A HypnoBirthing Story: Tracy and Tom

Tracy and Tom took Carol's HypnoBirthing classes in May 2011 at Seaside Women's Health in Encinitas, North County San Diego.

"Well I finally got around to writing our HypnoBirthing story. I just kind of let it roll. I can't thank you enough for guiding us through this experience. Getting stung by a stingray while surfing hurt more than labor and you can quote me on that. I gave birth exactly on my guess date -I was 40 weeks (my doc was willing to let me go another week). I had no drugs and Ellie was 6 lbs 13oz and 19 inches. From the time I had my first surges to her birth was less than 8 hours. I was only at the hospital for 3 hours before she was born. She is a joy to be around. Here is our story:"




At around 5:00 a.m on September 12th I woke up with what felt like mild cramping. I wasn’t really sure what I was feeling, so I got up and tried to finish a project “just in case” this was the real thing. In the background I played my Rainbow Relaxation. At around 6:30 a.m. I started timing my “cramps” which seemed to be coming about 6 minutes apart. Slightly in denial, I said to myself –“I’ll wake Tom if it is consistent three more times in a row”. I said this to myself about 4 or 5 times. Our Hypnobirthing plan was to labor at home as long as possible and only go to the hospital when my surges were about 3 ½ to 4 minutes apart…I figured this would be a long haul so I told Tom to finish any work he may have and then he could read me some Hypnosis scripts we received in class and help me with my relaxation work. I still had the Rainbow Relaxation CD on and I was doing hip rolls on our physio ball while calling friends and family. I stopped timing the surges around 7:30 a.m., but at around 8:30 a.m. the intensity jumped up a notch and I was suddenly at 4 minutes apart. I tried not to stress out and I mentioned to Tom that he might want to eat something because we would be leaving for the hospital within the hour.

Tom did not eat anything.

I had the Rainbow Relaxation CD playing in the car during the ride to the hospital and I felt very calm and relaxed. I breathed through each surge while envisioning an opening flower and although at times there was a lot of pressure, I was never in any pain. My water broke one block from the hospital so I was admitted immediately. By the time we got off the 78 (25 minutes later) my surges were 3 minutes apart. It was 10:30 a.m. The admitting nurse said I was only at 2 cm and I remember thinking –“ I should have waited at home longer”. We were shown to our private room where I changed into my own gown, turned down the lights and listed to my iPod –you guessed it–still listening to the Rainbow Relaxation. Our labor and delivery nurse was amazing -she read our plan and asked us our preferences for every little thing she did. She said she had been a part of a few hypnobirths and was familiar with the concept. Tom and I both felt like she respected our wish to be in charge of our own birth. My sister and my friend were also present and said the staff seemed very open to our plan.



The next 2 hours were a blur. I was completely focused during my surges but the mood in my room was light in between surges and we were joking around and telling Ellie it was fine to come out whenever she was ready. At around 12:30 p.m. my surges were about 2 ½ minutes apart and Tom mentioned he was really hungry. I shot him a “seriously” look as he asked the nurse for the nearest pizza delivery place. At 1:00 p.m. I felt an intense pressure near my rectum and I remember Carol saying “If you feel like you have to’go’ –you’re close”. I told my sister I felt like I had to go to the bathroom and as a veteran of 2 hypnobirths she ran to get our nurse. It was time. I actively breathed Ellie down for about an hour and 15 minutes and she was born drug free at 2:04 p.m. I was told a pizza delivery boy arrived at our room around 1:30 p.m. and is scarred for life –Tom gave him a big tip.



Afterthoughts:
Hypnobirthing was such an integral part of Ellie’s healthy birth. During labor Ellie’s heart rate dropped and there was talk of a C section –I looked my doctor in the eye and said –if you let me sit up I think we’ll be o.k. She let me get in a more comfortable position and sure enough Ellie’s heart rate jumped right back up to normal. I knew my body, and my doctor was respectful of my decision. All in all I would say that even if your birth doesn’t go exactly how you want it to go –hypnobirthing gives you the tools to be in charge of your own birth. We also treated the staff with respect and got respect right back. Tom and I worked a lot on our scripts and I did a lot of visualization –without the work I don’t think our birth experience would have been the same. As part of our plan, we decided ahead of time that complications may arise, but we need to make informed decisions –and we did. Ellie is now 3 months old and she is a calm and very happy baby –I attribute her amazing demeanor to a calm and happy birth experience. Thank you Carol.

