A HypnoBirthing story--Julia & Cory

Julia & Cory took my HypnoBirthing classes on Monday nights in February/March at Seaside Women's Health in Encinitas, CA. Here is their birth story:

My labor went exactly as I hoped it would, up until the very end.... It began with surges/contractions instead of my water breaking, in fact, my water never broke naturally, but we'll get into that later. I progressed very quickly and through the help of HypnoBirthing, remained calm and relaxed. Eventually, we were hurried to the operating room for a last minute C-section to ensure the health of our baby. Our nurse was supportive of our birth plan, and the doctor gave us a chance, so all in all we considered it a successful HypnoBirth.

Labor began on Wednesday, April 27th; I was 40 weeks and 2 days. The night before I had felt some mild surges while going to sleep, and they continued into the morning on Wednesday, but they were pretty spread out so I wasn't too concerned. Cory went to work as normal since I told him I didn't think anything was happening anytime soon. Around noon or 1pm, they had evened out to about 4 minutes apart. I called our doula/monitrice to let her know what was going on, but I still felt fine without her support, so she told me to call her back when they increased in intensity or frequency. I managed the surges with breathing, rocking back and forth, and using the TENS unit that our doula had loaned to me. I listened to the Rainbow Relaxation CD a bit, but I seemed to do better when I could hear my own breathing, so I only listened for a little while. In between surges I did hands and knees to help with the pressure I was feeling in my lower back. Around 5 or 6pm, Cory got home from work, and the surges were increasing in intensity, and were getting closer to 3 minutes apart. Our doula/monitrice came over around 7pm. She checked me quickly and determined I was 5 centimeters. My husband Cory, who is a veterinarian, was interested in learning how to determine effacement and dilation. With my okay, our doula/monitrice gave him a quick lesson and he got a chance to check me as well and got to feel the baby's head for himself...it was neat seeing his expression as he did this.

With the intensity and frequency of the surges increasing quickly, our doula/monitrice decided around 9pm that it was time to head to the hospital. The drive there was so surreal...I couldn't believe that after months of waiting, we were finally meeting our baby soon! I only had a few surges during the car ride, and we seemed to get to the hospital pretty quickly. It was quiet and empty when we checked in at Scripps La Jolla, and we met our nurse Erin, who took us to our room. She was very nice, and looked over our birth plan quickly, saying mostly everything looked good and that she was supportive of our plans. I was hooked up to the monitor with the plan of only staying there as long as needed, then I would walk around and get monitored intermittently. Erin checked me and I was already dilated to 7 centimeters upon arrival to the hospital. Cory said the nurse had a look of shock when she realized how far along I was, and that I was acting like it was no big deal. While the surges were intense at this point, I was still using my breathing and staying calm and relaxed. Cory was doing a great job whispering to me through the surges, telling me I was doing amazing and that we would meet our baby soon. While doing the initial monitoring however, the baby's heart rate began to decelerate from the 120s to the 70-80s after each surge. The doctor on call came in and said I would now be staying on continuous monitoring, which made sense, and our doula/monitrice agreed. The decrease in heart rate was because my surges were so close together that my baby never had time to recover and reoxygenate between surges. Soon they had me wearing an oxygen mask to increase my blood oxygen hoping the baby could recover better. They gave the baby and me a chance to continue with a natural birth by turning me to different sides after each surge, trying to get the baby's heart rate to improve. Erin, our nurse, warned us that this could lead to a c-section if it continued, so I did my best to focus on getting oxygen to the baby, and to remain calm. She was definitely rooting for us. I began feeling pressure with my surges, and when Erin checked me again, I was at 9.5 centimeters within an hour. I had no concept of time...it felt like I had been in our room for only 20 minutes! (Thanks Carol for the time distortion technique!) With the decelerations in heart rate staying steady, the midwife on call asked if she could break my water to help things proceed. Cory and I agreed that since things with the heart rate weren't improving and in fact, getting worse (dropping into the high 60s) we would allow the manual rupture of the membranes. The hope being that would help me get to the last stage of labor and allow me to start pushing. With the thought of preventing a c-section in the back of my mind, and the fact that the baby was still in a -2 position, we should give it a shot. As it released, they found meconium in the water indicating that our baby was already experiencing a stressful labor.

At this point with the heart rate continuing to drop even more, the doctor rushed back in and said a c-section would be advised. If we continued with our plan, we could end up pushing for up to another hour putting our baby at risk for brain damage due to the lack of oxygen. I remember looking over at Cory and our doula/monitrice, feeling so disappointed that I had made it so far with HypnoBirthing and without any drugs, only to have a c-section at the last minute. But our nurse and even our doula/monitrice agreed that this point a c-section really was necessary. So into the OR we went, and very shortly thereafter, our son was born at 11:16pm! We didn't know the sex, so it was so amazing to hear Cory say "It's a boy!". Gavin was born on 4/27, 7lbs 14 oz and 20 inches long.
After the blur of events, Cory told me that our nurses were so impressed and stunned that I remained so calm and content all the way up to 9.5 centimeters! They were all rooting for us and I think their hearts dropped with ours when the doctor finally made the call to head to surgery. We were so close to having the natural birth, but we couldn't be more pleased with the outcome and the expertise of the staff.

Carol, thank you so much for everything you taught us in class. Cory and I felt very empowered and knowledgeable going into our labor, and even though it ended in a way we didn't envision, I still felt very much in control. I'm proud of the fact that I made it so far un-medicated and using our HypnoBirth techniques, and I'm excited to share our experience with HypnoBirth with my pregnant friends. Now that Gavin is here, while we are definitely sleep deprived, it's hard to remember life without him. Thank you!

