Pam & Steve's HypnoBirthing Story

Pam & Steve took Carol's HypnoBirthing classes in Encinitas on Tuesday nights in May 2012. Here is their birth story:

I just wanted to share my birth story with you. It didn't turn out exactly how I envisioned, but I was completely amazed by the strength I had to get through what I did.

I started having surges at 10am on the 25th. As they got closer and closer I called my doula, Leigh Fenly. She came over at about 2pm. Once the surges were about 4-5 minutes apart we went to the hospital (around 5pm).

We arrived and got checked in and they put the baby on the monitor. The baby looked great. The next several hours felt like 20 minutes. The surges were certainly intense but I was getting through them. We went for walks and I sat in the shower. The shower was amazing!!! I think I would have benefited greatly from a bathtub but it was great. I finally let the nurse check me around 10pm. I was the same dilation as when my previous day doctor appt. and my water hadn't broken. I decided to give it 2 hours and check again. At 12 pm, it was the same so I let the doctor break my water to get things going. After that things happened verrrry quickly. I sat in the shower and was screaming out during the surges. It was extremely intense but Leigh helped me relax and I was so proud of myself for my strength. I never even thought about wanting an epidural. Then I started throwing up violently in the shower. Even though it was a little scary and very uncomfortable, I remember you saying that when that happens it means it's almost coming to an end. And it was. It was time to monitor the baby again. Baby's heartrate was perfect. And then I got the urge to push. It was about 2am at this point. I was so happy that I was drug free because I tried all sorts of positions. I was doing squats, up on all fours, back (sitting up) and side. It felt so good to push. For the first two hours... I started to get tired but I was still going very strong. After 2.5 hours the baby had not moved at all :( His head was seriously not moving past my pelvic bone (nobody told me this - they kept saying I was making progress to keep me going). The doctor came in and checked me and said she understood that I wanted to have a natural birth and she did not generally let people push more than 3 hours but that she'd work with me if I started making progress. But that she was extremely uncomfortable using the vacuum which it seemed like may need to happen. The top of the head was going into a cone shape like it was supposed to but the rest of it just wasn't making it's way through. I asked her if I could have 30 more minutes and she said that was fine. After about 20 minutes, I was beyond uncomfortable. I asked Leigh for her opinion and she said let's push as hard as we can. But after a little while I asked her what she really thought. She told me that she has seen this before and that I shouldn't feel bad about needing a c-section. She said I have done everything that I could. And she was watching the whole time and didn't see more than the very tip of that baby's head.

As soon as I made the decision to get the c-section everything happened extremely quickly. They got me in the operating room, gave me the spinal, and had the baby out in about 4 minutes. I was so excited to see my son!! I was sad that he couldn't come right on to my chest but I couldn't think about it at that point. I knew I had done my best. He was born at 6:25 am. I had been actively pushing since about 3am. Everyone in the operating room was shocked that I was not on drugs! And I never ever felt pressured to do anything that I wasn't comfortable with.

So in the end it was not the birth that I had planned but I'm trying to look on the bright side. I was able to stay in the hospital for almost 5 days. I took full advantage of the staff. I had the Lactation Consultant in the room everyday giving me breastfeeding tips and watching the latch (we are doing GREAT with breastfeeding!!). I sent Steve with the nurses any time they did anything from swaddling to bathing so he could learn the techniques. We were waited on hand and foot and I was well taken care of. Scripps La Jolla is wonderful.

I was definitely bummed that I went through the whole process flawlessly only to stop at the end. But I've come to terms with it. I was scared at first because when he came out his head was super cone shaped (which I expected) but on the back of his head was a huge dark purple black bruise from banging against my pubic bone. But he's perfect! He only spit up once his first day and nothing after that. Good for a c-section baby! His name is Steven Raymond H., III. As a nickname for the 3rd generation we call him Trey. He was 8 lbs11oz and 21 inches. And he has a huge head!  

So there it is. I will absolutely do hypnobirthing again for the next baby! My child had a perfect heart rate the whole entire 16+ hours that I was in labor. Drugs didn't enter my body until about 4 minutes before he came out (so I am hoping he didn't get as much as if I had been on an epidural the entire time?) He is such a calm baby!! Only cries when he's hungry and is just so relaxed. We're so lucky.

Thanks again for being an amazing instructor. We'll see you again for a refresher course in a couple years :)---Pam

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Thanks, Pam, for sharing your story with me! I'm glad that even though things went very differently than planned, that you felt that the classes were still helpful for you. My ultimate goal for teaching HypnoBirthing is to inform & educate my couples so that whatever choices they need to make are ones that they know are right for them in the moment. I hope you're recovering well & enjoying your little baby!

If you're interested in learning more about Pam's doula, Leigh Fenly, please visit www.tranquilityinbirth.com.

If you're interested in taking Carol's HypnoBirthing classes, please visit www.AWellLivedLife.Net for more information. If Carol's schedule doesn't work with yours, she would be happy to refer you to one of the many practitioners in San Diego. If you're outside of San Diego, please visit www.HypnoBirthing.com for a list of practitioners in your area.

Denise and Brian's VBAC HypnoBirthing Story

Denise and her husband took my classes on Tuesday evenings in Cardiff, a community of Encinitas in North County San Diego, in February 2012.  Here is their VBAC story:

Before labor, Denise wrote:

Considering I was supposed to get induced last night, I am doing good!  I convinced my OB over the phone to give me a couple more days because I feel I am so close.  Luckily our dates are off, she thinks I am 41 wks tomorrow, I think 42 wks as of a few days ago.  She agreed to Fri at 8am, as long as I get a NST tomorrow afternoon.  If my fluids are low then they'll send me straight to L&D, which is what I'm expecting because they've been low last few weeks at least, and also because I think I've had a slow break in water as of yesterday morning.  It's been a slow trickle ever since.  I had acupuncture on Monday which made me feel so much better but seemed to calm everything down besides the water possibly breaking.   Had more acu today and I've had steady strong cramping/contractions for the past 3 hours, but I don't want to get too excited because we end up disappointed almost nightly. I've done so much to bring labor on up till this point. I can't believe that the end is FINALLY in sight! Another day or so left...!  Thanks again and wish me luck!!  :)

Labor:

