Hollywood has a lot to answer to when it comes to childbirth. The screaming, the panting, the fearful faces of women demanding for the drugs…now. It denotes feelings of stress, trauma, panic. It’s surprising that Hollywood films haven’t become a recognised form of contraception.
If as a mum-to-be (or even as a woman), these dramatic images are causing the blood pressure to rise, then relax and keep reading. “It doesn’t have to be that way,” assures hynobirthing specialist Allison O’Leary. And it’s her calm and cool demeanour that makes those words believable.
The whole area of hynobirthing is being talked about more and more on the maternity corridors of Ireland. It’s about learning breathing and relaxing techniques and using positive visualisation to help you through your labour. What was once perceived to be ‘hippy-dippy’ is now becoming more commonplace and it’s all done to straight-talking real-life women that have experienced the benefits. Allison included.
Childbirth of choice
“When I got pregnant with my first daughter Alisha, I was terrified. And so much of it was based on this ‘Hollywood’ panic that we see. Also I had seen my friends and family after having a baby, and they were exhausted, some even traumatised. Delighted of course to have a healthy baby but worn out from the experience.”
And then Allison’s sister-in-law had a baby just a few months before she was due. “I couldn’t get over it. As we were close family, we saw her and the baby just hours after the birth, and she was in great form, full of energy, bouncing around the bed. She just glowed.”
Embracing the calm
Immediately, Allison decided she was getting in on that action. “I started doing my research, reading up about hynobirthing and the more I found out, the more everything clicked into place.
“It just made sense. Birth is normal, birth is natural. It’s nature – our body knows what to do, the baby knows how to be born. The more relaxed the mother is, the easier the baby comes out and when we are tense, stressed and anxious, the process becomes much harder. The ‘hypno’ part can put people off but it’s just about tuning out all distractions and working with your body rather than against it.”
Allison says she also realised that all her anxiety and fear was around medical intervention.
“I am squeamish at the best of times. I have a fear of hospitals so even going for bloods and scans was causing me anxiety, never mind the thought of an epidural. I realised it was a natural birth that I really wanted and that hypnobirthing is how I get there. It was not only a big shift in my mindset about the labour but it also helped me embrace my pregnancy a lot more.”
After a calm and relaxed birth with her daughter Alisha and again two years later with her second daughter Isabelle, Allison had seen the benefits of hypnobirthing so much that she went to Dublin to train with the Hynobirthing Institute. “This was a huge change for me. I don’t have a medical background, I worked in HR for the HSE but as soon as I stepped into that room, it felt right for me.”
Partners on board
Now Allison runs group and private classes for expectant mums and their companions. “Your birthing companion could be your partner or your mum or a friend. It doesn’t matter who it is as long as you trust them but it’s really beneficial if they come along. It gives them the opportunity to feel involved, to know how you would like the labour to progress so they are aware on the day when to step in and when to give you more space. It also makes them feel comfortable and confident, meaning it’s a calmer experience all round.”
I just walked down the corridor and heard so much pants of pain that I ran back here. This is the calmest place in the whole hospital
Laughing she says: “When I was giving birth, the nurse said to my husband Kevin that the baby wouldn’t be coming for a while yet so if he wanted to run out and grab a coffee now was the time. He was back in the door about a minute later looking panicked and saying, “I just walked down the corridor and heard so much pants of pain that I ran back here. This is the calmest place in the whole hospital.”
Give it time
The other person that Allison says is brilliant to have on board with your hynobirthing plan is the midwife or nurse. “I remember I had a fantastic nurse who understood how I wanted things to progress and didn’t put me under any pressure. She knew I needed time. Time is an important factor when it comes to labour. In fact, people can become a bit obsessed with time – how fast the labour progressed, how long it took for the baby to be born. With hynobirthing however, you are embracing the fact that time isn’t important. Right now, right here in this moment, there is nowhere else in the world you need to be. This helps you feel less pressure to race to the finish line and to let things progress the way they should.”
Tools and techniques
Allison’s daughter Isabelle and her son Casey both had to be induced but other than that it was natural. However, she says even if you are determined that you want pain relief, hynobirthing is still really beneficial.
“First of all, all the hospitals will tell you when your labour starts to stay at home where you feel relaxed for as long as possible as they won’t admit you to hospital until you are in active labour. During this early stage, hynobirthing can be hugely beneficial to help keep you calm, relaxed and feeling in control. Then there is also the scenario that your labour may progress too fast and it could be too late to have an epidural. If this is the case, hynobirthing has prepared you with the tools and the techniques to give birth naturally. And sometimes things mightn’t progress as you like and you may end up having to have an emergency C-section. Then hynobirthing kicks in as you have learned the techniques to try and stay relaxed and calm in this unpredictable scenario. It really doesn’t matter what type of birth you have, hynobirthing applies to all situations.”
So take that, Hollywood films. Irish women are doing things different.
For more information on Allison’s hynobirthing classes in Cork, email allison@birthingbumps.com. Group classes are €280 and run on the following dates, while there is also an option for a private sessions for €400, 24 March, 31 March, 7 April and 14 April 2019.