Julia, Cory and Gavin
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Congratulations to you, Julia & Cory! Thank you so much for sharing your story! I remember getting the phone call from Cory that you'd been in labor for quite awhile & that you both just needed to touch base with me to see if I had any last minute recommendations. It sounds like you did everything possible to have the birth you want. I'm sorry that you didn't get the natural birth you had planned for. I'm glad, though, that the HypnoBirthing classes helped you both feel empowered & educated so that you could make the best decisions for yourselves, your birth & your baby. Sometimes things don't go the way we planned and I'm glad that you were still able to feel a sense of control & have peace of mind with all of your decisions. Continue to enjoy your babymoon!

If you're interested in learning more about Julia & Cory's doula/monitrice, please contact Donna Hayes via her listing on San Diego Birth Network's Doula list at www.sandiegobirthnetwork.com. A monitrice is a doula that has medical training so they are able to do vaginal exams & check the baby's vitals whereas a doula cannot do those specific things.

If you're interested in learning more about HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, please visit Carol Yeh-Garner's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. She has ongoing group classes in North County San Diego and is also available for private HypnoFertility sessions for those dealing with infertility.

A HypnoFertility success story

Jennifer's HypnoFertility success story:

I was finally ready to start trying to have baby #2... and we tried and tried and tried for 9 months, charting my cycles, testing my fluids, reading too many fertility articles and books, and using way too many ovulation strips. Nothing was happening. I was having no luck and was getting more and more frustrated, especially as everyone around me was getting pregnant and having babies. I wanted to be pregnant again, too! The frustrations I was having were also putting stress on my husband and our relationship.

As the 1-year mark of "trying" was looming, I decided I better try something else before I had to go on Clomid or experiment with other more invasive fertility treatments. I really did not want to have to go on medication or have IVF. I remembered that Carol (whom I had taken HypnoBirthing from for my first baby) was now a HypnoFertility Therapist. HypnoBirthing had worked so well for me when I gave birth that I figured HF would probably work, too. So, I set up some sessions with Carol.

After our initial session, my husband, upon my arrival home from the session, remarked that I was so much more cheerful than I had been. I felt more like myself. I was happy and hopeful and a lot less stressed. During the few weeks that I was having my HypnoFertility sessions, my thoughts about conceiving were much more positive than they had been. I was in better spirits in general, and I was able to feel happier for other people as well.

I only had 5 sessions with Carol because the HypnoFertility worked immediately. I conceived during my next cycle. Carol was a miracle worker! I feel so strongly about the positive effects that HypnoFertility had on me. I honestly feel like I went through the trial of infertility so that I could know about HypnoFertility and share it with others. I know that there are so many people out there who could benefit from it, but don't even know that it exists. I want everyone who is battling infertility to know that there is another way!
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Thanks so much for sharing your story, Jennifer! I'm thrilled that you are pregnant & that HypnoFertility was so helpful to you in so many ways. I've heard the same thing from all of my clients--that their overall mood improves & that their stress level about trying to get pregnant and life in general is decreased significantly.

If you are in San Diego and are struggling with infertility and want to get pregnant faster, please visit www.AWellLivedLife.Net for more information about Carol Yeh-Garner's HypnoFertility services. She is also available for phone and Skype sessions.

If you are out of San Diego and want to find a HypnoFertility practitioner, please visit www.hypnofertilityfoundation.org.

A HypnoBirthing story--Tracy & Adam

Tracy and Adam took an accelerated HypnoBirthing class in February/March 2011 at Seaside Women's Health Center in Encinitas. Here is their story:

Hi Carol! So first of all.... I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a mommy. It's so cool :-)

Little Avery Rose Walton is amazing. And her birth was really quite amazing as well, especially the more I think back to it. It wasn't exactly the experience I was expecting. I was soooo certain and confident in my relaxation abilities, I was convinced that I would feel NO pain. Seriously, I still don't know why it needed to be so painful. I am pretty sure that the reason for most of it was because she came out face up. Most of the sensation was in my hips and back, definitely not what I was expecting.... but that it’s really a minor detail anyway, let me tell you the whole story :-) At about midnight my surges were about 10 minutes apart. I took a shower and tried my best to relax/sleep in between each surge.
During the surge I would concentrate on staying limp and relaxed as possible, but by about 3:00 am I was telling myself and Adam that I needed some drugs. But first before "giving in" so quickly, I went into the jacuzzi, thinking that it might help a little.... but what I found out was that it helped A LOT. I dunked myself in that water and in an instant I knew I wasn't going to get out, no way. It felt soooo nice. Bless my mother too, because she stayed in the jacuzzi with me. Adam went back to bed, ha! So there I was, under the starlight resting in-between surges on a pool floaty, thinking of all the positive affirmations Marie whispered in my ear over the past three months. I kept reciting in my head things like "Your body is meant to give birth. I hand my birthing over to my baby". By 4:00 am my surges were two minutes apart and my mom called the midwives. They showed up, woke up Adam and got everything ready. Baby and I in the meantime, labored. I imagined in my mind my baby sliding down the birth path, coming out happy and healthy. Really, all I did was my best to breathe through surges and visualize a calm, relaxed birth. I was definitely in a zone, as in zoned everything out and just stayed "in my body" during surges. Each surge was 45 seconds or so of deep concentration and loud breathing. "Oooooooooooooooooh" was the long breathe out during each surge, deep voice and with my chin down.