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Congratulations, Tracy and Tom! Thank you so much for sharing your HypnoBirthing story! I'm so glad that you were able to have such an amazing birthing experience. That is the goal of my teaching...to give women and their partners the information and confidence they need so that they can have the most comfortable, calm, empowering birth experience possible! Enjoy your babymoon!

If you are interested in taking HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, please visit our website at www.AWellLivedLife.net to learn more and to see the schedule of upcoming classes. Carol and Kelly teach classes in North County San Diego. If their schedule doesn't fit your schedule, please contact them and they can refer you to other local practitioners. If you are outside San Diego, CA, please vist www.hypnobirthing.com and go to Find a Practitioner to find a class near you.

www.AWellLivedLife.net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

A HypnoBirthing Story -- Nick and Jamie

Nick & Jamie took Carol's HypnoBirthing classes on Tuesday evenings in September 2011 at Babies by the Sea Boutique. Here is their birth story:

Bryce William was born on Monday 11/7/11 @ 9:49pm 7lbs 10 oz 20 inches long at Pomerado Hospital. On Sunday 11/6 I woke up and thought my water broke, so my husband and I went for a long walk and did errands. That night I started having surges that got 4 minutes apart but not really uncomfortable so we called Dr. Cobb and he said it was up to us but he would be out of town tomorrow but we still had time tonight to have our baby. I kinda started to panic. I really wanted him to deliver my baby so I told my husband, Let's go to the hospital...its time. We got there. I had my birthing ball and my iPod. I was all ready to go then the nurse checked me and said my water had not broken and I was only 1 cm dilated but having good contractions, so I said I'm going home. I got really discouraged so my husband read the balloon script (fear release) over and over , till I felt OK with the fact that Dr. Cobb may not deliver me.
So I continued having surges all through the night and Monda., I just kept listening to the rainbow relaxation hypnosis script and birthing affirmations, walking, squatting and doing my sleep breathing through surges and at 2:30pm, Seaside Women's Health called me and asked how I was doing. I said, good...I'm having surges but nothing I can't talk through or handle but they are 3 minutes apart and I don't want to go back to the hospital for them to tell me I'm 4cm , so Andrea said come in and Dr. Biter will check you . At 3:30pm we saw Dr. Biter. He checked me and said, Buddy you are 9 1/2 centimeters and the only thing holding your baby in is your water bag and its bulging out like a water balloon. We were all so excited.. So they called the hospital and said we were on our way. Dr. Biter told Nick if we don't make it to call the office and he would walk him through it. I was all for it, Nick not so much.
So we drove to Pomerado in traffic and got there around 5 pm. I gave the nurse my birth plan and told her I was 9 1/2 centimeters. She asked who told me that and I said my doctor. She just gave me a look of disbelief, then she checked me and apologized and said yes you are 9 1/2 cm. I gave her my birth plan which was no drugs at all and no IV. All I had was a hep lock, but nothing ever got put in it. I listened to my relaxation CD and did my breathing while rocking on the birthing ball through each surge. The nurses were amazed how calm and quiet I was during surges and then talking and laughing with my husband and friend in between.
When I got to ten centimeters my water broke. They said I had to get the baby past my pubic bone and then I could push and that baby was sunny side up. I remembered what Carol said and I got on all fours until I had the strongest urge to push and really push. I didn't breath him down. I was trying to breath him down and my body just pushed so I went with it. I felt really strong and alert. I also felt very hot. I kept telling them to turn the air on, and my husband and friend had to fan me the entire time. There was lots of pressure and some stinging at the end. I kept visualizing him coming out . When I thought I had no more strength, I said is he out yet, they said almost. The doctor had me reach down and feel his head and I was determined to get him out and at 9:49pm Bryce was born. They put him on my tummy right away for skin to skin since his cord was very short he couldn't reach my chest. The doctor said they had to cut the cord right away because there was a tear in it, which I was bummed about. I had a small tear that required one stitch but I felt great. The doctor and nurses said I humbled them and that they were proud of me and couldn't believe all the hair he had. I can't wait for my next Hypno birth!

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Congratulations, Nick and Jamie! Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful story, I'm so happy to hear the HypnoBirthing techniques were so useful for you! Enjoy your babymoon!

