Jenni & Bobby's 2nd HypnoBirth of a 9.5 lb baby!

Jenni & Bobby took my HypnoBirthing classes for their first birth and had a great experience. When they found out they were pregnant again, they contacted me for a refresher class. They came to sit in on a class to review techniques in order to prepare for their second birth. Here is their story:

Our beautiful Brynnlee Elaine was born on September 9th at 4:46 in the afternoon! She was 9.5 lbs and 20 inches!!!

It all started Saturday night around 10:30 and my contractions were 10 minutes apart for a good hour or so. They picked up a bit and then tapered off to about 14 minutes apart. Like my labor with Jordan, I let Bobby sleep and kept practicing what I was going to say to him the next morning when he woke up. Ha! I was able to get a decent amount of sleep in between contractions and was getting so annoyed and having to unlock my phone to use my contraction app every time I felt another one coming. I stopped timing them for a good portion of the night, as I felt I was wasting more energy analyzing them than was necessary.

The next morning when Bobby woke up, the most clever comment I could come up with was, "Today's the day!" I guess all of my prep work and practice from the night before didn't pay off. I then sent a text to LaShel and Jamin giving them a heads up that I was pretty certain Brynnlee was on her way and then texted my mom to see if she was able to come down and take care of Jordan during the birth. She was on her way shortly after getting the news.

Bobby, Jordan and I all got up and came downstairs like every other weekend morning. Bobby made me an egg over easy on a piece of toast and I just labored in the family room; sitting on my birthing ball, standing up and swaying, or leaning against the kitchen table. Jordan wanted "uppies", wanted to play and do normal playful things, and we just kept telling her that mama's tummy hurt and she needed to leave me alone.

My mom arrived only a few hours after texting her and was a huge help in keeping Jordan occupied. I continued to labor as I had been, but started to get discouraged when I was noticing that my contractions were 4 to 5 minutes apart, lasting 60 to 90 seconds while I was standing, but would slow down to 7 or 8 minutes apart, lasting 60 seconds max if I sat down. I was also falling asleep in between contractions while I was sitting, so I guess I hadn't gotten as much sleep as I had thought! I had been losing bits of my mucous plug for a solid two weeks prior, but also started to have a little bloody show here and there throughout the morning.

Earlier in the morning, LaShel had written me asking if she was ok to go to yoga at 10:30. I saw no problem with it since things hadn't really picked up. Around 11:30, I figured she would be out of class and I decided to update her and see what insight she may have for me. She called me right back and recommend I try to take a nap and get some rest and that my be just what my body needs in order for labor to pick up. So that's just what I did. When I got upstairs, Bobby had already prepped the room with all the plastic on the floor and under the fitted sheet on the bed. I curled right up on the bed and was able to get some rest after I decided to stop timing contractions again. I stayed there for a couple hours and LaShel checked in on me around 2:15. Contractions were about 6 minutes apart at that point and I was definitely not able to talk through them any more. She told me to let her know when I was ready for them and they would be over.

With Jordan, my water broke, contractions started and progressed steadily, and everything happened so fast. Mentally, I feel like I was holding on to the fact that my water hadn't broken, so I wasn't going to progress. I expressed my concern to her, to which she told me that my water may not break until I start pushing...duh...I knew that, but for some reason, I just expected everything to be more similar to Jordan's birth. Bobby then came in to check on me and I decided to go to the bathroom to make sure a full bladder wasn't preventing my water from breaking. While in there, I started to think about getting in the tub and Bobby must have read my mind because that was the next question he asked. I stayed on the toilet until the bath was ready. Getting in felt AH-MAZING. It was so soothing to my back. Until......my next contraction. I remember looking Bobby straight in the eyes and shaking my head, "No" and it was like I didn't know what to do with my body. I just wanted to find that one position that would alleviate all the pressure in my back, but there wasn't one. I eventually ended up sitting in the tub like you would normally to just relax and with each contraction, I laid my head back against the glass of the shower and moaned as deep as I could through it. Bobby was so amazing at being right there with me and letting me know if my tone was too high or if he could tell that I was tensing my butt muscles.

