A HypnoBirthing announcement--Allecia & Jordan's birth

Allecia & Jordan took my classes on Tuesday nights in July 2010 at Indigo Dragon Health & Wellness Center. Here is their birth story:

Allecia & Jordan's Birth Story



My daughter was born August 16th, 2010 at 8:35 pm. She weighed 7lbs. 1oz. and was 21 inches long. I would say this day by far is the best day of my life. I don't think this intimate experience would have been the same without taking HypnoBirthing classes and having her at Best Start Birth Center. My daughter is my first child so there was a lot of reluctance and fear experienced. I wasn't sure what to expect and HypnoBirthing really helped me. It helped me not feel this way by teaching me to trust myself and my baby. My labor started at night on the fifteenth while I was in bed sleeping. The surges weren't regular so I didn't really suspect anything. I also think it had to do with how I dealt with the sensations I was feeling.

I woke up at about 9:30 am the next morning feeling the surges more frequently and regular. At this point I put my HypnoBirthing Relaxation CD on and concentrated on my breathing. I began to also time my surges with the application I downloaded on my phone. For the next two hours I timed my surges and they were above five to six minutes apart. I called the midwife on call at the birth center to tell her I would probably be in to give birth later in the day. She told me to call her back in a couple of hours. After the phone call I kept track of my surges for another two hours and got into my bath tub to relax. While I was relaxing in the bath tub my surges became for frequent and increased with intensity. I called the midwife back and told her my surges were three to four minutes apart and that my husband and I would be heading down to the birth center soon since its forty minutes away. My
husband had to run to Best Buy to get a video camera to tape the birth. He was only gone about an hour but it seemed so much longer! I was in active labor and told him to hurry up and that we were leaving as soon as he got back.



Before we left, we literally had to throw all our stuff into a few bags because the only thing we had ready was the baby's bag. We ended up bringing stuff we didn't even need but brought if we ended up at the hospital. On the way down to the birth center the traffic was crazy and we almost got into a car accident, someone almost ran into the side of our car. We left the house around four in the afternoon. I thought we would have to pull over on the highway because the surges were so intense. We arrived at the birth center at around five. We checked in with the midwife and I was examined to check for dilation. At this point the surges were very intense and it was very hard to get onto the exam table because every time I went to get onto the table I started to have a surge! The midwife measured my dilation at 7 cm!



After that was done I went to the room so the midwife could get information from me and to get ready to get into the warm bath tub water. The room at the birth center was so awesome because I felt so at home. I was able to labor, deliver, and spend the beginning of post-partum in it. The bath water was so relaxing during labor. I don't think I would have been able to relax as much during active labor and transition if I wasn't doing a water birth. I guess wanting the best for my daughter's birth I had good experiences myself. I spent about three and a half hours in the bath tub going through the rest of active labor and transition. It was very intense and I was on my knees in like a modified squatting position. The last part of my labor didn't seem like three and a half hours because I was experiencing time distortion which you have happen when you're in a deeply relaxed state. I was really focusing on my breathing and letting my body do the work. The most intense part was getting the baby's head out. It seemed like the baby's head would never come out but it wasn't painful just a lot of pressure. Not too long after the baby's head came out Ruby Rose was born from a little assistance from the midwife. I was able to pick her up out from underneath the water. It all seemed like a dream holding her little body close to mine.



She was and still is the most precious person in my life. It was awesome to have her with my husband and doula there to share this once in a life time experience. The staff at the birth center was very supportive and respectful. If I could say anything about giving birth it would be to make sure you inform yourself and do what is best for your child.

Thanks so much Carol,Best Start Birth Center, Jordan and Amanda!

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Congratulations Allecia & Jordan! Thanks so much for sharing your birth story! Continue to enjoy your babymoon!

For more information about HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, CA, please visit Carol's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. For HypnoBirthing classes outside of San Diego, please go to www.HypnoBirthing.com to find a practitioner near you.

You can find more information about Best Start Birth Center on my resources page of my website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net.

