Amanda & Wayne's HypnoBirthing story

Amanda & Wayne took my HypnoBirthing classes at the end of May 2009. Here is their birth story. Both Amanda & Wayne wrote about their personal experiences. You'll see that Amanda & Wayne had doubts during their labor, but were able to use each other to get Amanda back into the relaxed state of mind & body that she needed to be in. They were really confident in their ability to have the birth they wanted & with their OB, Dr. Biter (Dr. Wonderful) at Seaside Women's Health.

It's a long read, but definitely worth it! Thanks to Amanda & Wayne for being so honest with their story. As I've said in class before...visualize exactly what you want to happen during your labor AND be confident that if things happen differently, that you still have the tools to get you to where you need to be--relaxed in both mind & body. Amanda's description of her labor including her doubts is something I think is pretty common. Her ability to get herself back into a state of relaxation instead of staying in a panicked mode was key to her being able to have the birth she wanted.hy

Carol,
Wayne and I wanted to share our amazing birth story with you, so here it is!

Mommy's side of the story:

I'll begin at the beginning. We went to our 38 week appointment on August 7th and I asked Dr Biter to check my dilation as I had been feeling some shooting pains in my cervix area. He checked and let me know that I was 2-3cm dilated and almost completely effaced. I must admit although I knew labor could still be weeks the excitement built immediately. I lost my mucus plug on Saturday the 8th and yet again I just knew it could be any day.

The night of August 10th, I went to bed at 10pm and started feeling light surges, immediately figured "this was it!" I laid in bed aware of each surge. At about Midnight, I woke Wayne up to get him to time the surges, they were between 7-5 minutes apart and lasting 20seconds-1minute. We were up all night and decided we wanted to wait until Dr. Biter's office opened to get checked there rather than go straight to the hospital. When we arrived, the cervical check showed that I was 3.5cm dilated and the baby's head was low "very low." At this point we figure labor is imminent. At our next weekly appointment on August 14th, I didn't have a cervical check but I did mention that I had been having a light leaking and found my underwear to be wet on a constant basis. Dr Capetanakis let me know that there was a chance that I had a pinhole leak in my water bag and that it would continue to leak. Yet again the excitement and anticipation was overwhelming. I just couldn't wait to meet my baby.

Sunday August 16th I woke up at 2am to my bloody show. It was much more blood than I had anticipated and we immediately called Dr Biter's office. Dr Capetanakis called us back and let us know that I would most likely go into labor in the next 24 hours so try to get some rest and call back when my surges were 5-1-1. I attempted to go back to sleep but was too excited. I turned on my HypnoBirthing relaxation CD and was asleep within 30 minutes. When I awoke at 8am, I figured that once I got up and moving around the surges would start. No such luck, at 10am, I called Dr. Biter's office again and Dr Capetanakis had me come into the office to check my cervix. Wayne & I had a wedding to attend at 1pm, Wayne was a Groomsman so it was important to know if we should go to the wedding or not.

When we got to the office Dr Capetanakis immediately did an ultrasound and everything looked great. There was still enough amniotic fluid and baby's heartbeat was perfect. He proceeded to check my cervix and let me know that I was 3-3.5cm and more effaced. He told us to go ahead and go to the wedding I'd most likely go into labor that evening or in the next day. So we went and danced the night away. At the wedding, I had some surges but nothing that made think that I was in active labor. I was hoping we'd get home from the wedding and once I got in bed things would kick into gear. No such luck.

On Wednesday August 19th, I woke up and when I stood up I had a gush and assumed this was my water breaking. Yet again we were on our way back to Dr Biter's office to get checked since again surges hadn't started. Dr Capetanakis checked my cervix again only to be told it was the same as Sunday. We left the office disappointed and discouraged again.

That night we went to bed at 10:30pm. I awoke at 12:15am for one of my first of many bathroom trips. Once I lied down back in the bed, I immediately had a big gush and felt a slight pop and woke Wayne up and told him my water broke. I was able to make it to the shower to have the rest pour out of me. Wayne called Dr Biter's office and Dr Capetanakis called back and said "Try to get some rest, call us back when our surges were 5-1-1 or if we were going to head to the hospital."

I did my very best to get back to sleep but immediately the surges kicked in and honestly the anticipation and excitement was consuming and I was just so excited to finally meet my baby. Wayne was able to go back to sleep, I woke him up at about 1:25am. I had been timing my surges and I was ready for him to take over the timing. We got up and both got in the shower to labor some. I made Wayne shave my legs and we both just did our best to relax and prepare for what was in store. We were in the shower for about 1/2 an hour, and I found that the surges I had while in the shower were more manageable. As I got out of the shower and started to get dressed the intensity in my surges picked up and as each one approached I would stop and get myself completely relaxed. After we got dressed we headed down the stairs, our birth plan had us doing the majority of our laboring at home seeing that we are less than 5 minutes from Scripps Encinitas Hospital.

I got downstairs and was having Wayne time the surges at one point I asked him if there was any pattern and he said "not really, they're between 4-2 minutes apart, lasting between 30seconds-2 minutes." I am not sure what made me say this but I told him I thought we needed to go to the hospital. I really struggled with this decision because it was completely opposite of our birth plan and I didn't want to do the majority of my laboring at the hospital, but something just made me need to go.
We arrived at the hospital at 3am. They took us back to our room, I got in my gown, they attached the baby monitor and the nurse checked me. She told me I was 3.5cm and 90% effaced. I felt defeated. I didn't say anything to Wayne and he didn't say anything to me but later we both spoke about it and we were both really disappointed we both pictured spending hours at the hospital.

While lying in the bed on the monitor I must admit I felt completely out of control. I felt as though the surges were in control of me and I had no power over them. I was so frustrated by this because this is not how envisioned my labor. I had visions of being in control the entire time. I was able to breath through my surges and I kept repeating the following affirmation in my head, "My body and my baby know how to work together in complete harmony." I didn't realize at the time but Wayne was video taping this part of my labor, and looking at the video I look as though I'm in full control and am working through the surges efficiently. Seeing it from that perspective gave me a different point of view and made me realize that the out of control feeling was something that stemmed from this not being in my 'vision' of my "perfect labor."