If you are interested in taking HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, please visit our website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net to learn more and to see the schedule for upcoming classes. Carol & Kelly teach classes in North County San Diego. If their schedule doesn't fit your schedule, please contact them and they will refer you to other local practitioners. If you are outside San Diego, CA, please visit www.hypnobirthing.com & go to Find a Practitioner to find a class near you.

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

Lachelle & Pierre's HypnoBirthing story

Lachelle & Pierre took my HypnoBirthing classes on Tuesday nights in August 2011 at Babies by the Sea Boutique. Here is their birth story:

We are so grateful for the tools and all the things to look out for, how to respond to what the doctors will tell you and the general peace and confidence that hypnobirthing gave us. After almost 14 hours of natural labor, using all we had learned, I was only 3 cm opened and we knew I was in for a long labor. I had been asleep through almost all of it until this point when we had to give in to some help from pitocin and the epidural. Almost another 14 hours would go by with threats of c-sections every 30 mins as we discovered Lennon's cord was wrapped around some body part or she was sitting on it and therefore unable to receive oxygen while I was having contractions. My doctor was amazing and delivered me vaginally even after all other staff was shaking their heads that I was definitely a c-section patient and my little pumpkin would never survive back to back contractions of the pushing phase. 30minutes of heart dropping pushing and then silence after all contractions as we would all wait holding our breaths waiting to hear that little heart beat pick back up again- very scary but again my doctor is a super hero and she got us and the baby through, even with a double wrapped cord around Lennon's neck.

I am thankful for the confidence that I was given going into labor, and for all the situations and how to deal with them we spoke of in class.. . they all happened to me. They wanted to screw that thing (internal monitor)into Lennon's head, they wanted to give me a c-section while my doctor was away in surgery for a couple hours and wasn't there to defend me, they wanted to scare me using language that was unfair and shouldn't be threatened to any mother. We knew to ask for our 10 minutes to talk it over, we knew to act quickly to defend our baby when we saw the heart monitor tool that screws into the baby's head. Thank you so much Carol. Birth looks so different for everyone. I learned through this experience that you cannot plan when it comes to mother nature and to not be disappointed when things don't go as planned. I do not regret taking the drugs that I did to get through the birth and I have hypnobirthing to thank for that- as weird as that sounds- I am not guilty or disappointed in myself. We are all healthy and well.
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Thanks so much for sharing your story, Lachelle! I'm so glad that the classes helped you & Pierre feel empowered and educated so that you could know what options you had and not feel bullied into interventions that weren't necessary. Yes, sometimes birth doesn't end up as we all plan for and hope for. Sometimes our little ones have different journeys than we plan for and the best thing we can do it trust our instincts and be flexible. While I know you had hoped so much to have a completely unmedicated birth, the fact that YOU chose the medications/interventions to help you have a better outcome for your birth experience is my ultimate goal in teaching HypnoBirthing. I want ALL of my couples to have no regrets after their birth no matter what happened because I want them to feel in control, educated & empowered throughout their pregnancy & birth. Congratulations on the birth of Lennon Rose!

If you are interested in taking HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, please visit Carol's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net to learn more and to see the schedule for upcoming classes. Carol & Kelly teach classes in North County San Diego. If their schedule doesn't fit your schedule, please contact them and they will refer you to other local practitioners. If you are outside San Diego, CA, please visit www.hypnobirthing.com & go to Find a Practitioner to find a class near you.

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

A HypnoBirthing story--Roshni & Naveen

Roshni & Naveen took my HypnoBirthing classes at Seaside Women's Health in Encinitas to prepare for their second birth. Their first birth was a c-section and they very much wanted to have a vaginal birth after c-section. They decided to have a homebirth with Dr. Biter & San Diego Midwife, LaShel Montgomery and Jamin Sylvada.

Baby Ira’s Birth Story

Wednesday, 2 November started out as a pretty regular day for us, with Naveen working from home like he does most Wednesdays and me getting Rian, our 3-year old ready for school. I had my prenatal appointment with Dr. Biter at noon and Naveen wanted to come along since we thought we would get to see our little one in an ultrasound. I had been getting practice surges for a few weeks now and also some cramping but nothing else and so was convinced that I would be going over my “due date” of 4 November. Although we were anxious, we tried not to think about it. We wanted to give ourselves the best option for an unmedicated natural VBAC and so had opted for a homebirth with Dr. Biter and the dream team.