After laboring in the tub for a while, (it felt like at least an hour), I finally told Bobby that I was ready for LaShel and Jamin to come. I just needed to know where I was at and how much more I had to get through. Now looking through my texts, I realize that it had only been 45 minutes since I was texting her myself about my water not breaking. LaShel arrived shortly after 3pm. I got out of the tub once she was all set up and had her check me. Amy, a student midwife, had also arrived at this point and Jamin was on her way. Just like with Jordan, I could have sworn I was not going to be very dilated and I was going to lose my ever-loving mind. My body is now two for two in proving me wrong. I was already 8 cm with a bit of a cervical lip. Oh, I could not have been more relieved. I curled up on my side on the bed and just asked Bobby to apply counter pressure on my lower back. Jamin showed up in the mean time and one of them expressed that they didn't want me laying down and suggested I get up and sit on the toilet...the one place that I found the most excruciating while having a contraction. But.....if it was going to help, I was willing to try it out. The very next contraction that came on while I was on the toilet was H*LL!! The sounds that came out of my mouth were horrifying and I remember hearing Jamin say something like, "Yup, that's what we were hoping for!" I felt so much pressure at that point that I was so ready to get this baby out. I don't remember why, because I was a bit confused as to when I was going to start pushing, but I got off the toilet and ended up spending a few contractions leaning against the sink with Bobby applying counter pressure again. With each contraction, I was starting to squat down into it and finally asked when I was going to push. They told me I could start whenever I felt I was ready, so we made our way to the bed. I didn't want to push while laying on my back again, so I started out on my knees with my upper body over the birthing ball, but the ball was too high, so they stacked a bunch of pillows for me to drape myself over. This position was fine except that I was practically sitting on the bed still and this left no room for the baby to move down, let alone, out. So they told me I needed to lift my butt up a bit. Stink bug it was. My big bare A** up in the air, but I couldn't have cared less. I bared down a few times in this position and then ended up switching to a side lying position. I don't remember exactly why I decided to move, but I did. I continued to push in this position while pleading for someone to tell me how much longer I had to do this and dropping a number of F bombs. It felt like I had been pushing for hours. Time distortion was not on my side, as I ended up pushing for 12 minutes! LaShel ended up having to break my water for me and said that it was actually pretty difficult for her to rupture. It was housing our mighty healthy 9.5 lb baby girl after all! I had to sit with her head crowning in an attempt to help from tearing, but I ended up with a tear anyway. Once her head was out, LaShel told me to reach down and pull my baby out and I couldn't believe she was here. I reached down, grabbed her underneath her arms and went to pull her to my chest, but she slipped right out of my hands! I regripped and was holding my new love, my new life, my new baby girl on my chest. The feeling is indescribable.

And, without further ado, here is the latest addition to our family!

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Thanks so much for sharing your birth story! Wow...a 9.5 lb baby! You did an amazing job! I'm glad that the HypnoBirthing refresher class you took helped you have such an amazing experience!

If you're interested in learning more about Jenni's midwives, please visit www.SanDiegoMidwife.com.

If you're interested in learning more about HypnoBirthing classes in San Diego, Please visit Carol's website at www.AWellLivedLife.Net. If Carol's class schedule doesn't fit yours, she would be happy to refer to you some of the other practitioners in San Diego. If you're outside of San Diego, please visit www.HypnoBirthing.com to find an instructor near you.

Gina and Mike's HypnoBirthing Story

Gina and Mike took my classes on Tuesday evenings at Seaside Women’s Health in Encinitas, North County San Diego.

Zoe decided to make an early appearance six weeks ahead of her guess date! She is doing well, and I wanted to write to give you the news and to especially thank you for the HynoBirthing training because despite all the curve-balls we faced that fateful night, I managed to have a beautiful, peaceful hypnobirth!