We had a little boy on May 3^rd! I went into labor on my own and had the VBAC I was desperately wanting!  I was scheduled to be induced the next morning but I had my 2nd acupuncture appt on Weds May 2nd and my cramps continued when I got home that afternoon and didn't stop this time. :)  We were waiting to call anyone because it'd been this way for so much of April, but when I got into the tub that night, the contractions and back labor kicked in hard and fast.  They were so intense so quickly that I couldn't get ahead of them and into the hypnotic state that I wanted.  My doula came and she and Brian half carried me to the car immediately...I was yelling instead of relaxing! :(  So I immediately got the epidural when I could because I arrived at the hospital at 6.5 cm dilated and felt I couldn't handle another second of the pain.  I think that if it wasn't for the back labor, things could have been different.  But I'm still so happy for the VBAC, I loved the experience otherwise, and I felt enough when he was in the birth canal and born that I feel the epidural was the perfect amount.  I am still so glad for the HypnoBirthing training to get me through the last few months and especially that night of labor.  I have to say that UCSD staff were really great. They even tried to talk me out of the epidural at first!  but they were quick to offer drugs instead which I definitely didn't want.  The one nurse was a little too intense though and kept getting upset with me that I wasn't doing the purple pushing that you had talked about.  So I felt forced to push this way and did have some tearing, but his heart rate was dropping a little and they were so concerned about that of course that I wanted to do whatever I had to in order to stay off the operating table for another c-section.  Anyways, I pushed for an hour and he was born at 8:04am.  The sun was shining thru our labor room window, which was really nice. :)   Anyways, thanks for all of your information, I was much more informed and excited about the end of pregnancy and labor thanks to you! 

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Congratulations! I'm so happy that you got the VBAC you wanted and that the classes helped you feel more prepared- that is always my goal! I hope you are continuing to enjoy your babymoon!

For more information on Denise’s doula, Mary Schlegel www.bellababydoula.com

If you are interested in taking HypnoBirthing classes in the San Diego area, please feel free to contact Carol for class schedules and more information at: A Well Lived Life. If my schedule does not work with yours we would love to refer you to other local instructors as well. If you aren’t in the San Diego area but are still interested in utilizing all that HypnoBirthing has to offer, check outThe HypnoBirthing Institute and find a Local Practitioner for you!

A HypnoBirthing announcement--Shelby & Will's birth

Shelby & Will took my HypnoBirthing classes on Tuesdays in January 2011 at Babies by the Sea Boutique.

Here is their birth story:

Hello there! I just wanted to let you know that my baby is here!!! Her name is Tenly Lu. She was born March 24 and was 7 lbs 19 inches. She is the most wonderful, perfect, beautiful baby ever!!!! I knew how great motherhood would be, but really it is even better than I could have imagined! As I'm sure you know!

I ended up having to have a planned C Section with her. She was Frank Breech, and after a week and of going to see Dr. Jack Mawer (chiropractor) twice a day to get her to turn, I just decided to go that way. My Dr. offered to do an external version, but she told me that if she turned they would induce me right away, and if she didn't turn it would be an emergency C Section. I thought long and hard and decided it would be easiest and best on both of us to just do the C Section. That way, I could be calm, well as calm as I could be.

It turned out to be the best decision I could have made! Her cord was wrapped around her neck, and if she had be able to turn, or if my Dr. had done the version, she could have been very affected!

She came out perfect and extremely alert! She was awake with her eyes wide open for most of the day! She is just so unreal!! I still don't believe she is real or mine!!!
She is now above her birth weight!! And she is eating really well. She is getting about 2.5 - 3 oz per feeding. I was in New Beginnings Boutique yesterday, and they offered me to weigh her before and after feeding to see. She is latching on really well too!!!!

So hopefully next baby I will be able to do it all natural! At least I was able to make my own choice, come to terms with a C Section and stay as calm as possible!
I would love for you to meet her!!

Thank you for everything! I look forward to your class again in the future!!
Shelby
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Congratulations to you & Will! I'm so glad that even though you had to have a C-section, you felt that the classes helped you. My ultimate goal for my classes is to have all of my clients feel in control of their birth experiences no matter where their birth journey takes them. Continue enjoying your babymoon! I'm glad that you're both doing so well!
Thank you so much for sharing your story!
All my best--Carol
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For more information about HypnoBirthing classes in your area, please visit www.HypnoBirthing.com to find a practitioner near you. If you're in the San Diego area, please visit Carol's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net to find a class time that work for you.
For more information about breech babies & ways to turn them, please visit www.spinningbabies.com.
For more information about Dr. Jack Mawer, chiropractor, please visit www.AreYouAdjusted.com.

A HypnoBirthing announcement--Brooke & Matt

Brooke & Matt took my HypnoBirthing classes at Babies by the Sea Boutique on Tuesday nights in May/June 2010. Here is their birth story...


The birth story of Grace M

We had been given several different due dates during my pregnancy because I switched doctors; the earliest of which was Friday July 16th. So when I started having mild surges Saturday afternoon on July 10th I made the assumption it was just false labor and that I had been doing too much and needed to relax. Matt and I had a very mellow Saturday and at 3pm I took a two-hour nap, which I think was a Godsend considering what the next 24 hours held in store for me!

The surges continued all Saturday evening and around 9pm I got into bed to watch a movie and try to relax. At this point, the surges felt like typical menstrual cramps; somewhat uncomfortable but not painful. I downloaded an app on my iPhone and started to time the surges (yes, there is an app for that!!) because I knew from class the difference between false labor and real labor was whether the surges were coming in a consistent time frame for at least an hour. The surges were kind of all over the place – it would go from 10 minutes apart to six minutes back to 10 minutes, etc. This further confirmed my thinking it was just false labor. Matt came up to bed around 11pm and was surprised to find me awake and timing surges. I told him I thought it was still just false labor and we went to bed. I was able to sleep, or at least rest, between the surges until around 3am at which point I was just awake and trying to rest and remain calm since I was starting to think we had a long day ahead of us. I was listening to the rainbow relaxation CD on my iPod this entire time, which helped me stay focused on keeping my body limp and relaxed.

Around 6am on Sunday morning I could no longer stay in bed and moved to sitting on the toilet, which was comfortable and helped keep my pelvis open. This is when we called my sister-in-law Kelly (who is a midwife), and she confirmed that since the surges had been coming since Saturday afternoon, I was definitely in labor. She booked a ticket on the next flight out of San Francisco and was landing in San Diego at 10:20am. She was originally scheduled to fly down later in the week to act as our doula at the birth.

Matt drew a bath for me and I labored in the tub for about an hour while he got the bags and everything ready to go to the hospital. Around 8am we called the doctor’s office and as we expected my doctor was still on vacation so his backup called us back. She said if the pain was too much we could head to the hospital so I could receive an epidural, but if not to wait until the surges were about 4 minutes apart for an hour. The surges were fairly intense at this point, but I kept breathing through them and it really wasn’t too bad. It was actually quite an exciting time because we knew our baby was coming and everything we had been preparing for was happening!