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

An inspiring HypnoBirth at home

This is a HypnoBirthing birth story from the Heather Hilton, a HypnoBirthing practitioner & homebirth midwife in Austin, TX.

Hi Friends,
I stood witness at the most amazing birth this morning (12/11/09). Mom took HypnoBirthing from me (and Liz) and I was her midwife. She was totally committed to a natural, peaceful, home birth. Her due date came and went...and went....and went. According to her last period she was 43 weeks on Tuesday (although when it was all said and done, baby looked more like 41 weeks).

Labor started slowly on Wednesday morning. By Wed. evening she was in active labor. She labored all Wednesday night, all day Thursday, making tiny signs of progress along the way. Labor continued into Thursday night, and mom was totally relaxed and calm. She had to be upright during her surges, and spent most of them either standing or sitting on the edge of her bed. She would drop her head and just breathe and you could see her entire body melting down into the sensation of her surges (contractions).

A visualization that came when I was talking her through one of her surges was a golden light flowing flowing into the top of mom's head, through her body, down through her baby, out the top of his head and out through her birth path. We focused on her allowing her breath to follow the path of that golden flow of energy and it seemed to really work for her. In fact, I was shocked when I checked her and found her to be almost 9 cm because by the looks of it I thought we were not progressing at all. When I asked mom about it later she said that she was also shocked because she said she felt the most relaxed and like it had not gotten more intense at all leading to that point.

Her membranes released naturally in the early morning and shortly after that she climbed into the birth tub. Again, I thought things had stopped. She was draped over the tub and her back was to me and she was totally silent. Then after about an hour, she turned around and said "this is really intense now." After that, she was pretty much silent the whole time. She was so totally inside herself.

She allowed her body to push all by itself and kept me updated about how low her baby was. Dad sat in the tub behind her, applying pressure to her back and patiently waiting. At one point, she asked if the burning feeling was ok, and I explained that it was just the stretch of healthy tissue and to allow it to stretch and open. She did.

Baby was born into daddy's hands in the water. It was so incredible. As soon as the baby heard his parents voices, his eyes popped open!! He was totally calm and alert, just looking around and taking it all in. NINE pounds three ounces!! 22 inches. No tearing! First baby. So so so so amazing. I had to share!

Blessings, Heather Hilton
www.hypnobirthingtexas.com

Congratulations to this family! Thanks, Heather, for sharing this inspiring story!

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

A HypnoBirthing story from the UK

A HypnoBirth story from the UK
This is the birth story of a UK couple's first birth - the Mom was terrified of birthing at first session. The couple was planning on a home water birth with midwives. The practitioner received the birth story from the Dad. Here is it:

My experience as a HypnoBirthing partner.

(My partner to be known as A throughout.)

A's waters broke at Midnight on the Sunday and surges were erratic and light so we phoned the midwives to inform them. They agreed that the waters had broke and we went back to sleep.

The following morning the surges were getting stronger but were still some time apart so we decided to go on one of our favourite walks. A was a bit tired and needed to stop walking as the surges grew in strength and were twenty minutes apart. We returned home, had lunch as normal and A went to bed for a nap, for a couple of hours. When she awoke the surges were nearer to 10 minutes apart so we rang the midwives again as planned and they came out to see how things were progressing.

When she arrived we told her about our birth plan and discussed where we up to in the labour. The midwife was happy to either stay or come back in a few hours once the surges were nearer to approximately five minutes apart. We decided to have tea and watch a film to relax so asked the midwife to return later. This did the trick because not much later the surges were down to about three minutes apart. So yet again we called the midwife out. This was approximately 19.00. I busied myself getting the pool ready and making sure everything was tidy and in place for the birth.

The midwife arrived and asked to do an internal examination. A agreed but said she only wanted the initial examination, and did not want any subsequent examinations. At this point A was not needing to relax through the surges so it would not break her concentration. I kept going through my prompt card and adding a few of my own to relax A down. Time seemed to be flying by at this stage, so I filled the pool to the maximum mark and A got in. She enjoyed the water as it made her feel light but the midwife kept on talking to A between the surges asking what she was experiencing. I tried to answer all the questions but she kept on asking A more. This broke A's concentration and she started to get agitated and hot. I was trying to calm A down and keep her cool by putting wet towels on her forehead and fanning her constantly. The surges continued to get stronger and closer but we were running out of time before we would have no option but to go to hospital. Neither of us wanted this at all....

