My first birth was very traumatic, with my labour lasting more than 20 hours. I was given epidural but it did not work. I still felt pain during the contractions. Whenever I had contractions, I panicked, held my breath and tensed my muscles. I went to a private hospital in Petaling Jaya. However, I was not even allowed to drink water although I felt thirsty. The nurse, who was rather young and inexperienced, kept instructing me to push continuously. I pushed with all my might for 45 minutes until I was exhausted. My cervix was now dilated to 10 cm, but the baby would still not come out. The doctor then said that my baby had fetal distress and I ended up with an emergency Caesarean section. I needed a lot of rest and could not breastfeed or bond with my baby immediately after childbirth. By the time I wanted to breastfeed my baby on the third day, my baby was unable to do so because the nurses had already given my baby formula milk and my baby would not take to breastfeeding.

Due to my first traumatic childbirth, when I got pregnant the second time around, I sought for a better alternative for my childbirth. I did not want to repeat my first experience. My husband and I signed up for birth hypnosis classes with Selina Chew when I was 31 weeks pregnant. I practiced the exercises everyday and listened to the Birth Affirmations to condition my mind and body. I also rehearsed my birth in my mind, by visualizing a smooth birth, using the Birth Preparation CD. My husband and I decided to select another hospital for the birth.

When my contractions started, I did not panic or rush to the hospital. Instead, I tuned inwards, focused on my breathing and followed its wavelike movements. I visualized my perineum opening like a rose to help my cervix dilate. The contractions were manageable because I was so relaxed. Listening to the Birth Affirmations and sitting on the birth ball during contractions helped tremendously to keep me comfortable and relaxed. I was very calm, relaxed and had total confidence in my body’s abilities. I also visualized my baby coming out gently into the world. I reached the hospital when my contractions were 5 minutes apart. ln a very short time, I was fully dilated and the baby was crowning.

To the amazement of the medical staff, I still managed to walk around, watch television and joke with my husband. This time, I was allowed to drink water. My total length of labour was only 2 hours, and my active labour lasted only 1 hour. My baby came out after 3 surges at 6.45 pm weighing 2.79 kg. My baby was very calm and only cried a little upon birth. The nurse wiped the baby and passed the baby to me immediately after the birth for bonding. The baby immediately latched on and started nursing. I felt energetic and empowered after giving birth. I can clearly see the difference in both my children. My second baby is very different in temperament from my first child. He breastfeeds easily, is not fussy, easily contented and cries less, compared to my first child. I am ecstatic that I had achieved the birth that I  wanted.