As far as we could tell, when we called the doctor the surges were ranging from 4-7 minutes apart. We had a really hard time timing the surges because they start off mild and then get more intense and then get mild again before stopping. This being said, it was hard for me to tell exactly when they were starting and stopping which made timing them very difficult.

Around 9am, I had showered and Matt had the car loaded and everything ready to go to the hospital. We didn’t want to go to the hospital too early so I laid down on the couch and kept listening to rainbow relaxation on my iPod and trying to relax. Around 9:45am, during one of the surges my water broke while I was on the couch. At this point, the surges were ranging from 2-4 minutes apart, and now that my water had also broken we decided we should head to the hospital.

It happened that we were ready to go to the hospital at the same time my sister-in-law was landing at the airport. Rather than her having to take a cab all the way to Encinitas we decided to pick her up at the airport and then head straight to the hospital. Like I said before, our thinking had been we didn’t want to get to the hospital too early so at the time it just made sense that we’d pick her up. And since I had been laboring on the couch, the front seat of the car didn’t seem too different. ;) We live in the Kearny Mesa area so I ended up laboring in the car for about 40 minutes.

We picked up my sister-in-law at the San Diego airport at 10:20am and headed up 5 North to Scripps Encinitas hospital. During the drive, I had the front seat fully reclined and was lying on my side which felt better than on my back. My feet were up on the dash and I had the window half way down because the fresh air felt so good. I’m sure people driving by thought it was a strange scene! I was listening to rainbow relaxation on my iPod this whole time and was continuing to breath through the surges. My instincts told me I was in pretty intense labor at this point but still the surges were manageable as they don’t last that long. And the breaks between them, albeit short, were still wonderful! When we pulled up to the hospital, Matt actually asked if I had been having surges during the car ride because I had been lying there with my eyes closed and not making any noise! I kind of chuckled and said, “Yes”!

We checked into the hospital and it took some time to fill out the paperwork, etc. I declined the wheel chair they offered me because it felt much better to stand during the surges. As we got to our labor and delivery room around 11:30am I was starting to feel intense pressure like I was nearly ready to start pushing! The nurse checked me upon arrival and I was 8cm! Considering this was my first birth I didn’t really know what to expect so we were all really excited with this news! The nurse gave me a hospital gown but I had brought a robe from home that I preferred to wear which she was fine with. Once I had changed I sat on the birth ball and leaned against the hospital bed while the nurses did all the initial tests/monitoring to me. The fetal heart and contraction monitors were attached around my stomach while I sat on the birth ball. The plan had been to do the initial monitoring for 20 minutes and then have everything removed so I could move around (this never happened since things moved along so quickly). At 37 weeks I had tested positive for Group B Strep. I had been doing some natural at-home remedies, but still had to get a dose of antibiotics when we arrived at the hospital. They gave me the antibiotics while they were doing all the other initial monitoring things.

We requested the nurse check me again a little before noon because I was feeling such intense pressure and felt ready to start pushing. At this point, I was now standing next to the hospital bed doing the modified downward dog position with my hands on the bed because I could no longer stay seated on the birth ball. Once the nurse checked me again and confirmed I was to 10cm I moved onto the bed to start pushing. It was noon when I started pushing.

Right away the doctor confirmed she could see the baby’s head, and I was trying to push the head to pass under my pubic bone. After about 20 minutes of pushing and between surges the doctor checked me and then asked us when our last ultrasound had been. Both Matt and I were so confused and told her it was at 19 weeks when we had the anatomy ultrasound. After this she told that was not the baby’s head we were seeing and it was her bottom! We were all in disbelief as my doctor had confirmed at my 37-week appointment the baby was head down, and then again at my 38-week appointment the nurse practitioner had felt my stomach (because my doctor was on vacation) and also said the baby was head down. The doctor immediately suggested a c-section and we asked for a few minutes to discuss it privately. As my sister-in-law is a midwife and has delivered breech babies, we did consider trying to still do a vaginal birth, but in the end we decided to be conservative and agreed to the c-section.

Grace was in the Frank breech position, which is where her legs were straight up so her feet were at the top of my stomach and were kicking in the same area she would have been had she been head down. And then since her head and bottom are both firm, it did feel like it was her bottom at the top of my stomach. Regardless, it was disappointing her breech position hadn’t been discovered earlier so we could try some things in order for her to move positions, but in the end if she hadn’t moved we probably would have scheduled a c-section. I’m glad this didn’t happen because as crazy as it sounds, I am glad I got to experience labor as it was such an amazing experience; emotionally as well as physically. So after all of this Gracie was born at 1:05pm via c-section! She came out alert, healthy, and crying loudly!

I don’t know how I remembered, but after the c-section they were getting ready to stitch me back up and I recalled a section in Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth book that discussed the importance of having the uterus sutured in two layers rather than the one layer method which is currently popular in the situation of a c-section. I asked the doctor if she was going to sew me up in one or two layers, and after telling me they routinely do one layer, she asked if I would prefer her to do two layers. I told her I would. Per Ina May’s book, this will help the uterus stay stronger and increase the likelihood of having a successful VBAC in the future.

The doctor and nurses were all so wonderful, and we were very happy with Scripps Encinitas hospital all around. They were completely supportive of everything we wanted and were very familiar with HypnoBirthing. Everything with the baby was in-room so Grace was never out of my sight. They even brought her to me while I was still on the operating table after the c-section. I really appreciated this.

I definitely think your HypnoBirthing class helped make Grace’s labor as great as it was! Due to all the training and practice I was able to remain very calm and relaxed throughout the entire time I was laboring which I believe helped ease the pain and helped speed labor along. The doctor told me after Grace was born I would be an ideal candidate for a VBAC; something I will definitely consider when Grace gets a little sibling. And even though the c-section was an unexpected turn of events during Grace’s birth, I think taking the HypnoBirthing class helped us meet this calmly and I still have such positive memories from our birth. Thank you so much for all your support and advice throughout the pregnancy! We appreciate all that you taught us and are so glad we took your class!
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Thank you so much for sharing your story! I think it's so important for people to realize that HypnoBirthing helps in whatever situation comes up during your birth experience & that it's not "just" for natural births. It can be extremely helpful during c-sections as well.

Congratulations on the birth of baby Grace! Continue to enjoy your babymoon!

All my best---Carol Yeh-Garner
www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

For more information about HypnoBirthing, please visit Carol's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net or go to the main HypnoBirthing website at www.hypnobirthing.com.

Katie & Steve's HypnoBirthing C-Section

Katie & Steve took my HypnoBirthing classes at Babies by The Sea Boutique on Tues nights in May/June 2010.

