It took a lot of time and effort to find a hospital that would facilitate the kind of birth she desired – but she made sure she got her wish! Fatima planned an unmedicated, midwife-assisted, natural hospital birth using the Hypnobabies techniques she’d learnt. “I did a lot of research while I was pregnant,” says Fatima. “I read a number of books, blogs and websites and watched documentaries. I also did a course called Hypnobabies which teaches hypnosis for childbirth. Ultimately, I wanted to do whatever was best for my baby and it was clear from all my research that a birth with as little medical intervention as possible was first prize.”

He’s coming

“I started having my first contractions on a Saturday afternoon and my baby was born on Monday evening after 56 hours of labour,” tells Fatima. She had had her show a week or two before going into labour and was waiting for it to start as she’d already passed her estimated due date. “When I went for a check-up about three days before I felt my first contraction, my midwife was surprised that I was already three centimetres dilated without feeling a thing. I knew my labour had started for real when the contractions came. They were really mild at first and started to build up over the course of the next two days.”

Mom’s ready

Fatima claims the best one can do for oneself before birth is to read lots and lots of birth stories. “I’d read tons of stories of women who were in labour for long periods of time, up to a week.” Thus she wasn’t worried when hers lasted so long. She also knew what would happen to her body during the process. “It was awesome and really eradicated my fear. For example I knew the first stage of contractions was acting to dilate me and the second stage was to help me push,” she explains. She also knew that it was normal to vomit during labour as it could help with dilation. Fatima also read that one becomes emotional during transition. “So when I started crying, inexplicably, not because I was upset or in pain, I was happy because it meant that I was transitioning.”

Keeping calm

Fatima states that she was really calm during her labour. “I’m a religious person and I listened a lot to the Quraan during the labour. There’s a specific chapter which is said to be particularly helpful during labour and I read and listened to it. It made a world of difference to me. I also used my Hypnobabies techniques and tracks and it really helped me – my Hypnobabies tracks together with a warm bath actually helped me to sleep through three hours of intense contractions just before I started pushing.” What also helped a great deal was the so-called ‘Bubble of Peace’ Hypnobabies teaches mothers to create around themselves during pregnancy and childbirth. This allows one to let anything negative bounce off the bubble. Fatima calls it a great tool even though it can be difficult to utilise sometimes. “I was reciting the Quraan a lot and listening to my Hypnobabies tracks so I was mostly just living in the moment and not thinking too much. Some of the time I would think of the stories I’d read – especially at moments when I threw up or started being emotional.”

Dealing with it all

Fatima was surprised at the force of childbirth. “I found it to be so intense, physically and emotionally, although not necessarily negative in a way.” She was most amazed at the effectiveness of listening to the Quraan and using her Hypnobabies tracks. She adds the support of her mother and husband during her 56 hours of labour to helping her get through. She admits that she did experience a small amount of fear during the process, but by preparing herself and knowing what was happening to her body really helped a lot. “With Hypnobabies you do a fear releasing exercise in the last weeks of your pregnancy which really helps with dealing with fear,” she adds. “Birthing with midwives also meant that I could control my birthing experience to a large extent and being in control really helps, too.”

A positive experience

Fatima recalls her entire experience as positive. “I was calm and in control and in a safe environment with people whom I trust supporting me. I laboured at home for most of my labour and when I did go into hospital at five centimetres dilated (the midwife told me I could go home if I wanted to carry on labouring at home!) I laboured in a peaceful, dark room scented with lavender and eucalyptus filled with the sound of the Quraan being recited.” She framed her entire experience as positive, another tool of Hypnobabies. - Zanri Kotzé

Baby’s weight: 2.9 kg @ 41.5 weeks

Books read: Hypnobabies Workbook and Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth