Peaceful Hypnobabies Birth of Sterling

Friday evening Brooke texted me to let me know that birthing waves had begun and she was in early stages of labor. She used her "peace" cue to say calm and relaxed during each wave and was very focused and excited for the upcoming birth of her baby. I got a call around 1:30 a.m. letting me know that the waves were coming about every 5 minutes. I was amazed, but not surprised, by how positive and peaceful Brooke sounded.

By Saturday morning she was tired from not getting very must sleep, but waves were still coming every 4-5 minutes and within a couple of hours they became more intense and it was time to head to the birth center.

When I arrived, Brooke was having her initial examination by the midwife Tracey, and Brooke's face lit up in a smile and her eyes filled with tears when we were told that she was dilated to a 9 and fully effaced. Baby just had a little descending to do, but we all knew there would be a new addition to the family very soon! It was incredible to see how effective the Hypnobabies techniques were for Brooke as she made her way to the birth pool, completely collected and still with a smile on her face. She climbed into the pool and her wonderful husband Cody was right there as a support and comfort.

With each wave, Brooke would breathe out "peace" and would tell us how "wonderfully strong" they were. She would relax against the pool as Cody massaged her neck and smile with so much joy, so excited to meet her baby.

I used the Hypnobabies verbal prompts to help encourage Brooke to listen to her body and ask her cervix to open and to soften her perineum. She was so focused and determined to have her baby as peacefully as possible.

Finally, during a particularly strong wave, she looked up and said she felt a pop! It was her waters breaking on their own. On her hands and knees she began breathing her baby down, saying "ahhh" with each wave. We started her "Pushing Baby Out" audio track and the prompts were incredibly soothing for everyone in the room.

Baby began to crown and Brooke lovingly reached down to feel her baby emerge. With another few breaths, he was up and in her arms. It took only a second for him to let out a wail! The little family gathered near each other and I loved seeing the pure happiness in the couple's. They were finally parents!

Written by Haylee Richman, doula