We had our baby boy, Carson, 3.5 weeks early. We hired our doula Kayti Ricker one day
before going into labor. I had a mild case of polyhydramnios which means that I had
extra amniotic fluid. My Dr. did not mention that pre-term labor or labor
complications could be an issue.

I lost my mucous plug on June 27th. I thought my water broke on June 29th as I felt
a few small gushes. The Dr. told me that it was not my water breaking and that the
cramping I was experiencing was normal at this stage of the pregnancy. I was 36.5
weeks along. The Dr. sent me home. I knew something was happening but I did not know
what or when.

Soon the contractions were 15 minutes apart and then 10 and then 8. My husband and I
tried to get into bed around midnight. I was listening to Rainbow Relaxation CD but I
felt the contractions closing in on me in the bed. I had to get out of the bed and
move around. I went from the birth ball to the couch to outside etc. Moving through
my contractions and focusing on my breathing really helped. The contractions
progressed and we called our newly hired Doula. I saw a small amount of bleeding
which Kayti told us was normal. We waited at home until my contractions were 3
minutes apart and expected to have our son soon after arriving at the hospital
around 4:30 am.

Upon arrival at Grossmont hospital, they confirmed that I was 100% effaced but only 1cm dilated. I was disappointed but I needed to know a starting point for my progress.
Due to how thin my cervix was the staff said that my labor should go very quickly.
The staff finally gave up on monitoring me as my baby kept moving around and they
were losing track of his heart rate. Oh....and I refused to stay in that hospital
bed!!! It was impossible to manage my contractions while lying on my back. They
tried to tell me that the baby could be having decelerations but I knew better. They
finally agreed to do periodic Doppler monitoring. They left me so alone that I
actually had to request that they come check on the baby. I could feel Carson moving
his legs and feet trying to help along the labor. The surges were intense. I was in
and out of the shower 6 times. It was my sanctuary. I was breathing through all of
my contractions and did feel the need to make noise through each one. I experienced
time distortion and periods where I went within like you described in class. When I
would open my eyes, my husband and Doula were looking back at me. They confirmed that
several minutes had passed.

My Dr. came in to check me around 8 am and wanted to break my water. I was dilated
to 4 cm. I asked for "5 minutes to think about it" and the Dr. left and went back to
his office. He never gave me a chance to have 5 minutes. In the mean time test
results came back on my broken water (it broke on the floor of the birthing room
while I was throwing up). The tests showed that my baby's lung development was at 33
weeks. . I had to put this out of my head and focus on my labor. The Dr. no longer
wanted to break my water. When the Dr. came back to check me a few hours later I was
still at 4 cm. I continued using my breathing techniques, showering and different
positions. The Dr. came back again sometime later and the baby had moved up and was
now at a minus 2 station where he had previously been at a minus one. The baby had a
lot of water to float in and was unable to push on my cervix and help me dilate. I
remained at 4 cm. By 2 pm on the 30th I was still at 4 cm. Kayti had me try some
positions that were hard to get through due to all of the pressure but I pushed
myself to do them. Due to no sleep and a long labor that was slow to progress, I
elected to have the epidural. At this point, I had been in labor for 24 hours
completely unmedicated. It felt like my choice to have the epidural and I was glad
that I had labored naturally thus far. Once I had the epidural I was still planning
for a vaginal delivery.

My Dr. came in and told me that he was very concerned that the baby had moved up. If
my water broke (the previous break was a high leak) then it could pull the placenta
away from the wall or the cord could come out before the baby due to the large
volume of water. Polyhydramnios was the cause for these concerns. The Dr.
recommended a C-section. This was the very thing that I was trying to avoid.
HypnoBirthing and the feeling of being educated and informed helped me to stay calm.

Kayti, my Doula, called a midwife friend of hers to get a 2nd opinion. I was very
appreciative of this. It helped me to realize that the C-section was necessary. The
midwife validated the doctor's concerns. Finally, we asked everybody to leave and my
husband Steve and I weighed the risks and benefits of the C-section and made the
decision in our own time and our own way. We agreed that you do not get pregnant to
have a natural childbirth but rather to have a baby and we could not put our baby at
risk. We elected to have the C-section that the Dr. was strongly recommending. I
even asked him what he would do if it was his daughter to see if he would hesitate
but he did not. Without any hesitation he said “I would perform a C-section
immediately.”

When the decision was made about the C-section, I felt very calm and in control.
Kayti was allowed to join my husband and I in the operating room. She was there to
help carry out the rest of our birth plan. Carson came out crying with no lung
problems at all. The Dr. even had to use the vacuum because he had floated so high
up into the uterus. There was water everywhere according to my husband and the Dr.
All that extra fluid! I did not get to see my son much in the OR. My first glimpse
of him was while I was in recovery and I could see him across the room being held
by my husband who remembered to do Kangaroo Care (thank you for talking about this
in class). It was a precious site. Kayti waited with me in recovery while Steve was
with the baby.

Steve brought the baby to me in recovery. Kayti suggested that I try to breastfeed.
I knew I wanted to breastfeed but with all of the excitement and being in recovery
etc. it did not occur to me that this was an appropriate time. The nurse allowed it
and Carson started trying to nurse.

Looking back I would not have changed a thing. I am so glad that I prepared for a
natural HypnoBirth and had hired a Doula. I felt very educated and in control. It
was wonderful to experience and manage REAL LABOR! I am confident that had my labor
been able to progress and there were no risks that I absolutely could have had the
natural childbirth that I was hoping for.

Besides the baby being healthy, the important thing is that it felt like it was our
birth and our decisions despite the fact that it did not go as planned. Thank you
for everything. Our son is healthy and weighed 6 lbs 7 oz and was 18.5 inches long.
We are adjusting to new parenthood and the lack of sleep! Our son is healthy and
beautiful!!

Katie and Steve P.
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Thank you so much for sharing your story, Katie & Steve! I'm so sorry that your birth didn't go as planned & that you had a c-section. I'm glad that the HypnoBirthing classes helped you feel in control & informed every step of the way. My ultimate goal in teaching HypnoBirthing classes is to inform & educate my clients so that no matter where their birth journey takes them, they feel as in control as possible & make choices based on fact not fear.

For more information about HypnoBirthing in San Diego, please visit my website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. If you are outside of San Diego, please visit www.HypnoBirthing.com for more information & to find a practitioner in your area.

For more information about Kayti Ricker, Katie & Steve's doula, please visit her website at www.mysandiegodoula.com.