After monitoring the nurse let me know she spoke to Dr Biter and he wanted me to walk around to progress labor. It's now 4am and I get up out of the bed. I asked for a birthing ball and I sat on it against the bed for all of 2 seconds. It wasn't the best position for me, which I found quite interesting because when I pictured laboring I pictured using the birthing ball. Then I was slow dancing leaning against the end of the bed, as I was doing this I felt another gush and it felt like yet again my water broke. I asked the nurse if my water could have broken again and she said that there's a chance earlier that it only 1/2 broke or I had a fore bag and that is what broke earlier.

I told Wayne that I wanted to get in the shower. He changed into his trunks and we slow danced in the shower. While in the shower, my surges continued to intensify. I had moments where I was unable to find my focus, Wayne would put his face to mine and do the slow breathing techniques we learned from HypnoBirthing and he would immediately bring back my focus. A few times in the shower, I questioned my goal and was starting to lose hope that I would have a natural unmedicated delivery. I had started to get quite panicked and disappointed in myself. All my life I had imagined my labor and delivery without medications. I never understood why people would need drugs for the most natural experience on earth. I felt as if I was failing, as if I wasn't good enough. I of course kept this all to myself, at one point I said to Wayne "I just don't think I can do this," he pulled me close and told me what a great job I was doing and that I could do it.

At about 4:30am I got out of the shower and was just trying to find a position where I could not only be comfortable but relax and I was finding it very difficult. I had been drinking water all night and decided to sit down to see if I could empty my bladder. As I sat on the toilet, I leaned back against the wall and found the perfect position. I was finally able to bring myself into complete relaxation for close to 5 minutes even during all the surges I was having, I was so relaxed I don't even remember how many surges I had. I do know that at this point in my labor my surges were very close together and I had very little time between them. Then all of a sudden I had a surge that made me need Wayne's assistance as sitting was not comfortable, I stood up and we yet again slow danced, him holding the majority of my weight.

During this surge I yet again questioned my ability to do this unmedicated. I couldn't help but think how good it would feel to just get rid of all the pain, the thought brought me to tears. I so badly wanted to experience every sensation of birth and delivery. I was so angry at myself for even considering it. Once that surge passed I found myself in need of squatting through the next few surges, during one of these I said to Wayne with panic in my voice "I can't do this, I really don't think I can do this." He told me yet again what a great job I was doing and kissed my forehead. With just these simple words and kiss on my forehead he had given me more strength to get through the next few surges. I decided I didn't have to make any decisions one way or another at this point I would let things happen naturally. I decided to sit back down on the toilet. As I was sitting there I noticed I had A LOT of pressure. I mentioned to Wayne that there was a lot of pressure. He immediately pulled the emergency cord next to the toilet and the nurse was there within seconds. I told her I was having a lot of pressure and she asked me to get back on the bed so she could check me.

I lay back down on the bed (the last place in the world I wanted to be) and as I laid down Wayne said "There's blood". I immediately got a little excited by his announcement, but nothing prepared me for what the nurse said next, she checked my cervix and said "We're going to have a baby." The words whirled around my head, how could we be ready to have a baby it had only been 1 1/2 hours since I got there and I started at 3.5cm, how is it I'm already 10?????
I hear her call out over their intercom system that she needed immediate assistance in my labor room, to page Dr Biter immediately and to let the Dr on call know that he may have a delivery. I said "I'm waiting for Dr. Biter." I laid in the bed feeling like I was in a dream, how was it that I had only been at the hospital for 1 1/2 hours and now I'm about to deliver my baby? The nurse let me know to breath through the pressure, and Wayne was standing at my side giving me light touch massage and helping me with my breathing. At this point, all of the pain I had been feeling was completely gone. The only feeling I had was pressure, intense pressure, but there was no pain. I kept breathing through the pressure and just knowing that my baby would be in my arms within the hour was enough to get me through.

Within minutes Dr Biter was walking through the door, I have never been so happy to hear his voice in my entire life. He sat down at the end of the bed and said "That was fast, are you ready to have your baby?" I said "YES!"

Dr Biter had me do different methods of pushing. We started on my back, then we moved to my left side, my right side, he had a nurse hold one end of a towel and I held the other. Dr Biter used perineal massage to help during delivery, I must say that pushing is nothing what I expected. I had no pain, no burning. When my baby's head started to crown, Dr Biter asked me to reach down and feel the head, all I could feel was a full head of hair. After 45 minutes of pushing my baby was ready to be born, Dr Biter asked Wayne & I to reach down, and the three of us delivered our baby onto my chest. I had never in my life felt so accomplished and so much love. I asked Wayne if it was a boy or girl? He looked down, and said "It's a baby GIRL!" We both immediately started crying.

My water broke at 12:20am and at 6:01am I had delivered my beautiful daughter 8lbs 4.7 oz, 20 1/4 inches of perfection. I NEVER expected my labor to progress so perfectly.
After allowing her cord to stop pulsing, Wayne cut the cord and the nurses took Anella to be weighed. As they were weighing her, I asked the nurse if I could get up to go to the bathroom, she paused and said "did you have an epidural?," I said "no" and she said "Yes, we can walk to the bathroom if you feel up to it," I said "Of course I do, I feel great." She walked with me to the bathroom and spent the entire time commenting on what an amazing labor this was for her to see and how impressed she was by not only the speed of it, but my control and ability to labor and deliver without a single drug or intervention. I felt accomplished, successful, empowered and more than anything that I had the PERFECT labor for me

Wayne and I spoke about my labor many times since that day and we both agree that without HypnoBirthing there is NO WAY that our labor would have gone so smoothly. He was so much more comfortable having learned not only the breathing techniques, but the signs that things were happening. Had we not taken HypnoBirthing, I can say that there would have been a very good chance that I either delivered at home, in the ambulance or on the toilet at the hospital. HypnoBirthing gave both of us the confidence that my body knew exactly what it was doing and that we needed to trust the signs it was giving us.

I cannot thank you enough for giving us the tools we needed to have our dream labor and delivery. Anella Paige was born into a calm, relaxed and loved atmosphere.

Daddy's side of the story:

Carol, let me begin by thanking you so much for your wonderful teachings and support. As Amanda wrote, I can truly say that without HypnoBirthing, there is no way our labor would have happened as it did.

The most important things I took from your classes were knowing how to trust Amanda's body and instincts, the ability to help Amanda focus on breathing, and knowing the signs of progression. This last point is one I thank you for...knowing when to call the nurse prevented us from having a baby in the bathroom.

