INDUCTION OF LABOUR – to be or not to be?

By

INDUCTION OF LABOUR – On the clock!

ON THE CLOCK

Induction of labour is undoubtedly the biggest ‘threat’ women face when their 40 wk. due date has arrived – sometimes even before!  The stress of being aware of ‘the clock’ ticking, is enough to prevent labour from starting naturally.

There are very few valid medical reasons for an induction of labour.  Main reasons include:

  • Placenta has slowed, or not functioning at it’s optimum (very rare)
  • High blood pressure (very rare)
  • Bleeding (very rare)

Reasons ‘suggested’ by many include:

  • Baby too big!  Whilst this can be a very scary concept for most women, it is most definitely not a reason to induce.  Trust that you will only grow a baby that is just the right size for you
  • Baby’s head not ‘fully’ engaged.  Also not a reason to induce.  Many do not engage until in labour
  • Membranes released early, with no other signs, i.e. ‘contractions’.  A woman should be given at least 72hrs. with released membranes before anyone suggests induction, as long as baby is O.K. and Mum is happy to wait
  • Overdue!  What does this mean?  It is different for all women.  Whilst 37-42wks. should be regarded as normal, there are many women who birth normally at 42wks.+, and have a beautiful healthy placenta.  Just because you are 40 wks. is not a reason to induce
  • Many, many ‘social’ reasons from star signs, partner’s work/sport commitments, family reasons, just ‘over’ being pregnant, Obstetrician’s agenda (going on holidays, not working the weekend, very busy, etc. etc.) – none of these are valid reasons

How to negotiate with your caregiver:

  • Your doula will support you in negotiating
  • Accept that your caregiver is sometimes placed in a difficult situation as they are obliged to follow policy and procedure
  • Stay positive and ‘in charge’ of your birth
  • Compromising can be negotiated in a respectful way.  e.g. Agreeing to a CTG and ultrasound on a regular basis can be an acceptable outcome for all.
  • If the CTG/ultrasound shows baby to be healthy and happy, then you will be in a powerful position to advise that you are happy to wait until labour starts naturally, and offering to have these checks as often as hospital would like

What you can do to ENCOURAGE labour to start?

This can be a very stressful situation for many pregnant women.

Labour is unlikely to start when a woman is very stressed and anxious.

Hypnosis, often only 1-2 sessions can calm the mind and body, for you and baby, opening the window for labour to start naturally.

Hypnosis relaxation will calm mind, body, baby
  • Stay relaxed and calm
  • Trust that labour will start when you and baby are ready
  • Distract yourself with some enjoyable activities (movies, massage, walks etc.)
  • Acupuncture
  • Essential oil massage
  • Hot spicy food
  • Walking
  • Holding and ‘clucking’ over a friend’s new baby, kitten, puppy etc.
  • Stay positive and focused on the connection with your baby.  Talk to baby about when would be a good time to meet on the outside.
  • Do not be intimidated by scare tactics that are frequently used, often to support someone else’s agenda.
  • Bottom line:  if baby is O.K. and Mum O.K. then be patient and let nature takes it course

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HEAL YOUR BIRTH EXPERIENCE

By

TRAUMA AND GRIEF MUST BE ACKNOWLEDGED

BIRTH TRAUMA

Too often women find their ‘experience’ of birthing is simply not regarded as all that important, especially by the medical profession.  I see many women who feel guilty because their traumatic ‘experience’ has not been acknowledged. Women feel guilty because the strong message is ‘be grateful to have a healthy baby’ – end of story!

Well it is far from the end of the story.  Women feel traumatised, angry, confused about ‘what went wrong’ and ‘what if’?.  They feel all their power was unceremoniously stripped bare, causing deep trauma and grief.  These emotions do not just magically disappear – ever!  They stay with that woman for the rest of her life.

This trauma can affect bonding with her baby, breastfeeding, feelings about motherhood, guilt, anxiety, relationship with her partner and family, and will impact negatively on any future pregnancies.

WHAT ABOUT THE BABY?

Birth is mainly seen through the eyes of the mother.  It is assumed that her baby feels nothing, that he is an innocent bystander.  But it is something much more profound for the baby. This birth event imprints itself on his personality.  How this baby enters the world, whether it is painful, easy, long or violent, determines who he becomes and how he views the world around him.  During the birth his mind is recording every feeling, gesture and movement.  From 9 months of floating in the warm, safe and perfect environment in utero he is suddenly thrust into the outside world.  Now imagine the added impact of medical intervention on the baby.  We know the imprint of birth stays with the baby forever and can have lasting effects on his development.

YOUR HEALING WITH HYPNOSIS

FREEDOM

The imprint of the birth, no matter what the experience, is forever registered in the unconscious mind.

If you are motivated to change and heal, then hypnotherapy simply works

  • Hypnosis is a process which produces a deep state of relaxation, distracts the conscious mind, increases awareness and heightens suggestibility which allows access to the unconscious mind through the imagination.
  • The hypnotic state causes a person to be acutely aware of everything around. Your attention is much more focused in hypnosis than in the normal waking state.
  • We cannot change the event but we can remove the negative emotion attached to that experience
  • I will then guide you in how you can heal the birth journey for your baby/child
  • You will be amazed at the freedom this gives you to move forward unencumbered
  • http://susanrosshypnotherapy.com/talk-to-me/

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LABOUR & BIRTH HOLDING ON TO FEAR

By

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO INTO LABOUR HOLDING ON TO FEAR?