A second midwife arrived and they went into the other room to discuss the case. When they returned I could tell it was not good news. A was getting tired and shaking through lack of food. With hindsight I felt I should have given A more food, but time seemed to go so fast and all I had given A from 7:00 pm til midnight was a banana. Unfortunately by this time it was 24 hours since A's waters had broken so we were told we had no option but to go to hospital due to the risk of infection to both A and the baby. Also the midwives said that A had to get out of the pool because she had been in for over 5 hours. I managed to persuade A to get out of the pool and then we had the awful conversation of going to hospital. I listened to all the reasons and eventually agreed there was a risk to mother and baby so we called an ambulance and off we went. All the time I was trying to keep A relaxed, and even though inside I was screaming I could not show any of this to A.

When we arrived at hospital we were ushered into a room and given over to a very "matter of fact" midwife. She insisted that A lie on her back on a bed whilst she attached her to a heart monitor for the baby and put an IV drip in her arm. This caused A to swear at her as she was not the gentlest, but the midwife said she wanted at least twenty minutes on the monitor. Lying back on a bed was the last thing we wanted, so as soon as twenty minutes was up I removed the baby monitor and took A in to the bathroom so she could sit on the toilet. Shortly after this another, younger midwife entered and addressed me directly explaining she would take over our care. When we went back into the room she had rearranged it to make it look less clinical, found us some peaceful music and offered me aromatherapy oils to use on A. This allowed me to truly relax A and concentrate on the training we had received. The only examinations she insisted on was a baby heart monitor pressed against A's stomach for a minute or two every ten minutes. As this was unobtrusive we did not mind.

Everything was going well with the new surroundings and midwife. A started to relax again and I kept on telling her everything was fine and the baby was fine. I was listening and talking to the midwife all the time without disturbing A and only telling her things that she really needed to know. The midwife even brought me a cup of tea. A was relaxing well. The surges were very strong and a lot more regular and the sucrose/IV drip was helping A to wake up and have a bit more energy to breathe the baby down. Unfortunately a couple of things got in the way and almost brought the labour to a complete standstill. The midwife asked A when was the last time she had urinated, which was about 7 hours previously. Therefore A tried to go to the toilet naturally but could not. The midwife explained that she needed to help A clear her bladder using a catheter and showed us on a chart why this was necessary, therefore I agreed. This was only the second time A had been in any real discomfort. Once her bladder was empty the baby moved further down due to the obstruction being taken away. The second problem was that A had become so relaxed she could not feel the surges building in strength, so she did not know when to breathe the baby down.

Again the midwife came to our help and placed a hand on A's stomach and told her when the surges were beginning to build. A started to push but she was getting very tired now, because the labour had been going for some 19 hours and we had been awake for nearly 36 hours with only a 2 hour nap inbetween. I was supporting A who was sat between my legs and leaning back against me, so I could not see the baby birthing. Therefore I asked the midwife for a mirror to watch the birth. Approximately 30 minutes later I watched a beautiful healthy baby boy being born into our world at a staggering 10lbs 10 and a half ounces, 56 cm long and 37 cm head circumference. Considering A is only 5ft 7 and a size 10-12, this was a big baby! She had no need of any stitches thanks to the perineal massage that we had carried out during the last 5 weeks of the pregnancy. The bit that staggered the midwife the most was the fact that the baby's heart beat never changed over the entire labour, which showed that the baby was relaxed throughout.

Baby was placed straight onto A and I cut the cord after I was certain it had stopped pulsating.

I think that had the baby not been so big and if the first midwife had not constantly talked to A at the beginning then it is possible we could have birthed him at home in our pool. Also if we had our last midwife first, things would have remained much more relaxed. We have told everyone who will listen about HypnoBirthing and believe it has helped us a lot to have a safe natural birth.