We had quite a few false impressions of when the labor was starting. Over the course of two weeks, Amanda and I were going through ups and downs of thinking we were ready and finding out we weren't. It is hard to know what is real when you've never had the sensations before. Needless to say, when Amanda's water broke at midnight, I was not very hopeful as we had been through this before. She had me call the doctor's and Dr. Capetanakis called and said to call back when we were ready to go to the hospital. I fell asleep and Amanda woke me later to time the surges. I had a cool app on my phone that you had talked about that timed these surges and showed a cool little graph. Well, this for us was useless. Amanda's surges were not consistent and I had no idea if she was 5-1-1 or 2-1-1 or what. After a shower, we were downstairs in the kitchen. I started cleaning up the dishes, started the dishwasher and took the trash out. Then Amanda said we needed to leave. I immediately trusted her to know her own body even though our surges were not yet 5-1-1. Amanda has always been very in tune with her body and baby this pregnancy so I trusted her.

I filmed her laboring in the garage and was in shock that this was my life. We got in the car and started to the hospital with little fan fare....no speeding or going through red lights like in the movies. We were almost to the hospital when I remembered we were supposed to have called. Oh well. We arrived at Scripps Encinitas and at 3 am had great parking close to the entrance. I picked up the phone and were were let into the birthing pavilion. I have to say here that we were expecting to have our baby at Dr. Biter's new birth center, but throughout our experience at the hospital we both agree that it is an amazing place. The staff are awesome!

During the next two hours Amanda was laboring. I had the cheat sheet you gave me but honestly it made no sense to me. I just followed my own way and gave Amanda light touch and whatever she needed. After the monitoring, I could see she was overwhelmed by her surges and offered her what I could. She was so into her body that she could not answer my questions and I had no idea if I was helping or making it worse. When she had good surges, I reminded her to focus on her breathing. When we were in the bathroom, she was getting panicked and I got close to her face and breathed loudly, this caused her to follow my breathing. I believe this was your suggestion Carol? After a while she said she had a lot of pressure. I remember from your birth story that pressure was a sign of imminent birth, so I pulled the emergency cord. The nurse was there soon and after checking she said the crazy words...."we're having a baby!" WAIT! WHERE'S DR. BITER????

Our love for our OB is strong as he has seen us through a miscarriage and has been such a great friend during the pregnancy (as has Dr. Cap). We could not envision having birth without him. Luckily he showed soon and got right to business. He told Amanda to start pushing, and even though purple pushing was against what we had learned, it was what was working for Amanda. Again, trust your body and know that whatever works for you is right.

I had Amanda's left leg and she pushed against me and after some time I could see some hair. Our baby was coming. She still pushed and the baby was crowning. I remember thinking how small the baby's head was (the size of a tangerine). Then she pushed more and the head came out (wow, a lot bigger!) My baby had a full head of dark hair...where did that come from? After some more pushes, Dr. Biter asked Amanda to take her baby.

Through out all of this I had no idea if I was of any use. I tried my best to help. After it was done, Amanda told me that I helped a lot. That my words and actions helped her deliver naturally.

Carol, you have been a great help. I'm sure anybody can teach a HypnoBirthing class, but your teachings go beyond this. Your ability to share your experience was a huge help and your kind words through email and Facebook are so nice. Thank you so much for helping us have a beautiful birth.

Ah.... the madness!

Internet I have to tell you something. The madness has well and truly settled in. I've been here before and I really should know better. But some people never learn. And I am some people. You see AF hasn't arrived yet. I've had a few pains but nothing major. You see where I'm going with this?

What I have had are headaches. Not terrible migraines just achy pains. So I turned to Dr. Google in my desperation. And guess what? Yep, headaches are a symptom of pregnancy particularly in the first trimester. Oh Dr. Google! Thanks for getting my hopes up. Is it me or is everything a symptom of pregnancy according to Dr. Google? 

So thanks to Dr. G I have nearly convinced myself that Friday's pee stick was just plain wrong and since AF is taking her sweet time to get here... maybe, just maybe.. the hope isn't over yet? But waiting for AF to arrive is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. I was wondering how many times a day you can check your knickers before you are declared officially insane?

I plan to wait one more day. I will give AF one more day to get here before I POAS again. I figure this way I'll feel less stupid than if I POAS tomorrow morning and then AF arrives minutes later. It's happened before after all. So come on AF either get here or leave me alone! I fear the insanity has already set in...

No, I'm not just saying that cos I looked in my pants 20 times today, or inspected the toilet paper with the suspicion of Hercule Poirot. No. I fear for my sanity because of a series of events that took place last night. A series of events that should have me nominated for a Darwin Award.

Let me explain. I have a beautiful white cotton dress a friend of mine gave to me for my birthday. It is from her shop and was actually designed by her and it is simply stunning. I love wearing it, it makes me feel beautiful. So last night I was wearing said dress. We were preparing our evening meal and I was bringing the food out to the table. I had a jug of strawberry and mango smoothie in one hand and a bowl of pesto in the other. But. I did not see the pool of water on the kitchen floor that had been slowly amassing due to a faulty air conditioner. I slipped and slammed into the kitchen door. The strawberry and mango smoothie landed in my hair and began dripping down my face and into my eyes and all over my pristine white dress. The pesto was running down my arm and had splattered on to my dress which now looked like it had been painted by Jackson Pollock. 

I screamed at Mr. T to help me get the dress off (having been blinded by the smoothie I couldn't see a damn thing) and then I ran to the bathroom and threw the dress in the sink. I desperately washed off the red and the green slime and wiped the smoothie out of my eyes. I turned around with the sopping dress in my hands and ran to the washing machine. Now here's the thing about washing machines in Morocco. They're not earthed. None of them. (One of my friends has a particularly handy husband and he earthed their washing machine himself, but neither me or Mr. T are that handy.) This means that every time you touch the washing machine while it's plugged in you get a sharp shock. My usual routine is to turn off the washing machine at the wall, load it, set it, and then turn it back on. But this time all I could think about was my stunning white dress and how beautiful it made me feel and that I might lose it forever. I shoved it in the washing machine without thinking and I think the metal clasp must have made contact with the metal drum inside and YEOOOOOOW F@*K!

I ran to turn it off at the wall and in my haste stepped in the cat food sending it and myself splaying across the kitchen. I stopped. I looked at the cat food scattered across the kitchen floor Mr. T has just cleaned. I looked up at Mr. T and started to cry. There I was, naked, with strawberry smoothie in my hair running down my face, pesto down my arm, cat food on my feet, still reeling from the electric shock. So much for our romantic dinner. But seriously? How much of a clutz can one person be, in such a short space of time? I fear it is the TTC/waiting for AF madness taking hold. I think I better find out what's going on in this uterus of mine soon, or else there's no telling what might happen next.

