HypnoBirthing: Part 1

My entire pregnancy people have asked me about my plans for the birth of our baby. Usually the question is "So where are you having the baby?" or "You're getting an epidural, right?" From before I even got pregnant, I knew the answer to that second question: no. No, I do not want an epidural. And no, by the way, I am not crazy. "Well you wouldn't have a dental procedure without laughing gas. Why would you want to have a baby without an epidural? What's the difference?" I laughed when someone said this to me. Mostly because when I had my four impacted wisdom teeth pulled, I declined the laughing gas. And second, because there is a huge difference. You generally have a dental procedure done because something went wrong... I'm giving birth to this baby because something went right. As my decision to have a natural birth with hypnobirthing has become a little more well known, the question has changed to, "So what's this hypnobirthing thing I hear you're doing?" This is my attempt to answer that question. I hope it makes sense to everyone, and I hope it's not offensive.

A few things about me: First, I like things that are natural. Second, I like to be in control. Third, I don't like drugs. It takes a lot for me to even take an ibuprofen. I know it's weird coming from a nurse, but I just don't. like. drugs. So when people ask why I do NOT want an epidural, those are some of my reasons. I don't think it's wrong to get an epidural. I don't think it's necessarily bad for you or for the baby. I don't think any less of people who make a different decision than I am. It's just not for me.

I want to give birth to my baby medication-free, and I don't doubt my ability to do it. My mom did it, her mom did it, millions of other women have done it. I'm not naive enough to think the experience is going to be anything remotely easy or pain-free. But it's my decision, and I feel like this is what's best for me, and my baby.

So! When I got pregnant I decided to start looking into various "childbirth methods."
(Again, I'm not naive- I know if I'm going to do this without drugs, I'm going to have to prepare myself for it). The two I looked at the closest were The Bradley Method, and HypnoBirthing.

I chose HypnoBirthing for a few reasons.
1. The philosophy behind HypnoBirthing is so much like my own. Pregnancy is not an illness, and birth does not have to be a medical procedure.
2. Rather than focusing on NOT having an epidural, HypnoBirthing focuses on HAVING a natural birth, and helping you gain confidence in your body's ability to do it. May not sound like much of a difference, but it's just so much more positive.
3. At the heart of HypnoBirthing is a method of teaching yourself to relax. And anyone who knows me knows I could stand a few lessons in relaxation.
4. The Daddy is so involved in the whole process. It's not just about me, it's about him too. Okay... it's mostly about me. I am, after all, the one who will be pushing a baby out of her hoo-ha. But it's not ALL about me. Robbie has to do the relaxation program right along with me. There are actually a lot of things in the relaxation methods I can't do WITHOUT him. And it teaches him so many things he can do to help me while I'm in labor. So he doesn't need to feel powerless or like there is nothing he can do but stand by and watch me suffer.

So there you go! Those are the why's behind my decision to have a natural birth using HypnoBirthing. This post has gotten really long though, so I think I'll save the whole "So what exactly is HypnoBirthing?" part for another day.