Every once and a while I would lift my head up and take a look around. Adam, midwife Andrea and her assistant/apprentice Debra were bundled up sitting on the edge of the jacuzzi, just watching me. At one point I remember looking up and seeing the sunrise. The birds were chirping and singing. My mother in law, Susie, had come over around 4:00 am as well and got into the tub with me, bless her. She put on some music for me too. It was really nice, very similar to the music we had listened to in yoga class. I sipped apple juice and water from a straw from time to time, I think I even ate a strawberry or two. From time to time the midwife would hand the Doppler to one of my moms and have a listen to the baby's heartbeat. I am not sure what time it was, but the sun was out and my water still hadn't broken. I had visions of the baby coming out with an intact membrane. Andrea checked me and there was one little part of the cervix still in the way. She broke my water and I freaked out. I mean, I was in panic mode. Very NOT hypnobirthing method. I was tense, I was screaming and I didn't want anyone to touch me. I remember thinking too, this is probably not helping myself any, but I went with my emotions. My midwife firmly got my attention and calmed me down. I am so glad that I trusted her and never had any doubt in her ability to help me deliver my baby because otherwise, I may not have been able to calm down again from such a panic. Now, my water had broken and I was happy to feel like progress was being made.

Then, it was time to start pushing. I was more awake and alert and the surges were not coming quite as often. I felt like it would be so easy, a couple of pushes and she would be out. Not so much. :-) At one point I said "ok, that's it, I'm done, I can't do this" and Andrea would remind me,” you are doing it” and that part of being a parent was having patience. She said it was important for the baby to adjust herself to my body so that she could come out and I remember you talking about this in the class. So I changed the visuals in my mind to baby making her way, in her time. I started talking to her, nicely asking her to come on out, we love you so much. Patience, thank goodness, is definitely a virtue that I have. I had difficulty finding the position I wanted to be in to push. I tried all kinds, on my hands and knees, squatting on my own, holding Adam's hands out of the water and standing. Nothing really did the trick. Then finally, I found it and the end was near. My mom was on one side of me and Susie on the other, the midwife behind me laying on her stomach reaching into the jacuzzi. I was squatting, holding my knees and man it felt so good to push. By this time I wanted to push all the time, regardless of the surge or not, but Andrea guided me. I pushed with the surges and could feel the baby moving down. Sometimes though, I couldn't feel when the surges ended. Andrea thought it might be because I was in the warm water. Well, we pushed, and at times it was purple pushing, but I was determined. I remember feeling her move down and then back up when the surges and I stopped. Then we saw her head (and so much hair she had). By the next surge she had crowned and two surges later at 9:13 am she came flying out (well, really it was swimming out and now my mom calls her the little mermaid, ha!).

It was pretty amazing to have felt her moving down the birth path. I had imagined the same little picture in my mind when you were talking about it in class of her wiggling her little feet to push her way down and her head slowing nudging itself out. Anyway... what an amazing feeling of RELIEF when she was out. My moms floated her, under water over to me and as soon as she was in reach of the midwife, she brought her out of the water; she took her first breather and then was placed in my arms on my chest. I was soooo happy to see her after all this time. She was vigorous, yet calm. I heard your voice in my head "calm babies come from calm births". She pinked up real quick (the midwives gave her a "10 at one minute", still not too clear on what that means exactly, except that Avery came out quite the healthy baby).


What a happy moment, meeting our baby for the first time. Adam had been taking pictures and he came over to the edge of the jacuzzi to meet her too. I was so proud of him for not fainting during the birth. We hugged and loved on her there in the jacuzzi. Andrea helped Avery to get out a good cry, but other than that she was wide eyed, alert, happy and calm. Then, another surge! And I thought “WHAT!?!” Oh yeah, the placenta. I delivered it, yeah, kinda proud of that one (Andrea gave me some guidance of course, but after a couple surges, that was that.) Now it was time to go back into the house. Baby and placenta (in bowl) went with grandma Susie and Adam, Debra and my mom helped me walk into the house. Baby was placed on my chest and the midwives took care of everything. I had some tearing and Andrea stitched me up while I held baby on my chest. Adam couldn't handle that kind of scene, so while that was going on, he drained the jacuzzi (it is his FAVORITE place after all. Actually it is a Walton favorite place. His whole family are jacuzzi fiends, so it is very appropriate that our little Walton was born in one).

Of course baby was naked and pooped EVERYWHERE about 2 or 3 times. Blessing angels they are, my moms cleaned us up after each unloading. Andrea helped us with our first breastfeeding. That was new and cool. Then after the house had been cleaned up a little more and things had calmed down, Adam came back and held the baby, bare-chested for that oh so good skin to skin contact. Avery loves his voice. She hung out with him until we were ready to weigh and measure her. So although she weighed in at 8lbs 14oz and 22 inches long, we decided to call her a 9lb baby at birth because of all that poop she had unleashed. We put on her first outfit and grandmas held her; we took pictures and reveled in the morning events. I cried from time to time just thinking about what had just happened and how GRATEFUL I was for life, my family and my new little love, Miss Avery Rose. Like I said, the more I think back to it, the more appreciative I am of the entire experience. It was really quite amazing and I wouldn't have done it any other way. What a blessing!

I am so thankful that I listened to my heart and birthed at home with midwives. Although I have never stepped foot in a maternity center of a hospital, I imagine that in comparison, my birth experience was able to be more aligned with the natural connection of life and family, in a BEAUTIFUL, comfortable setting, un-rushed, unscheduled and free of unnecessary stress or "convenient" medical intervention.

Thanks so much again to you and all the people who share the passion for helping moms and dads bring their babies into the world. Those little bundles of joy are such blessings and deserve the very best.

Sincerely,

Tracy Walton aka: Mommy
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Congratulations to you & Adam! Thank you so much for sharing your birth story! I'm thrilled that you had such an amazing experience! Continue to enjoy your babymoon!

To learn more about HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, please visit Carol Yeh-Garner's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. If you are outside the San Diego area, please visit www.HypnoBirthing.com.

If you are considering a homebirth and live in San Diego learn more about hiring Andrea Meyer to be your midwife by visiting www.andreasmidwiferysandiego.com.