In The Dumps

That's where I dwell now. I am down, down, down in the dumps. I POASed. It was, as always, one bright fat red line and then another window of nothingness. Like my womb, a window of nothingness. The twinges and cramps I'm feeling in my belly are no longer implantation or pregnancy cramps. They are the beginning stages of AF about to arrive.

Before I looked at the test, I prayed. I got down on my knees and I prayed. Please, please I want to be a mother. I promise I will be the best mother I can be. I won't complain. I will never take my children for granted or be complacent. I will cherish every moment with them. I swear it.

There's nothing quite as crushing as getting a BFN. Especially when you've spent the last 2 weeks trying to remain calm but secretly convincing yourself that this time it worked. And so time marches on. People around you announce pregnancies and births. Their children grow up. And you feel paralyzed. As though you are not moving.

Sorry to be so depressing today. But as I said I'm down in the dumps. Way down.

Ramadan Recipes

Every evening we set the table, ready in wait to break our fast. However we don't break fast with all the traditional Moroccan foods as we find them a bit too sweet and oily for our empty stomachs. Whenever we eat these foods after fasting we always collapse into a deep sleep straight after! So we usually keep it healthy and simple and vegetarian.

Our Ramadan break fast meal, called Ftour, usually consists of:

lemon and mint water

ice-cold banana and cardamom smoothie

dates and oranges

 with orange and honey crepes

nectarine, pear, strawberry and apple fruit salad with lemon juice and mint

plenty of hummous

soupe au pistou (which I forgot to take a picture of before we ate it all) 

with onion and cheese breads

and salad with quinoa.

By then we've eaten so much we can't move and we usually lie around reading, internetting or watching movies. The next day we wake up around 4am and eat crepes and yogurt and drink plenty of water before the call to prayer marks the beginning of the fast. Then it's back to bed for a few extra hours of sleep!

So here's my recipe for the Soupe Au Pistou, it is simply delicious:

Ingredients:

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

4 leeks

4 carrots

1 can of haricot beans

4 chopped tomatoes

1L vegetable stock (perhaps more)

2 handfuls of green beans

100g of spaghetti

50g peas

Pesto to serve

It's super duper easy to make. You chop up all the veggies they can be chunky but bite-size. Throw the onions, garlic, leeks and carrots into a big pot with the bay leaves and cook in some olive oil for about 5 mins. Then add the haricot beans, tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Add the green beans and spaghetti and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the peas and cook for a few minutes until soft. Before serving add a spoonful of basil pesto into each bowl of soup. 

For the cheese onion breads, simply cut some good quality bread into chunks, spread on some butter, and then layer with finely chopped onions and grated cheese (gruyere, emmenthal or comte) and then bake in the oven for 15 mins.

Okay now I'm salivating, I think I shouldn't have written this post during my last hours of fasting. So hungry.....

Ramadan

The holy month of Ramadan is upon us. A month of fasting and purification. I was in a bit of a dilemma about whether or not to start fasting this year until I knew if I was pg or not. Since if you're pregnant you obviously don't have to fast. But I figured that it was a big I-F and we do eat and drink in the evening so it's not like I'm starving myself. In fact I probably eat healthier over Ramadan. And since it would be so early on in the PG (God I'm scared of that word) I don't think it would really matter.

So it's two days in and so far I've done fine. Ramadan is such a special time here. I love the sense of community, that we're all doing this together. I love the reasoning behind it - to remind us how lucky we are to be able to eat and drink when we like, to help us feel empathy with the poor, with those who don't have enough to eat or water to drink. I love breaking fast with my husband, the preparation of the food, sitting down at the table to finally enjoy food and delicious glasses of water and juice. Believe me water tastes delicious when you haven't been able to drink all day. I love the silence in the city as we break fast, knowing families across the city are doing the same thing. I love seeing the deserted streets, except for the odd petit taxi rushing home.

Ramadan is also a time of reflection. It is a time that reminds us how fragile we are. It reminds us of our mortality, of our relationship with God. Whether you are religious or not, if you believe you have a spiritual connection with the earth, a higher being, whatever you want to believe, there are times when you feel closer and times when you feel alone, and times when you don't feel anything at all. This last year I have felt angry and alone and have been unable to pray or to connect. In a weird way I felt betrayed. I felt as though having a family, having a baby was my right. It wasn't meant to be this hard. These were dark times for me. In fact I remember last Ramadan, we were 6 months into TTC and I was convinced it was going to happen soon for us. I remember thinking that next Ramadan, I wouldn't have to fast as I'd either be pregnant or breast feeding. Yes breast feeding. That's how hopeful I was. And now Ramadan is here again. But I'm not angry like I thought I'd be.

It's only recently that I've been able to see IF and all our recent experiences with any kind of perspective. I accept our difficulties now, I understand there is a greater plan in motion, one I may as yet not fully understand. I will still get angry, I will still cry but I feel more centered now. I feel as though my relationship with God is healing as I am able to pray again. I am able to say thank you for the many blessings I have in my life.

I give thanks for the love in my life, my family and friends, my health, my job, my education and that while we are not rich like some, we have more disposable income than most in this world so that we never have to worry about putting food on the table. Maybe one day I will get to add my child(ren) to this list. But it is still a great list to be thankful for all the same.

I will post a few of my Ramadan dishes with recipes on my next post. Until then wishing you all Ramadan Mubarak!

Holiday Snaps feat. Tigerlily

This is where we stayed....

and swam... and lounged...

This is where we ate our fill of barbecued seafood, delicious salads and yummy chocolate cinnamon cake that I made.....

This is the town of Essaouira. You may recognise it from the movie 'Kingdom of Heaven'. This fort was actually built for the movie, though it looks completely genuine.

Next to the fish market where we bought our sea bass, dorado and prawns everyday.

And because Tigerlily was just too young to leave at home we brought her with us. It was kitten heaven. I think she had a fantastic vacation too.

Since we don't have babies to put into a baby bjorn we just do it with our kitten. Here she is in Mr. T's hoodie.