With hindsight we do not regret going to hospital as it was the best thing for mother and baby at the time. A has thanked me lots of times for my support during the labour and said she could not have done it without me. When I talked to other Fathers they said that during their babies' births they just stood and watched whilst holding their partners hand. I feel like I was part of the birthing experience, not just a bystander.

Norma Gillett MA
Clinical Hypnotherapist
Member National Council for Hypnotherapy (Reg)
Member Hypnotherapy Register
Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma
HypnoBirthing® Childbirth Educator
Emotional Freedom and Theta Healing Practitioner
LifeStyle Hypnotherapy 01257 266815
www.lifestylehypnotherapy.com
www.hypnobirthinglancashire.co.uk

Thanks for sharing this wonderful story, Norma. It shows how even with a special circumstance (transfer to a hospital), HypnoBirthing helped this couple stay in the right frame of mind AND helped this Dad be an interactive partner during the birth of their child.

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

A homebirth HypnoBirthing story

Here is a homebirth HypnoBirthing story from another practitioner:

Dear Rose,
I love you so much! You were born 6 weeks ago on a Friday. My water broke right into the toilet at around 1 am Friday morning when I got up to pee. I knew immediately what had happened and was filled with joy, excitement and a little bit of nervousness- although not much. We let the midwife, Ellen, know and then I got back into bed while Daddy cleaned the house and started the long slow process of filling the tub in the yoga studio. I was having very mild and well spaced surges that, in addition to my excitement, kept me from sleeping. It was a lovely time- I listened to the playlist we had made a few weeks prior- all my favorite feel-good hippie music.

At 4ish Daddy got back into bed and read and stroked me and timed my surges. It was so romantic- quiet and dark and wondrous with the thought of your imminent arrival. At 7 or so, we got up and I had a bowl of cereal since I knew it might be my last chance to eat. I spent the next two and a half hours sweeping the floors and doing the last bit of tidying up. Kevin laughed at me and called me a good peasant woman when I would pause and lean on the broom for support when a surge rolled through my body. It didn't hurt.

At around 9:30 Daddy and I got back into bed and I did some relaxation techniques. At noon, the surges became stronger and closer together and then at 12:30 they really became powerful. It was very intense and I became completely focused and knew you wouldn't be long in coming.

Ellen, our midwife, came at 2 in the afternoon and felt my cervix. I was eight and a half centimeters dilated and she said I could get in the tub and start pushing if I liked. Twenty minutes, later I did just that. At first I knelt facing the edge of the tub, and after a little while Ellen had me turn around and tuck my chin and tailbone to help you slide under my pubic bone more easily. Kevin held me from behind in his loving supportive arms. I also needed my legs held so I wouldn't sink in between surges, so mom and dad, your Gramma and Grandpa, each held a foot! Grandpa was a little overwhelmed at first - he was getting more of an experience than he had bargained for! He soon let his fears subside however, and sank into the moment.

I started pushing in the tub while everyone smiled and encouraged me. When you were easing your way down the birth canal, you got the hiccoughs! Ellen said- "Really? You're going to get the hiccoughs NOW???" We all laughed. And then your head popped out! I reached down and pulled you out myself, out through the warm water and up, up into my arms! I drew you in close and gazed in awe down at your beautiful tiny little being and everyone had tears of happiness and wonder streaming down their cheeks. It was a moment forever crystallized in my mind.

Right after you were born, the electricity went out. We filled the bedroom with candles while you were getting weighed. It was so romantic. You nursed while everyone ate cheese with fig jam and sipped Spanish wine by twinkling candlelight.

Love, Mommy

Great story, and how nice of the power company to choose just the right time to have a blackout :)

Diane Sternbach, CT, HBCE
HypnoBirthing (r)
HypnoBirthng (r) Fertility Program
Interactive Imagery Guide (sm)
EFT

Thanks for sharing that beautiful birth story, Diane!