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

A breech vaginal HypnoBirth in Canada

This is a news article about a recent vaginal breech birth in Canada, where vaginal breech deliveries are becoming more common. The doula that attended this birth shared that the couple also took HypnoBirthing classes from her. After reading the article, you can listen to Dr. Posner's experience of being the OB that helped to receive this breech baby.

Vaginal Breech in Ottawa

Every birth is a miracle, of course. But the arrival of Lily
Luck-Henderson, just after midnight last Tuesday morning at the General campus of the Ottawa Hospital, was something else as well.

Lily was breech, as are about four per cent of babies, meaning she
emerged from her mother's womb bottom first, rather than head first.
But, unlike most breech babies born in Canada in recent years, Lily was delivered vaginally, rather than by caesarean section.

Her successful delivery is seen as a harbinger of coming change in the
way babies are delivered in Canada -- or at least a step along the way.

At five days old, she has already played a starring role in something
significant, according to Ottawa midwife and researcher Betty-Anne
Daviss, a leading advocate for the return of breech birth deliveries in Canada, who, along with two obstetricians and a doula attended the
birth. It "was a pretty momentous occasion in Ottawa," she said, and an important step toward normalizing childbirth in Canada, something the organization representing Canadian obstetricians stands behind.

"The safest way to deliver a baby has always been the natural way,"
Andre Lalonde, head of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, said last year when it began an effort to bring back breech
birth. "Vaginal births are the preferred method of having a baby because a C-section in itself has complications. "

Not so long ago, evidence said something different.

The practice of delivering breech babies by C-sections was already
becoming the norm when a Canadian-based study published in The Lancet
concluded in 2000 that vaginal deliveries put breech babies at risk. The study cited 16 cases of fetal death, 13 of those involving women who delivered vaginally. The risk was considered so significant that the study was shut down early.

It had an immediate and far-reaching impact in Canada and around the
world. As a result, having a breech baby, in most cases, automatically
meant surgery.

Since then, a reassessment of the earlier trials has come to a different conclusion -- that vaginal deliveries in breech births do not increase complications. As a result, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada has revised its position, saying physicians should not automatically perform C-sections for breech births, but, under the right circumstances, should allow women choice.

The new guidelines were announced last June, but change has been slow.

The problem is that many doctors have never delivered a breech baby and others have limited experience. It had become a lost art.

Ottawa obstetrician Glenn Posner began practising after the
controversial breech birth study and, as a result, had no practical
experience delivering breech babies. He is anxious to change that. On
Monday night he helped deliver Lily Luck-Henderson. He says watching a
video about how it is done in Germany, with women in an upright position or on their hands and knees rather than lying down, helped.

It is time women were given the choice about attempting to deliver
breech babies without surgery, he added. "Aren't we supposed to let
people make their own choices? It's not the 1950s when you tell people
what to do and they say, 'OK, doctor.' "

Daviss, a midwife and researcher has traveled around the world
collecting and dispersing knowledge about breech birth deliveries. She
was recently in Israel where she taught techniques to help mothers
deliver breech babies without surgery. She conducts weekly sessions for mothers and care providers in Ottawa. And she is instrumental in the formation of a "breech birth squad" in Ottawa of physicians comfortable with and experienced in vaginal breech deliveries.

Last year, Daviss was involved in a conference sponsored by the
Ottawa-based Coalition for Breech Birth, aimed at bringing breech birth delivery back to Canada. The coalition was started by an Ottawa mother, Robin Guy, who had a breech baby by C-section.

The issue can be emotional for some. Guy has said her surgery was
unnecessary, except for the lack of skilled care providers to help her. She has lobbied to improve breech skills in Canada.

Daviss calls the return of vaginal breech birth "only a microcosm of
what else might change in obstetrics."

Since the 1960s, probably before, women have talked about taking back
control of birth. Still, with each decade, it has become more a medical procedure and less a natural event.

In the 1960s, about five per cent of Canadian women delivered by
C-section. Today, more than 27 per cent of babies are delivered
surgically and there is a national debate about whether women should
have the option of C-sections on demand.

Some will argue that if women want them and if they reduce risk, then
they should have them. But Daviss and others counter that C-sections are far from risk-free, something women are often not aware of.
Complications, even death, can result. What is more, reliance on
C-sections results in a loss of medical expertise, as has happened with breech deliveries. And "you never know when you are going to be in a place where you don't have a C-section available," Daviss says.

Lily's birth turned out to be problem free. "It went very easily," said Lily's mother Jennifer Luck. "If this helps make things easier for women along the way, I think that's fantastic."

Elizabeth Payne is a member of the Citizen's editorial board.
E-mail: epayne@thecitizen. canwest.com
C Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

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The Best of All in a Day April 13, 2010 "Breech Births"

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reversed its position on breech deliveries last year. They now say that it's safe to deliver breech births naturally in most cases. But a lot of obstetricians aren't trained in delivering breeches, because for years doctors have been directed to do C-sections instead. Well, this is all slowly changing at Ottawa Hospitals. Dr. Glenn Posner is an ob-gyn who's been trying out natural breech delivery. Robin Guy is from the Coalition for Breech Birth.

Listen to Dr. Posner talk about receiving a breech


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Way to go Dr. Posner & Canada! Now we just have to get the U.S. OBs on board!

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

A HypnoBirthing c-section story

Jennifer & Alessandro took my classes in November 2009 at Babies by the Sea Boutique. Here is their birth story:

Hi Carol,

I hope you are doing well!

Luca finally made it into the world 15 days late! In fact, my water broke and I went into labor on my own on the 23rd of January, shortly after our email conversation. The labor was amazing... we started active labor around 5pm and labored at home for about 9 hours. Around 2am we decided it was time to go to the hospital. The labor continued there where we used a combination of our HypnoBirthing breathing techniques, light touch massage, the birthing ball, the shower and walking the halls to move through it. The whole time I felt very much in harmony with my body and what was taking place.

A slight turn of events took place after about 15 hours when Dr Biter checked me- I was only dialated to about 5 cm and my contractions, while intense, were starting to come further and further apart. This was a bit of a set back as I was really feeling like I was going through transition and thought for sure I was going to be pushing in no time.

At that point we decided to start a small amount of pitocin to see if it would move things along, as we were still trying to achieve a vaginal birth. I was able to dialate to about 9cm, but at that point we had hit the 24 hour mark since my water had been broken and for some reason Luca was not engaging in my pelvis. Dr Biter could actually push Luca's head back inside me, which made us think there was something preventing him from being able to descend properly.