And here she is coming out of the jungle. A wild leopard attack:

Half Way There

Phew. Finally we passed the half way mark. And this time I'm not talking about the TWW. This time it's hubbie's 74 days of sperm making. We're half way down the countdown which I posted on the right of the screen the day after he had his embolization to treat a varicocele. So only 37 more days until we can finally do a semen analysis to see if the treatment has had an effect. 

I know, I know. They tell you to wait 6 months before you may see an improvement but we figured 74 days would at least give us an indication if the little fellas were moving in the right direction. And well after 18 months now of TTC, patience is a relative term for us. We need to see results, we need to know we are on the right road as soon as is possible. There is no time to waste. But. There is a lot of time waiting.

However I still have hope that my Moroccan colleague may be right and that August is the time it will happen for us. If so our little fertilized egg would be implanting around now-ish. Which is a double-edged thought. Exciting but deceptive. Thankfully we had a wonderful break by the coast, with great friends, lovely food, lots of games and general lounging about - which did wonders for taking my mind off it all. Will be posting pics very soon! So tired from traveling gonna rest a while.... In the meantime Happy ICLW everyone!

A HypnoBirthing VBAC story

Janine & Victor came to class at the very last minute of their pregnancy after Dr. Capetanakis recommended my classes to them. Their "due date" was July 26 & they joined my class series that started July 9th! They attended 3 classes before Janine went into labor. (We worked things out so they could get access to all of the materials & hypnosis sessions before they went into labor.) Here is their birth story:

Hi Carol!

We did, unfortunately, end up with a c-section. I was in labor for about twelve hours and our contractions were coming every two - four minutes so we decided to go to the hospital. When we got there they checked me and I was only dilated to two centimeters. I was in such severe pain - I knew I couldn't go another eight centimeters without medication, and Dr. Capetanakis (Dr. Cap) suggested that we either get the epidural, which he didn't think was the right thing to do since I was only two centimeters, or get a c-section. So we opted for the c-section. Once we got in the OR and Dr. Cap began the procedure, he saw that my uterus had ruptured so it's a good thing we opted for the c-section. I was definitely disappointed about making the decision to do the c-section but once I found out that my uterus had ruptured, I was just thankful that we decided to go that route and that the baby and I were all healthy in the end! So that's the story in a nutshell!

Despite the way our situation turned out, the HypnoBirthing class was worth every penny to me. Aside from teaching me how to get through the surges, the classes were great because they provided an opportunity for my husband and I to communicate about the birth of our baby. We never would have had many of the conversations that we had if we had not taken the class. I'm truly grateful that we took the class, so thank you for all of your help and guidance!

SEAN VINCENT
Born 08.02.2009
12:54 am
8 lbs 8 oz
20.5 inches

Sincerely,
Janine

Congratulations on your birth. I'm sorry your birth didn't end up being the natural birth you had hoped for, but am glad that you still got benefits out of taking my HypnoBirthing classes. Thanks for allowing me to share your story.

All my best--Carol

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

L'Espoir

I don't know if it's the fact that we finally got the house to ourselves after Mr.T's family left. Or if it's Mr.T's embolization from last month having an effect. Or if it's just the summer time playing out it's hot, relaxed rhythm on our bodies. But. This weekend was the Olympics of bedroom gymnastics. And over ovulation time too! It wasn't that forced sex, where it's like, come on we have to do it NOW! And then you force yourself to pretend that you actually want to have sex, when really you'd just prefer to sleep/watch tv/read your book. It has just been happening spontaneously... and it's been wonderful. Finally the big-O doesn't stand for ovulation anymore!

So now I am filled with... hope. And I have more hope than usual, despite my better judgement. Why? Well, I am a little reluctant to share... I think you may consider me a little nutso once I tell you. Especially after my post on fertility charms, crystal penises (should that be peni? or penii?) and Bhutanese fertility festivals. But since I promised to be honest, and well, the damage has probably already been done with some of my previous posts, here it is. I am more hopeful this month that it may actually happen for me because of what happened back in April, in my Le Mois Huit post. Remember the lady who grabbed my hands and looked into my eyes and said 'le mois huit' that's when it will happen for you? Well we're in le mois huit (the 8th month, August) now and so I can't help thinking, maybe, just maybe, all that bedroom gymnastics might just work.

Does that make me 

a. pathetic 

b. desperate

 c. crazy or 

d. all of the above?

I'm trusting in this lady's psychic/intuitive ability whatever you want to call it, whatever it might be. In so doing I'm having a little more hope, a little more espoir this time around. Am I setting myself up for a fall, again? Well since I've managed to do that to myself in some way or another with nearly every cycle, I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Hoping and falling has become quite a habit now, one can't seem to exist without the other. So I will continue to hope and hope even more this month, and if I fall? So what. I do it every month. And at least in two weeks I'll know either way and I will be sure to let her know. Her being the lady who gave me this extra hope, who said 'le mois huit'. I told Mr.T about my extra hope this month and why. He smiled and asked me what her name was. Touriya, I said. If she's right, said Mr.T, we should name our baby, Touriya. If it's a girl. We will see.

On another note, I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving you. Dun-dun-duhhhhh. What? Why? Who? Sorry, love being a drama queen. Well I'm not really leaving you for so long. We're going on a quick 3 or 4 day break to the coast, a place called Essaouira. It's a very magical place with a wild coastline and Atlantic waves that break along never ending beaches. We're staying with friends who've rented a small little villa.. they'll be lots of barbecued fish, prawns and lobster, loads of laughter and cool swimming, but sadly no internet. I promise to make up for it when I return with lots of pics. Until then, I wish you much luck in your journeys and hope that le mois huit turns out to be the greatest month for all of us.

There's A World In There...

Since finding out we had IF issues I tend not to go there. And by there I mean inside. Inside my mind and my thoughts. I actively try to distract myself and recently that's been easy. Life is hectic, work is busy, our car is breaking down - there is so much to do and think about I don't have to go there.

But to get pg I do need to calm down, to relax, to be at ease. I recently found out how far away I am from that. At the end of my yoga session yesterday we sat down for the chill out bit. I was ready to zone out in the sun and let my mind wander as it does. But my yoga teacher had other ideas. We were going to meditate for 15 minutes, sitting in an upright position. Concentrating on clearing our minds and going within. I panicked. I hate doing this, it's just too painful to be with my thoughts, let alone the physical pain of sitting without moving. 

