My birth experience began with a day of practice pressure waves, which started at 4 am on September 1st.  The pressure waves were five minutes apart for approximately 10 hours and then they suddenly stopped.  I used my Hypnobabies techniques throughout the day believing I was in true labor when I was not.  Oh well, it gave me a lot of practice for the next day . . .  On September 2nd, I began to feel pressure waves early in the morning, but they were far apart so I ignored them and went about my day.  It wasn't until 7 pm, that evening, that I started to have pressure waves that were five minutes apart again. I began my Hypnobabies techniques again while lying on my side.  When the pressure waves began to get closer together, I decided to walk around my dining room table, which I did throughout the rest of my labor.  I walked around my table and every time I experienced a pressure wave, I would go into deep hypnosis while leaning against my breakfast bar.  The rhythm was very comforting.
 
The midwife from the Birth Center didn't want to hear from me until my pressure waves were about three minutes apart, which took approximately 8 hours.  Then, she had me wait an hour to get the Birth Center ready for my arrival.  The entire time, I just kept up my walking-leaning-hypnosis rhythm. When we were getting ready to go, I noticed that my birthing waves were slowing down, which made me nervous that we were leaving for the Birth Center too soon.  We arrived at the Birth Center at approximately 4:30 am on September 3rd.  I had the midwife do an internal exam because I was afraid I wasn't dilated enough.  I was wrong.  She said I was 9.5 inches dilated and would probably start to feel like pushing after a few more pressure waves.  Soon after my internal exam, my water broke.  I was soooo happy it didn't break in the car on the way to the Birth Center.  Then, after a few pressure waves, I felt like pushing. 
 
I started my pushing in a birthing tub, which was very comfortable.  I tried ahhhhing the baby out, but my ahhhhh was a bit more loud and forceful then I think is recommended by Hypnobabies.  It felt good to me, though, so I kept with it.  During the pushing, I was in many different positions.  After the tub, I tried a birthing stool, I pushed on my side for a while, and I finally pushed my baby out while lying on a very comfortable bed.  It took about two hours of pushing for my little Weston to arrive.  He was born at 7:03 am, weighed 9 pounds, and was 21.5 inches long. 
 
Although I had the birthing experience that I wanted, soon after Weston was born, he was having trouble breathing.  The midwife decided that he should be checked out at the hospital, so our wonderful birthing experience soon turned into a scary one.  At the hospital, we found out that Weston had aspirated quite a bit of amniotic fluid and would, luckily, cough most of it up on his own.  However, the doctor was concerned that he might get an infection from it, so we ended up having to stay in the hospital for a week while Weston received antibiotics through an IV. It was definitely not how I expected to spend my first week with my baby.  Fortunately, we are home now and Weston is doing fine.  I definitely learned from this experience that things don't always turn out the way you want them to. 
 
In the end, though, I had a wonderful birthing experience and a healthy baby.  The Hypnobabies techniques helped me to have a relatively pain-free birth experience and I believe more women would have drug-free births if they were aware of these techniques.  I think every pregnant women should be introduced to Hypnobabies!
 
 
Thanks for everything, Sharon.
 