A HypnoBirthing story--Jewel & Nathan

Jewel & Nathan took my HypnoBirthing classes at Indigo Dragon Health & Wellness Center on Thursday nights. Here is their birth story:

Everly's birth story:

My birthing experience wasn’t what I envisioned. It started out in all the wrong ways, or so I thought, but my daughter was born in a calm, peaceful environment without the use of pain medication and that’s what I wanted most in the end. It took me awhile to realize HypnoBirthing worked wonders for me.

Labor started on Monday January 17 a little after 1 in the afternoon when my membranes released. I was 39 weeks 3 days. I had a feeling the baby would be coming during the week because I wasn’t feeling like myself all day on Sunday. I felt a small gush of water and went to the bathroom not quite believing it was happening. Fluid continued to trickle so I knew it was definitely my water. I didn’t have any surges though.

Mild surges started about twenty minutes later. They were very short and just felt like a general tightening around my abdomen. I called Nathan and told him that my water broke and asked him to come home as soon as he could since he had an hour drive back home. I didn’t want things to go too quickly and have him still be a long way away. My surges were pretty irregular but I wrote them down and tried to remember to pay attention to how long they were. I finished some chores around the house, not really feeling any different. Once Nathan got home, nothing had really changed with my labor. I wasn’t even sure if it had even begun since I was so calm and relaxed. We took our dogs for a walk and relaxed around the house. We started to question when the right time to go to the hospital was. I remembered Carol saying 4-1-1 (surges that are 4 minutes from start to start, lasting one minute & consistently happening for 1 hour) and decided that would be when we would head down. It would take us 30 minutes to get to the hospital as I was delivering at Kaiser. We continued to go on a few walks to get things going but I never felt like I was progressing. However, I just kept thinking that I was so relaxed and well-prepared for the delivery of our baby that maybe my labor was progressing more than I was aware of (wishful thinking!)

The surges never seemed to get more intense but at 10:30 that night we decided to go to the hospital so we could get settled in our room. I wanted to be set-up in the room before things got too intense. I had been listening to the Rainbow Relaxation on my iPod and practicing my breathing up to this point.

When we got to the hospital we checked in and they put us in a small triage room just like Carol said they would. We ended up being stuck in that little room for almost 3 hours because it was such a busy night. The first doctor I met with wanted to check me but with my membranes not intact, I knew they shouldn’t be doing a lot of checks, but I also wanted to know where I was so I allowed it. I was still under the impression that I would be much farther along attributing my progression to my relaxed state. But when he said I was only 3 cm, it was somewhat crushing. I would’ve bet that I was at least 6 cm. But I hadn’t really had to breathe through anything, so that should’ve been my first clue I wasn’t that far along. The doctor mentioned pitocin which equated in my head to an epidural and c-section. I told him that would be a last resort and I wanted to try natural induction methods.

Once we got to our private room, we went over our birth plan with our nurse who was supportive in our wishes for a natural birth and about forgoing the pitocin. I sat on a birthing ball for a little bit and we walked the hallways. The time was going fast and my surges weren’t changing enough according to the nurses. Nathan read me the balloon fear release script and I tried to listen to the Rainbow Relaxation but I was getting frustrated and couldn’t find a position I was comfortable in. And on top of all this, pitocin was looming in the background. We were so exhausted. With each surge I wanted Nathan to do light touch massage on my arm, but the poor guy could barely keep his eyes open. But I’d nudge his arm when I needed him and it really helped.

Just before 7:00 am the nurse checked me again and I was only at 4cm so pitocin was brought up again. By this time I was so tired that all I could think of was the long road ahead and I was so far away. So Nathan and I agreed to the pitocin. I was so defeated and upset that I was going to have it. I knew it would make my surges much more intense than without it and I didn’t think I could do it without any pain medication to help me through. At this point I wasn’t listening to my Rainbow Relaxation. I was just trying to breathe through my surges.

The pitocin started. I asked for the minimal amount knowing I’d have a better chance than if they gave me a big dose all at once. So it started low and within a couple surges I was asking the nurse about an epidural. I wanted to know how long it would take to get once I determined if I wanted one. I was so tired and didn’t think I could go any farther. Nathan was in my ear telling me what a great job I was doing and that I could do one more surge. Finally, I relaxed into a reclined position and put in my earphones and listened to the Rainbow Relaxation. I bent my knees and pushed my hands against my knees whenever I had a surge. I remember thinking it was like a wave and if I could get past the first peak I would come down and work my way through to the end of it. Nathan kept telling me to breathe deeper when he could tell I was struggling with it. I kept my eyes shut most of the time, only peeking at my surroundings every once in awhile. Nathan continued to do light touch massage on my arm and he cooled me down with some ice. I wouldn’t say the surges were painful, but they were difficult and required work to get through.

Sometime in the 10:00 hour I felt a lot of pressure down below and asked if I could push. One of the nurses checked me and I was 9 ½ cm. They told me I could start pushing soon. I felt like I needed to push as the pressure was intensifying and also the fact that I was so surprised how close I was to holding my baby in my arms.

Nathan’s biggest regret is that he let me push so hard instead of doing my birth breathing to gently breathe the baby down. But my pushing even felt out of my hands. It was something my body was telling me to do. It wasn’t what I planned for, but so far nothing had gone according to plan except for the fact that I was relaxed and calm. In my relaxed state, I even heard one of the nurses exclaim that she wished all her patients could be like me and another one say that my focus and control was amazing.

About 4 hours after the pitocin started (almost 22 hours after my membranes released) I gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Everly Grace. She was 6 lbs. 8 oz. She was calm and alert. The doctor placed her on my skin and I’ll never forget looking into her eyes for the first time. She wasn’t crying like they wanted her to (I attribute it to the fact that she’s a HypnoBaby) so they took her from my chest after a minute. She was just fine, crying within a few seconds of leaving me. Unfortunately due to my purple pushing, I did have some tearing which required stitches so meanwhile the doctor had proceeded to stitch me up. Only after they took Everly from me, did I notice the pain. Nathan says that at one point I said that it hurt and the doctor asked if I needed more epidural to which all the nurses in the room (there seemed to be about 20) responded that I didn’t have an epidural. I remember the look of shock on the doctor’s face because she had been stitching me up quite vigorously for a few minutes without any type of pain medication. You think a doctor would know if the patient was on any medication or not!