We were very excited and anxious at the same time and the last few days were hard to focus on anything but the birth and how it would be. We had prepared the supplies and everything was ready to go! So to distract my mind, I activated my new iPhone that morning with the intention of immersing myself with learning to use it and also went around doing errands before my appointment! Then we went for our appointment with Dr. Biter at noon and were pleasantly surprised to see LaShel there. We ended up chatting with her for a while and she reassured us that everything would be fine. She also noticed my tummy tightening. Then Dr. Biter came in and also said the same thing. We did an ultrasound hoping to get a good 4D picture of our little angel in her now cramped home but she had turned face down and we could not get a clear picture, nevertheless I still took the very first photo on my new iPhone of our little angel inside her home within me! Dr. Biter then said he would see me early next week and then chuckled “or maybe tonight”!

We had lunch and returned home at 2 pm. I was very tired and went to take a short nap at 2:30pm. At 2:36 pm I felt this strong kick and quite painful cramping for about a minute. Then for the next half hour I felt strong cramping every 8- 10 minutes as I lay there on the bed. So I called Naveen and then got out of bed. It felt like my water had broken but I was not sure. So I called Dr. Biter and he said that if nothing changes then he would see me the next morning to determine if my water had really released. I called our doula Dawn and was talking to her when I got up and suddenly there was a strong gush and there was no doubt that my waters had released. The surges now were still of the same intensity and about 8-10 minutes apart. They were just uncomfortable but bearable.

So now that we were officially in early labor we started preparing our bedroom and Naveen got busy spreading plastic all over the carpet, setting up the water tub etc. I helped where I could in between the surges and alternated between the birth ball and helping Naveen. Dawn and I decided that she would come over at 7 pm to be with me while Naveen went to drop Rian off at my sister’s home in Orange County. Later my sister called to say that she would instead come to our home and bring Rian with her so that Naveen did not have to leave me.

I am not sure how the time went and before I knew Dawn arrived home and I felt an immediate sense of comfort. She observed me for a bit and said that my belly was low or “pendulous” and the baby was not quite in the pelvis. My surges were now 4-5 minutes apart but very short in duration. So she suggested that we go for a curb walk (one foot on the curb, one on the asphalt) to help the baby engage into the pelvis. Dr. Biter called me to check how I was doing. He said that he would come very soon to “catch the baby” and that I should try and rest as much as possible. Rian was being quiet and staying away from me as he must have guessed something is going on. So we asked him if he wanted to join us but he said he “no thank you, I want to relax with my dad”. For a moment I felt guilty that I was the cause of this discomfort in my little one and that our exclusive and precious Rian-Mama times together was coming to an end, but I canceled that thought quickly thinking that this was temporary and that he would have a sibling to play with soon.

So it was just Dawn and me and we went outside at 8:30 pm and walked for perhaps 10 minutes. By then my sister and her family arrived and we came back inside the house. My surges started getting longer, a bit more intense but further apart. Dawn, my sister and I headed upstairs and spent some time together chatting before Rian and my sister’s family left. Rian was a changed boy once he saw his cousin and playmate and was happy again!

When Naveen joined us upstairs my labor actively progressed as Dawn had predicted and the surges got more and more uncomfortable, and I also started feeling cold and started trembling. Don’t quite know how things changed after that but I went into active labor and Naveen and Dawn helped me through each of the surges as they became more and more intense. Initially I made low moaning noises but then I got tired and breathless and eventually I just tried to breathe downwards through each one with Dawn’s help. She kept reminding me to embrace the pain and not fight it; to imagine the energy moving down and out. She also applied counter pressure on my lower back which helped a lot and Naveen simultaneously squeezed my hand.

I alternated between lying on the bed and sitting on the toilet. The surges on the toilet felt like they would lift me out of my body at times and so I asked Naveen to stand on my feet so I would feel grounded when the surges came and would not fly off! All that pressure somewhat relieved the sensations from the surges. I also got into the shower and the water tub at times but I kept getting cold and did not feel good in the water tub at all. Sometime, probably around 11 pm I opened my eyes and saw that Dr. Biter had arrived and his calm presence gave me an instant relief and also the reassuring feeling that things were progressing well. He examined me gently and also massaged away some cervical scar tissue while I went through another surge. Although this was very uncomfortable, Dr. Biter was ever so gentle and encouraging through it. He then said that I was getting close and that I was between 6 and 7 cms.