Summer

Birth Story While this wasn’t exactly the birth story I was planning to write, it’s worth noting that at one point I didn’t think I’d ever get to write a birth story at all – and for the chance I am eternally grateful, even if things didn’t go as planned. After trying for a baby for nearly a year and a half, we were told by a reproductive endocrinologist that our chances of conceiving without advanced fertility treatments were slim at best. Imagine our joy and surprise when two months later we found out we had a baby on the way!!! While I originally thought I’d be an epidural Mom all the way, I started doing research and discovered that I wanted things to be natural and peaceful. I wasn’t afraid of giving birth to start; my own Mother had always been careful to share only positive feelings on birth and motherhood and consistently told her daughters that birth, while intense, wasn’t “that bad”. I began to think that not only could I do this naturally, but I should! We found Hypnobabies and started a group course around 22 weeks pregnant. I practiced religiously at first, then got a little lazy for a few weeks, but was practicing faithfully once again in my later weeks prior to the birthing time. I was excited, confident, and looking forward to a non-medicated, peaceful, Hypnobabies waterbirth at a local hospital birthing center that was known for being low intervention and very pro-natural childbirth. There was no doubt in my mind that I could and would do this. Our “guess date” was November 21st and it came and went without even a practice pressure wave. I had always known that the baby would arrive late and I had visualized him arriving on Thanksgiving. Sure enough, I awoke at 2:30 am on Thanksgiving morning to some pressure waves. They were easy and manageable and I slept through them. Around 5:30 in the morning I couldn’t sleep through them anymore and started to get super excited. I popped in my Deepening Track and listened to it for a while but frankly was too excited to calm down and relax. I woke my husband up and told him this could be it and then took a shower and relaxed on the birthing ball. By midmorning, I decided to call our wonderful doula, Michelle, to give her a heads up that we could be in for a holiday birthing time. At this point my pressure waves were still erratic – 3 to 8 minutes apart and lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. They were comfortable and really did feel like a warm hug. I spent some time in center switch and some time listening to my Easy, Comfortable Childbirth Script. Sometime around noon we notified our family that I was in labor and our doula came over. She helped me relax on the birthing ball, used the tennis balls since I was feeling some pressure waves in my back, and took turns reading script prompts to me with my husband. I was feeling relaxed and good. A little while after that things began to intensify and I had to concentrate to relax through waves and began using the “peace” and “relax” cue to relax. I was still comfortable and not in p*** at all, despite the fact that my family kept telling me that I must be hurting. By mid afternoon my husband was feeling very antsy and was worried about the drive to the hospital since it was about 45 minutes and it was a holiday with traffic. I knew it wasn’t really time but we were getting pressure from family members who were freaking out about how long I’d been in labor (birthing time with family around wasn’t the best idea for me, but there wasn’t any avoiding it with the holiday!) and felt for sure the baby must be coming soon. I relented and decided to go to the hospital, partially to get some peace so I could keep relaxing! I spent the drive listening to Easy First Stage and loved that track! I fell asleep during pressure waves and was comfortable, even though things were growing more intense. Sure enough, I was checked by the midwives and found to be just 1.5 centimeters. I was a little disappointed since it had already been 12 hours (so long to my “fast” birthing!) but I didn’t feel too badly. Plus, I had my first real Hypnobabies “win” moment. I had been terrified of internal exams and hadn’t had one during my prenatal visits. I used my “off” switch, “peace” cue, and guided my anesthesia and felt only pressure – no discomfort at all! It was amazing. After being turned away from the hospital, we didn’t want to go home and I was worried about breaking my concentration, especially since the waves were stronger now and I needed to relax and be in “off” in order to avoid p**n. My brother-in-law called his old college roommate, who lived in the city where the hospital was, and they agreed to take us in. It was their first Thanksgiving as a married couple (they were hosting) and they kindly agreed to allow me to labor in their guest bedroom and to feed my husband and doula. We spent a few hours there, listening to CDs constantly, on the birth ball, and lying down. I was starting to get a bit more uncomfortable but things were still manageable and I was still confident. Unfortunately, after I ate something I didn’t feel well. I went to the bathroom and began to vomit violently. At this point I was scared since I’d read that some women vomit during transformation and I wondered if I’d waited too long and things were moving too quickly. I lost my concentration for some time but after my wonderful doula helped me clean up and sent for new clothing for me, I was able to listen to some scripts and re-center. Still, it was much harder at this point. We decided to go back to the hospital after a few hours as things were much more intense. I was still feeling manageable and lots of pressure, but not as comfortable