Dads/partners ‘sanity here’
Hi my name is Lee and I am Bex’s partner. This is a quick message to all the other dads/partners. Don’t panic. Really don’t. I thought all this hypno stuff was a load of hippy gripping, tree hugging nonsense. I just went with the flow because it made Bex happy. ‘If Bex is happy, I’m happy’ was as near to a mantra as I was gonna get. I kept picturing ‘Hypno Dog’ and calling it ‘Happy Hippo’ with my tongue firmly in my cheek.
I came to fatherhood very late in life and was frankly terrified. Bex dragged me to several ‘support’ groups and anti-natal classes but I was not really put at ease by any of them. Despite the fact I am a Biologist, I kind of glossed over all the technical stuff when I was a carefree bachelor and all the support did not make me feel any more prepared. With the exception of that hypno-hippy thing. Wow, I did not see that coming.
It worked. It actually worked. I am a convert. Bex had an amazing experience with no discomfort. I know this is not everyone’s experience even with hypnobirthing – but wow, no drugs. I made the mistake of asking if she wanted ‘gas and air’ at one point (I am unable to print the response here). I gained a lot of skills to help me feel part of the birth – not just an add-on. I was confident in speaking to professionals and ensuring Bex got the birth she wanted. I was her advocate and she trusted me in this role which meant that she was able to go to her ‘relaxing place’ and not have to be disturbed by outside influences. This gave her the birth she was searching for.
So skeptics, nay sayers or the uninitiated – I recommend trying a session to see if it works. When it does, I will have scored major ‘brownie-points’ with Bex.