Guest blog post from a Boldly Glow Birthing mum on the birth of her second baby, after a difficult first birth years before
Past birth experience
I was really worried about the birth of my second baby as my first birth, a couple of years ago, was just really scary. I had done an antenatal course before the first birth and the teacher had made me feel more worried about the birth and all the terrible things that could happen with too much medical and hospital intervention. Unfortunately, she gave us no real practical help on how to get through labour without the pain relief and interventions that come with it.
Hypnobirthing for my second baby
Having told Deborah about my 1st experience, she asked if I had heard of hypnobirthing and to consider one of her courses for our 2nd birth. Me, being quite sceptical and my husband even more sceptical, decided to think about it and do some more research and finally decided to try the course.
It was fantastic – giving us both lots of practical ways for staying calm and relaxed towards the end of pregnancy and to help aid the process of a calm and controlled labour. At the end of the course, I felt so excited at the prospect of giving birth and the arrival of our next baby.
Excited and ready to go
I was a week overdue but I went into labour naturally the 2nd time. I was really excited. It happened at the end of a busy day spent with my mum and my other son Daniel who is 2 and 9 months. Surges started at 7pm when we had put him to bed – which was ideal because he is at a lovely but rather full-on age!
Calm and in control
After the surges died down for a few minutes, I felt in a peaceful state until I got the urge to push out my baby. I felt so much more in control this time – I think it was because I had listened to the birth affirmations so much but I felt like it was a really natural thing to do. Throughout the labour, my husband used the soothing strokes we’d learnt which made a really important difference. It was lovely way of being reassured that he was there with me.