Labouring in the delivery suite for 32 hours without an epidural, ironically, wasn’t too laborious, thanks to hypnobirthing. Doctors and nurses were constantly amazed that I kept declining the offer of analgesia even when I was on maximum dose of oxytocin (induction medication) and my surges (contractions) were all frequent and strong. While I had initially desired a natural vaginal birth, I eventually had a Caesarean birth as Josiah was borderline preterm and the labour was considered prolonged. Intraoperatively, doctors discovered that the umbilical cord was wrapped around Josiah in 3 different locations (neck, trunk and leg), which would explain why the birthing was not progressing earlier on. Everyone was surprised that Josiah did not show any signs of distress throughout his cardiotocography monitoring and the operating team labelled him a “fighter” as he thrived well beyond expectation. I believe that Josiah’s calmness during all those 32 hours leading up to his birth is a testament to the relaxing effect of HypnoBirthing, not just on the mother but also on the baby. I was also able to utilize the techniques learnt to recover well postnatally and again, the team was amazed that I could manage the post-op pain with only simple paracetamol and no other analgesics. Thanks to HypnoBirthing, both Josiah and I had a wonderful birthing experience even when things did not go as planned.
