I feel like I'm really getting into things now, and I got to listen to a Deepening session while using my birth ball. That was neat. This week also brought the “center position” for the lightswitch, and that's really nice. I'll go into detail about this week in the rest of the summary:
Weekly Assignments
Hypnobabies reminds you this week to continue to eat well, reread Reminder #1, and listen to your Joyful Pregnancy Affirmations.
I'm doing well with eating, and reading Reminder #1 is very helpful to me. I think I'm spending a lot less time judging my own reactions to the Hypnobabies tracks than I did when I was pregnant with Galen. I enjoyed the program while pregnant with him, but I'm really able to relax and enjoy the sessions now that I've stopped criticizing myself for feeling an itch or twitch now and then!! That got even easier this week, with the center lightswitch position 🙂
I'm not doing well listening to the Joyful pregnancy affirmations. I keep forgetting about it during the day. I do have it set with a little sleep timer to play at night, but I feel nervous about listening to them before bed because I don't want to bother Scott. I need to just ask him about it because I'll probably get fussed at for not asking him about it already!
Class #3 Reading
This week tackles birthing choices, interventions, etc — an important week to spend time and thought on. This week starts by emphasizing that your birthing choices are your own. I like the way its put in the first article “[S]ome of the information presented here may strike some as anti-medical. However it is actually pro-normal birth.” (emphasis from Hypnobabies). This is a great frame of mind and I wish I'd thought to put it so eloquently!
There are great thoughts on putting your birthing choices into the consumer perspective — you are the consumer. Again, good emphasis.
There's pretty extensive review of “choices in childbirth”, which give an in-depth review of various interventions you may be offered or have recommended (or told are required). There's good balanced data on the benefits, risks, and alternatives to each procedure. This is especially good information if it's your first birth or you weren't happy with the way a previous birth went. It's good food for thought. Hypnobabies recommends you research these choices in depth even beyond their materials, too.
The next section of reading covers getting what you want in your birth experience, and I think it had good advice: ask your care provider for feedback, for example, saying “what do you think”. As the section say: “his/her answers will help you understand your caregiver's expectations better so you will be able to plan your birth with that caregiver, or find a more helpful and supportive one.” (Emphasis Hypnobabies) I thought this was very good advice to help you get a feel for what your caregiver's point of view is, and it removes the hostility that a caregiver might assign to you if you simply “demand” something.
I have some things I want to talk to my midwife about with our baby's birth, so this gave me a good way to frame talking about that (which even for me, and even with a fantastic midwife, can feel intimidating)!
There's also cesarean information in this section, very good reads!
Creating a Birth Plan
I've never really used a birth plan and I'm a little skeptical of their use. However, I have an idea from the Pink Kit for creating a good birth plan, and I decided to combine that with this part of Hypnobabies Class #3.
A birth plan, or birth preferences as Hypnobabies terms it, is a good way to open up communication with your care provider. After reviewing that point in my classwork this week, I decided I'd go ahead and make one up.
Like I said above, I do want to talk to my midwife about some points, and having a birth plan there to stare at while I go over things makes it a little more do-able to actually talk about them.
My birth plan covers a few points I'd really like for our baby's birth — these are things that are unique to me, mostly, and my desire for, really, a completely “hands off” birth. They revolve mostly around the moment of our baby's actual birth, and it's good to have them written down to talk over with my midwife.
I also included a section I titled “We Will” — this is the part I got from the Pink Kit. I listed our birth preferences, and I think it's fair to show my care provider that we're prepared to fully engage on our baby's birthing day and make our wishes a safe reality. So this section covers a few points on our preparedness, our openness to discuss recommendations, etc. I think it's important and it makes the birth plan a true talking point checklist rather than a hostile demand list (or worse, a routine yet empty list of “stuff”).
I like what this section says: “Your midwife or doctor cannot make or break your birth experience unless you allow them to. They have their own agenda to take care of — let them.” More great advice. It also recommends using the Bubble of Peace when involved with care provider teams, and that's good to remember too.
Class #3 CD Track Sessions
This week was a new track, Creating Anesthesia. This track introduced the middle position of the lightswitch, and I was so happy. Actually, it's called the “Center” position and it's so very useful. You stay deeply hypnotized while being able to walk around, and while feeling complete comfort in the middle part of your body.
I have hip pain during pregnancy, pelvic girdle pain, and it's pretty bothersome. It was excruciating during my fifth pregnancy. It hasn't been quite as bad this time around, but I'm definitely noticing it more and more as my baby and belly grow. While listening to the Hypnobabies tracks is really the only time I'm completely pain-free.
The Center position keeps relaxation and hypno-anesthesia in the entire area I feel pain, and it's very effective for me 🙂
Again, I think this time around, with constantly reading Reminder #1, I'm not judging my experience nearly as much and I'm feeling a lot more success with it.
The Deepening track is used again this week and I loved my birth ball Deepening session! That's right, I actually got to it this week, for one of my Deepening sessions 🙂 It was very comfortable and I'm glad I took the few minutes to get set up. I actually carried my Hypnobabies book into the bedroom and used the instructions as I set up, using my bed as a support. The only thing I noticed was needing something to keep my feet warm :p I'll have to try and find my slippers (a blanket on my lap and over my shoulders kept me otherwise cozy in the cold room.
Reminder Note from the Mailing List
Hypnobabies course participants are able to join an email list to ask questions or just to be part of a group of other mamas working through Hypnobabies. There are a couple of files that get sent out at regular intervals, and I thought a quote from one of them was especially powerful. Here it is:
“But if things go a bit differently than they imagined, and their confidence gets shaken a bit, they need to realize that they CHOOSE whether or not to continue to use hypnosis and allow it to work for them. The tools they've ‘installed' in their mind will be there, no matter what the circumstances. It's up to each woman to decide how she will use them and if she will allow them to work for her.” ~Susan
I've realized, this time around, that choosing to relax and let things work has resulted in a really effective experience during my CD sessions, as well as when I practice my Finger Drop technique. I'm going to take this to heart and see where it takes me when my birthing time arrives 😀
Note that I receive a small affiliate commission if you order Hypnobabies through my affiliate link – thank you for your support! 🙂
Going Through Hypnobabies with “Riceball”
- Starting Hypnoabies!
- Class 1 Review
- Class 2 Review
- Class 3 Review
- Class 4 Review
- Class 5 Review
- Maintenance and Visualizing Your Perfect Birth
Photo by Monsieur Marty