My water started leaking steadily and fairly heavily at 10:45PM on the 14th, and because I was only at 34 weeks, I called the midwives' line at UCSD and luckily got a hold of Erica Wu, who was one of the midwives I'd seen during my prenatal visit. She suggested that we go down and get checked out just to be sure, and so we collected all our things very calmly and drove down to the UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest at around 12 am. I was sure that the baby was coming, and Mike was just as sure she was not, but luckily, he indulged me and drove me down! When they began monitoring me, it appeared that I was already in the 4-1-1 stage, but I never felt a thing except a very mild pressure. Erica said that because I was less than 36 weeks, she wouldn't be able to deliver me at the Birth Center, but that she would find the most natural birth friendly OB resident and attending, and that she didn't see any reason why I couldn't have a natural birth. She was true to her word, because by the time my surges became really powerful--around 3 AM, the nurses and OB resident had met with me, assured me that they would respect all our birth preferences (that we hadn't had a chance to discuss with our midwife or write down yet) and they did. The neonatologists, however, were less accommodating, and insisted that I give birth in the OR, but by then I was completely in my zone, breathing with each surge, changing positions, moving about, and never once opening my eyes or talking. It didn't matter to me where I gave birth because I was well and truly within myself and unaware of my surroundings. I had been listening to the Rainbow Relaxation and comfortable with Mike’s light massage during early labor, but I didn't want to listen to the CD or be touched during active labor. Our doula, Jenna Anderson, was awesome, applying cold and hot compresses, taking turns with Mike to apply counter-pressure on my hips, and at around 5 after I had a massive bout of vomiting (which felt really good afterward), she suggested that the resident check my cervix because she thought I was close (the resident said that she didn't need to check me at all before that because I was progressing so quickly and she didn't want to put me in any discomfort). I was 9 cm dilated at 5 am, ready to push by 5:30, and baby came after about 40 minutes of a combination of "purple pushing" and bearing down, both of which seemed completely intuitive to me at the time. The doctors and nurses (Drs. Mimi Schaeffer and Yvette Lacroisiere, and Juliette, the nurse), Jenna, and of course, Mike, were so encouraging and wonderful--- I felt like I was running a sprint with my most ardent fans egging me to the finish line, as gently and warmly as possible. No one ever mentioned Pitocin, epidurals, or episiotomies to me, I was allowed to do everything I wanted to, and even with a portable fetal rate monitor that I continuously had on my belly, no one ever gave me cause for alarm. Baby came easily, and I did tear very little, needing 1 stitch, which hasn't bothered me at all. Incidentally, we practiced perineal massage for the first time the evening of the 14th, so that poor perineum didn't get a chance to get properly exercised! I was really touched when both the nurse and resident said that they felt honored at having witnessed such a beautiful birth--Jenna said that she had never seen OBs treat a birth with such dignity.

If anything, the neonatologists have not been quite as respectful as the OBs, because they did not allow me initial skin-to-skin time with Zoe, nor an attempt at breastfeeding and they whisked her away to the NICU almost immediately. Mike went with them, and they did bring her to me briefly, but that part of it has been less than ideal. This is despite the fact that she weighed a respectable 5 lbs at birth, cried lustily as soon as she was born, and was pink, healthy, and vigorous. She's still in the NICU as a "feeder and grower" so that's hard, but I am so glad I was able to give her a drug and anesthesia-free birth. We are hoping that she comes home very soon, so we can continue bonding in a more comfortable space, when she doesn't have a dozen monitoring devices attached to her. Without the natural birth, I wouldn't have been feeling this good physically so soon after giving birth, and my time with her would be much more limited. I am almost fully recovered from the labor and delivery, save for some lingering exhaustion at the end of each day and my rigorous pumping schedule every 3 hours round the clock.

Thanks you for giving us the tools to be able to do this---it will always be one of the most amazing experiences in both my life and Mike’s.

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Congratulations, Gina and Mike! I am so happy that Zoe's birth was just as beautiful as you desired, even if it was a bit earlier than anticipated! I am thankful to hear that the HypnoBirthing techniques came in handy, and am also thankful to know that Zoe was on the road to recovery soon after you sent this story in. How wonderful you felt so respected and empowered for your experience!

For more information on Gina’s doula, Jenna Anderson: www.thebirthofadoula.blogspot.com

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

Ashlee and Gerard's HypnoBirthing Story

Ashlee and Gerard took my classes on Tuesday evenings in Encinitas, North County San Diego. Here is their story:

I hope things are going well! I just wanted to say that we had our Baby Girl!

