Hi Carrie,
I wanted to let you know that Natasha gave birth to Noah 7 weeks early at SCUH. He was born on the 27th April weighing 1785g. He’s doing really well, breathing by himself and well looked after in the neonatal ward. Natasha is a natural mum and is well. Labour was hard for Natasha and she did need an epidural in the end but everything went well. She was in labour for almost 12 hours. We had Ali Broderick from Coast life with us the whole time. We’re completely head over heels in love with him. I wanted to say a big thank you to you for helping us with preparing for labour and all your advice and words of encouragement. You are awesome. I still listen to Stephen Halpern every night and I think I’ll carry your relaxation techniques with me through my life. It’s the start of a wonderful new chapter and mum, dad and family. Love from Natasha, myself and Noah |
Baby Capri, our first child, was born in her sack 2.5 hours after arriving to hospital. My wife did not think she was far enough to go in, but I pushed for her go into the hospital. I knew it won’t be long as she was surging every two-three minutes. Luckily we did and baby was born 2.5 hours later.
We had the greatest birth ever. The experience was not just amazing for my wife but amazing for me. With the training of hypnobirthing, we were armed with the right tools to know what to do at the different stages of pregnancy and birth. Taking no credit from my amazing wife, the information we took from the course is what we attribute our desired birthing experience to and it was well worth the investment. We can hardly believe we had the birth we planned for and definitely are advocates for Joymamma, thanks Carrie. Jack |
l came to HypnoBirthing not being sure what it was about or what to expect. However, it was really important to Rach and after the first class I could really see the value in what we would learn over the 5 weeks.
Carrie's class had a relaxing environment and it was great to learn from Carrie and the other parents-to-be. The class gave me a really good understanding of how I could play an important role in the birth of our child. I definitely would not have been very well prepared had I not done HypoBirthing and I really knew how I could support Rach and the the techniques that she found most relaxing and helpful (which were different for each couple). It was also nice to meet other parents-to-be as none of our family or friends on the Coast have babies or young children. As the 5 weeks progressed I felt more empowered and less helpless. I had been really worried about seeing Rach in a lot of pain and not being able to do anything. I learnt that I could help reassure and encourage Rachel to have the birth experience that she wanted. HypnoBirthing wasn't just helpful during labour but was helpful during pregnancy. When we were at 30 weeks pregnant we had a scare and had to go to the hospital to get checked out. Rachel felt quite stressed, but I was able to use what I had learnt in HypnoBirthing to remind Rachel to practice her breathing exercises and remain calm. In additional to doing HypnoBirthing with Carrie, we also attended the antenatal classes at Buderim Private Hospital and I found that the classes just focused on the physiological process and how much pain the mother would be in during labour. I could really tell during the class by the types of questions that the other parents were asking that they felt quite fearful about what was ahead of them. While I found labour really intense, I felt very calm during the whole day, there were no moments that I felt Rachel could not handle. When our son was born he was very calm, relaxed and alert having been through a natural, quick 10 hour labour. The whole HypnoBirthing experience was very worthwhile. I would definitely recommend any new Dads support their partners and do the HypnoBirthing classes. We will definitely be doing a refresher with Carrie if we have more children in the future. I'm very proud that Rachel was able to have the birth that she wanted, albeit a little noiser than she had planned! Jared read more >> |
I heard about HypnoBirthing years ago but didn’t take much notice at the time with pregnancy and parenting way off in the distance. I remember being curious about hypnosis techniques being used in birthing.