After that it was just trying to get through each surge and for the next two hours I was in transition and at times felt like this would go on forever. Suddenly when I was in the tub Dawn whispered that I was 9.5 cm! Wow, I thought, soon I could push and our baby would be out. Dr. Biter asked if I had the urge to push but I did not though the surges just kept getting stronger and I just wanted to be on the bed. Shortly after, I did get the feeling to void myself and apparently I made low grunting noises which was when Dr. Biter suggested that I try pushing.

I think pushing was the hardest part for me because no matter how hard I tried I felt the baby was not coming through and I felt I was not engaging the right muscles. Dr Biter made me change positions several times and move from side to side. I also sat on the toilet again to see if that would help the baby descend further down. I was then asked to squat. Although it was painful, Dawn whispered in my ear that the pelvis gets 33% wider in a squatting position and she recommended that I squat for a couple of surges. After that I was back on the bed and it was time to push again! I don’t know how many times I pushed, just remember being extremely exhausted with the pressure and having a tremendous urge to just close my eyes and sleep, but each time my surges went down, my uterus was massaged to start it up again.

Dr. Biter then softly talked to me about going beyond the exhaustion, giving me the example of walking over hot rocks on the beach to get to the beautiful ocean, about how close I was to having the VBAC that I had dreamt of. He also asked me to reach down and feel the baby’s head just waiting to emerge. He was so soft and so encouraging and my sweet husband Naveen fed me grapes and coconut water so I get more energy to push further.

Then out of the blue during one of those pushes Dawn asked me to open my eyes and look down, and there she was-magically out of me at 3:06 am after two hours of pushing-7lbs and 8 oz, and 20 inches long! Naveen and I lifted her gently while Dr. Biter supported her and our little angel Ira was on my chest. It was the most amazing and beautiful moment of my life so far that I still cannot believe happened. Just for this one moment I would go through all of that pain and more! Ira was our champion and stayed strong through the whole labor. Never once did it even occur to me that I should take any medication for the pain or that I was having a VBAC! Everything was so natural and almost sacred in so many ways and the support I had from my husband, Dawn and the dream team was just awesome.

I had a very minor tear that Dr. Biter sutured up gently, did not feel a thing! He then revealed to us that Ira had an arm on her head (nuchal hand) and the cord was wrapped loosely around her neck, arm, waist and her leg twice! So Dr. Biter had to slowly ease her out while I pushed! So although Ira showed no distress, she sure was all tangled up! No wonder I felt like I was pushing my heart out and she just would not descend! Dr. Biter was so calm and confident that no one could tell what was happening! Ira latched on immediately and she is such a calm, happy baby, nurses and sleeps as they say just “like a baby”!

I was diligent in listening to the Rainbow Relaxation CD every night for the last two months but somehow I never got to listening to it during labor at all, but Dawn said that I used all the hypnobirthing tools during labor and was very calm, quiet and focused especially during transition. She even said that it was hard at times to tell whether I was having a surge and she was concerned that perhaps things were slowing down. But then she realized that I only reacted at the very peak of the surge! I do remember reminding myself to think of being closer to my baby during each of the surges and that the pain was getting me closer to meeting my baby.

Dawn was simply amazing in reminding and coaching me to embrace the pain and go towards and not fight it. Anyone looking for a doula, look no further!! Thanks Carol for the tools you provided us during hypnobirthing class! Many thanks for the wonderful and loving support from my husband and many thanks to Dr. Biter and the dream team to help us achieve our dream birth. San Diego is truly fortunate to have them and I hope that many more will be able to have the transformative experience that we did! An unmedicated totally natural birth is the most empowering and beautiful experience a woman can ever have! After my previous C-section, this has been a sacred and healing process for us! Homebirths are the way to go!!
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Thanks for sharing your story, Roshni & Naveen! It is such an inspiring story! I'm thrilled that you were able to have such a healing, empowering VBAC!

If you are interested in taking HypnoBirthing classes to prepare for your birth, please visit Carol's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net to learn more.