Anyway, my HypnoBirth was the topic of discussion between all the nurses that day. They were impressed with how calm and focused I was.

Nathan and I were on such a high after meeting our daughter and working through such an intense experience that we couldn’t stop talking about it with each other. I was so surprised that with all the obstacles we encountered, I was still able to achieve a somewhat-natural (minus the pitocin) un-medicated birth. The Rainbow Relaxation and breathing techniques helped me achieve the birth we wanted. It took me a little while to understand that HypnoBirthing worked because my birth story wasn’t as easy and quiet as some of the videos Carol showed in our classes. Also it wasn’t what I envisioned so I had to let go of the image of “the perfect birth” that I had in my head.

Nathan and I want to thank you, Carol, for educating us and helping us to prepare for one of the most important and rewarding days in our lives. We were able to have an amazing birth experience while welcoming our daughter into this world because of HypnoBirthing and your guidance. It was the most intimate experience for Nathan and me and I feel like it has bonded us to be better partners and parents for our little girl. We can’t thank you enough.

~Jewel, Nathan, and Everly
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Congratulations Jewel & Nathan! You did an amazing job dealing with the intensity of the surges & with the pitocin! It just goes to show that if you can keep your mind in the right place and stay focused, you can have a natural, vaginal birth even with pitocin!

Thank you so much for sharing your birth story! Enjoy your babymoon!
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If you would like more information about HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, CA, please contact Carol Yeh-Garner via her website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. If you are outside San Diego, CA, you can visit www.hypnobirthing.com to find a practitioner near you.

A HypnoBirthing story--Lisa & Silver

Lisa & Silver took an accelerated HypnoBirthing class in February on Monday nights at Seaside Women's Health in Encinitas. Here is their birth story:

Hi Carol,
Thank you for everything. Silver and I are so happy we took your classes. The knowledge and confidence we gained was priceless.

Our daughter True Madera was born on Sunday March 20, 2011, the first day of Spring! She was 8 lbs 2 oz and 21 inches long.

I went into labor after midnight on Sunday, surges were almost immediately within a few minutes of each other, we arrived at Sharp Mary Birch around 5:30am, and True came into the world at 8:30 am. Dr. Cobb and the nurses in labor and delivery were awesome. Silver did an amazing job supporting us through the whole wonderful experience. We achieved our goal of a natural, unmedicated birth. The labor and delivery was fun and exciting. In retrospect, I did not really get into a relaxed, pain free state of mind- but we did use visualization techniques, and other techniques we learned from you.

True was not breathing when she was born. I was able to pull her up onto my chest and hold her for a few seconds, then Silver had to cut the cord sooner than we planned because they had to take her and help her out with breathing. Silver and and True went to the NICU. I didn't get to join them for a few hours. But Silver did a perfect job doing skin to skin bonding with her once they took out the breathing tubes. When I did get there, I was able to nurse her right away. I was happy to find out they didn't give her any supplemental feeding, baths, or pacifiers. We don't know why she didn't start breathing right away, her heart rate and vitals were all fine when she was born. She was perfectly healthy, just took some extra time to start breathing. Silver and I felt informed and involved in the whole emergency process as well. Although we encountered a challenge, we stayed positive and cherished every part of the experience.

Thank you for all that you shared with us. We are very grateful we were introduced to HypnoBirthing. I hope to use HypnoBirthing again in the future. I enjoy receiving all the great information from your Yahoo group. I feel fortunate to be part of the community.

All our Best,
Lisa, Silver and True
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Congratulations Lisa & Silver! I'm so glad that HypnoBirthing helped you feel in control of the entire situation even with the emergency situation with True's breathing! I'm so glad she is alright & am thrilled that you were able to have the natural birth you hoped for! Thanks for the feedback about my Yahoo group (only for my class members). I'm glad that you find my posts & links informative. Take care & continue to enjoy your babymoon!
All my best--Carol

To learn more about Dr. Damon Cobb, please contact him at Seaside Women's Health Center at 760-642-0800.

To learn more about HypnoBirthing in San Diego, please contact Carol Yeh-Garner at 858-837-1259 or visit her website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. If you live outside of the San Diego area, please visit www.HypnoBirthing.com to find a practitioner near 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.

Bach Flower Essences & Homeopathic Vaccines

San Diego Birth Network, a local non-profit dedicated to promoting the normalcy of birth, recently invited homeopath, Willow Tipton, DIHom, to come speak about Bach Flower Essences & Homeopathic Vaccines. It was such an interesting, informative talk that I asked Willow if she would allow me to share her handouts & my notes so that people who weren’t at the seminar would also be able to learn about them. She generously said yes, so here is the information presented at her seminar. The parts in italics are from my notes.

What Are Bach Flower Essences?
Bach Flower Essences are homeopathically prepared remedies from the blooms of plants, bushes and trees, discovered by English physician and homeopath, Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930’s. There are 38 flower essences (plus one combination essence, Rescue Remedy) that correspond to a specific mental and emotional state. Dr. Bach noticed in his medical practice in the 1920s, that many of his patients’ complaints and conditions seemed linked to their state of mind. He concluded that as a doctor, he was treating primarily the effects of a disease and not its cause. The cause, he concluded, lay in the person’s negative emotional or psychological states. Dr. Bach decided to dedicate his life to the discovery of a system of healing, that would transcend physical symptoms and address the mental and emotional roots of disease. He thought if one’s emotional symptoms are balanced, the body’s own vitality would be strengthened and be able to throw off illness. This led him to categorize his patients’ negative state or inner imbalances and search for the corresponding flower that would restore their balance and transform negative emotions into positive ones. Dr. Bach stated “There is no true healing unless there is a change in outlook, peace of mind, and inner happiness.”