I really want to take the time to make it clear to all the guys out there about HypnoBirthing – don’t pay much attention to the name if it bothers you. If you want to be educated and give your partner the absolute best possible preparation before birthing, and learn how to actively be involved and be an integral part of welcoming your new son or daughter into the world – sign up for Carrie’s class. I went into the classes with an open mind, excited about being educated and that’s what we received – an education. There is a fantastic text book to accompany the classes and it goes back in history to explain how we ended up with such a horribly wrong approach to birthing – Mums are heading in to the hospital with no education and nothing to address their very legitimate fears about worst case scenarios, intense pain, and how the hell they’re going to get through it. We learnt EVERYTHING you would ever need to know about what to expect, strategies for both Mum and partner to get through the birth itself – like how to develop a birth plan, and knowing your rights and what to ask for and refuse in the public or private hospital system. We were taught the mechanics of birth – the anatomy and each stage and why things happen the way they do, and what to do at every stage. More importantly we learnt techniques, from breathing, meditation, creating the right sensory environment, to state of mind training and for partners, many ways to keep your partner in ‘the zone’ throughout the entire birth. We learnt that birthing is completely natural and it doesn’t have to be an anxiety filled process. It happens in nature and in remote communities naturally all the time. Carrie is a wonderful and nurturing teacher. She shared her wealth of knowledge, and her own experiences (both with and without HypnoBirthing), always making us feel confident and educated and reassured about what was to come. Everything you could ever need and want is available too, including pregnancy yoga classes and heaps of quality products and the right advice about what to use and when. I wanted to learn how to help my amazing wife get through her first birth without fear or pain and she achieved both. It was a very fast and intense birth but she assures me that the strategies I learnt with Carrie, the birth plan we gave to the hospital, and my support really helped her get through it – she achieved her goal of a 100% natural birth – no drugs were used to manage the intensity of labour. Guys – please don’t be closed minded about this. We went to normal classes run by the government and although that’s better than nothing – HypnoBirthing classes with Carrie are absolutely superior. I watched fear get broken down and turned into genuine confidence and empowerment. All the guys in our class felt the same way. I cannot recommend Carrie and HypnoBirthing enough – don’t be stubborn – give it a go fellas! You and your partner will be so glad you did. Andy Kidd Read more >> |
When my wife Bree first informed me about HypnoBirthing I was instantly intrigued. The idea of her being able to have a calm birthing experience and for me to play a 'big role' in that had me hooked. “When do we start!?"
The classes opened my mind to a different side of the birthing world that I didn’t think was possible. I loved all of the techniques we learnt together, how to breathe correctly and stay relaxed and calm. The fear releasing session and the deep meditation parts I loved the most, and was simply amazed by it all. I was never interested in classes at school but the way Carrie taught I was fixated every week. The biggest thing I took away from HypnoBirthing was how strong the mind and body really is. The way Carrie explained everything made it easy and fun to understand, and I just wanted to keep learning more and more. You could say Carrie was our ‘Sensei'. Knowing that Carrie would be there as our Doula on labouring day was a big weight off my shoulders leading up to the birth. Surprising however, come the day of the birth, I felt extremely confident in my role and relaxed, but at the same time I was so stoked she was there to help guide us through. That familiar, warming, motherly face with gentle guidance Carrie bought into the room. She was such a comfort to both myself and Bree. As we walked into the hospital it was comforting knowing we each had a role and being as prepared as one could be. I felt empowered in watching how strong Bree was and that made me feel strong. We connected on a level like never before, but it was more than the birthing day, it was appreciating all the training we had both put into being prepared. The baths every night, the slow and deep breathing techniques, reading and listening to the ‘sexy’ HypnoBirthing cd, and the daily positive affirmations. Bree was an inspiration and I’m in awe of her ability to birth our daughter Sadie drug free, and without stitches, after an intense 27 hour labour. I’m surprised at how little we looked at the clock, we were simply in the moment, together. The birthing of your child is an amazing experience I believe every male should have the opportunity to be a part of, and hands on too! I feel as though it is one of the most privileged things and one of lifes most amazing gifts, witnessing life being born. The heart is a wonderful thing because I have come to learn that just when you think you couldn’t love someone anymore that you already do, watching Bree give birth to our child took my love for her to a whole new level. I feel we are all extremely privileged to have Carrie / Joymamma available to us on the Sunshine Coast. With Carrie's love an support we achieved our beautiful birthing experience. Thank you! - Jack McDermott Read more >> |
Hi, my name is Kenny Spring, a first time dad and huge advocate of the hypnobirthing approach. During my partner's pregnancy I watched her grow more confident with the concept of giving birth, her confidence in her own body's ability, and most importantly her mental focus and general well being. The hypnobirthing classes I attended were well structured for a first time dad and provided me with information to feel confident of the hypnobirthing terminology, my role towards the midwives and using of a variety of calming techniques for my partner during labour. On the day of our son's birth, my partner was very calm and confident throughout the labour.
