HypnoBirthing in Review

I'm really glad that I'm taking the HypnoBirthing classes, and even happier that the hubby has totally gotten into it. Although I totally dragged him into this, he comes into the classes with a very cheery disposition and is always ready to participate. That's my boy!

The classes are great because they're so much more than just the breathing and meditation. They're also all about birthing prep. It has been quite the stark contrast to the Journey Into Childbirth class that the hubby and I took back in March or April (can't remember which). That class was useful but it was more centered around childbirth being more of a medical thing. Granted, it was refreshing to know what to expect from an epidural (should I ever need one - don't want to think about that). At the same time, it's equally-refreshing to hear that women CAN give birth without epidurals and that I'm not crazy for wanting a natural birth.

While I'm sold on HypnoBirthing, however, I am still pretty apprehensive about the day I give birth. First off, I don't know how my doctor will react to it. Part of me thinks that he'll mock me. The hubby and I still need to work out a birth plan so that we can discuss it with him and let him know that we want a natural birth.

Secondly, I hear that the nurses attending the births can be on the bitchy side and can get pretty darn bossy when it comes to showtime. One girl in my class said just today that she wanted to try a different birthing position (other than the standard lie-on-your-back position), and that the nurse gave her some lipservice over it. I heard of another girl who wasn't allowed to use her the breathing techniques that she'd practiced, having been told by the nurse that she was "getting in the way". I'm sure that not all nurses are like that, but it's good to be aware that some nurses ARE.

The other part of my anxiety stems from the fact that I don't know if the hubby and I can handle all this HypnoBirthing stuff on our own when it comes to showtime. Part of me would feel really comfortable having a doula around (I NEVER thought I'd ever hear myself say that), because she could tell off the hospital staff if they gave us trouble, and could walk me through my breathing exercises without me wanting to tell her off. I could totally see myself telling the hubby to go fly a kite during labor if he were to try to calm me down. The hubby could probably tell off the hospital staff if he needed to, but would he cave if a nurse or doctor said that my membrane needed to be ruptured at a certain point even if it wasn't life-threatening? Or could he tell the nurse to bugger off if she (or he) keeps trying to offer me drugs?

Fortunately, we still have some time to work this stuff out! Stay tuned!