Bach Flower Essences treat the root cause, which is usually mental or emotional. For example, when you’re stressed or angry, you tend to have low energy, feel run down &/or sleepy. So the root cause is the stress or anger, which is treated with the appropriate flower essence.

How do they work?
The Bach Flower Essences contain no scent and are not to be confused with aromatherapy or essential oils. Dr. Bach was inspired by dewdrops on flower petals. He speculated that through the heat of the sun, the healing essence of a flower is brought out to the dew. The flowers release their healing energy into the water. All Flower Essences contain the life-force energy released from flowers in the peak of their bloom. By extracting essences and through self-experimentations, Dr. Bach isolated flowers which address a broad range of psychological symptoms. With each Essence there are accompanying emotions, feelings, attitudes and behaviors…most of them sounding negative. However, it is important to know and read the positive potentials of the Essence.
They are homeopathic remedies made from flowers in full bloom emersed into fresh spring water.

How do I take them?
There are many ways to take the essences, orally, topically, in a spray or mixture bottle and much more. Taking the undiluted essence straight from the stock bottle has a strong, immediate effect, but often not as long lasting. By adding 2 drops of an Essence to filtered water and sipping throughout the day is a more gradual dosage that provides an impulse of the Essence with each sip.

Bach Flower Essences are beneficial to men, women, children, pets and even plants! Like homeopathic remedies, Bach Flower Essences can be combined with other forms of therapy and treatments and still be quite effective and safe. Below is a list of just SOME of the issues the flower essences can help:

*Tension
*Hyperactivity
*Anger
*Fears/Phobias
*Anxiety
*Shame
*Guilt
*Hormonal Issues
*Obsessions
*Concentration & Focus
*Compulsions
*Learning Difficulties
*Addictions
*Emergencies & First Aid
*Depression
*Self-Esteem Issues
*Insomnia
*Transitions & Changes
*Fatigue
*Attention Deficit Disorder
*Mid-life Crisis

They are safe to use alongside medications & have no side effects or contraindications. They are safe for pregnancy & for babies. It can be applied to the skin & absorbed that way, which is an easy way to give it to babies.
For anyone sensitive to alcohol or not wanting any of the minute amounts of alcohol (brandy is used as a preservative & antibacterial compound) present in flower essences, the essence can be placed in boiling water for 5 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Flower essences can also be placed in food or drinks & you can also cook with them.
They do not expire & stay in their original state even in the heat of summer sitting in your car as long as the bottle is closed tightly & the tip is kept clean.
They are safe to use for people with allergies.

Essences for Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery and the Family:

Beech – Feeling irritable, intolerant and critical. Good for impatience, bitchiness, short-fused feelings.

Chicory – For child or parent who feels rejected or has hurt feelings when attention has been placed on the new arrival.

Crab apple – The “cleanser”, for feelings of uncleanliness, or disgust (self-disgust or feeling yourself or others are unclean). Feeling of shame or low esteem. Great for doulas! Good for feeling tainted or nauseous.

Elm – For feelings of overwhelm and stress. Too many responsibilities and a strong sense of duty. Overburdened and overextended. Good for feelings of taking on too much, fatigue.

Holly – For any sibling jealousy or spite towards the new baby. Promotes love and harmony. Heart-opener, increases love & empathy.

Impatiens – Restlessness and frustration, wanting things done quickly. Impatient and irritable. Good for physical restlessness & restless mind too.

Mimulus – For specific fears and worries. Nervous, timid or shy. When you know what you’re worried or fearful of. Can have physical symptoms like heart palpitations or sweating.

Olive – For fatigue and exhaustion (physically or emotionally), during pregnancy and for any lost sleep pre and post-partum. Good for feeling emotionally drained.

Pine – For guilt and self-judgment. Feeling you should or could do more somehow. Good for feeling spread thin, feeling bad, apologizing for everything.

Star of Bethlehem – For any trauma, emotional or physical. For effects of grief, fright, upset. Helps body on an emotional & physical level to release trauma.

Walnut – Assists in adjustments and all the numerous changes. To let go of past links and adjust to new phases. Great for Mom and family, especial once the baby has arrived and families adjust to the new addition. Good for transition & change & when you’re needing help because you feel like you’re straddling a crack that’s getting wider by the minute.

White Chestnut – For restless mind, mental chatter and worries. Preoccupied with persistent unwanted thoughts. Often preventing sleep. Good for people who constantly have To-Do lists.

Rescue Remedy – A combination of Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose and Star of Bethlehem. For any high stress situation, emergency, trauma or crisis. THE Go-To blend to care for any issue with stress. GREAT for childbirth! A must-have for doulas & midwives!

You can make your own custom blend of up to 7 essences diluted into spring water. Take the essence 2-3 times a day for 3-4 weeks & then re-evaluate if you are still having the same issues. For acute situations, take a singular dose of flower essence.
Willow Tipton, DIHom is available for consultation for custom flower essences as is Carol Yeh-Garner.

There is also a formula called Bach Rescue Sleep for sleep issues. It has all of the essences of Rescue Remedy plus White Chestnut. It is excellent for babies.

One of the guests asked about an essence useful for physical pain & Willow recommended using Cherry Plum, which is good for fear of losing control, but is also good for neurological issues & arthritic issues.