as before. I was found to be nearly 5 centimeters and was admitted. I was so thankful when the midwife told me I could stay and could be in the birthing pool that I cried! Things were much more intense at this point but I still felt in control. Things went on for several more hours and I started to lose concentration and get afraid. **BOP NEEDED** My body began to take on a very strange pressure wave pattern – the waves slowed down in between but began to get extremely long, 2 to 3, even 4 minutes in length. To make matters more difficult, I began to have convulsions or involuntary upheavals with every pressure wave. It felt like my uterus was trying to jump out my body through my throat and it caused me to vomit with most pressure waves. Needless to say it was not only p**nful but it was frightening and made it VERY difficult to stay in hypnosis. Things continued that way for a while before I asked for some p**n medication to take the edge off in hopes of getting back into hypnosis and into control. I left the pool, was given some meds, and felt much better for about 2 hours. I got back into the pool but was unable to relax thanks to the constant convulsions. Unfortunately, I didn’t progress at all and things slowed down, but the pressure intensified. 24 hours into my birthing time I didn’t think I could do it anymore. I spent a few hours trying to make it through – eyes shut, in the zone, trying to “ahhh” (ok it was more like a groan) through it and trying to relax. I’d open my eyes and see the sweet labor nurse, my husband, and doula, all sitting there patiently. Even my midwife said she’d never seen anything like my convulsions before and knew it must be very difficult. My doula encouraged me to keep going and suggested I get an internal exam to know how things were going before I decided on any course of action. I was found to be only at 6 centimeters and I knew I couldn’t go on. By this point I’d lost all my concentration and couldn’t take the constant vomiting, upheavals, and p**n. I felt like a total failure but I caved and asked for an epidural. I remember crying because I had a bet with my little brother that I could do this without any medication and I knew I’d lost. The sweet labor nurse told me that should make sure I didn’t have to pay up – I’d been laboring for 24 hours and most women would have given up long ago. That made me a little better. After 24 hours in birthing time, I had the epidural and slept for two hours. My weird pressure wave pattern continued but I wasn’t feeling it anymore. After a few hours I began to feel pressure again and listened to some of my CDs and scripts again. My sister arrived from out of town about 11 am the next day and was there to hold my hand as we waited to push. After about 30 hours I was worried that my chance at a vaginal delivery was gone. I wasn’t progressing, they couldn’t give me anymore pitocin because my pressure waves were already too strong and long. One of the labor nurses prayed with me, and that really helped me keep my spirits up. At this point, I just wanted a healthy baby however he arrived. I could hear them in the background talking about notifying the OB on call and I knew what that meant. Then, around noon, I started to feel pushy. My doula pointed out that I was grunting through pressure waves and called the midwife to check me. I was found to be fully dilated and effaced and could start to push! She also told me that the baby had rotated postierier and if I wanted to deliver vaginally, it was going to be a lot of work. I told her I wanted to go for it! The epidural was wearing off so I could feel my pressure waves again and could feel the urge to push. I was so thankful that I didn’t have to be told when to push, I could feel it and could push with my own pressure waves. It was intense, but not p**nful – pushing was a relief! After a few hours (yes hours!) they told me the head was visible and I could feel the head beginning to place pressure on my skin. At one point I put my hand down to feel the baby’s hair and I started crying out of sheer joy and emotion – he was really coming! Several more pushes and I began to feel him crown, I used my anesthesia and peace cues to try and help with the sensation and it worked. I felt warmth and a little burning, but was able to turn off the p**n. Even though my pushing lasted for hours and I was tired, I didn’t’ think it was that long. The whole hour feels like 20 minute hypnosis worked like a charm and I was shocked when I realized how long I’d truly been in my birthing time. At 3:38 pm, three hours of pushing and 37 hours of birthing time later, Michael Jonathan finally arrived. He was 8lbs 7oz and alert and adorable. I was so grateful I was able to deliver without a c-section, and I was grateful that I was able to feel him being born. While I wasn’t able to have the Hypnbabies waterbirth I planned on having, I am still so thankful to Hypnobabies for the peace and comfort it provided me. I doubt I could have made it 12 hours, much less 24, without Hypnobabies to help me stay relaxed! Except for the few hours prior to the epidural, I can honestly say I felt just pressure – no p**n. I’m not sure what made my body do the strange things it did, but I’m glad that I decided to take the medication so I could preserve my strength for pushing and so I could actually enjoy my birth. There are times that I’m disappointed in myself and wonder if I could have concentrated better to keep going, but I know that’s not fruitful. It is what it is and I’m grateful for the experience. Next time I’ll use my Hypnobabies again and I’ll go for the waterbirth again! Perhaps that baby will come quickly, quietly, and easily. ?