If you are interested in hiring Dr. Biter & San Diego Midwife, LaShel & Jamin, please visit their website www.sandiegomidwife.com. You can also contact Dr. Biter at 760-642-0800.

If you are interested in hiring Dawn to be your doula, you can contact her via her website at www.douladawn.com.

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

Erica & James' 2nd HypnoBirthing story

Erica & James took my HypnoBirthing classes for their first baby and had a great experience. When she got pregnant for the 2nd time, they took the class again to refresh themselves on the material. They took my Thursday night classes in July 2011 at Seaside Women's Health in Encinitas, CA (North County San Diego). Here is their birth story:

When I found out I was pregnant with our second child I knew that I wanted to do things differently this time around. Our first baby, Blake, was born in a hospital and although it was a fairly good experience, I wanted something better. Even though we had a natural birth in a hospital setting, the environment was a stressful one. I was hooked up to uncomfortable and constricting monitors and an IV, while the nurses anxiously ran around. They coached me to push harder instead of listening to my body, and gave me an injection of Pitocin after Blake's birth without first consulting with me. After much research and finding the perfect team of midwives, we decided to have a homebirth for our second baby.

The experience with our midwives, LaShel and Jamin at San Diego Midwife, was incredible; they truly cared about our entire family. Words cannot describe how thankful I am for them! We also enrolled in Carol’s Hypnobirthing classes like we did during my first pregnancy. Carol gave me the greatest gift –confidence. Hypnobirthing gave me confidence in the birthing process, and in my ability to have a safe, natural birth.



Anya’s birth story:

At 38 weeks I woke up at 11:40 PM with some steady contractions that were about five minutes apart. I told my husband, James, that we should start getting things ready just in case this was it. We thought we might do a water birth so we got the birthing pool ready in our bedroom and placed several towels around it. Once we were done getting the room ready for the birth, I began to mentally prepare myself by listening to the hypnobirthing affirmations and Native American flute music while relaxing on a birthing ball.

The contractions continued to be consistent and were now every three minutes apart. They were mild enough that I could talk and even laugh through them. We called LaShel to let her know that I might be in labor. Since the labor seemed to be in the early stages, we determined that we would call her again when things started progressing. Shortly after ending our conversation, my contractions went from three minutes apart to four and then five minutes. I started to doubt myself—was I really in labor? Just as quickly as I asked myself that question, my body affirmed that this was indeed it through an extremely intense contraction. James called LaShel back to let her know we would need her and Jamin soon. I had another contraction and then had an overwhelming urge to use the bathroom. While in the bathroom, I reached down and, to my surprise, felt our baby’s head; she was crowning. Although LaShel only lived six minutes away, I knew we were going to have this baby on our own and was at peace with the idea, as I knew from Carol and our midwives that if things go fast they often go without complication.

I managed to walk back to the bedroom next to the birthing pool when the next contraction came. I squatted and with that contraction, my water broke and our baby’s head was out. Having read the week before on how to deliver a baby, James stayed incredibly calm and was ready to catch her. Just seven minutes after my first intense contraction, Anya was born into the arms of my husband who caught her in a beautiful purple and pink beach towel. What a proud moment this was for James! Blake must have intuitively known what was happening because he woke up and was calling for us. So after our baby girl started to cry and we knew she was okay, James ran and got Blake. The next several minutes were such a blessing… just the three of us together welcoming Anya. It was perfect! About three minutes after her birth, LaShel came running up our stairs and said, “Hi guys!” while laughing. We all laughed; I don’t think any of us could believe what just happened. Jamin arrived shortly after and performed Anya’s newborn exam. She weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces and was 19 inches long. She was born at 1:59 AM, which makes the entire labor only a little over two hours!



Anya’s birth was more amazing than I could have ever dreamed. As with Blake’s birth, her birth was so empowering and a day I will cherish forever. I am in awe of my body and its innate wisdom. I am incredibly grateful to have found such an incredible team of supportive women. Thank you Carol, LaShel, and Jamin for giving me the confidence and the opportunity to have a beautiful homebirth!
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Congratulations Erica & James! What an amazing story! Thank you so much for sharing! I hope life with two kids is going well!

If you are interested in HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, please visit Carol Yeh-Garner's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net to see Carol and her teaching partner, Kelly's class schedule. There are also several other HypnoBirthing instructors in San Diego as well as throughout the world, so check www.hypnobirthing.com in the Find a Practitioner section to find one near you.

