How hypnobirthing can help when you’re being induced

Being induced can be a long process and for your own sanity, as well as helping labour along, you need to be able to relax while you’re in hospital. A hypnobirthing course will give you plenty of techniques but here are some basic ones you can do even without the course. Don’t forget to take your noise cancelling headphones (an absolute essential for being induced in a noisy ward), get bouncing on that birth ball and if you’re relaxing on your bed, make sure you’re on your side! I was induced at Birmingham Heartlands with both my pregnancies and distractions included women crying in pain, people watching Corrie loud enough for the whole ward to hear, people talking to family on speakerphone and even someone’s partner playing a shooting game! None of which would have helped my oxytocin levels. These top tips would be helpful for anyone in labour, but particularly useful if you’re being induced…

1. Listen to your hypnobirthing MP3s

And if you haven’t done a hypnobirthing course, you can use an app like Headspace or Calm but with most courses you will be given free hypnobirthing audios. If you’ve been relaxing to your hypnobirthing MP3s throughout your pregnancy, they will act as an anchor and make you more relaxed if you listen to them while you’re in hospital. Listening to anything through your headphones will also block out a noisy ward.

2. Watch your favourite comedy shows

Before you go into hospital, download a few episodes of your favourite comedy show onto your phone or iPad. Watching a favourite, familiar comedy will get the oxytocin going and if you’re absorbed in an episode of Friends, you can’t hear what’s going on on the ward around you. When I was induced with my son, the afternoon I went into labour, I literally lay on my bed experiencing mild cramps watching Friends and looking back, I’m pretty sure I was further along than I realised but the laughs helped me through!

3. Listen to a playlist that brings back special memories

Again, listening to a favourite playlist from a special holiday or that has other special memories will get the oxytocin flowing. Or maybe you’ve made a playlist especially for coming into hospital. If that is the case, I would recommend listening to it while you’re relaxing before you come into hospital as well. That means that you will immediately feel more relaxed when you listen to it in hospital.

4. Take a bath

The first time I gave birth, I didn’t know that this was an option but in most labour wards, baths will be available so definitely take advantage! It will give you time away from a potentially noisy ward which will definitely help you relax and if your contractions have started, the water will provide some relief. If you want to make it even more relaxing, take any of the items above with you.

5. Meet family and friends in the hospital cafe

In these post-Covid times, it’s rare for anyone but your birth partner to be allowed on the ward but if you’re in being induced, it doesn’t mean you can’t see them, especially if you’re in for several days. My parents, my daughter and one of my closest friends came to see me. It broke up the monotony, the short walk to the cafe definitely did me good and enjoying time with people you love will get your oxytocin flowing.