Quest’s birth story
Quest Thomas Alexander was born on Saturday, May 29th at 3:13pm. He was 8 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long.
Before I became pregnant I decided I wanted to give birth using hypnosis. I had been watching birthing shows on the Discovery Channel and watched a women give birth while completely at peace. This seemed like the way to go! I did some research and found Hypnobirthing. After purchasing and reading the Hypnobirthing book by Marie Mongon I felt confident that my body was made to give birth and that it didn’t have to be a painful process. At the end of my first trimester I started researching Hypnobirthing classes in my area. While looking for a class I stumbled upon Hypnobabies. I was immediately drawn to the fact that Hypnobabies offered a complete birthing preparation class and offered a lot more information than Hypnobirthing. As this was my first pregnancy I thought more information was definitely better and I found the only Hypnobabies doula in the Sacramento area, Sharon. My husband, Aaron, and I started classes with Sharon when I was 26 weeks.
Aaron and I were pretty consistent with our practice and we followed the schedule for our scripts. Aaron would often make fun of me because I would start snoring half way though our practice but I would wake up when he counted me up so I knew it was working. I listened to tracks every night as I went to sleep and had wonderful sleep through my whole pregnancy. I have to admit that I didn’t do a very good job practicing using my light switch other than using it to turn off for my scripts each night. I didn’t end up using my light switch during my birthing time and this is something I want to work on for next time.
On with my birthing story. Around 6:30 on Friday night I was checking my email and waiting for Aaron to get home from work. I noticed that my practice pressure waves were a little more frequent than they had been in the past and so for fun I pulled up Contraction Master and started timing them while I read my emails. After about a half hour I printed out the results and was surprised to find that they were almost a minute long and four to five minutes apart. I started to get excited. I called my friend Gloria just to chat with someone and she asked if I had called Aaron yet. I hadn’t because I didn’t think this was possibly it and she urged me to do so. I still wasn’t convinced that this was my birthing time because it was so low key so I sent Aaron a text letting him know the stats. He called me back about ten minutes later to let me know that he was off work and he was on his way home. Since I didn’t really think this was it he kind of felt the same way. I started cooking some pasta for dinner, Aaron came home, we watched some tv and relaxed. After about an hour or so I asked Aaron to time my pressure waves because they were a little more frequent and were increasing in intensity. I sat on my birthing ball and draped myself over the arm of the couch through each one. After about a half an hour I was tired of timing them and Aaron let me know that they were about a minute long and three minutes apart. We finally realized, “This was it!” Aaron started making our brownies for the midwives and nurses and I lied down in bed with candles and listened to my Birthing Day Affirmations. After the brownies were done we decided to time my pressure waves again. It was around 11pm and we found that they were one to two minutes long and three minutes apart. My midwives told me to come in when they were three minutes apart lasting at least one minute but our plan was to stay home as long as possible. The pressure waves were completely manageable so we decided to try to get some rest. Aaron quickly fell asleep but lying down wasn’t the most comfortable position so I went out to the couch and continued to listen to my affirmations on the couch and on my birthing ball. At 2am I decided to take a shower because I knew we would be leaving soon. It’s funny to look back and remember how I was debating washing and blow-drying my hair. I knew I was going to try using a birthing tub so I eventually decided against it. I did choose to shave my legs though!
After I got out of the shower I went in to the bedroom and told Aaron that I was going to call the birthing center to see if we should go in. He decided to continue sleeping while I made my call. I got a hold of the answering service at they told me a midwife would call me back within twenty minutes. Thirty minutes later I called them back to let them know I hadn’t received a call. Right away a midwife called and once I told her that my pressure waves were lasting over a minute and were two minutes apart she told me to come on in. I woke Aaron up, he loaded the car, and we were on our way just after 3am. I laid my seat back and listened to Early Birthing. We arrived at the birthing center at 3:30am and I was checked. I was a little apprehensive about being checked because everyone says how uncomfortable it is but I was perfectly fine. The first thing we did upon entering the room was put on the Early Birthing Time track. We were pleased to find out that I was 5 centimeters dilated and 90% effaced. We were staying! Aaron called my mom to let her know that she should head over. She lives about an hour and a half away.
After I was checked I found that the birthing ball was no longer comfortable so they started filling my tub and moved me to my birthing room. I walked around the room for a while and tried to relax on the bed. Aaron applied pressure to my lower back and this was hugely helpful. My pressure waves were getting more intense but still seemed like not too big of a deal. Once I was able to get into the tub I was in heaven! The water felt wonderful and I was able to get comfortable squatting or sitting on my knees. Aaron climbed on in and continued to apply counter-pressure to my back. In the tub I seemed to completely lose track of time. I was breathing and relaxing through my pressure waves. My mom showed up and was a huge help giving me water and juice and speaking to the nurses and midwives for us. Aaron and I were able to hang out together and focus on the job at hand.
The most difficult part of my early birthing time was when the nurse listened to the baby’s heartbeat every half hour. My mom and friend, Gloria, asked if they needed to do this so often because it was distracting me but were informed that it was necessary. This was the only part of my birthing plan that was not followed. I was super proud of myself for not being snippy with the nurse when she checked. I can remember wanting to kick her in the face every time she got near.