If you are interested in having a homebirth with San Diego Midwives--LaShel & Jamin--you can contact them via their website at www.sandiegomidwife.com.

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

Kelli's HypnoFertility journey

Kelli shares her experience with HypnoFertility:

My experience with Carol was really life changing, not only for our fertility struggles and journey to have a baby, but also in how I now handle stress, challenges, and struggles in my life as a whole. I came to Carol following a year-long struggle with “unexplained infertility.” Following a miscarriage, I found myself seeking anything that would help our journey both medically and emotionally. After seeing her card in Dr. Biter’s office, I excitedly made my first appointment.

This appointment and the many that followed were the best “therapy” sessions I could have ever asked for! Through discussing our journey, ups/downs, emotions, and thoughts, Carol was able to be the caring, nonjudgmental, supportive listening ear that I desperately needed. Her expertise and the Hypnofertility practice were vital tools in redirecting my thinking from the befallen and negative to hopeful, optimistic, and driven to continue on our journey. I endearingly started to refer to Carol as my “fertility therapist” because I really felt that she truly was the one inspiring me emotionally and mentally in order to get me through this journey that can seem so impossible.

Throughout the year I spent with Carol there were other hardships. Painful treatments, another miscarriage, and many personal struggles that I thought were going to be too hard to overcome. I crumbled in her office following my second miscarriage feeling so weak and disheartened. However, I was able to pour my heart out to Carol in such a safe, nurturing environment and she was able to listen and affirm my emotions, yet give me the strength and reassurance that I would get past this and I would eventually have the baby that I so badly wanted. Every time I left a session with Carol, I felt renewed, centered, and with the skills I needed to overcome the emotional/mental challenges that the “infertility game” involves. She was able to target the fears, negativity, and insecurities that I was carrying with me and through the hypnosis work, we were able to work through these together and overcome their effect on my body and mind.

I was amazed that when we finally had to resort to IVF that I had a strength and optimism that would have seemed unfathomable to me a year before. My “head was in the game” and I knew that this was just another step in our story. I felt so strong when I told Carol in one session that, “I know I can do this. I know if this doesn’t work that I can do it again. I know I am going to keep doing this till we get our baby.” It was such a change from the crying and weak version of myself that sobbed that, “I can’t do this anymore” just a year before.

Although millions of women struggle with fertility issues, there is an overwhelming feeling of isolation, loneliness, and insecurity that we all struggle with. Carol truly made me feel that I wasn’t alone out there, that there was hope in my journey, and that I could find strength in the confidence that I would one day have my miracle baby. I couldn’t’ wait to let her know in October when we found out that our dreams came true and that our baby would finally join our lives in June! I cannot say enough about Carol and Hypnofertility… I tell anyone and everyone about my time spent with her. I trust her so deeply and I look forward to her now leading us through our wonderful birth experience through Hypnobirthing.
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Thank you so much for sharing your story, Kelli! I know it will help so many people that are struggling with infertility know they aren't alone. It has been a pleasure working with you and an honor to be a part of your journey. I look forward to meeting your little baby!

If you are dealing with infertility and would like more information about Carol's services, please visit her website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. Carol is a Nationally Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. The combination allows her to not only assist you in your journey using hypnosis, but also to support you as a therapist as well. Learn more by scheduling a free 1/2 hour no-obligation consultation with Carol by contacting her via her website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net

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

A HypnoBirthing story--Katie & Adam

Katie & Adam took my HypnoBirthing classes in August 2011 on Tuesday nights at Babies by the Sea Boutique in Cardiff by the Sea, CA (North County San Diego). Here is their birth story:

Aiden arrived on October 6th at 2:41am, 7 lb 15 ounces. The information we received from the Hypnobirthing class was so helpful and made it possible for us to be able to bring Aiden into this world naturally. I remember before attending Carol's class, watching hundreds of natural births on YouTube and bawling my eyes out and not wanting to do it. I never thought I could be so calm, collected and relaxed during labor and delivery. Adam was so amazing at reading the scripts, light touch massage and reading my body language that no one would have ever known that he snored his way through class! haha lol! I won't say it was easy, but knowing what to expect and having the tools to be able to stay relaxed during the whole experience is what made it overall a beautiful event for me, Adam and Aiden.