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

A beautiful birth

Here is a beautiful video of one couple's home waterbirth experience...enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niJ6F2p9Ql8

"Pregnancy and homebirth/water birth experience of our daughter olive. Music by ben harper. Birth should be an empowering experience - this is just one small snippet of what her birth was like for me. I felt powerful, present, connected to all women before me, truly doing what God made my body to do. Special thanks and praise for our midwife Kathy Mitchell who rocks!!"

For more information about the benefits of a homebirth please go to gentlebirth.org or mothering.com

For more information about the benefits of a waterbirth visit waterbirth.org.

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

The benefits of water during birth

Here is an extract from The Yoga Journal about water therapy.

Bathe In It*

When you add a bit of art, science, and ritual, taking a bath is much more than getting clean—it's balneotherapy. A form of therapeutic bathing, balneotherapy has been practiced since the days of the ancient Greeks and Romans to preserve health and treat a range of ailments from injuries to eczema. Like yoga, it's also a great way to melt away stress and bring the body back into a more balanced state. "Submersion in warm water calms the physiological part of the fight-or-flight response," says Jonathan P. DeVierville, vice president of the International Society of Medical Hydrology and Climatology and director of the Alamo Plaza Spa in San Antonio, Texas. In other words, as you soak in the tub, your blood vessels dilate, your circulation increases, your muscles relax, and your nervous system chills out.

IN THIS ISSUE

Soak Away Stress http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1450

Sore Muscle Soothers http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1231

So, you can see why being in water, preferably in a bathtub, but also in a shower, positively affects a birthing mother...the fight-or-flight response is calmed, which means mom & baby are relaxed & have endorphins running throughout their bodies. Ahhhhh....

http://www.awelllivedlife.net/

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

A Letter to My Daughter

Hi-

This is a beautifully written letter by a HypnoBirthing mother to her daughter about her birth experience. Please share it with your friends who are expecting a baby & those that are thinking about having a baby. I think women need to know that they can have an empowering, wonderful, peaceful birth!

AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com


A Letter to My Daughter by Flavia Goncalves

Praising and mirroring the actions of women who are rupturing tradition, transforming taboos, or just simply excelling in their fields, helps us lay a foundation for a better, more respectful world for our daughters. The problem is that on the individual level, many women don't believe they possess what it takes to be a role model. I, for one, was one of them.



Unique women are unique because they believe in what they stand for. If I can get this message across to my daughter alone, I will consider my job done.



Dear baby girl,

Your name is Luma. It comes from the Latin word lumen, and it means light, illuminated, sparkle of life. Where I am from, to give birth ("dar a luz") means to give life. However, in our case, I believe it happened the other way around. In the miraculous moment of your birth, I was truly born. I learned that you were growing inside me a few days before Christmas. Although I do not observe any particular religious faith, I believe that you were sent to me as a gift. The motherly instincts I didn't imagine I had surfaced immediately; you became my reason to be. The first time I heard your heart beat, I shivered with emotion. When I saw you on the first sonogram, I cried. I was in a constant state of joy. My belly grew bigger as you grew inside me. I remember one particular night, when I was lying in bed reading; you suddenly slid your little foot across my belly. I placed my hand where I had felt you and you kicked again. We had discovered a game which we played quite often, for you were a very active baby. The more my belly grew the happier and prettier I felt.



Other than being very sleepy in the beginning and at the final months, the pregnancy itself was an easy one. Given that I was feeling good and everything seemed to be going well, your father and I asked the doctor about our chances of having a natural birth. The doctor was very supportive. He agreed that I was having a normal and healthy pregnancy and our chances of a successful natural birth were high.



Labor pain? Yes, I did think about it. I guess this issue crosses the mind of every single pregnant woman. It will probably cross yours too someday. Fear of pain. There was nothing I could do about the pain, but there was something I could do about fear and so I did. I found a HypnoBirthing coach and I followed her instructions diligently, every day, many times a day. I knew she could help me. HypnoBirthing, or Hypnosis, is nothing more than a deep state of concentration. I practiced meditation and relaxation. I repeated my affirmations (a long list of beliefs) morning, afternoon and evening. I worked on slow long deep breaths. My confidence grew stronger every single day and the fear vanished.