I was using “Aahh” breathing and my midwife suggested I make a “hmmm” sound and try to feel it deep in my bottom. It felt good so I went with it. I was a little worried that I was being too loud and my mom and Gloria looked at me like I was crazy. I really didn’t want to scare anyone since I was doing a natural childbirth but I was told that I was really quiet and being ridiculous.
I was checked every two hours and was told that I was still at 8 centimeters. I remember asking my mom if it was dark out. She said that it was the middle of the day and the room was just dim. I looked at the clock and it was noon. My midwife wanted me to get out of the tub for a little bit and walk around. I didn’t really want to but I thought Aaron probably needed to get out of the water so I went with it. My mom walked around my room with me while Aaron took a break to eat. All of a sudden I could not handle the smell of the sandwich he was eating and asked him to step out to eat. Shortly after he left the room I had a pressure wave that I wasn’t able to relax through. My body tensed and I actually went up on my tiptoes. All of a sudden my water broke. I looked at the clock again when this happened, 12:15pm. I thought to myself that this had taken long enough and I wanted to have my baby by 2. I knew we needed to wrap it up. Aaron came back in the room and we danced while humming together. Then I decided I wanted to get back in the water. Being out of the water made everything much more difficult to control and I was starting to lose it.
Back in the tub I decided to lean against Aaron. He was able to put pressure on my back and I held on to his legs to keep me centered during my pressure waves. I leaned back on his chest and together we hummed. My pressure waves got much stronger after my water broke. Aaron kept me focused and on track. If I started to struggle he helped me. My mom kept using my “peace” and “relax” cues and placed her hands on my forehead and shoulder helping me to go deeper. All of a sudden I felt like I was going to poop in the tub. I panicked. I knew this was a possibility but I did not want to poop in the tub while Aaron was in it. I sprung up and my mom quickly helped me to get out. The nurse and the midwife were immediately there and everyone was saying this was it. I kept telling them that I actually had to use the restroom and did so to prove it! Being on the toilet was one of the most uncomfortable positions to be in during my birthing time. After I finished I hopped back into the tub and got on with having this baby.
I asked for Pushing Baby Out to be put on and instantly I had an audience. I had two midwives, one in training, and two nurses, also one in training. The midwife in training was also the same person who did my exam at 12 weeks. She helped guide me during this time. I could feel Quest sliding down with each pressure wave but at the end of it he would go back up a bit. He was slowly but surely making his entrance. I was able to talk between waves and I remember saying out loud, “I can do this! I can do this!” I was actually smiling while my baby was coming out. Everyone was telling me that he was sliding down like a slide and they were repeating parts of the track to me. I can’t say that my birth was completely pain free as I did feel the ring of fire. I remember thinking, “okay, here it is, we are almost finished.” It seemed to be taking quite some time to push him out and one of the midwives suggested that I push in between pressure waves. I remembered reading that this was a good idea because I could control how quickly he arrived so I gave it a try. It was a lot of work. Everyone was encouraging me to keep pushing and I did. My midwife had me put my hand down to feel his head and to push his head into my hand, this worked beautifully. Quest’s head slid out and I gave one more push and he slipped all the way out. I heard them say that his cord was around his neck but I knew that he would be fine. They slipped it off and placed him on my tummy. He was so beautiful and peaceful. He just looked up and around checking out his world. I couldn’t believe it! He was perfect. Quest was born at 3:13pm, pretty close to the time I had decided just three hours earlier. After his cord stopped pulsing Aaron separated us and we moved out of the water. We moved to the bed where we dried him off with our towel and put him to my breast. He hung out while I was stitched up and we tried to feed for a bit. As they were stitching me up they asked if I was still using my relaxation because I didn’t move when they gave me a little numbing shot.
Everyone around me was in awe. The nurses and midwives were congratulating me and saying how incredible our birth was. They were amazed how peaceful we were the whole time and how in sync we were. They couldn’t believe how well Aaron did keeping me on track and said that we had the absolute ideal birth. They wished they could have video taped it to share with others. I was told that at the shift change they sent in the nurse and midwife trainee because they wanted them to experience what we were doing. Right before Quest was born I looked around the edge of the tub and thought that I wouldn’t normally like that many people in the room but at the moment I didn’t particularly care. It was nice to find out that our birth was a good experience for others as well.
That night the nurse tried giving me medication for my pain and I think I gave her a funny look. I told her that I was fine and I didn’t need anything. She went into a schpiel about how I didn’t need to tough it out and we needed to make sure I was comfortable. I had to really convince her that I was fine.
Quest nursed and slept well during the night and at seven in the morning our pediatrician released us. By 10:30am we were loaded up in the car and headed home. Everyone was shocked that we went home so soon and our visitors were just as shocked that I was up and about when we got home. I felt wonderful! I fully give Hypnobabies the credit for my easy birth and quick recovery time. Since I allowed my body to do what it was naturally made to do I believe that my body bounced back quickly. I felt great and was able to easily care for my baby.
Quest is a very low-key happy little guy. I’m so glad I chose to use Hypnobabies! I had a great pregnancy and an amazing birth. I’ve been sharing my experience with as many people as possible. I can’t imagine giving birth any other way!

