I discovered HypnoBirthing by accidentally clicking on Wai Han’s signoff at the MeadJohnson forum while expecting at 35 weeks. After reading her website, I was intrigued by the drug-free, painless way of giving birth as my fears of labour pains were mounting at the days ticked by! I am categorized as a “high-risk” patient as my first born was stillborn at 34 weeks in 2003. My second child, Shannon was born in 2004 and memories of the labour pain were still vivid in my memory as I was approaching the final few weeks of pregnancy. I called Wai Han up to find out more and started searching the HypnoBirthing book by Marie Mongan. Wai Han helped me obtained a copy of the book and CD. She also shared with me some videos on birthing, pictures, etc. While reading the book, I kept telling the baby to come out at 40 weeks as I have yet to finish the book! To be honest, I only listened to the CD on the way to work and downloaded the CD into my IPOD to listen before falling asleep. My husband was not keen on practicing the method. Thus, it was all up to me to make it happen.

At 37 weeks, I gathered my guts and handed in my birth plan (courtesy of Wai Han’s sample) although I vaguely understood the full concept of HypnoBirthing and half the things in the birth plan! At the same time, my gynae mentioned since I am a high-risk patient, I should opt for induction as the baby is considered full term. I told him I wanted to think over it and upon leaving the hospital, the first person I called was Wai Han! She gave me some advice and in the end I decided to let the baby come naturally in baby’s own time and prayed in my heart everything will turn out well. Since I rejected my gynae’s suggestion, I was to have fetal heartbeat monitoring each time I visit him weekly.

At 38 weeks, there’s still no sign of baby coming. At 39 weeks, I was getting a little anxious and slightly paranoid at times when baby is not moving. My EDD was July 12 and upon visiting my gynae on July 9, I went for my usual fetal monitoring... the nurse asked if I felt any different and I said, “No, just some discomfort in the tummy, maybe due to upset tummy.” Imagine my surprise when she told me I am having slight surges, 30 minutes apart. Wow... baby’s coming soon! After getting the report, I headed to my gynae’s clinic for consultation. To my surprise, he didn’t mention anything about the surge and then coolly told me, “See you next week.” Huh?? Next week?! I’m due this Sat... He then scheduled to see me again on Saturday.

As I am 3 days to EDD, I decided to give baby a little assistance... I practiced nipple stimulation that night and early in the morning. In the morning, I had a little birth show (blood) but still no surge. As I was bathing, I could feel very mild surges. I headed to the office to clear some things and at noon, I decided to visit my gynae again. I was informed that my cervix has dilated about 2cm and to check in immediately. I went back, slept from 2-6pm (listened to my IPOD while sleeping), then at 8pm while putting my toddler to bed, the hospital called 2 times asking where I am! I finally told them I have no regular surges and there was no need to be admitted but the nurse insisted that I come in for observation as suggested by my gynae. I told them I will check in at 10.30pm that night. At 11.30pm, I was still at home. The surges were slightly stronger. I finally checked in at 12.45am on July 11, cervix was already 4-5 cm dilated. In the labour ward, I brought my IPOD to listen to the Rainbow CD and a portable CD player as back-up. I sat on the toilet seat while listening to the Rainbow CD and revised certain chapters of the HypnoBirthing book especially those pertaining to positions in the last stages of labour. At 2.30am, my gynae came in to check me as he has another patient to attend to in the next labour room. I was 7 cm dilated (was still having mild surges) and he insisted on breaking the waterbag although I protested. When the water bag broke, he mentioned the baby has passed motion and he wanted the baby’s heartbeat monitored. While all these drama was going on, I was still hooked to the IPOD and continued to visualize, breathe and tell myself everything is under control. When the surges became slightly more intense around 3.00am, I was on all fours, breathing, etc. Finally the surges became unbearable around 3.15am and I asked my husband to get the midwife... everything that I’ve practiced /read in HypnoBirthing seemed to fly out of the window. I desperately wanted something to stop the pain! The midwife came (I was on all fours in the bed, breathing deeply, still IPOD hooked on) then it suddenly dawn on me that the baby was coming (I recall a paragraph in the book stating that when you feel you cannot take it anymore and wants something to relieve the pressure, that’s when the baby is coming) and I could feel its head pushing. I shouted at the nurse, “The baby is coming!” and she tried to get me to lie on the bed to check. When she finally did, she called for the doctor and that was when I knew I was in the final stages... I started shouting to myself, “I am in control, I’m relaxed” over and over again... (IPOD was still hooked to my ears) I think the midwife and my husband must have thought I’ve lost my mind!

My gynae finally came and he did an episiotomy and I think the baby came out with one or two pushes. The baby was put on my abdomen and she tested her amazing lungs by crying, she was cleaned and again given to me for breastfeeding while still in the labour room. I was alert at all times, and the experience was totally different from my previous birth where I was totally knocked out after Shannon was delivered. When the baby was given to me for breastfeeding, I felt an overwhelming sense of mixed emotions of joy and awe that this bundle of joy is mine. The feeling is beyond what I can describe in words. Till today, when I see my baby, I feel very emotional and thank God for giving me such a gift and she is truly a bundle of joy.

I would like to thank Wai Han for all the patience, support and advice she has given to me the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy. Without her, I don’t think I would have the guts to go through it myself. Now, I am strongly promoting HypnoBirthing to those I know.

Wong Choy Pheng
Birthed Baby Shania July 11, 2008.