HypnoBirthing® UK

[gordon_mullan]

Hi

Below is a birth story from one of Catherine Jackson's studetns in Jersey:
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"I had huge fears of giving birth, my mother and other women described birthing as traumatic and incredibly painful and I couldn't imagine how I was going to survive the experience! Catherine Jackson, who led the Hypno-Birthing course introduced us to the possibility that child birth could be a positive experience where my husband, Mike, was an integral part in the experience rather than a voyeur. The relaxation tools that we learnt were superb for pregnancy and went hand in hand with the pregnancy yoga I also took part in. The breathing techniques were a fundamental part in the success of my labour - an event which I carried on as normal around the house, but stopping to breath through each surge, until 1 hour before I gave birth!

My labour was incredibly fast, lasting a total of 5 hours and I attended my 40 week check up during this time, had a 30 min phone call to a friend in Oz, cleaned the house and ate a large carbohydrate lunch! Needless to say, I preferred to be active during my labour, rather than using the relaxation. I can remember that I never once felt scared or fearful of the progressing labour which was happening in my home, by myself because I was expecting it to go on for hours and hours and thought I would leave my husband until things really progressed! However, I didn't realise how quickly my labour was progressing and now know that I was going through the Transition Phase when I called my husband to come home so we could transfer to the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital, (my waters having broken in the car just before arriving) someone grabbed a wheelchair as by this stage I had an overwhelming urge to push with each surge.

When in the delivery room the midwife encouraged me to push and Mike asked her "Is this the J-Breathing bit?!" and then thankfully began to remind me to breath down the baby with each surge. Obviously the water birth that we had planned wasn't going to happen because of the speed of the labour.

We were in the hospital a total of 40 minutes before Isobel Olivia arrived! I can remember feeling so lucid and able to carry out a normal conversation in between each surge and Mike says he can remember in disbelief how I was in between surges with Isobel's head half out and I was chatting away quite normally! I can also remember thinking that I didn't need to even consider any pain relief, although it did sting in the final few moments, it was a feeling that I could fully cope with and was over immediately when she was born.

I honestly believe that a combination of factors made this birth so fantastic. I had a healthy pregnancy, the baby was in the optimal birth position and I also had a great attitude towards the birth following our hypno-birthing focus.

Isobel is now 10 weeks old and is THE most chilled baby. The photo was taken straight after I had given birth, apparently I said "That was easy, I could do that again" straight afterwards!!!

With best wishes

Fiona Vacher
Jersey, Channel Islands"