Thanks to you and Linda Goldsmith, our doula, we had a natural birth and labor lasted approximately 9 hours.  It started around 11:30pm - Midnight with some menstrual type cramps.  The first 2 hours we didn't know we were in labor, the next 2 hours we started timing the surges.  Eventually the water broke and we left for the hospital.  We got to Scripps Encinitas at 6am and had the baby at 9:02 am.  We used the toilet, the back position, side positions and eventually delivered the baby in the hands and knee's position. 

It was awesome.  No pain meds, no tearing, only one stitch.  We left the hospital the following day and have taken multiple walks and been out to our favorite restaurant since then. 

Thanks for your classes they were great! 

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Congratulations! I am so happy that you found the HypnoBirthing techniques helpful and you had the birth that you desired! And thank you for your beautiful pictures- what joy! 

 

If you are interested in hiring Ashlee & Gerard's doula, Linda Goldsmith, you can contact her at 760-815-3852.

 

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

Denise and Brian's VBAC HypnoBirthing Story

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

Before labor, Denise wrote:

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

Labor:

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

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

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

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

Erica and Jordan's HypnoBirthing Story

Erica and Jordan took Carol’s HypnoBirthing classes on Thursday evenings at Seaside Women’s Health in Encinitas, North County San Diego.  Here is their son, Moses’, birth story:

The HypnoBirth that I anticipated did not go as planned, however, it was an amazing experience and I would not go back on any decisions I made, nor change anything about my 31 hour journey.

My water released at 8:30am on Wednesday, April 25th. Since I tested positive for Strep B, I knew that I would have to receive antibiotics within 18 hours. I called Jordan and he must have sensed the pending birth, because he was already in the driveway. At that point I decided not to attempt my Bikram yoga class, instead, we hung out at the house waiting for the surges. At 11:30am with no progress and such a beautiful day, we felt like a hike might get things rolling. We discovered Double Peak Park in San Marcos. I took my time up the 1000 foot elevation gain and made it to the top with no issues. I could start feeling more of a wave flowing through my body. I snacked on an apple at the top and took pictures. It was gorgeous and I highly recommend it! On our way home we stopped for tacos and thought maybe the spice would get it going. I began to feel stronger surges. When we got home we showered and relaxed in bed timing the surges. I was at about 7 minutes apart at 5pm. So, I put on my waves cd and Jordan began with affirmations and the ocean script. I found myself in deep relaxation. I then moved on to the rainbow relaxation CD. My surges became a little more intense and were anywhere between 4-6 minutes apart. At 9pm, we took our beagle for a walk and I found myself stopping and finding my zone.