Toniya Alexander

Natalie was born feb 10, 2009 @11:30am.  

I wish I could say everything went perfectly, but it was just about the opposite of perfect.  I went into the hospital for a stress test on the 9th to see if the baby could stay in another week, she passed with flying colors!  I on the other hand did not.  My blood pressure was through the roof and they wouldn't let me leave.  They induced me with oxytocin, hooked me to monitors and IV for induction.  They thought that my bp would drop as soon as the baby was born, it still hasn't even though im taking bp meds.anyway The nurses were trying to accommodate my hypnobabies method, and so gradually increased my dose of oxyT.  I listened to my tracks all night long, they helped a lot through the night, but when things weren't progressing they went from 10 to 18 in an hour so that I would have a nice strong birthing wave pattern by the time the doctor got there.  she got there at 8am and I had dilated from 3-10 in 2 hrs, I was in pain (no other word expresses the feeling).  Just when I didn't think I could tolerate any more, the hard part was over and 3 hrs of pushing produced a perfectly healthy baby.  Yes I had pain, but the nurses seemed amazed that I had made it through an induced birth, with no epidural.  Every person who came in to our room lead with 'So you didn't have an epidural?'  and the doctor said that my birth is one that should have been on tv,  she said it was perfect,  I think everyone was amazed when i was fully dilated because it happened so quickly  and quietly!  I know i couldn't have done it without your help and the hypnobabies program, thanks a lot sharon for everything!  It went as well as possible, considering the circumstances.  Natalie is so healthy and beautiful,what more could I want!  Sorry I took so long to let you know but I just got out of the hospital on thursday, and people have been calling and visiting ever since.  We're finally adjusting.  I would definitely use hypnobabies again, and again. Thanks again sharon.
-  Emily J

