Your guide to a more positive and informed induction experience
What is induction? It’s talked about a lot, but we don’t often hear what it actually involves. I remember people telling me… “The don’t let you go past 41 weeks“, “You’ll have to be induced” and so on, neither or which are true, but that’s a story for another day! I heard a lot of comments about induction but I didn’t really know what it involved, or what it really meant. Even when I...
One of the most common questions I hear from people preparing for induction is, can I still use hypnobirthing for induction? And the answer is definitely yes! If you’re preparing for, or considering an induction and wondering how Hypnobirthing can help, you’ve come to the right place! Below I’ve shared some options available to you, depending on whether you’re new to hypnobirthing, or are wondering how to convert your hypnobirthing techniques to work for you...
No matter where or how you’re planning to give birth, one thing’s for sure, there will be decisions to make. The biggest one is probably “Should I have an induction?!” And while that’s a very personal decision with no clear right and wrong option, there are some steps you can make to help guide you to the best option for you. It can seem daunting making what feels like massive decisions with little understanding...
What does labour taste and smell like? There are a couple of smells and tastes that take me right back to being in labour, yes really! The smell is Clary Sage oil and for anyone who has tried ALL OF THE THINGS to get labour going, yes ALLL OF THE THINGS, you’re probably familiar with the smell of it! The taste that takes me back there is actually lemon cordial – very random, I...
A stretch and sweep, sometimes called a sweep or membrane sweep, or stripping the membranes. This is usually the first part of induction, and you may need to make a choice about whether to have some in the weeks before your hospital induction appointment, you may be offered one or more sweeps, so the important question is… What happens? As always, you should have an explanation of the procedure you are being offered,...
Today I wanted to bring your attention to a phrase that always makes me take notice, and it’s something I see almost every week in The Positive Induction Group, or in the Hypnobirthing groups I hang out in. “I’m facing induction” A simple comment really, but there’s more to notice here, the word facing suggests a few things may be going on… This is going to be difficult This is my only option Perhaps...
As a massive hypnobirthing fan (and hypnotherapist) I love affirmations, they are a great way to boost your positivity and confidence which are both important in labour but I believe this is especially important when preparing for induction. When I was preparing for my induction I loved listening to the affirmations, here are my 10 favourites for induction of labour. I feel confident and safe I am making positive choices for me and my...
One of the common stresses when deciding on induction is the change in environment from where you would originally give birth. When you plan to give birth in a midwife led unit, you usually sign up for a less clinical environment; a more relaxing decor, dim lights, birth stools, maybe even a birth pool. It can be hard when you’ve visualised you birth in this environment to consider the labour ward. The image below...
Birth plans – they tend to divide people, some create detailed pages of information, preferences, for all the various options, they may even be colour coded with colourful sticky tabs for each option (ok, I admit it this is a confession, of my own first birth plan – it was so detailed it even reminded my husband to set the automatic feeder for the cats before leaving the house!), and then there are others...
Although there is generally a move towards finding ways to have birth partners stay during all of the induction process, the reality is that in some areas women spend some of the time during induction on their own at night. This is usually the case early on in the process, generally by the time you’re in established labour you would be together. Why is it beneficial to be together? I want to talk about...
I’ve heard many people say that reflexology helped them go into labour, there seems to be plenty of anecdotal evidence around, but no proper clinical trials. I’m personally still a big fan and always recommend you give it a go if it sounds appealing (and not just because I’m a reflexologist!), I think it’s a great preparation for all types of birth, because I am a big believer in the power of relaxation! But...
It’s not uncommon for induction to take a while to get started, especially if your body isn’t showing any sign of things starting up beforehand or if you’ve not reached your due date yet. Although things can start up quickly, many mums find themselves with what they describe as a rather boring day or two waiting for induction to kick in properly. So I wanted to share with you some things you can do...