So it was at that point that we decided a c-section would be necessary for Luca to be born in a safe way. We discovered that he did have the cord wrapped several times around his neck, which could have been the reason he was unable to move through the birth canal. Going into this, I never envisioned that I would have a c-section, especially as we went to such great lengths to prepare for a completely different type of birth. But after working through all the possiblities with Dr Biter, we came to peace with the fact that this was how Luca was meant to be born. And we felt good knowing that we had tried everything we could to have the natural birth that we had planned. It was a humbling and surreal experience, but we had amazing people by our side who made all the difference in the world.

So at 4:15 on January 24, Luca was born by cesarian section- a big healthy boy weighing in at 8 pounds 11 ounces and 21.5 inches long. We were so happy to finally meet him and have been on cloud 9 ever since.

And I wanted to thank you for helping us prepare for our birth. Even though it didn't go how we had planned, we still feel like we got to experience an amazing labor and birth, which in the end is what it's all about. I wouldn't change one thing about it and will be going for the VBAC the next time around!

All the best!!

Jennifer

Congratulations on your birth! I'm sorry it didn't go as planned. I'm glad that you were still able to have a positive birth experience using your HypnoBirthing techniques. That's one great thing about HypnoBirthing---even when things don't happen the way that we hope, the techniques can allow the birth experience to still be a positive one. The information learned in HypnoBirthing classes allows parents to know their options, to weigh out whether or not the medical interventions being suggested are truly medically necessary or are being suggested to "move things along". Sometimes we can have our idea of the "perfect" birth, but our babies know they need something different. In Luca's case, it seems he knew it was best for him to arrive via c-section.

Take care & enjoy your babymoon! Thanks for allowing me to share your story.

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

A HypnoBirthing C-Section story

Julia & her husband, Andrew, took my HypnoBirthing classes on Tuesdays in July 2009. Her birth didn't go exactly as planned, but she was still able to utilize the HypnoBirthing techniques to help her. Here is her birth story:

The interesting emergence of Eamon Andrew…

My guess date was October 9. Eamon’s emergence came on October 23, 2009.

Here’s his story! My husband and I had been trying for a baby for 8 months before we got pregnant. It took the flu with consistent high temperatures from a fever for our baby to decide to nestle in for the long haul. The passing of a good friend also ensured that he had a fierce guardian spirit to watch over him as he grew. I’m pretty positive about the date that he became the star of my universe, and was pretty sure about the approximation of the guess date. I suppose my baby boy enjoyed continuously tapping into the universal womb, because no amount of acupuncture, massage, Reiki, or supplements were going to ease him out. I kept saying to our doula, Linda Goldsmith, and friends of ours that our little guy had sticky fingers and toes!!

I am thankful to Dr. Biter and Dr. Cap (Capetanakis) for respecting my wishes for a natural birth. They let me wait it out as long as possible. Nonetheless, Thursday, October 22nd rolled around and Dr. Cap and I discussed induction. My husband and I headed for Scripps Encinitas Hospital that evening at around 6 to admit ourselves. At about 8 the nurse applied Cervidil, and left me to “sleep” until the next morning. To say that the process was extremely painful and borderline barbaric would put it mildly. (For some reason I didn’t think to listen to my HypnoBirthing cds during this time!!) The next morning, about 12 hours later, Dr. Cap checked my cervix, and I had dilated 2 cm, but our baby hadn’t descended at all. So much for natural birth!!? We began Pitocin. This is when I started listening to the HypnoBirthing cds. Despite my hesitancy with the whole medical process, it actually made for an enjoyable day with my husband and Linda. I was standing, swaying, talking – and I felt absolutely NO pain. We kept having the nurse increase the Pitocin slowly, and I still didn’t feel any contractions!! At 6 pm that night there still wasn’t any progress, and Dr. Cap had to discuss the inevitable with us: we were going to have a c-section that evening.

Having a c-section was not what I desired or expected for the birth of Eamon. However, I accepted the reality and continued to listen to the HypnoBirthing cds on my ipod throughout the surgery. I wouldn’t describe my mood as calm and relaxed, as I was terrified. I knew nothing about what happens during the c-section itself and never had surgery before. The different sensations were foreign and jarring to me. However, I would have to say that without the HypnoBirthing cds I would have been an absolute basket case and out of my mind the whole time. It’s not the most enjoyable thing to have the surgery and to wrestle with the recovery, but I couldn’t think of a more wonderful outcome. Our little butterbean was 9 pounds, 1 ounce and came out a’screaming!!

I am thankful to Carol for offering such an enjoyable class that my husband and I looked forward to each week. I am thankful to HypnoBirthing for helping me have the most enjoyable pregnancy that anyone could ever wish for. I am thankful to my son for teaching me that not everything in life can be planned, and that time frames are all an illusion. I am thankful to Dr. Cap for being so compassionate and for bringing our baby boy into this world. I am thankful to Linda Goldsmith for being a wonderful doula. I am thankful for the experience of being a mother.

To future HypnoBirthers out there: even if you’re not having your ideal birth, remember to listen to your HypnoBirthing cds and to trust your baby and your body. Your baby is there to teach you the most powerful lessons you will ever learn. Your body is the vessel that allows your baby to reach you. Much love and strength to all of you…

Thank you, Carol! :) Thank you again for being part of our support system throughout our pregnancy and birth!

Thank you Julia for sharing your birth story! I hope that for the moms who have taken HypnoBirthing classes and ended up with a birth that they hadn't planned for will find your story healing & inspiring.

If you are located in San Diego and are interested in learning more about Dr. Biter, Dr. Capetanakis or the doula, Linda Goldsmith, you can find their contact information on my website's resources page located at www.AWellLivedLife.Net.

www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

An example of how HypnoBirthing heals birth trauma

This is the journey of one of my former HypnoBirthing clients, Kim, who was terrified of giving birth & needing another c-section:

My first birth was 20 years ago... I was very young (20 to be exact) and very uneducated in regards to the "birthing" process, I had no idea that there were even options available to me as far as different types of births or classes etc... I was very naive and very frightened to say the least! I believe that because i was so unaware and afraid that I ended up being in labor for 3 days (not knowing how to help myself progress) I went to the hospital 3 times and was sent home all 3 times because I wasn't progressing so i was told to go home until I was further along but because I didn't know what to do or how to do it I ended up with an emergency C-section and was told it was because of "Failure to progress".

When I was finally admitted to the hospital the only thing I remember is being hooked up to so many machines and monitors - and put in a room with multiple mothers in labor as well (all of them playing cards and watching TV because they had an epidural) but I was screaming in agony because I wanted to try to birth naturally but didn't have support or knowledge as to how to do this. I didn't have anyone coaching me or anyone explaining to me what was happening and why and then before I knew it I was being rushed me to the surgery room for an emergency surgery. I was terrified for my baby and for myself!