Chloe was born 4/14 at 11 pm.  It was a bit more complicated than we had hoped.  I wrote up a birth story but I'm also writing one up that will incorporate how we used hypnosis, but the long/short of it was I birthed for several hours and Chloe kept rotating into a posterior position.  We tried everything-belly lifting, hands and knees, squatting, tub, breaking water and Ruth tried to turn her and nothing could keep her in the right position.  My contractions continued at 2-3 min apart but weren't being productive and I stalled at 7 cm for five hours before Ruth encouraged us to go to the hospital for some pain relief and pitocin.  It was the last thing we wanted yet we really need to do it-I was exhausted.  The hypnosis worked fairly well until Chloe became posterior with her head stuck sideways.  At that point my body was saying "Uh, there's something wrong" and I was incredibly uncomfortable.  We went to the hospital, had to do the whole pitocin/epidural thing and even needed a vacuum at the very end (they told me it was 20 seconds total) and then the baby had to go to the NICU for observation for four hours-I didn't even get to hold her until way after the birth.  Thankfully, Jon went with her and held her almost the whole time she was in NICU. 
She was born 4/14 at 11 pm, one hour before her daddy's 4/15 birthday.  She is 7 lb, 11 oz and 19 inches long. 
Hypnosis helped us prepare for the birth and have a healthy pregnancy, helped me sleep well and deal with all the drama going on with our relatives.  It helped me during the transition from the birth center to UC Davis and helped us set limits with the hospital staff there when they tried to railroad us a few times.  Overall, the staff at UCD was great.  Ruth was amazing and we're so thankful we got to labor at the birth center as long as we did.  It kept us from having a c section.  Also, hypnosis helped me "put away" the few people that came into my hospital room and said "inadequate pelvis" and "C-section" and concentrate on the nurse, doctors, and Jon that believed we could get her out vaginally.  Thank you for all of your help!  Hypnobabies rock and I would definitely use it again.  I hope you can meet our baby!

Lola Jane was born Saturday, Feb 7th,2009 at 2:29 am.

6 lb 12 oz and 20 inches long.

The birth was quite traumatic and something that is going to take a long time for me to emotionally recover from.
 
I started having contractions Friday morning around 3:30 AM. They were approximately 6 - 8 minutes apart and 1 minute long. I used the early labor hypnobaby track and my anesthesia breathing techniques to breathe through each one. I really felt hypnobabies helped me during this time.
 
Josh and I had an appointment with Ruth at the Birth Center at 2 PM that same day. Because the contractions weren't very strong, we decided to just wait until the appointment instead of calling Ruth. When we went to the appointment, Ruth performed an internal exam and determined that I was 4 cm dilated. She was surprised that I wasn't in active labor yet and so Josh and I went home to eat dinner and relax. 
 
By 8 PM, the contractions were stronger and closer together.  I kept using the anesthesia breathing and listening to my hypnobabies tracks. Again, I felt like they really helped me. At 9:30 PM we returned to the Birth Center. Ruth checked me and  I was 8 cm! She was amazed as I was able to hold conversations easily.
 
I sat on the birth ball and within an hour my water broke. After the water broke, the contractions came closer together and were stronger. Josh kept giving me the peace cue and the release cue. Both were essential for me to stay focused.
 
Around midnight, Ruth checked me and I was dilated to 10 cm and ready to push. I went to lay on the delivery bed and instantly became nauseous. I started throwing up immediately. We then realized that I was going to be unable to deliver Lola while in the bed. I moved to the birth stool and pushed for almost an hour and half.  During this time, I felt uncomfortable, but was never in pain. Pushing actually provided me some relief.
 
At 2:00 AM, Ruth noted that Lola's heartrate was dropping. She asked me to go to my hands and knees to push. I followed her instructions. They placed oxygen on me and I would breathe deeply between each contraction to get Lola as much oxygen as possible. Lola's heatrate went from 150 (normal) to 60 (distress). Then, she couldn't find Lola's heartrate. The paramedics were called to transfer me to Mercy San Juan's OR. At some point, Lola's heartrate was found, but it was dangerously low.
 
All I can remember is Ruth telling me, "Delinda, you have to push your baby out. PUSH YOUR BABY OUT. This is your last chance. You have to do this." I knew if I didn't push her out on that contraction there would be terrible consequences.  I beared down as much as I could, and pushed with every ounce of strength in my body. She flew out.
 
