An Empowered Hypnobirthing Cesarean Birth!

Birth can come with unexpected twists and turns. What's most important, as this student so gracefully explains, is feeling like you had a say in how your birthing plays out! Hypnobirthing teaches you tools for all "kinds" of birth.

Leading up to the birth, I was still very active with resistance training, yoga and stretching; and all within reason, and designed to support the birth experience and not to over do things.

My water broke at 6pm, and by 1am we were at the hospital. Contractions seemed to go from none straight to every 5 minutes for 1 minute. 

We had always planned to have a hospital birth and implement the tools we had learned with Flutterby. I was always open-minded to possibilities, and wanted to be close to any interventions, should I need them for medical reasons. We approached the labor with non-medicated in mind. and all the nurses at Methodist were extremely supportive of our wishes. 

I labored in the tub ( I had tested positive for covid two days prior which risked me out of birthing in the tub), and the water felt amazing. I stayed there for a while before wanting to get out and dry. I switched up positions when I felt necessary, but the balls were uncomfortable for me. All fours felt good and my husband could massage my back.

Breathing through, and using affirmations in my head, I was able to stay calm and relaxed. I imagined that my baby was needing my help to stay focused on them, and so much of everything else around me is a blur. Time seemed to go fast.
There was a point were I inquired about pain medication. I was really not making progress, and there had been some dips in the baby’s heart rate that suggested she might be having difficulties. I think this threw me off from my affirmations and my focus dwindled. I opted to have medication, and I was at peace with it.

I continued my breathing and stayed calm, but baby’s heart rate continued to show dips. All the medical team explained with grace and transparency what was happening and what they thought would be best for the health of me and baby. She may not have enough reserves to make it through delivery, and we agreed a c-section was the best choice. 

Skipping ahead, I was able to implement a lot of the other wishes I’d had… delayed cord clamping, not wiping the vernix or bathing, immediate skin-to-skin. A lot did go how we wanted, and ultimately we have a happy and healthy baby girl and mum. 

I do believe the breathing techniques and affirmations really got me through the labor and helped me to stay in the zone. The classes also taught me how to set boundaries and ask for what I needed in the labor room and post delivery. Thank you Erin!

​​Flutterby is located in the Twin Cities, and provides Hypnobirthing as well as other classes and services for expectant families. Erin Stertz-Follett, Flutterby's Owner, is a Certified Consulting Hypnotist, Certified Hypnobirthing Educator, and Certified Birth Doula who has taught and assisted hundreds of families. Email her at erin@flutterbybirth.com with any questions. Sharing is caring!

---