HOLDING ON TO FEAR?

IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN PREGNANT OR ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH, YOU MAY WELL HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO, OR RECOGNISE SOME OF THESE ‘helpful’ TIPS THAT OTHERS JUST LOVE TO SHARE

 
 
 
 
 

THE ‘ADVICE’

  • “It’s normal to be fearful of birth”
  • “All women have fears going into birth”
  • “Don’t worry, just leave it in the hands of your obstetrician, that’s what you’re paying him for”
  • “There’s always the epidural available anytime you want it.  I had one and it was a life-saver”
  • “Look, birth is excruciatingly painful, but that’s why they have drugs!”
  • “You’re going to a great hospital where all the services are available if something goes wrong”
  • “Just book an induction, early, so it won’t hurt as much. That’s what my doctor has advised”

Unfortunately, it has become a battle for many women who, at the beginning of their pregnancy are excited, elated and positive and then just get slowly beaten down, and down, until they give in to the unrelenting verbal assault of pregnancy ‘advice’!

Some of this ‘advice’ comes from people who actually believe they are ‘setting this woman on the right path’!  Maybe they have had ONE experience of birth, which was an unexpected event, which has left them traumatised.  Maybe they consider themselves to be ‘expert’ because they work in the medical field or ‘alternative’ health area.  Maybe they are a journalist who has had a baby and now just has to write a book about it – to let the world know what it is really like!

Pregnant women will tell you it is rare to meet someone who tells them how amazing and wonderful labour and birth is, and the overwhelming joyous moment of meeting your baby on the outside

 HOW FEAR IMPACTS LABOUR & BIRTH

The unborn baby is listening and learning and absorbing and laying down a blueprint for how the world is and how it will be on the outside.  Baby feels his Mum’s reaction to all comments made, all she reads, listens to and watches on TV/movies.  This is the time where we all form beliefs about our parents, about life, about other people, about relationships.

FEAR CYCLE

 

 

FEAR=TENSION=PAIN cycle is present in women during pregnancy and manifests in labour, if not addressed.  When there is a tight, tense muscle, in any part of the body, it causes pain.  The uterine muscle, by weight, is the strongest muscle.  This is the main reason we have so much medical interference in birth.

THE ANTIDOTE – 4 ways to ensure a happy, enjoyable labour/birth for you & baby

  • Notice that you are carrying fear from the present or past imprinting
  • Healing is essential to change negative & unwanted unconscious patterns about birth
  • Nurture yourself and practise relaxation/meditation
  • Learn to manage the negative comments by a well rehearsed one-liner e.g  “my baby and I would appreciate positive words only”.  Think of it as educating the friends/family/general public.

A baby who is grown in a loving, safe and fearless womb environment is looking forward to meeting his Mum/Dad on the outside.  A joyous connection in pregnancy creates an enjoyable labour/birth and a happy, calm, confident and secure baby.

IMPORTANT:  Early imprints can be healed and transformed with hypnosis.  You and your unborn baby deserve to experience the Hypno-Pregnancy program.  More info. and to book

https://birthright.com.au/hypno-pregnancy-program/

HOW TO TURN A BREECH BABY – SAFELY

By

 

HOW TO TURN A BREECH BABY – SAFELY

If baby is breech?

Most babies present in a head down position when ready for birth, but there is a small percentage that stay breech.  Unfortunately this inevitably involves lots of medical intervention during labour and birth.  There are ‘some’ skilled obstetricians experienced and educated in supporting a Mum in a vaginal breech birth, but not many.

Women worry, a lot, if baby is breech, although it is quite common for a baby to be in this position from about 28-32 weeks pregnancy.  Remember baby is moving around and changes position frequently, so his ‘position’ is not relevant until about 36-37 weeks.  Problems occur when a midwife/doctor makes a ‘big’ announcement that baby is breech, before it is relevant, and this causes so much anxiety, stress and worry – unnecessarily.

THE MIND CONNECTION

When a pregnant woman is presented with the ‘possibility’ of baby remaining breech until birth, the panic sets in as her focus turns to trying every ‘natural’ method of turning baby.  This increased tension can cause increased tightness in all muscles, including the uterine muscle.

HYPNOSIS – in 1994 a study at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in the USA involved 100 women whose babies were in breech position and were given regular hypnotherapy sessions to reduce anxiety and tension, promote deep relaxation in the womb, and directly encourage their baby to move into an optimal position for birth.  When these women were compared to a matched group of women with breech babies who received the same degree of medical care but did not receive hypnosis, there was a significant difference.  Of the hypnosis group, 82% of the babies turned before birth, compared to only 48% in the non-hypnosis group. (1)

Hypnosis has been used for many years to induce positive physical changes in the body and there is solid evidence that hypnosis can be used to enhance the immune system, reduce pain and inflammation, and speed up healing, so it makes sense that hypnosis can improve your chances of baby turning.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS SESSION

The hypnotherapy session involves helping you to deeply relax the muscles around the womb to give your baby more space to turn, help you feel much calmer and more relaxed generally, and it will guide you through a powerful mental imagery process that will gently encourage your baby to turn by itself, naturally and spontaneously.

(1)  Reference:  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8000559/

All my hypnotherapy appointments are on Zoom or in person.

http://susanrosshypnotherapy.com/talk-to-me/

Watch Us on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vRmDQpwfQc

Stay in Touch with Us

Subscribe to get our best offers, newsletter and receive my FREE ebook

Inside Birth