While Jen was breathing through the early surges, I went and walked the dog, pack the car and notify the hospital. During the surges, we (myself and the dog) were simply sitting on the couch and talking about our boy's arrival. The midwives were very easy to work with, and understood that information would be passed through me, to Jen. On the day, the " full term " app that Carrie suggested was very useful when it came to providing accurate information to the hospital. We will certainly utilise hypnobirthing and yoga for our second pregnancy. A massive thank you to Carrie for all your help and for making dad's feel like they can play a major role on such an important day. Read more >> |
My name is Joel. I am a 29-year-old tradesman and live in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. I am an outdoors guy, love fishing, camping, four wheel drives, a beer or two and good music. Recently the most amazing thing happened to me, and that was bringing my daughter Bonnie into this world with my amazing wife Eloise.
Once my wife had fallen pregnant, she consistently dropped hints about this “hypnobirthing” thing. I will take this opportunity to announce that my wife is a midwife by profession, so I hear far more about the ”birthing scene” than the majority of you other blokes out there. Initially, I assumed that hypnobirthing was just another money making scandal that new age mums jump on in some sort of fashion craze. Oh how wrong I was. The Hypnobirthing book sat on my bedside table for some weeks before I decided to pick it up. The moment I did; I could not put it down. The raw principals that the hypnobirthing idea are founded on are not only essential in calm birthing, but are valuable all throughout life. I read about half of the book in the first few days, and I immediately agreed with my wife to invest in doing the course with Joymamma HypnoBirthing. Much to my dismay, the first Hypnobirthing course began on January 25 around 6pm. Now to all of you that are music lovers, you will know this is around the time of the final top 10 countdown of Triple J’s Hottest 100. Not happy Jan!!! I announced my frustration of poor timing as I entered the classroom, but it almost instantaneously vanished. The Hypnobirthing class taught me something that I never thought was possible. To love and respect my wife more than I already did. For a man, birth is an extremely difficult thing to deal with, as we have no control. As we blokes all feel, it is our duty to be in control of situation, to keep our loved ones safe and out of harm’s way. But in the birthing suite, there is very little a man can do except one pivotal thing… SUPPORT! If hypnobirthing can do one thing for you as a man, it is teaching you how to support your better half. How to encourage her. How to reassure her. How to read her body language and to nurture her. Most importantly, it taught me that as a man, I have a role to play in birth. My wife does not need to do this alone, scared or frightened. Instead, as a team, we birthed our daughter into this world together, calmly, quietly, and more in love with each other than ever before. I am not saying that I took everything in the book as gospel, but what I did take from it changed my life, and gave my daughter the absolute best start to her life possible! Although the book was great, it would have not taken effect without the course. In the book you can skim read through a chapter, and not appreciate the true lesson behind the words. But in the course, you are forced to challenge yourself and implement the lessons, and the results will ultimately surprise you. I recommend every parent to be to approach the Hypnobirthing idea with an open mind, and I guarantee you will be a better parent and better person for it. It is without a doubt the best investment I have ever made, period. Read more >> |
"Initially, I assumed that hypnobirthing was just another money making scandal that new age mums jump on in some sort of fashion craze. Oh how wrong I was." |
Ok listen up fellas here is my gentle persuasion.... Please read through for the sake of your partner and yourself and baby.