Here is our birth story:

Aiden has finally arrived!!!!! So our "guess date" was Oct. 5th, and this little guy had it planned to be on time. The night before the 5th we decided to get eggplant parmigiana from Buca de Beppo, we ordered enough to feed a small army. I had heard about a diner in Georgia that was known to have Mom to Be's go into labor after eating their famous eggplant parm, and my friend Kristina reminded me to try it because it worked for one of her friends. So I stuffed my face full of yumminess and called it a night, since I had an early morning the next day.

I woke up on my "guess date" which is also my Dad's birthday and felt a little pressure, but I knew I couldn't think about it. I went into the office, and had a few meetings that lasted till about noon. I went to the restroom and felt a little leakage and I am thinking to myself "NO WAY this is my water breaking at work on my Guess date". I waited a few minutes and then knew this was the real deal, instead of freaking out like my male co-worker did when I told him what was going on, I calmly told my boss"my water broke, and I will have my baby within 24 hours...YAY" and drove home. When I got home, I called my hypnobirthing instructor, Carol, to fill her in on our status, she was able to give me the reassurance I needed to stay at home until I felt comfortable and wish us well in our birthing experience. I think I even mentioned while on the phone with Carol that it was just good to hear her voice because it was just what I needed at the time of uncertainty. We stayed and labored at home in bed with Louie (our 3 lb Chihuahua) by my side till about 7pm, I wanted to stay at home later, but it was rainy out and with traffic we decided it would be best to go get settled at the hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital my Mom brought cookies and coffee for the staff and we got checked in, my doctor was at the hospital that night so we were so happy and relieved that she would be delivering our little man. When we got settled in I had Adam read the balloon trip script to relieve any anxious feelings I was having and it definitely helped me to be calm. I decided to use the Hep lock instead of IV and was happy to be able to frequent the toilet and be able to walk around the halls in my little labor gown I bought online and my furry Uggs without something attached to me. Things started progressing around 12:20am and I had my IPOD in my ear with my rainbow relaxation on repeat the whole time and Adam reading my scripts to keep me calm. I got checked and I was 5 cm dilated. I had both Adam and my Mom there doing whatever they could to keep me comfortable they were truly "MY DREAM TEAM". Things started moving quickly and I had the urge to push around 1:40 am, so the doctor checked me and I was 9 cm dilated. At this point not pushing was the hardest thing to do, but my "Dream Team" encouraged me to blow whenever I wanted to push. I went to the toilet so many times I thought he would have been delivered on the toilet. Finally I reached 10 cm and was able to push, this was such a relief and it actually felt good. After about 40 minutes of pushing, I was able to reach out for my baby!!!! After Papi Bear cut the chord and we just stared at him and both felt a love like no other. It was the most surreal experience and I was so happy that it had gone exactly as planned, it was truly beautiful... It felt so good to bring Aiden into this world naturally and to accomplish my goal. I could not have been so relaxed and pain free without my amazing husband and Mom, they were by my side the whole time helping me with whatever I needed.

What happened next was not part of the plan, but thanks to my hypnobirthing classes I took I remained calm throughout the next sequence of events. One minute I was enjoying my new baby and family, and then the next minute the doctor had a very concerned look on her face and was covered in blood. The first time I had really felt the pain was when she had to put her whole hand inside my uterus to try to stop the bleeding. My doctor then informed me that I was hemorrhaging so bad that I may have to have an emergency hysterectomy...here I am thinking "this was the most amazing experience and then this is happening right now? This must be a nightmare, and I am not going to be able to have any more kids? My mind was racing and all I could do was go back to my place of focus, think positive and be thankful that I have my son, husband and family all there supporting me. I had to be rushed into the OR at that point no discussion, no talking about options. I was frightened and just wanted to be with my baby.

We are now home settling in and enjoying time with our little man, our lives are forever changed and we feel so blessed.

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Congratulations Katie & Adam! You did a great job! Even with the special circumstance that happened at the end. I hope you've fully recovered now and are enjoying being parents! Thanks so much for sharing your story!

If you are interested in learning more about HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, please visit Carol's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. Carol Yeh-Garner & Kelly Pappas teach classes in North County San Diego. If their classes do not work with your schedule, please visit the www.hypnobirthing.com website and go to the Find a Practitioner section to find a practitioner near you.

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