At 11pm, we made a decision to go to Scripps La Jolla hopsital because I was about 4 minutes apart and getting close to needing the antibiotics. I had my earphones in playing rainbow relaxation and when we arrived at the hospital I found myself needing to stop and sit on my yoga ball. We checked in and they brought us to the examination room. The mid-wife on duty checked to make sure that my water did release, which it did, although I was only 2 cm. dilated. They brought me to my room and started the iv of antibiotics. I could taste it in my mouth and became extremely nauseous. Jordan set up the room, giving me a peaceful atmosphere, with candles, a pillow, and my quilt. I wore my bead blessed necklace and hoped it would soothe me even more. I utilized the shower and yoga ball. We listened to affirmations and rainbow relaxation throughout. I was very much in my zone. Jordan used light touch massage and counter hip pressure. My first nurse also rotated with Jordan in massaging me. Jordan was always there and I found his words comforting. Another check later in the early morning and I had not yet progressed. In my mind I felt a bit of disappointment, but knew that this would pass and I needed to just breathe and focus on bringing my baby to me. At 8am I had to receive my next dose of antibiotics. I found that my favorite place to be was on my yoga ball with my torso being supported by the bed. Throughout this entire time Jordan only took a few bathroom breaks and a quick nap. He offered me food, but I could only stomach sips of water. About that time the doctor came in. I was at 5 cm. and 24 hours since my water had released. She said at that time I needed something to relax me further because the baby was so low and my cervix needed to progress. She knew that a natural hypnobirth is what I wanted. At that time there was a shift change and I received two new nurses. Everyone was on board with trying to help me go natural, but knew the ultimate goal was a healthy baby. I asked for more time from Dr. Barile to get relaxed on my own. I tried different positions and then walked the halls and stepped out into the courtyard to get some fresh air. 25 hours into my labor and knowing that I definitely did not want a c-section we discussed options with the doctor. She said I could get an epidural or a light dose of Nubain. We took 30 minutes and chose the Nubain. I became a bit more relaxed, but then the surges seemed to intensify. I was on my yoga ball with Jordan behind me doing everything he could. I felt that this baby was going to come to us at any moment. When Dr. Barile came into check my progression and I was still at only 8 cm. dilated and the cervix was bruising and thickening, causing to reverse my efforts. At that moment Dr. Barile offered Pitocin, however, I chose against it, thinking that it would just make contractions stronger, but still not help in dilation, leading to my cervix to close and a c-section. At 27 hours I made the extremely tough decision to have a light epidural to hopefully be able to get to 10 cm. dilated. The epidural caused my body to fully relax and reverse the strong urge to push and the shakes. At 29 hours I was 10 cm. dilated, but my contractions slowed to 7 minutes apart. I was all over the place with my body. So at this point I had them introduce Pitocin, which quickly brought my contractions to 2-3 apart and in the "breathing down phase". At this time, I felt most comfortable on my back with my knees out to the side. The doctor came in and we discussed my breathing and I found it best to "purple push". At this moment I discovered more inner strength than I knew I had. I was exhausted, but it was exhilarating! Even with weeks of perennial massage I began to tear in 3 places. The doctor offered an episiotomy. She knew my birth plan from the start and kept apologizing for my circumstance. She was very soothing and understanding and I appreciated her letting me go over 24 hours without pressure to do alternative methods. I decided to get the episiotomy and happy I did, because I am healing fast with 2 stitches. 

At 3:55pm on Thursday, April 26th. We had a boy!!!!! Moses Aindreas. Weighing 8 pounds 2 ounces and 20 inches long. He suffered very noticeable bruising on his forehead from hitting my cervix. 9 days later we are a healthy family. Moses did get a Vitamin K shot because of the bruising. He also had Jaundice, which seems to have subsided with a lot of breastfeeding efforts.  

Moses is an alert, calm and happy baby boy. I owe my internal birthing strength to HypnoBirthing! Even during the strongest surge, Moses' heart rate was perfect. The nurses kept telling me, "You have a very happy baby! "

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Congratulations Erica and Jordan! You both did such a wonderful job working through your labor.  A major goal I have in my classes is to give you the tools to help keep you in control of yourself during your labor no matter what happens during your labor, which you both obviously did so beautifully. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I hope you are continuing to enjoy your babymoon! 

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

Jessica & Jason's HypnoBirthing Story

Jessica and her husband took Carol’s classes on Thursday evenings at Seaside Women’s Health in Encinitas, North County San Diego.  Here is their daughter’s birth story:

I started having sporadic surges on the afternoon of December 12.  A few hours later, I had my bloody show, and I knew Angelica was coming soon.  I starting crying out of excitement as my surges started to come more frequently.  By 3 AM the next morning, my surges were coming between four and seven minutes apart.  I called my doula and she told me not to focus on timing the surges at this point, but to try and sleep in between them as much as possible.  I tried to do so, but they were so intense and were way more uncomfortable than I had anticipated.  I thought I must be close!  There was no way I could sleep.  I decided to go to the hospital and call the doula back when we got there.  When we got to UCSD, I was only 3 CM dilated.  The midwife told me I could stay at the hospital and walk around for a couple hours or I could go home.  We decided to go home and our doula came right over.  By around 11 AM my surges seemed to be coming on top of each other and I couldn’t help but push.  Our doula said it was time to go!  When we got back to the hospital, I was 7 CM.  I couldn’t help but push at this point with each surge, and my water broke during one of the surges.  A few hours later I was totally complete and Angelica was ready to be born. The birthing tub had just finished being filled up, so Jason and I got in, and I did most of the pushing in the tub.  I had to get out as she was crowning (UCSD doesn’t allow water births yet), and delivered her at 4:56 PM December 13 on the comfy queen size bed in our room!  I was totally in shock as they put her on my chest.  She was so beautiful... and huge!  My placenta was delivered within minutes.  Angelica started breastfeeding pretty much right away and laid on my chest for maybe an hour.  When the nurses weighed and measured her, we learned that she was 9 pounds, 4 ounces and 21.5 inches long!  And I didn‘t tear!!!! 