Over the past 20 years I wanted to have another child but I knew deep inside that I was pretty traumatized from the first delivery and I believe that because it was never the "right" time or because I never felt ready that it kept me from trying again. I recently became re-married and my husband and I decided to try to conceive and because I finally felt "whole" and "supported" I decided this was the "right" time in my life.

As my pregnancy progressed I started feeling very scared about going into labor again and extremely terrified of the possibility of having another emergency c-section! I was so frightened that there would be several days during the week that i would just break down crying to my husband or to my doctor (Dr. Biter) about my fears. I had a very hard time reading books about birth or even watching video's that showed women birthing! My whole body would become very tense and I would have to shut my eyes. I was finally advised to look into doing "HypnoBirthing".

At first I was very hesitant about how the process of HypnoBirthing could actually work or even help me and at the beginning I still couldn't watch the video's that Carol would be showing - or even talking about my first experience in front of the class made me sick to my stomach but as we went through the classes and after reading the material and actually doing the homework I started becoming more and more at ease about the whole process. I started learning so much about how I can have the "birth" that I desire and that whatever the outcome it would truly be the peaceful birth that I am meant to have. And because of the work that I did through HypnoBirthing, I was able to heal from my past wounds of childbirth and embrace this birth even though it had to take a different path then we had hoped for!

After trying everything I possibly could for 2 weeks to turn my sweet little girl around, we finally had to go in and get her on Sunday, Oct 18th. Dr. Biter was fabulous and supported me 100% with trying any and all alternative measures and then I did end up going into labor on day 13 - contractions were 10 min apart for about 15 hours until we finally decided it was time to go in for surgery.

The one thing I do want to say is that because of HypnoBirthing I was able to come to peace with my journey through all of this and used all of the techniques we learned to help me along the way even though I didn't have the birth of my choice. I did learn that I can't control everything and this little girl taught me that I need to learn to let-go and surrender once in awhile! I also had an opportunity to do some healing from my first birth as well which was wonderful! So thank you for everything! I couldn't have done it without you!

Love, Kim
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, Kim, for sharing your story! I'm so glad that the HypnoBirthing classes helped you heal your birth trauma from your 1st birth & helped you get to a place of acceptance & peace for your 2nd birth. Congratulations on the birth of Laila & enjoy your babymoon!

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

A HypnoBirthing VBAC story

Janine & Victor came to class at the very last minute of their pregnancy after Dr. Capetanakis recommended my classes to them. Their "due date" was July 26 & they joined my class series that started July 9th! They attended 3 classes before Janine went into labor. (We worked things out so they could get access to all of the materials & hypnosis sessions before they went into labor.) Here is their birth story:

Hi Carol!

We did, unfortunately, end up with a c-section. I was in labor for about twelve hours and our contractions were coming every two - four minutes so we decided to go to the hospital. When we got there they checked me and I was only dilated to two centimeters. I was in such severe pain - I knew I couldn't go another eight centimeters without medication, and Dr. Capetanakis (Dr. Cap) suggested that we either get the epidural, which he didn't think was the right thing to do since I was only two centimeters, or get a c-section. So we opted for the c-section. Once we got in the OR and Dr. Cap began the procedure, he saw that my uterus had ruptured so it's a good thing we opted for the c-section. I was definitely disappointed about making the decision to do the c-section but once I found out that my uterus had ruptured, I was just thankful that we decided to go that route and that the baby and I were all healthy in the end! So that's the story in a nutshell!

Despite the way our situation turned out, the HypnoBirthing class was worth every penny to me. Aside from teaching me how to get through the surges, the classes were great because they provided an opportunity for my husband and I to communicate about the birth of our baby. We never would have had many of the conversations that we had if we had not taken the class. I'm truly grateful that we took the class, so thank you for all of your help and guidance!

SEAN VINCENT
Born 08.02.2009
12:54 am
8 lbs 8 oz
20.5 inches

Sincerely,
Janine

Congratulations on your birth. I'm sorry your birth didn't end up being the natural birth you had hoped for, but am glad that you still got benefits out of taking my HypnoBirthing classes. Thanks for allowing me to share your story.

All my best--Carol

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

An unplanned home VBAC HypnoBirth

One of my couples just recently had an unplanned VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) homebirth!

The mother had a c-section for her 1st birth using the Bradley Method. She found HypnoBirthing & thought that it would be a good class to take in addition to her Bradley Method techniques. She & her husband often had to leave early from class due to childcare issues. Her husband also had to travel quite a bit during the 5 weeks of class due to a death in the family & family health issues, so they would come to another class session or come after her husband had been up for almost 14 hours traveling. They even missed the 5th class because their daughter was sick!

They were a motivated couple, but with a toddler at home, both parents working (mom going to grad school too!) & a traveling husband, they were definitely busy! I remember that the mother said after the 4th class' fear release hypnosis sessions, that she still felt fearful of having another c-section, of having things go wrong during her birth & that she still didn't feel the confidence she was hoping for. I encouraged her to meet with a Hypnotherapist for a deeper fear release session to help in getting rid of those fears.

Luckily, they had a few months time to continue to practice the HypnoBirthing skills AND they hired a monitrice (a labor support person in between a doula & a homebirth midwife) to help them so they would be able to stay home as long as possible & have support in the hospital. Well, lo & behold, the mother went into labor & by the time the monatrice arrived, the baby was well on its way!

Here is the link to the monitrice's (Barbara Herrera, who is also a homebirth midwife) blog where she describes this HBAC from her perspective: http://navelgazingmidwife.squarespace.com/

I'd say the HypnoBirthing techniques really helped this mother & father remain calm during a very surprising situation!

