Meila, born at buderim hospital 20 february 2015

I did my own fear release and I had the best birth I could have asked for, given my situation. I got to watch my baby born, my husband was by my side telling me to breathe through my fears and to relax.  We were both so calm and he was so supportive of our situation. We didn’t feel cheated out of the “birth” experience, it was just how our baby chose to be born. Meila Eve was born with a scream, a wee and then fell straight back to sleep in the obstetrician's arms. 

Here I was in my second pregnancy looking at birth so horribly. My first birth was not the best experience. I didn’t get to hold my baby for hours after an emergency caesarean. I had a horrible recovery and my experience overall was not a good one. I had in my head that I didn’t want to know about labour or the birth I would just go with the flow. This for me was a big mistake! I envied women who could actually birth their babies and not have to go through having a caesarean. 

Fast forward to my second pregnancy and at 15 weeks pregnant I started thinking very indepthly about how I wanted my birth to be. One thing I knew was that I didn’t want it to be anything like my first. My pregnancies are not easy, and this time I was even more terrified and stressed. I started seeing Carrie generally for Yoga. Upon my first Yoga class I felt incredible. It was a Saturday class and she normally finishes it off with a deep mediation. I felt so uplifted, revigorated and overall amazing. I continued going to her classes weekly and then started thinking more and more about my birth. I came to the conclusion that I wanted a textbook natural birth, no drugs, I wanted to be able to labour, I wanted my body to be able to birth my baby. I wanted my husband to deliver my baby and for us to have some sort of control. I spoke with Carrie one day after class and she recommended her Hypnobirthing Course. I was a little hesitant at first. I knew my husband would take some talking around but in the end but I persuaded him, this natural birth was something I wanted so badly and this was a way that we may possibly get that. 

Carrie’s Hypobirthing class taught both my husband and I to know what we wanted for our birth, how to get that, and most of all how to relax. I am a bit of a control freak, so it took a lot of rainbow relaxations and meditating to be able to let go and relax. Not only did Carrie teach me to come to terms with my previous birth she taught me how to be able to stay calm in my general day to day living. I was like a different person. I meditated nearly every night and during the day in the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy and my attitude towards my birth was totally different. I had visualisations up on my wall. Every time I was in my car I listened to my birthing affirmations over and over. I actually felt like I could let go of my inner fears. I thought this was my body and my baby knew what to do. Carrie taught me that. My husband, after completing the course, also felt so confident about our birth. We also felt so much more closer as a couple. I actually loved the course. I loved the positivity that surrounded it. I love that it not only armed me with information for my birth, but life in general. I know that I need to slow down sometimes and just BREATHE. I personally feel that if I had not have done this course my pregnancy would not have be a calm and stress free one.  

Unfortunately due to a few medical issues I ended up having to have a caesarean which was not ideal. We weren’t terrified of making that call either and I believe that’s because the course gave us so much information and we were able to deal with whatever was going be thrown at us. In the day and night leading up to my baby being born I breathed as much as I could, I did my own fear release and I had the best birth I could have asked for, given my situation. I got to watch my baby born, my husband was by my side telling me to breathe through my fears and to relax.  We were both so calm and he was so supportive of our situation. We didn’t feel cheated out of the “birth” experience, it was just how our baby chose to be born. Meila Eve was born with a scream, a wee and then fell straight back to sleep in the obstetrician's arms. 

As far as the Yoga, Meditation and Hypnobirthing goes it really shaped me not only physically but mentally. I feel as if Carrie was a huge supporter for me and gave me so much, not just support but I felt like I had so much guidance from her throughout my whole pregnancy and felt I could go to her whenever I had any moment of doubt. 

My next pregnancy, I will be using Carrie again for both her Yoga and her Hynobirthing course. 

Chloe & Brett Ginn