William, born at Sunshine Coast Midwifery Centre on 9 Feb 2014

The midwives thought labour had stopped, when in fact I could feel my son crowning and, amazingly, I lifted him out of the water just 30 minutes later!

I get emotional recalling the birth of my son. I’m one of the (seemingly) few women who can honestly say that the birthing experience was the most empowering, life-affirming and wonderful time of my life. My sister introduced me to HypnoBirthing and encouraged me to investigate it further and attend classes in my area. I was a little skeptical at first, but after doing more research into the effects of medical intervention (particularly the drugs used in induction and pain relief) on both mother and child, I was convinced I had to learn more.

My husband and I attended Joymamma HypnoBirthing classes for five weeks where we met other like-minded couples and learned the techniques and preparations needed to have exactly the kind of birth we were hoping for. 

I had a long pre-labour but was able to get through the contractions by relaxing and breathing through them, just as we learned in the classes. As labour intensified, it was suggested that I push through contractions which seemed to stall the progress as a result of exhaustion. At that point my husband and rock of a birthing partner, became my strongest advocate and suggested I continue listening to the Relaxation CD and return to the breathing techniques rather than pushing. Immediately after following his advice, I became so relaxed that I fell asleep between surges!

The midwives thought labour had stopped, when in fact I could feel my son crowning and, amazingly, I lifted him out of the water just 30 minutes later. He is a very calm, contented baby – something I attribute to his calm arrival into this world. Thank you, Carrie for demonstrating the principles to us in such an inviting and engaging way.

I can’t recommend Joymamma HypnoBirthing highly enough and look forward to a refresher course for baby #2!

Kate