http://www.awelllivedlife.net/
http://www.awelllivedlife.blogspot.com/

Addendum: I spoke with this mom today at length & she is elated her birth went so well. Some of the things that she mentioned were that HypnoBirthing really helped her even though she wasn't that confident it was going to work. She said that the only practice she was able to do was to listen to her Rainbow Relaxation CD every night as she went to sleep. She also read the book & read Sheri Menelli's Journey into Motherhood book.
She said one key thing that helped her was that as soon as her surges started, she put the CD on & really listened to the words of the Rainbow Relaxation. She said that even at the most intense surges, she really felt like things were manageable. She said that she felt that HypnoBirthing gave her more information about what to do vs her Bradley classes which she thought gave her more info about how to avoid a c-section & how to manage pain. She said going into this birth, she felt okay if she needed to have another c-section & that HypnoBirthing helped her feel like if she needed to have a c-section, that it wasn't a failure on her part.
She said that changing her language (contractions=surges, pain=sensation) also helped her go into her birth knowing that birth could be natural & normal. Even when people around her asked her during her surges, "Are you in pain?", she'd correct them (at least in her head) & would focus on the sensations.
She said that this birth really healed a lot of her past trauma & guilt from the c-section of her 1st child & that this birth was even better than she could have imagined. The mom said that the HypnoBirthing videos from class also really helped her see that birth is natural, normal & healthy & gave her something to visualize for her birth experience since her memories were of special circumstances that ended in an emergency c-section.
She said that she also used her own version of the HypnoBirthing breathing techniques during her surges & during her pushing stage. She said that she knew she needed to breathe slowly & not hold her breath, so what worked for her was to repeat her own mantra's over & over again to ensure she was breathing out & breathing slowly. During surges, she repeatedly said "Let go....let go....let gooo." And during her birth breathing/pushing, she repeatedly said "Don't leave me, don't leave me, don't leave me" because she didn't want her husband to leave the room.
Her recovery has been really easy compared to having to deal with an incision going across her pelvic area in addition to the fact that baby #2 is nursing well, which didn't happen for baby #1.
One thing that really made me get teary-eyed was her description of her husband's involvement in this birth & in caring for baby #2. The mom said that her husband was there for every step of this birth, involved & interactive, & was able to stay calm as he called 911 to tell them his wife was having a baby right now! She said that for the 1st birth, he was there, but because things became an emergency, he wasn't able to be as involved as he was this time. She said that he commented that he really felt like he "was a part of this birth"...that's the part that made me teary-eyed. I mean, isn't that what all partners should feel like during their baby's birth? And that's what HypnoBirthing can really accomplish...empowering not just moms but dads as well to know how to BE there for the birthing mom.
I really encouraged the mom to write out her birth story as this is something that can really be inspiring to so many people. She plans to write a little here & there since there is SO much to be told & because of her time distortion from being so "in her zone" from HypnoBirthing, the details are all kind of mixed up. She kept remembering more bits & pieces as we talked, which is normal. Once she has it all together, she plans to share it. I can't wait!

The Unnecesarean

The Unnecesarean (www.unnecesarean.com)

Have you heard? The c-section rate in the United States is at an all time high. One in three babies is brought into the world by surgery.

Do you care? Maybe not. Maybe not until you, your partner, your mom, your friend or your sister is told that her baby is too big for vaginal birth and is wheeled off to the operation room for a major abdominal surgery that she doesn’t need.

The World Health Organization recommends no higher than a 10-15% for all nations, which is based on its 2004 study in which higher rates of morbidity were found in countries with rates below 10% and higher than 15%. This ideal rate is sometimes dismissed as arbitrary at best, yet even if the “ideal rate” was 20%, it would still amount to approximately 421,000 unnecessary surgical deliveries in the United States.

The Cesarean section is an essential, life-saving surgery for both mother and child when performed with medical indication. However, too many women and their partners are unnecessarily coerced into the surgery by doctors and hospital nurse-midwives under the argument that it's what's best for their baby or babies and for their body.

Doctors have been pressured to lower their rates for decades and yet the rate climbs. The onus of lowering this rate does not rest solely on the shoulders of the medical hierarchy.
The current cultural trend in the United States is for women to check themselves into hospitals in labor with a savvy consumer mentality that they are going to receive a series of safe technologically and scientifically based management services from doctors and nurses which will result in the following:
*Pain alleviation
*Information about their numbed body’s progress
*Delivery of a perfect baby

If the consumer is not happy with the end result of the services that they feel the hospital was responsible for providing them, they will do what any American consumer will do when they are not happy with a product or a service—demand reparations.

Hospitals now create a paper trail and preemptively counter the unrealistic expectation that their medical training and expensive technology will guarantee a safe birth experience for mother and baby by over-managing pregnancy and labor—unnecessary tests and drugs, induction drugs of questionable safety and, frequently, prophylactic vaginal bypass surgery—the unnecesarean.

Read more by going to the website (www.unnecesarean.com) , the blog & make sure you read the page about how to avoid an unnecesarean! (For you HypnoBirthing moms, make sure you "cancel, cancel" anything negative & focus on what you want rather than don't want after you visit this site.)

Please share with your friends...more people need to know that they have options!

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

A VBAC HypnoBirth testimonial

I just wanted to let you know that little Baby Ella was born on Friday June 13, 2008.

I was able to have a successful VBAC, and was also able to do it naturally. It was an amazing experience and I couldn't have asked for it to be any better than it was. I truly have your classes to thank for so many reasons. I was able to use HypnoBirthing throughout the process. I think that the most helpful was that I was able to relax between surges. The surges were quite strong, and I didn't exactly fit the mold from all the videos we watched. However, I was always able to come back to a relaxed state before the next one. The other way in which your classes helped was that it showed me that I could have a natural delivery and VBAC. Prior to these classes I was not sure it was possible. I did actually switch to Dr. Biter who made it absolutely amazing. I also used Dawn Thompson as our Doula, who was also amazing. I really learned that by having the right people and the right frame of mind anything is really possible. It was an incredible day, and I thank you so much for your part in making it that way.

Thanks again for everything.

Jenni & Greg, 2nd time parents, Encinitas, CA

A HypnoBirthing VBAC story

This story came from a HypnoBirthing practitioner that is also a doula...

A HypnoBirthing VBAC story

Just had to share. Attended a birth early this morning. Mom called me at 1:00am saying they had just arrived at the hospital and they were going to keep her. She was 7cm going on 8. And she didn't have a clue.

I rushed to the hospital which is 30 minutes away only to find her up walking around, playing with her three year old, taking a breathing baby down minute and then going on about her business. She and I walked the halls for a while, stopping only for her to breath down and then back to her room where she chose the squatting position as I massaged her back.

Midwife came in, checked her she was at 9 going on 10...all in 30 minutes time. Mom decided to get into bed using a squat bar, began pushing and in less than 30 minutes there was a new addition to their happy family. And three year old brother had slept through the entire last 45 minutes. 2 hours from when I arrived. Mom was more than excited, for that is something that she had really, really wanted.

So in our last two classes we did a lot of fear release work and I added affirmations for her that she would birth fast and very easily. She wanted to get to the hospital at least at a 6 so she used that affirmation as well. After baby birthed, she made the statement that there was no way she could have birthed a baby vaginally if it weighed over 7 lbs. Well guess what? Baby was 7lbs. 6oz. She was shocked. The nurse simply stood in awe for most of the birth or did busy work for she could not believe what she was seeing.

So just goes to show how powerful the mind is with positive reinforcements. Mom cannot understand why every woman does not use HypnoBirthing. She plans on spreading the word. Yeah!

Blessings to all, Sonja Parker