But I sucked it up and assumed the lotus position (actually half lotus as I'm not that flexible yet). I listened intently to the words of my teacher. Close your eyes. Go within. There's a world in there... for some reason those words resonated with me. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that 'in there' represents a painfully empty place, void of the life I so desperately want to be growing 'in there'? I felt a surge of anger, frustration and sadness that overwhelmed me and the tears began to flow. I was shocked by the power of it. It was obvious that I had some much needed healing to do as the world in there was not exactly a happy place of rainbows, butterflies and green meadows. So I focused on the anger. Half way through my back began to ache, a few moments later it was screaming at me. But instead of shifting my position or lying back I decided to face it head on. I decided to embrace the pain both external and internal.

Strangely enough, over the next minute, this seemed to take the edge off the pain in my back, I could feel it begin to dissipate. Inside there was a strange calmness, an acceptance. There is obviously a deep well of pain and frustration 'in there' that I never even knew existed, but this meditation experience helped to still the waters somewhat. It reminded me that suffering and pain are part of life and no amount of anger or tears is going to change that. Accept. Move on. Everything is constantly changing, my yoga teacher said afterwards, it is the law of impermanence.

The law of impermanence.

It is with this attitude that I resolve to make babies again. It's getting to that time. Time to baby dance. Time to believe it CAN happen for me. Time to believe that everything changes.

Mr. T's Post

Hello everybody. I thought I'd hijack my lovely wife's blog for a one time entry of my own after she deliberately BASHED me in front of all you nice people! Ok well, that's a bit exaggerated. She actually asked me if I wanted to write a post to give my side of the story, so here it is.

My wife is a lovely person, as some of you who know her personally already know. We met at my concert in Hong Kong where she liked a song I performed on stage. Unlike the majority of my groupies (the good old days...hmmm) - Clare Ed: I was not/am not a groupie-, Clare actually had a good sense of brains and said she loved the song and left it at that. I was very interested in her and her opinions regarding politics that I invited her to a dinner the next day, despite being surrounded by two incredibly good looking Hawaiian models (hmmmm…).

We met the next day and had a lovely evening and I remember her clearly saying she was a 'strong' woman, a 'feminist' and that she could come across 'weird' to anyone who wasn't used to her character. I frankly thought it was sexy and we continued having a great evening and 6 years later we married.

By the way, I'm not a great writer like she is nor is English my first language so excuse the post if it's dull or jumpy (I have to be quick to be in bed by 8!! I'm in the dog house people!!)

So when we were getting ready to start on babies she suggested getting healthy and doing supplements, which I of course rejected because 'I got super sperm baby, don't worry 'bout a thang', I said in all my glorious arrogance and ignorance. Boy did that come back to bite me in the ass, or the balls for that matter. 

You see my lifestyle was far from good. Being a musician, on a professional level, takes a lot out of you. Especially if you're running a management and tour booking company next to being artistic as well. So my normal day would start at 4 or 5pm, I would eat something, get behind my desk and work till 8 or 9 am next morning. Go to sleep and wake up again at 4pm. On tour there was no sleep at all, nor a healthy diet. However, I never smoked, never did drugs and my last drink was in August 2000. So I thought the sperm would be super.

After a good year of trying nothing was super about it at all. Being confronted with the possibility of being infertile hit me harder than I could've imagined. So I changed my whole act. Took up sports, supplements, early bed nights, a good diet and less work. My sperm improved a lot, from 5% moving slow and 0% fast, to 20% moving fast and 20% moving slow. This however, was before we knew I had that varicocele thing.

As Marrakech gets hotter and hotter (up to 52 oC !!), I kind of quit the sports and began picking up work again. However, it was never like the crazy working periods I had years ago. 4 am is really the max and I’ve had a few of those nights, but not many and my health has changed a lot, so I thought one night wouldn't kill any sperm anyway. I'm still on supplements and although a good night's rest is advised, a late night isn't proven to kill off sperm. Most of my colleagues still have crazy work nights and are dropping babies left and right, including the daily dose of alcohol, drugs and sitting all day! Life is not fair, I know.

Anyway, my wife, who is as lovely as she can be, can be quite overly obsessed with things she wants (she was Bridezilla a year and a half ago) – Clare Ed: So so NOT true!-, exploded on me for working late and I had to sleep on the couch. Luckily Moroccan sofas are like couches so I was OK there. Maybe this was that 'strong feministic character' I found sexy in the beginning.

Anyway, I apologized the next morning and all was fine as it always goes. Funnily enough I had to remind her TWICE to take her supplements the next day! So I sarcastically went off on her telling her I want a divorce or a second wife who WILL listen to me, heh heh.

Anyway, we are good now. She is still lovely and I wanna thank all of you who follow and comment on her blog, it means a great deal to her and keeps her a bit more sane when her period comes around. Wishing you all the best in your journeys.

Signing off, the legendary Mr.T (minus the super sperm). ;)

No such thing as "failing" at HypnoBirthing

I have spoken to a few doulas who attended some of my former class members' births as well as some moms after their births & I am hearing that some moms feel like they didn't "do it right" or somehow "failed at HypnoBirthing" because they had to make noise during their births.

PLEASE Moms!!!! Remember that I said that it is totally OKAY to make noise during your birth! You may have the ideal birth experience in your head where you are calm & silent, but sometimes you NEED to make noise & that's okay!

If you are noisy during sex, chances are you are going to be noisy during birth.
Sometimes, even when you're not noisy during sex, you'll need to make noise during birth because the power of the sensations. Not necessarily from discomfort or pain but just because there is a lot going on in your body & sometimes you just need to make some noise to help release it & help yourself relax.

My other point is that pain-free doesn't mean that you won't feel ANYthing...you will still feel some sort of sensation to some degree. Some moms feel little to no sensation & some moms feel more sensation to the point of feeling uncomfortable but not painful. Both are again, totally okay!
So, know that you will feel something during your birth & that you may need to make some noise. The videos we watched during class don't show the moms making much noise at all, but that doesn't mean it's not part of the norm of natural birth or HypnoBirthing.

PLEASE remember this! There is no "fail" when it comes to HypnoBirthing...whether you made more noise than you thought you would, you felt more sensation/discomfort than you thought you would, that you needed medication like an epidural or that you needed a c-section. You still had a HypnoBirth because you used the techniques to the best of your ability. Sometimes births take a different route than you plan. That doesn't mean you failed, it just means your birth went differently than you planned. You probably were able to stay much calmer than you would have without having your HypnoBirthing techniques, which means you got farther in your labor without medications than you would have with HypnoBirthing classes.

