Foteini and Antony. Feb 2022

   Pregnancy

My pregnancy was very good, I was able to work until the 7th month.

From the very beginning, I felt stressed about the day I would give birth to my baby. I always knew that a very important thing during labour would be the breathing techniques so I started looking for courses that would teach me how to breath and all the practical tools I needed for my labour.

I was checking the internet and I found the Bayside Hypnobirthing session. I preferred this one because it offered sessions that would last for 5 weeks and not for 2 days like others I checked.

For me, it was very important that since we have been enrolled, Robina came to my house to meet me and give the material she provides for reading at the beginning of the course. That face to face meeting was of great importance for me and I felt that she would care and support me.

My husband was a little skeptical about it but in the end he learned a lot of things that still remembers and practices till today.

In the end, I have realized that it was very good for me to have attended this course because I learned a lot more practical things that helped me except the breathing techniques such as the perineal massage, exercising positions for a successful natural labour and birthing positions.

  Early Labour

Early labour started on Wednesday, 3 days before I gave birth, mostly it was like period cramps and some back discomfort. My waters broke on Friday morning and when I went to the hospital, they told me that they had to induce the next day if I didn’t have my baby until then, because of increased risk of infection. The discomfort was getting more intense so around 9 pm me and my husband went to the hospital.

One of my secret thoughts and wishes was that Robina would be at the hospital the day that I would give birth but I knew that it wouldn’t be very possible. But God blessed me and she was there, doing the night shift until 7 am. Robina told me that I was in early labour and it would be better for me to go home. But since she put me in that room with relaxing music and silence, I told her I feel more comfortable staying with her. And so I did.

During the night, Robina came and checked on me and kept asking me how I was feeling. From approximately 2 until 4 maybe 5 am I had very uncomfortable surges almost every 5 minutes but Robina was there showing me how to breath and move around the room. Also, Robina told me and my husband to practice rebozo and also I exercised my birth positions and techniques so the baby was in the right position.

  Active labour

Around 7 am Robina checked me and said that the baby was there, and I was fully dilated, ready to give birth. Before she left, she let the midwives know and they gave me a mix of hormones to help me with the surges because I told them I didn’t feel any. After one hour, the doctor came and told me that the baby is there ready and if in 2 hours time I didn’t give birth, they would have to use other means to deliver my baby. That was a deadline for me because I was so afraid to have a Caesarean.

Birth

Finally, with my husband there holding my hands and telling me not to forget breathing, jumping up and down the bed so I could find the most comfortable birth position and kept pushing and pushing (the mix of hormones didn’t help me at all), I looked down and saw the midwives delivering my baby and putting her on my chest. It was 9:34 am, almost 12 hours since I had been admitted to the hospital. I was so tired but happy and still couldn’t realize that I made it and the experience was a lot better than I could have anticipated.

Afterwards

The first 3 weeks were very difficult, since we had to adapt to a totally different routine and learn to live with our baby. But as the weeks have passed, it is a wonderful feeling watching her grow.

I would recommend Hypnobirthing because it helped me a lot in a practical way with all these techniques that I have mentioned before.

It can be very helpful for many new mummies and will make them feel relaxed and ready to give natural birth, listening to birthing affirmations and using visualizations of their baby.

Robina’s contribution was the best I could have, and I thank her for that because now I can tell new mummies that birth is not as terrifying as we all have learned to believe and with the right guidance it can be a beautiful experience.