any time now. I went trick or treating with my kids knowing that if it did put me into labor it would be just fine at this point. Sure enough, I woke up that night with cramping. At 4:00 a.m. on November 1st my first pressure wave hit (Hypnobabies has some different lingo in hopes of only having positive connections with the words we use. One of those is pressure wave instead of contraction). I timed a few and they were about 5 minutes apart. I got up and put on some mascara and fixed my hair. After a little while my pressure waves started getting stronger. I laid on the couch and listened to a hypnobabies track. I went to my “special place” in my mind and felt confident and peaceful. My pressure waves were strong, but I felt like I was handling it great. Then my water broke and I thought, “Wow! That was the coolest feeling ever!” It was 5:30 a.m. now. I went upstairs and woke up my husband. He says I looked and sounded as though it was Christmas morning as I said, “Carlos! My water broke!” He got out of bed and got ready.

Read the rest of Jenna's birth story HERE.

How To Prepare For A Natural Childbirth

This topic has been on my mind for several different reasons. I recently had a conversation with a pregnant friend who called her OBGYN’s office explaining that she wanted a natural birth. The receptionist’s response was, “We don’t do that procedure here.” Wait, what? You don’t let a woman deliver her baby without medication?

I know that having a natural birth seems absolutely crazy to many people. I always pictured myself getting an epidural. I mean, why go through incredible pain when you can choose to not feel a thing? When I was pregnant with Johnny I did a lot of research on natural vs. epidural births. Learning that one third of women in the United States have c-sections and that epidurals and Pitocin contribute to this high rate was frightening to me. My aunt, mom, and a close friend had amazing experiences with their natural deliveries and helped convince me that I could do it too. My husband fully supported me and together we started preparing for the big day.

I like to compare natural labor to running a marathon. Both are nearly impossible without training physically, mentally, and emotionally. Both require support from loved ones. Both require more than a few days of preparation. It’s a lot easier to drive 26.2 miles than it is to run it. And labor is a little (okay, a lot) less painful when you get an epidural. Now let’s be honest, labor and recovery from childbirth is difficult and amazingly rewarding no matter how you do it.

Here are some ways that I prepared for a natural delivery. I hope you will find them helpful too!

Learn about childbirth. When I was pregnant I was obsessed with reading birth stories online. This was helpful but also gave me a lot of anxiety. What was more productive was reading the book “Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn”. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I felt as prepared as possible for the delivery given this was my first pregnancy. I even had my husband read some segments that I thought were beneficial for him.

Work with a doula. Having our doula, present was the best decision we made for having a natural birth. She was essentially our birth coach and provided physical and emotional support throughout the entire process. She gave us suggestions on how to progress labor using different positions, was constantly aware of my needs, and helped keep John and I calm. Most importantly she was our advocate. I only saw my nurse for about 10 minutes every hour and my doctor came in at the very end, but our doula was there every minute we needed her.