I was met with skepticism and disapproval from several friends and family. First, several people didn't know what hypnosis was all about and were skeptical of me trying it. Second, my birth choice caused alarm; after all, c-sections in Miami are expected by most. Miami's c-section rates are among the highest in the USA and the developed countries. Friends and family from Sao Paulo also were puzzled. C-section rates there are the highest in the world! To my disappointment, some people tried to discourage me by describing horrible birth stories; others would just say that I would never be able to withstand the pain, that I just would not be able to do it. The truth is, Luma, that I did not know. I couldn't know what the outcome would be. But I didn't get discouraged.



At this point, you must be thinking how brave and courageous your mommy is, but I wasn't. This is where you come in. During my entire life, I rarely took credit for my successes, or believed in my capabilities, and worse yet, several times I didn't stand up for myself when I should have. But in this case, I was doing it for you. Without blinking, I would do it a thousand times for you. The new me had been conceived. A world of possibilities opened up to me.



While my doctor was genuinely supportive of my birth choice, I found out too late that his practice colleagues were not as agreeable. Therefore, I decided to change doctors. Because the pregnancy was very advanced, no other practice risked taking me in. I was disappointed, of course, but still determined. So I took a leap of faith. You were already thirty-six weeks old when I left the practice.



I put you and myself into the care of Miriam, our midwife. I felt an immediate relief the minute I stepped in the Maternity Center. Miriam was nurturing, calm, and never condescending. She empathized with my situation and was willing to help me, even if that meant finding another doctor. Miriam just felt right and I stuck with her. To make matters even better, Miriam offered water births, an option that was very attractive to me. You were forty and a half weeks old, in position and very low, but still pretty comfortable inside.



To help you, I went on long walks, scrubbed the bath tub, and swam every day. Until one day my laps in the pool were interrupted by this tightening on my belly, that wouldn't stop. Calmly, I told your dad, who was swimming next lane over, that time had arrived. We went home, I took a long shower, your grandma gathered things we needed to take, and after Miriam checked my progress we all went to the Maternity Center. The ambiance of our room at the Birthing Center was perfect: it was calm, soothing music played, the lights were dimmed, and there were few candles flickering. I sat in bed and concentrated on slow long breaths and pretty soon I fell asleep. Yes, I fell asleep. When I finally woke up, the contractions were almost back to back and very intense. It was time to get into the water and just as I did I felt a difference. I was really aware of my body and you and the changes that were quickly taking place. Nonetheless, I lost notion of time. During the breaks between contractions, I relaxed so much that I would fall into a deep sleep and even have dreams. Grandma held my head while I drifted off. Your father was my link to a regular state of consciousness; he kept me hydrated; he caressed my belly. I never felt pain, except for a couple of times when I had to pipi, first, because the power of gravity outside of the water was tremendous, second, because, I couldn't concentrate on the surges and do pipi at the same time. Otherwise, things were happening as I pictured they would.



When I felt it was time I asked your dad to fetch Miriam. Your grandma had already positioned herself, my back towards her; she held my head and caressed my hair. Now your dad plunged into the water in front of me. He described the evolution of your birth, his voice trembled with ecstasy. Sometimes emotion took over him and all he could say was, "Oh, my God, Oh my God!" His happiness and pride strengthened me. Miriam was also a key person, as a HypnoBirthing coach herself, she knew when I was losing concentration and would bring me right back. We all worked together. When you were ready to come out, your dad's hands were there to hold you. Then he placed you on my chest. I never knew I could love so much. While I was holding and looking at you mesmerized, your grandma whispered in my ear, "You and your daughter were born at exactly the same hour: 4:10am." I smiled at the coincidence and thought to myself that you had given me a second chance to actually live. I was proud!