When Lola first came out, she was silent and limp. She didn't wail. I thought she was dead. Ruth immediately began to resuscitate Lola. Her heartrate was checked (and was normal), but she couldn't breathe on her own. She was never without oxygen, as the placenta remained intact until it stopped pulsating 10 minutes after birth and Ruth's staff supplied additional oxygen to her as well, but Ruth had to resuscitate Lola for nearly 30 minutes.  Her color was good too, but her lack of muscle tone was attributed to the fact that her temperature dropped to 94 degrees while she was being resuscitated. Luckily, once she began to breathe independently, she warmed up, started breathing and finally, she cried.
 
Hearing her cry melted my heart. I was so thankful she was OK.  Her birth was the scariest, most traumatic experience of my entire life. I will never forget it. And, to be quite honest, I don't know if I will ever have another child ever again.
 
Why Lola went into distress while descending through the birth canal is unknown. Her cord wasn't wrapped around her neck and there were no interventions involved.  The theory that perhaps her cord somehow was cinched in half, like a garden hose.  Just a freak thing that could have happened anywhere to anyone.
 
If we had been in a hospital there is no doubt that I would have received an emergency c-section and she would have been sent NICU.  Ruth's staff has told me that if I had not pushed her out when I did, the consequence would have been dire. The act of me pushing her out on my own was faster and more effective than having the paramedics transfer me to Mercy San Juan. I thank God every day that I was able to get her out. I don't think I would have been able to live with myself if anything would have happened to her.
 
We left the Birth Center around 7 AM on Saturday morning and saw our pediatrician, Dr. Grant, that same day. He performed a complete physical on her and stated she was in perfect health. There were no signs of her respiratory distress.  Because she had oxygen the entire time, she shouldn't sustain any neurological damage, although of course I am paranoid just the same and we are watching her like a hawk. 
 
Ruth came by on Saturday afternoon and helped us get her to breastfeed.  On Sunday, Dr. Grant called to check on her and then on Monday, one of Ruth's staff nurses came by the house to check on me and Lola. We were found to be doing well.  We have another appointment with Dr. Grant tomorrow for her standard 1st week newborn appointment. 
 
So far, things are going good. My milk is in and she is doing a pretty good job nursing. She is pooping and crying and displaying all of the typical newborn reflexes. Despite her traumatic entrance into this world, she is in perfect health.  She really is a little miracle. 
 
Delinda

Jackson Joseph Geddes was born on January 12th, 2009 at 7:49 am.

He weighed 8lbs1oz, and is 20.5 inches long. And is gorgeous if I could brag a bit! I am so happy with our birth. My labor began at 7:00 pm Sunday night, with pressure waves that were consistently 2-3 minutes apart, but very gentle. Despite the frequency and regularity I wasn't convinced that this was true labor and went to bed, listening to my easy first phase script. I woke at 11:30 to my water breaking, and the pressure waves increased their intensity, and were still 2-3 minutes apart. Because I was having uncontrollable shakes (which concerned me that I might be closer to transformation) we headed to the hospital. I used my Hypnobabies scripts and bubble of peace in the car to stay focused and calm. At the hospital we found that I was 5 cm dilated and was admitted. After a few hours my pressure waves became uncontrollable, and the walking and birth ball made them all together unmanageable, and ended up opting to get an epidural. My hypnosis was a huge help during this time because I began my pregnancy really nervous about needing an epidural (one of the reasons I wanted to do Hypnobabies), but the calm and focus I was able to achieve during that procedure was so incredibly helpful.

Although this wasn't the way we had planned on our birth playing out I really couldn't be more pleased. Ultimately, what I wanted was to avoid an epidural that might stall out my labor and require more and more interventions. I think that practicing the hypnosis allowed me to progress to a point that I didn't need those interventions. I feel that I had a calm, supportive group (the hospital staff was wonderful- I really can't say enough about how great the nurses and doctors were, and of course Joe was my biggest support), and that Jackson entered our world in a stress-free and loving environment. So, to sum it up, I don't feel like I failed Hypnobabies, or that it failed me; I think it helped me get a healthy baby without fear and stress.

Joe and I thank you so much for guiding us on this journey. It has been and continues to be an amazing experience.
Jennifer