Know that you did the best you could & sometimes your baby & your birth still takes a different route and that you should be proud of the fact that you went into your birth as an informed, educated, empowered parent. You made educated decisions along the way due to the information you learned in your classes. That's an important thing to remember.

I hope that any of you who may think that you failed in someway are able to reframe your thinking & see that you still were able to have a wonderful HypnoBirth no matter how it turned out. It's totally normal to be sad or disappointed that your birth didn't turn out exactly like you envisioned. I don't want to discount anyone's valid feelings about their birth experience.

I really work to stress in my classes that you do need to visualize your birth exactly as you want it as much as possible to give your body & brain the picture of what it needs to do for your birth. AND I also stress that you need to be flexible with the fact that things may go a little (or a lot) astray but that you still have the tools to do the most important things--relax your mind & body, stay calm, & make educated decisions.

For those moms-to-be, please remember all of this so when & if during your birth, you are thinking that you're not having the birth you planned or that you're somehow failing, you can remember this & get your thinking back to where it needs to be focused--your breathing, relaxation & visualization techniques.

All my best--Carol

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

It Takes Two

That's the problem with baby making. It takes two. Well I know it's possible to get donors etc., and you can be single and still do the baby making thing, which in some ways could be simpler to just deal with your own issues rather than those of a sometimes uncooperative partner... but for this post, I'm just talking about the regular boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl get hitched, boy and girl hit IF, boy and girl struggle through doctors appointments, clinics and tests just to start a family of their own. And this is where it gets complicated. When two is involved it means two bodies, two health histories, two lifestyles, two approaches, two viewpoints. And. You know what I'm going to say next. Sometimes. Often. A lot. Those viewpoints, those approaches, those lifestyles, clash. Then two certainly becomes a problem when you're trying to create another one.

Mr. T and I are in an important phase. Especially Mr.T. See the countdown on the right? Well I've been looking at it everyday and during this time we have to really up our game. We have to make sure we do everything to help our bodies be as fertile as we possibly can. Eat well. Exercise. Relax. Early to bed. Good sleep. And not just at any time but at a good hour so our bodies' natural rhythms are heeded to and respected. Well that's my approach anyway. And. I thought it was Mr. T's too. He assures me it still is but last night was a very different story.

He promised he'd come to bed at a reasonable time. Not exactly early but at least midnight after he finished some emailing. There were good night kisses and then I curled up, almost instantly falling asleep in the expectation that he would be beside me soon. But the hours flew by and I slept unknowingly through. Until. I reached over in my sleep and found an empty spot. My mind must be on auto-baby-making-pilot mode and immediately woke me up. I was furious. I knew it was late, how late I wasn't sure. But I knew exactly where he was. I made my way to the living room and there he sat typing away on his computer and listening to music. I was standing in front of him without a stitch of clothing on (it is really hot here right now), my eyes half closed, my hair a la sideshow Bob. What the hell is the time? I moaned at him. Oh shit, it's four. He replied. I spun on my heels. I am so furious I can't even speak to you, I yelled down the hall. I locked the door to our bedroom. Well, he wasn't going to disturb my sleep anymore than he already had. And I desperately tried to get back to sleep. Unsuccessfully I might add.

I was furious. And sleep deprived. What was he thinking? Why can't he be responsible for his own health? Why can't he think about how this depresses me? I'm so tired of saying don't drink this, don't eat that, go and do some exercise, blah, blah....

It certainly does not.

Okay in the past Mr.T has been really good. He's proved himself. But lately I feel like he's losing his stamina, like he's chucking the race in early. And I am tired of yelling from the stands, tired of pushing him on. It's times like this that make me feel like giving up too. Giving up this whole TTC journey which has rapidly become a marathon, with no end in sight.

I know this is just a blip. I know we'll get back into some kind of tenuous harmony. But I swing from thinking that it would be so much simpler to do TTC on your own, than to have another whose actions and feelings you're not responsible for. To thinking I could never do this emotionally and physically without Mr.T with me every step of the way. But I guess that's just part of being in a relationship too. It's part of the sacrifice and compromise that comes with being with another human being, with planning your life with them, with making space for each other.

But. When it comes to having a baby there's so much more at stake. The risks of getting hurt are high. The emotional dangers ahead are plentiful and there are no guarantees. But when it comes down to it, there's no one I'd rather run this gauntlet with than Mr.T. So I guess I just have to accept that it takes two and stop complaining. And that while two will sometimes bring conflict, two mostly brings support, love and reassurance. Even though some days you wish you could just get pg all by yourself!

A 2nd time HypnoBirthing story

Mareike & Tony were one of my first HypnoBirthing couples. She was a midwife in Europe & had delivered over 200 births. She believed in the body's natural ability to birth a baby, so when it came time for her 1st birth experience, she chose HypnoBirthing classes to help. Here is a description of her 2nd birth experience & below it is her 1st birth story. Enjoy...

Hi Carol, I did it again!!! And this time it really, really worked! We didn't do a class because the next Hypnobirth practitioner is over one hour away from us, and nobody knows about it here. It is very, very medical here and all the women have epidurals or other pain relief. But let me tell you the story: My membranes released on Sunday morning at 8.20 o'clock, just after I got up. I had a shower and we had breakfast together and made our way to the hospital at 10.00 o'clock (Tony was very nervous and wanted to go, even without surges). In the hospital I had a short monitoring and we settled in and started relaxation. Tony massaged my belly with Cinnamon oil to start the surges. At about 11.30 I had the first very mild surges, about every 10 minutes. Our doula from the hospital arrived at about 13.00 o'clock, together with our midwife.

The midwife wanted to examine me because I hadn't been examined before. I declined and told her that I don't think that I am in labour, surges were mild to medium about 1:6 minutes. I was relaxed walking around or on the ball. So my midwife left again.

At about 13.30 the surges got little stronger and I got onto the bed to go into deep relaxation, Tony massaged my feet to keep them warm. I was totally relaxed, no noise at all. At 14.00 o'clock I got two strong surges and told Tony to call the nurse so that she can examine me now to see if I am in labour. She came in, I had another strong surge and she examined me: 8-9cm! I thought she was kidding...the next surge I had (I was still lying on the side) pushed and I had to breathe through with a loud ahhhh- and I felt the head coming... two more surges and I breathed our little baby boy into this world! No screaming this time!!

