Donna and Josh’s first birth was full of intervention and traumatic for both of them, so they signed up for HypnoBirthing in an attempt to have the calm and present birth that they hoped for the first time. Donna shared “Bec and her HypnoBirthing Program was the best thing we could have invested in for our second birth”, with the techniques helping her stay calm during a quick rush to hospital and call to 000. 

“I think my face says it all, the most intense experience of my life, but the most incredible. Labour started with mild surges at around 11pm, I was in bed breathing through them and trying to get some rest. I would have gone into complete panic mode without the HypnoBirthing breathing techniques. I was doing the calm breath during the mild surges and was coping really well. At around 12am, I felt a bang and my waters had broken – that’s when it went into overdrive. I checked the fluid and there was meconium present so I called the midwife and was advised to go into the hospital. The surges were okay pain wise so I got in the shower, while Josh quickly packed the car. The surges then started to get more and more intense… I had about 5 in a row and I couldn’t stand through them so I got on my hands and knees and did the surge breathing. 

I then started vomiting, which is a sign of transition. I knew this as soon as it happened but I didn’t tell my husband as I didn’t want him to panic. Josh’s parents quickly arrived to look after our daughter and so we could get going. The surge breathing technique was the reason we were able to calmly but quickly get into the car to make our way to the hospital. Without this technique I feel my body would have tensed up and the surges would have been way more painful and I wouldn’t have been able to cope.

We had a frantic race to the hospital, a call to 000, and when Josh was told he would need to perform the delivery on a patch of grass on the side of the road, I screamed at Josh to just “shut the car door!” and drive the 4 minutes left to the hospital!

We made it to emergency, where again I thought I was going to deliver him at the emergency entrance, which was not my finest moment. Here I ripped the wheelchair from the security guard, dropped on my hands and knees and was breathing/moaning though a surge. A code pink was called, and everyone came running! I don’t remember if they advised us if they could see the head or not, but a nurse said to my husband “you got her here just in time!”

A bed was wheeled as close as they could to the entrance and as soon as the surge was over I got onto the bed, positioned on my hands and knees. We were lucky enough that we could then move to birth suite, where my midwife was there ready. She calmed me down and we started breathing with each surge. Josh had just enough time to set up my salt lamp and play some HypnoBirthing tracks on my phone.

HypnoBirthing gave my husband confidence and purpose while I was labouring, rather than just feeling pushed aside and letting the midwives help me. He massaged my back, spoke my affirmations to me while having surges and the most importantly, reminded me to breath the baby out during the birthing phase.

I laboured for 35 minutes on my hands and knees holding the back of the bed. I remember screaming as I had an enormous surge with the head descending. This is when Josh reminded me to breath the baby out, and as soon as he said that I was transported back into HypnoBirthing mode and our baby was delivered calmly within the next 2 surges. Our baby boy Fraser was here. The birth breathing technique was the reason I didn’t tear or have any issues after birth. My midwife was so amazed and impressed that I had such control while breathing him out.

For our first birth, we “went with the flow” with no real birth plan and the whole experience was full of uncertainty, panic, and anxiety, which resulted in lots of intervention and birth trauma. This time around, we were educated, confident and loved how HypnoBirthing prepared us for whatever turn our birth might take.”