I entered my pregnancy journey with a vivid vision of how my first birth would unfold: calming music, smiling faces, and me gracefully bringing my baby into the world — ideally in the comfort of my own bathtub. After watching countless documentaries, I thought I had it all figured out. So, when I saw a hypnobirthing class advertised at my prenatal care center, I instantly thought, “This is it!”
HypnoBirthing promises a serene and beautiful birthing experience. “Perfect!” I thought. “Count me in!”
Fast forward a few months, and my partner and I were trudging up the stairs to a yoga studio in downtown Brooklyn for our hypnobirthing class. We were greeted by a serene-looking instructor, and after handing over our $350 check, we settled into a circle of expectant couples who seemed a little too zen.
The initial sessions involved our instructor reading from Hypnobirthing Made Easy—a book I already owned. While her voice was soothing, I was starting to feel a bit let down. By the third session, one of the other moms leaned over and whispered, “Are we seriously just going to sit here listening to her read?” I was relieved to see that I wasn’t the only one feeling skeptical. Thankfully, the instructor read the room and switched gears, showing us some birth videos instead.
I have to say, I’ve never seen such calm women giving birth. Honestly, I look more pained doing sit-ups than they did during labor. One woman even appeared to have an orgasm while giving birth, which was not a sight I needed to witness and have tried to forget ever since. Watching these serene births made me question if I was truly cut out for a calm delivery.
Finally, we reached session four, where hypnosis was on the agenda. The instructor instructed us to close our eyes and imagine descending a staircase, going deeper with each step. I was excited for this part. “Close your eyes. Relax…” she began. As she guided us down, I found my hand waving in the air. I peeked around, hoping to see others joining me, but I was the only one. My husband? He was sound asleep. Lucky guy.
As the instructor counted down from ten to bring us back to reality, I elbowed my husband to make sure he’d be awake with the rest of us. The instructor asked us to share our experiences. One by one, the other moms described their profound sensations of relaxation. I was honest and said, “I could totally move my hand the whole time!” The instructor calmly replied, “Maria, do you have issues with control?” Touché.
In the end, my birth plan took an unexpected turn, resulting in an emergency c-section. Ironically, I couldn’t move my legs at all—thanks to the epidural. So, if you’re feeling out of place in your birthing class, remember, they aren’t for everyone.
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In summary, my experience in the hypnobirthing class was far from serene, filled with unexpected twists that left me laughing at how far my plans strayed from reality. If you’re navigating your own pregnancy journey, remember that it’s perfectly okay if things don’t go as planned!