The whole process was unbelievable.  It was way more intense than I had anticipated, but it was totally doable.  I would definitely do it again.  I wasn’t silent the whole time like the videos we watched in class, but I was definitely calm and relaxed.  I think being so exhausted from not being able to sleep helped to keep me very relaxed and “in the zone.” We had the birthing affirmations and the rainbow relaxation CD playing the whole time.  The doula and Jason were awesome at reminding me to relax during each surge, keeping me hydrated, rubbing my back, and being supportive.  I tried to eat a little in between surges, but wasn’t really able to.  By the time I was hungry, the surges were pretty much on top of each other.  Right after I delivered, however, we ordered pizza for everyone, and I ate a ton!  The whole staff at the UCSD Birth Center was great.  I think I will submit our birthing video after we edit it.  The only part of the process I didn’t feel prepared for was how much you bleed afterwards.  I was kind of freaked out and called my midwife to make sure everything was ok.  But it was!

Angelica has been such a great baby.  She has been really calm and barely cries.  I can’t wait to have my next HypnoBirth!  Thank you Carol!!

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Thanks so much for sharing your story, Jessica! I am so thankful to hear that the HypnoBirthing techniques were so helpful and that you got the beautiful birth you were desiring. I hope you both are continuing to enjoy this beautiful time with Angelica!

Contact information for Jessica’s doula, Laura Smith Ramirez: 619.247.3765

For more information on UCSD Medical Center as well as the accompanying Birth Center:

 http://health.ucsd.edu/women/child/facilities/Pages/default.aspx

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

Kelli and Justin's HypnoFertility and Hypnobirthing Testimonial

I have been humbled greatly to walk alongside Kelli and Justin through their experiences with infertility, the joys of becoming pregnant after our work through HypnoFertility together, and again through HypnoBirthing classes prior to the birth of their baby. Here is their gracious feedback of their experiences with both HypnoFertility and HypnoBirthing:

Carol,

I can't begin to thank you enough for all that you have done for Justin and I over the course of the past couple of years.  We couldn't stop talking about how wonderful you are and what a calming force you are in our lives on the car ride home from the last class the other night.  We felt a little bit like birds that did not want to leave the nest yet though because we have enjoyed so much our Tuesdays with you and how we feel such a sense of peace, relief, and excitement for our coming baby after every class.  We simply can't even think of our road to parenthood without thinking of you and what an integral piece you have been to the puzzle.  It is amazing to think we are on the brink of bringing this baby into the world when just last year I felt deflated by sadness, fear, and disappointment from our fertility journey.  You really helped me stay on the road of positivity and hope and this little guy/gal in me is the evidence of that.  We both feel so educated, empowered, and centered by the HypnoBirthing course and feel that we are going to bring this baby into the world in such a blessed and more special way than we ever could have imagined.  Justin and I both laugh that you are the new "What Would Jesus Do?" instead it is "What Would Carol Say?"  Whenever we are faced with negativity or challenges, I feel like you are that little voice in our heads helping us through, pointing us in the right direction, or whispering words of positivity.  You truly have an amazing talent and are an absolute gift to all the women out there needing fertility support and all those couples out there interested in trying things "a different way."  I can't promise that you won't hear from me again... I am sure I will be dialing you up to cry it out about something, fear release something, or just get your advice about something.  Thank you, thank you, thank you and please know how much you mean to us! -Kelli, Justin, and Baby

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Thank you so much, Kelli and Justin. I am so thankful to have been able to walk this journey with your family.

If you are interested in either HypnoFertility or HypnoBirthing classes in the San Diego area, please feel free to contact me for class schedules or individual sessions and more information at: A Well Lived Life.