Hollywood has a lot to answer to when it comes to childbirth. The screaming, the panting, the fearful faces of women demanding for the drugs…now. It denotes feelings of stress, trauma, panic. It’s surprising that Hollywood films haven’t become a recognised form of contraception.
If as a mum-to-be (or even as a woman), these dramatic images are causing the blood pressure to rise, then relax and keep reading. “It doesn’t have to be that way,” assures hynobirthing specialist Allison O’Leary. And it’s her calm and cool demeanour that makes those words believable.
The whole area of hynobirthing is being talked about more and more on the maternity corridors of Ireland. It’s about learning breathing and relaxing techniques and using positive visualisation to help you through your labour. What was once perceived to be ‘hippy-dippy’ is now becoming more commonplace and it’s all done to straight-talking real-life women that have experienced the benefits. Allison included.
Childbirth of choice
“When I got pregnant with my first daughter Alisha, I was terrified. And so much of it was based on this ‘Hollywood’ panic that we see. Also I had seen my friends and family after having a baby, and they were exhausted, some even traumatised. Delighted of course to have a healthy baby but worn out from the experience.”
And then Allison’s sister-in-law had a baby just a few months before she was due. “I couldn’t get over it. As we were close family, we saw her and the baby just hours after the birth, and she was in great form, full of energy, bouncing around the bed. She just glowed.”
Embracing the calm
Immediately, Allison decided she was getting in on that action. “I started doing my research, reading up about hynobirthing and the more I found out, the more everything clicked into place.
“It just made sense. Birth is normal, birth is natural. It’s nature – our body knows what to do, the baby knows how to be born. The more relaxed the mother is, the easier the baby comes out and when we are tense, stressed and anxious, the process becomes much harder. The ‘hypno’ part can put people off but it’s just about tuning out all distractions and working with your body rather than against it.”
Allison says she also realised that all her anxiety and fear was around medical intervention.
“I am squeamish at the best of times. I have a fear of hospitals so even going for bloods and scans was causing me anxiety, never mind the thought of an epidural. I realised it was a natural birth that I really wanted and that hypnobirthing is how I get there. It was not only a big shift in my mindset about the labour but it also helped me embrace my pregnancy a lot more.”
After a calm and relaxed birth with her daughter Alisha and again two years later with her second daughter Isabelle, Allison had seen the benefits of hypnobirthing so much that she went to Dublin to train with the Hynobirthing Institute. “This was a huge change for me. I don’t have a medical background, I worked in HR for the HSE but as soon as I stepped into that room, it felt right for me.”
Partners on board
Now Allison runs group and private classes for expectant mums and their companions. “Your birthing companion could be your partner or your mum or a friend. It doesn’t matter who it is as long as you trust them but it’s really beneficial if they come along. It gives them the opportunity to feel involved, to know how you would like the labour to progress so they are aware on the day when to step in and when to give you more space. It also makes them feel comfortable and confident, meaning it’s a calmer experience all round.”
I just walked down the corridor and heard so much pants of pain that I ran back here. This is the calmest place in the whole hospital
Laughing she says: “When I was giving birth, the nurse said to my husband Kevin that the baby wouldn’t be coming for a while yet so if he wanted to run out and grab a coffee now was the time. He was back in the door about a minute later looking panicked and saying, “I just walked down the corridor and heard so much pants of pain that I ran back here. This is the calmest place in the whole hospital.”
Give it time
The other person that Allison says is brilliant to have on board with your hynobirthing plan is the midwife or nurse. “I remember I had a fantastic nurse who understood how I wanted things to progress and didn’t put me under any pressure. She knew I needed time. Time is an important factor when it comes to labour. In fact, people can become a bit obsessed with time – how fast the labour progressed, how long it took for the baby to be born. With hynobirthing however, you are embracing the fact that time isn’t important. Right now, right here in this moment, there is nowhere else in the world you need to be. This helps you feel less pressure to race to the finish line and to let things progress the way they should.”
Tools and techniques
Allison’s daughter Isabelle and her son Casey both had to be induced but other than that it was natural. However, she says even if you are determined that you want pain relief, hynobirthing is still really beneficial.
“First of all, all the hospitals will tell you when your labour starts to stay at home where you feel relaxed for as long as possible as they won’t admit you to hospital until you are in active labour. During this early stage, hynobirthing can be hugely beneficial to help keep you calm, relaxed and feeling in control. Then there is also the scenario that your labour may progress too fast and it could be too late to have an epidural. If this is the case, hynobirthing has prepared you with the tools and the techniques to give birth naturally. And sometimes things mightn’t progress as you like and you may end up having to have an emergency C-section. Then hynobirthing kicks in as you have learned the techniques to try and stay relaxed and calm in this unpredictable scenario. It really doesn’t matter what type of birth you have, hynobirthing applies to all situations.”
So take that, Hollywood films. Irish women are doing things different.
For more information on Allison’s hynobirthing classes in Cork, email allison@birthingbumps.com. Group classes are €280 and run on the following dates, while there is also an option for a private sessions for €400, 24 March, 31 March, 7 April and 14 April 2019.
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