I was so proud and happy. If I had to put in just a few words what your birth experience felt like, I would say that it was the most intense physical and spiritual experience I have ever lived. Such an empowering experience still resonates. I am a different person. I live life to the fullest. I invite challenge, I face my fears, and I take advantage of opportunities. I am still human, though. Sometimes I am scared, sometimes I fail, and sometimes I make mistakes. So forgive me, because I will fail you. I will make mistakes, but I promise to always love you. I promise that I will work everyday to be a better and stronger person than I was yesterday. I promise to be a role model to you, so you can grow up as a strong, confident woman. I promise to live my dreams, because I want you to live yours.



Love always, Mom.



My story is an account of what we can do or what we can become if we truly believe in ourselves. It describes what happens when we free ourselves from outside judgment and pre-conceived beliefs. In my case, believing in me has caused a chain-reaction of self accomplishments. After birthing my daughter naturally, in the water and without pain, when many around me considered it impossible, I engaged in many other challenging activities. I started running and became a marathon runner and a triathlete. Currently I am training for a half ironman (a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 run event). I also went back to school and took up art classes. I plan to flourish in the art world. Lastly, after twenty years I started writing again.

Help save Waterbirth International

FWD: Help Save Waterbirth International!
The appeal for funds is on their homepage -www.waterbirth.org--------

Please help Barbara Harper keep waterbirth alive!
Waterbirth International may close doors.
Here is a note from Barbara Harper of Waterbirth International

Barbara Harper wrote:. I cannot yet imagine a world without the voice and work of WaterbirthInternational - we get calls and emails every day from women who need help convincing one hospital or another to let them labor or birth in water. If we die - a big part of the movement dies. Waterbirth has shown us all thatwomen know how to give birth and babies know how to be born. Waterbirth gave us "hands-off", sit back and let the baby out. I see waterbirth mentioned on Blogs every single day, not to mention Baby Story on the TV. I took Waterbirth International to ACOG two years in a row - and was the ONLY booth showing birth films to obstetricians and especially to student physicians. There were tears, laughter and outrage - just the thing to stirup those young crop of doctors. I am finally realizing a life's dream. But now I am faced with letting this dream go. Perhaps I have done enough. Perhaps it is time to quit.
About 18 years ago, maybe it was longer, when Mothering Magazine was facing bankruptcy Peggy did a heartfelt plea asking their readers to consider ordering a Life-time subscription. I think the subscriptions were $1000 or$1200, I can't remember now. I do remember that I couldn't imagine not reading my Mothering. So, I bought two and gave one to my obstetrician'soffice. How can you help us stay open to take the next phone call? - to convince the next obstetrician to incorporate waterbirth into his/her practice- to work with the nurse midwives to install pools in their facilities? To educate an entire hospital on the benefits of allowing women freedom of movement in the water. How much is it worth to see waterbirth become the norm in the US,like it is in the UK? I think we only need a few more years to make that happen. Do women really want waterbirth to be an available choice in everyhospital? I think so. Can you help us by getting the word out on blogs and lists? I had to let go of all of the staff except one person to process orders. Miraculously, we made payroll today, but we can't hang on much longer. We need amiracle. If I need to call every single waterbirth parent personally, I will. I don't want 25 years of work to end over a measly $200,000. The work that we have done the last few years has been phenomenal. How God arranged for me to teach in hospitals and medical schools around the planet- Taiwan, Venezuela, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Holland, Portugal, China, Trinidad, Croatia - I'll never figure that out. I laugh out loud sometimes when I get up in front of an audience of physicians in a medical school overseas - who all want to hear about waterbirth and the incorporation of Gentle Birth practices and principles into their routines.
Think about what you can do and call me if you want to chat or if you have some great ideas on how we can quickly move into the black and keep waterbirth alive and thriving. We need your help. Barbara Harper needs your help. The waterbirth/gentlebirth movement needs your help.

Blessings,
Barbara Harper, RN, CLD, CCE Founder/Director
Waterbirth International
www.waterbirth.org
<http://www.waterbirth.org/>
503-673-0026 -office (out of US or in Portland)
800-641-2229 - toll free
503-710-7975 - cell phone

We LOVE helping women get into Hot Water!! And have been doing it for 24 years