The doctor and the midwife couldn't make it on time, so I had the two nurses in the room and a new young female doctor in training who got coached by one of the nurses and it was her first delivery! They couldn't believe what had happened and the nurses said that it was the best birth they have ever seen. So I did my job and told everybody about Hypnobirthing! Even Tony is so amazed and proud!

Mateo Ludwig is 7.1 pounds and 19 inches long, so a little smaller than Luis, but he looks just like him! It was an amazing birth, so relaxed, so perfect ! I will sent you a picture in the next days. I am so glad I did your course two years ago, Carol!
Mareike


Here is her birth story from her 1st HypnoBirth:

Hi everyone-Mareike wanted to share her son's birth story with you all. She had an amazing birth that I was lucky enough to be able to attend over the summer. She was a midwife in England & Germany & had delivered/received over 200 births...some natural & some not. Here is her story...
Luis' Birth
My membranes released in the evening on 10th of August, five days after my due date. Because of my positive B-Strep we made our way to the hospital. In the hospital, we were seated in a waiting room for the next one and a half hours. They were so busy that there was no room for us. Tony and I used the time to make the last belly pictures and called Carol. I haven't had any surges at that time and was thinking in my midwife way, so I told Carol that there is no need for her to come already and that my surges might not start before the morning. But Carol replied with "Mareike, that's the wrong way of thinking! Of course your surges will start now and you will have a quick and easy labor!" I laughed at her...but told her to call as soon as my surges will start.

We finally got into our room and I received the first dose of antibiotics for Group B Strep and was put on the heartbeat monitor for the time. At midnight, after the antibiotics had finished, I had a sandwich to eat and Tony and I went outside for a walk. At one o'clock we came back to the room and my surges started - Carol was right. So Tony called her to come. My surges went rapidly from 1 to 100 and at the time Carol arrived half an hour later they came every 2-3 minutes and Tony was reading the Rainbow Relaxation script to me. I had difficulties to get into full relaxation and remember saying to Tony, "How did this get so strong so quickly?!" I couldn't stay on the bed, too. It was too uncomfortable. Carol continued reading the script but I jumped up from the bed again to use the toilet.

That's where I stayed for the next twenty minutes, leaning against Tony and Carol doing light touch massage on my back. My eyes were closed and I relaxed as good as I could. Carol also showed me a picture of an opening flower and I imagined my soft cervix to open with every surge. The Relaxation CD played in the background. The surges got so powerful that I felt them as a lot of pressure already. I had to grunt- my body got overwhelmed. I felt in a state of deep relaxation between my surges, unable to open my eyes or to talk.

Tony called the nurse for me to be examined. She came, listened to Luis heartbeat for a few minutes and examined me. I was six centimeters dilated! That was at about 02:30 o'clock. The nurse went out of the room, still busy, and I tried to stay on the bed for a few minutes but soon got to my favorite place -the toilet again. The pressure got stronger and I tried to use the warm water of the shower on my belly. But it only worked well just for a few minutes. I went back to the bed and from hands and knees back to the toilet again...The surges changed - my body was bearing down already. So powerful that I screamed. It was a scream full of power. I told Tony to get the nurse again, because I didn't think that I could stand the pressure any longer. It was about three o'clock when the nurse examined me again - and I was 9 cm dilated!

"I need some pain relief" I said and "I can't do this any more". The nurse applied back what I myself told my woman so often in labor: "You are going to have your baby now", "I'll call Dr. Biter for the birth!" and she put me on the heartbeat monitor again. I was unable to move, so I stayed half sitting in the bed. Eyes closed, totally relaxed between surges. With the surges, I could feel how my body pushed Luis down. Twenty minutes later, Dr. Biter came. He sat down with me on the bed and with Tony and Carol on the other side.

I started to breathe Luis down. My endorphins were working well. I was in a different world. I felt my surges in different strengths. Some were so powerful that I had to hold my breath and push. Some were so that I completely ignored them and used my relaxation through them, but with the most of them I did the birth breathing, and it worked. I slowly moved Luis downwards. Tony was kissing me after each surge. During the surges Dr. Biter said: "Help him out, Mareike!" and after each surge he told me to focus: "Look at me, you are OK!"

A lot of things went through my mind at this point. First, that I was not worried about Luis' heartbeat at all, even that I couldn't hear it (Dr. Biter wisely stopped the sound). I completely trusted Dr.Biter that Luis was OK, after he had no rush and was so calm. And then I thought: "Is that really my job? How am I able to do this job?!And so Luis' head started crowning. When I pushed (because I wanted Luis to come out quick) Dr. Biter told me to stop and to breathe down. I felt the stretching sensation as a tingling (always imagined that it felt good when Tony did the perineum massage) when Luis' head was born. And he started crying! Still half in my body! It was 04:06o'clock when Dr. Biter with Tony together received his body and put him onto my belly! Luis was born! We all cried with Luis. He was lying skin to skin on me, no towel on him, just Mommy's and Daddy's hands to keep him warm. We were so happy and welcomed him into this world! Dr. Biter waited for the umbilical cord to stop pulsating and then Tony cut the cord. The placenta came straight away. Minutes after that I started breastfeeding.

When I asked Dr. Biter if he has to stitch my perineum now, he answered: "Who delivered you?! There is no tear!" I couldn't believe this. To give birth to the first child in two and a half hours?! Without pain relief?! In a darkened, calm room,without forced pushing, nobody who takes my baby away? No stitches?I could not have thought about a better birth for myself. Even that it was not the typical 'calm' HypnoBirthing birth, it was the best experience in my life and I am looking forward to do it all over again. To birth with happiness and joy! Before we went home on the same day, I had a look at Luis' heartbeat trace and the documentation of my labor. What I noticed, was, that some of my surges were lasting two and a half minutes long...I am so proud- I did it!

Mareike

Many, many thanks to Carol, who helped me a lot during my quick labor! I was so glad that she was there! And, what I forgot to tell is, that my labor was so quick, that the birthing ball stayed in the car, and the camera was still in the bag. Also my mirror and my healing stones and my perineum massage oil and tummy massage oil and cinnamon bars for more surges...What I also have to say, is, that I did not imagine myself to give birth in two and a half hours in the HypnoBirthing lessons, but in six hours. Carol later told me I have to be more precise the next time, because from the actual time when we arrived at the hospital, it was exactly six hours....And I have to say, I wanted to feel my surges as pressure... (Don't ask me why!)

Congratulations Mareike & Tony!

All my best--Carol

www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com