Helpful books:
Bach Flower Remedies for Women by Judy Ramsell Howard
Growing Up with Bach Flower Remedies by Judy Ramsell Howard
Bach Flower Remedies for Men by Stefan Ball

What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a therapeutic system of medicine that is based on the principle of the Law of Similars or “Like Cures Like”. The law of similars states that the same substance that produces disease symptoms in a healthy person, when given in concentrated doses, can also cure a sick person with similar symptoms, when given in a very diluted form. For example, if you’re experiencing running eyes and burning nose like you’ve been peeling an onion, a homeopathic remedy, called Allium Cepa, made from the red onion, will effectively dry up similar allergy and cold symptoms. It is a holistic and natural healing method, treating the whole person and not just the symptoms of the disease. By whole person, we mean, not just the physical symptoms, but also the mental-emotional and spiritual, as well.

How does it work?
Homeopathy aims to aid and stimulate the body’s own immune processes, known as the vital life force. Homeopathic medicines use tiny doses derived from the plant, mineral and animal kingdoms to stimulate a person’s inherent natural defenses. These medicines are prescribed to the individual, rather than the particular illness. For example, a room full of patients, all having symptoms of influenza will present their illness differently and therefore each may require a different, specific homeopathic remedy. The labels on the bottles of homeopathic remedies are not particularly helpful in choosing a remedy that fits the exact symptom picture, which makes the necessity of some kind of education important. Unlike many western medicines, with side effects, in homeopathy less is more, and the remedies are so highly dilute that the treatment yields no side effects. The remedies are given in much smaller and less toxic doses than traditional medications, and are used for both prevention and treatment. I like to recommend a 30C potency for most of the homeopathic remedies. This potency is a medium potency, good for acute and chronic conditions. They are generally faster acting in acute conditions than the low potencies and are used where there is a higher vitality.

The Classical & The Combination Methods
This medicine was perfected over 200 years ago by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a chemist, medical doctor and medical transcriber. However, the basis of homeopathy has been around since ancient times. Hahnemann theorized that most cases would benefit from using only one remedy at a time. Homeopathic pharmaceutical companies and some homeopaths employ the combination method. In this method, several different polychrest remedies (remedies that most often treat a particular symptom in most people), in several different potencies, are combined for a certain condition in the hope that one of them will be the correct remedy.

Dr. Hahnemann found that patients he had to travel to treat had better outcomes than patients he treated in his office. He found that the more the remedy was shaken (due to traveling over cobblestone streets), the more effective they were.
1 drop of the original material to 10 drops of water done 100 times & then hand succused (shaken)= C potency. The higher the potency/number, the more dilute & the safer. CK means it was machine succused. C means it was hand succused.
The remedies are so diluted, they won’t be stressful to the immune system. The duration & severity of an illness or disease will be decreased by at least 50% with the use of homeopathic remedies.
Wait 15 minutes after taking a sublingual homeopathic remedy before drinking water or using anything with mint, camphor or eucalyptus because it’ll minimize absorption. Homeopathic pellets are good up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Homeopathic liquids are good in any heat (except boiling) or cold temperatures.

HOMEOPROPHYLAXIS
Homeoprophylaxis is the principle of prescribing homeopathics on the basis of
prophylactics or prevention of disease. Hahnemann noted that homeopathic medicines
can act as prophylactic medicines when the remedy, in its proving, matches symptoms
similar to a particular disease. Hahnemann called it Genus Epidemicus – where you
find a remedy that is similar to the symptoms found in a majority of patients suffering in an epidemic disease and if given to the patient before the onset of the disease, it prevents the epidemic disease or when given during the disease, cures the patient.
Usually nosodes (remedies prepared from the pathogen) are used. However, many
times even more effective results can be seen with a commonly known polychrest
homeopathic remedy. For example for Pertussis (Whooping cough) Drosera has
successfully cured cases and Pertussinum, the homeopathic nosode was not needed.

One of the largest trials of homeoprophylaxis was against an outbreak of
meningococcal disease in Brazil. 65,826 children were given the homeopathic nosode
Meningococcinum and 23,539 were not protected. The effectiveness of
homeoprophylaxis after 6 months was 95%, and after 12 month follow-up 91%. (Source
taken from Mroninski C, Adriano E, Mattos G. Meningococcinum: Its protective effect
against meningococcal disease. Homoeopathic Links Winter, 2001. Vol 14(4); pp. 230-
4).

Isaac Golden, ND, PhD, DHom, in Australia has been extending homeoprophylaxis to
long-term use (homeopathic vaccines), with an average effectiveness of around 90%,
and a very high level of safety, which is comparable to measures of vaccine
effectiveness, which range from 70%-90%, depending on the individual vaccine and the
type of trial used. References for studies may be found in Vaccination and
Homeoprophylaxis – A Review of Risks and Alternatives, 6th edition.

It is also important to state that no method of disease prevention is ever 100% effective. However, homeoprophylaxis provides a definite level of protection against infectious diseases, which is not 100%, but which is comparable to that of vaccines.

There is a theory that recommends giving a patient their constitutional remedy (if
known) as first response. The idea is to boost the immune system and vitality in order to enable the patient to resist illnesses to which they are exposed.

NOSODES
Homeopathic remedies may be derived from plant, mineral, and some animal origins. In the case of nosodes we are concentrating on remedies derived from biological sources, which can be of immeasurable value in homeopathic therapy.

Nosodes are homeopathic remedies prepared from human diseased tissue, matter and
discharges (like cancer or pus). All the tinctures and potencies are prepared like other remedies. The end result is that these medicines do not contain active or live
organisms.

The nosodes were originally prepared and proven in the 1930’s by the
Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital, in Scotland, by Dr. John Paterson and his wife
Elizabeth and Dr. Edward Bach. To the date, there are nearly 200+ nosodes available.
Nosodes are primarily used in prophylaxis (preventative measures), which makes them
an important alternative to most common vaccinations.