Do you know what fear does? Most guys do, most of us have been in a fight or a big game, or even a meeting with the boss. Adrenaline kicks in, it makes your legs go to jelly, your palms sweat and if intense can make you lightheaded and short of breath. That is your body sending all your blood to the parts of your body it thinks it needs, heart lungs brain. Same goes for a woman in birth, she needs that blood in the muscles required to give birth, and they are big muscles. When fear and adrenaline take over that blood leaves those muscles and that causes the pain. That pain causes more fear and adrenaline and your partner is in a vicious circle. Hypnobirthing will teach your partner how to be relaxed and comfortable and confident with what is about to go down, and it will teach you how to help keep her in that frame of mind! I don't know about you but I can't stand to see my partner in pain of any sort. When she told me she was interested in this 'birth without pain' business I thought it was impossible from all the things I had seen or heard in my life regarding childbirth. Nan said it was excruciating, mum said it hurt like shit, movies make it look bloody worse! So I was skeptical but if the missus wants to have a go I'll support her. And guess what? It BLOODY WORKS! My partner was able to birth like a boss, and be in control and empowered throughout the whole birth without medication or doctors intervention, but there was something else... I was able to be a part of my babies birth and do more than sit there as a hand to hold while someone in a mask and gloves dictated the most important day of my life! I hear every dad say how awesome it is to see bub for the first time and I agree. The second best thing I've ever seen was the love of my life turn into a goddess, a warrior, a picture of focus and strength and to be in control of what was happening! And I was able to help her to do that Do yourself a favour and listen to your missus. You'll thank her and she will thank you after. 👪 Beau Read more >> |
"I don't know about you but I can't stand to see my partner in pain of any sort. Nan said it was excruciating, mum said it hurt like shit, movies make it look bloody worse!" |
As a male I would like to think that I have everything under control most of the time. At first I was a bit sceptical about the benefits of Hypnobirthing however having completed the course and having seen the outcomes during labour I can't speak highly enough of the value that this course provides to the prep for the big day.
Hypnobirthing helped me feel ready for the birth of our son and I felt confident that I could support Franzi as much as possible. The course enabled us to have a plan for the birth and we learned to relax and focus on the birth experience we wanted. It was informative and fun and helped me bond with our baby even before birth, too. When the big day finally came we were both so excited and there was no fear because we had a plan. And everything went according to our plan. I could help Franzi during labour with massages, breathing techniques and helpful prompts and it was so good to know what to do or say! I feel I had a part in Leon's birth and wasn't left out of control. I can only recommend Carrie as a teacher, too. We had a great course with her and the result was a great birth experience, completely natural without medication and a very happy baby. Leon was very alert from birth on, he doesn't cry much and seems well balanced. To me the Hypnobirthing techniques make absolute perfect sense and I think they should be integrated in all birth preparation courses. Looking back I wouldn't change a thing! Adam |
At first I was a bit sceptical about the benefits of Hypnobirthing however having completed the course and having seen the outcomes during labour I can't speak highly enough of the value that this course provides to the prep for the big day. |
I promise, that nobody could be more sceptical than me.
I believed birth was what we saw on TV, long, drawn out, painful and in a hospital. That’s just how it was done. Husbands sat back and watched as their wives suffered through the ordeal and it was worth it because in the end, whatever they went through, the result was a happy baby. Right? Then my wife introduced me to the concept of Hypnobirthing, she asked me to read the book and at first, I did simply to humour her. Then I started to realise what this book was saying and how much the concept made sense. We started the course and within the first session it was so clear that there was another way – that there should be no other way. Birth could be peaceful, I could do something other than watch on as my wife suffered and it could be an experience to be enjoyed. With each subsequent session we became more and more confident and quickly decided that we were not going to birth in a hospital, we were going to do it at home, and nothing felt more natural. We had the most amazing, calm, quick home water birth, I was an active participant in the whole process, no drugs, no IV, no busy hospital staff, just me, my wife and our midwife. Hypnobirthing made our experience. Let me know if you want to talk more about it! I’d be happy to chat! Regards, Jon read more >> |
My wife introduced me to the concept of Hypnobirthing, she asked me to read the book and at first, I did simply to humour her. Then I started to realise what this book was saying and how much the concept made sense. |