One should not be overly apprehensive that these nosodes are prepared from diseased
tissues. In practice, the remedies in their potentized form contain killed viruses or bacteria that are entirely safe themselves and are not pathogenic. Excellent notes on nosodes are given in further detail (beyond Boericke’s Materia Medica) in Robin Murphy’s Lotus Materia Medica, Hahnemann’s Chronic Diseases, Berkeley Squire’s
Repertory of Homeoapthic Nosodes and Sarcodes, Allen’s Keynotes with Nosodes,
Allen’s Materia Medica of the Nosodes.

PROTOCOL FOR EPIDEMICS
Homeopathy has a more than two hundred year history of success with epidemic
diseases. Hahnemann himself used Belladonna to treat and prevent scarlet fever in the epidemic of 1801. He then went on to use homeoprophylaxis to prevent such diseases as cholera and typhoid.

Typically the common potencies used for nosodes, are 200C, 1M and 10M (higher potencies but safer because they are farther away from the original source; also have no side effects at the higher potencies). However, especially in short-term or acute situations, we cannot stress enough the importance of
matching the potency to the person’s vitality and level of health. For prophylaxis, you can take a dose of the appropriate nosode 3 times a week. If there has been exposure, or possibility of exposure, you can take one to two doses of the appropriate nosode daily for 7-10 days. If symptomatic, three to four doses daily until symptoms improve. If you do not have nosodes available there is usually polychrest remedies that will be effective if they correctly match your symptoms. Please note, in situations with serious infections, especially bacterial, an allopathic treatment is recommended and may be used concurrently with the homeopathic remedies, successfully. There is no active material left in a 30C or greater potency & homeopathic remedies are so diluted that they won’t be stressful on the immune system.

Nosodes are not readily found over the counter (with the exception of Histaminum and
Oscillococcinum). You can usually find them online and some of the resources below:

CelleTech www.celletech.com 800-888-4066

Helios www.helios.co.uk

Homeopathy www.homeopathyovernight.com 800-ARNICA30

Overnight Ainsworths www.ainsworths.com 888-689-1608

Or you can order them through Willow Tipton, DIHom.

PROTOCOL IN LIEU OF VACCINATIONS:
Use the appropriate single nosode remedy or nosode blend.

Examples of nosode blends:
Pedia Pro - DTaP
RMV Pro - MMR
Vesi Pro - Pox
PF Pro - Polio
TBR Pro - Tuberculosis
HP Lvrpro - All Hepatitis
Flumaxpro - All influenza strains

Take TravelPro & PF Pro (polio) for international travel. You can also use homeopathics on your pets. She encourages you to request that the vet run titers on your pets because they usually over-vaccinate pets. Your pet may have gotten enough of the vaccine to have caused the body to develop immunity, which is what the titer will measure.

Introduce one nosode or blend at a time, when healthy - 2 sprays 1 time a day for 2 weeks or 200C 1 dose daily.

Repeat yearly until 5 years old.

Do a “booster” at puberty time.

If exposed 2 sprays of appropriate spray 2 times a day or 2 doses a day of single nosode (200C) for 2 weeks.

If symptomatic, 2 sprays of appropriate spray 3 times a day for as long as needed or 3 doses a day of single nosode (200C).

PROTOCOL ALONG WITH VACCINATIONS:
Choose the appropriate or corresponding nosode or nosode blend for the vaccine given. Take 1 dose of 200C 2 times a day for 3 days, or 2 sprays of blend 2 times a day for 3 days.

COMPLICATIONS FROM VACCINATIONS AND PREVENTING COMPLICATIONS:
Thuja 30C and Silicea 30C 1 dose of each before vaccination (If able to prevent).
2 doses of each after vaccination for 3 days. Throws out inorganic material in the body.

Use Ledum Pal 30C if injection site is very painful.

Use Belladonna 30C or 200C if a fever comes after vaccination.

LINKS TO VACCINE DECISION AND HOMEOPATHIC VACCINES

http://arcanum.ca/2009/05/17/homoprophylaxis-in-cuba-a-monumental-success/

http://hpathy.com/homeopathy-papers/dr-hahnemann%E2%80%99s-two-approaches-to-prevention/

http://www.heilkunst.com/directory/michelle.html http://theatlasoflife.com/2010/06/08/natural-disease-decline-immunization-effectiveness-and-immunization-dangers/

http://thedoctorwithin.com/index_fr.php?page=articles/sanctity_blood.php


http://www.naturalrearing.com/J_In_Learning/Vaccinations.htm http://thinktwice.com/nosodes.htm

http://thinktwice.com/vaccine.htm http://www.sriaurobindosociety.org.in/activity/editorial.htm

http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/ask-the-doctor/2007/05/pros-and-cons-of-vaccinating-y

http://www.attachmentparentingdoctor.com/vaccinations.html

Willow also spoke about the recent ban by the FDA of teething tablets due to the fact they contain belladonna. She said that the amount of belladonna is minute in teething tablets. She recommended using Boiron’s Chamillia teething tablets which still contain belladonna but at the higher potency so there is no risk of any side effects or harm to your infant.

You can contact Willow Tipton at www.place360healthspa.com or call 858-793-1104. She is available for private consultations in her office located in Del Mar as well as over-the-phone & Skype sessions. She also teaches seminars in San Diego, CA about Homeopathy & Bach Flower Essences through www.LearnHomeopathyNow.com.

You can learn more about San Diego Birth Network & find a list of practitioners (childbirth educators, doulas, midwives, OBs, chiropractors, acupuncturists, homeopaths, cranial sacral therapists, clinical nutritionists, osteopaths, etc) that support the normalcy of birth at www.sandiegobirthnetwork.com. They have monthly meetings for practitioners & often have them open to the public like Willow’s seminar. If you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, please visit the website for great articles.
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Thanks again to Willow for coming to San Diego Birth Network's March meeting & for sharing this very useful information!

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