HypnoBirthing® STORIES

Hello Sherry,

I just wanted to write you a quick note to let you know that George Edwin Panagopoulos has entered the world!! He was born on 2/13/06 at 4:17 p.m weighing a healthy 7 pounds 14 ounces and 19 inches long. I was induced with pitocin, however, was still allowed to be out of bed. I was not allowed to walk around, but I spent most of my time sitting on the birthing ball. I was 4 cm and 90% effaced when we got to the hospital, and the pitocin was started at 9:30 am. by 12:30 p.m, I was 5 cm and 90%. They then broke my water. Until that time, I hadn't felt any contractions (just felt tightening like Braxton Hicks) every minute for a minute. After they broke my water, I began feeling the contractions. I was able to utilize the breathing techniques, and got through them just fine. So, I really only labored for about 4 hours from 12:30 until 4:17 when he was born. Andrew was absolutely wonderful, and was an essential part of making the birth so amazing. All of the nurses and medical students were amazed at how relaxing the room was with the music and lack of "drama". The next day, I saw a couple of medical students in the hallway who apparently were in the room when I delivered (I don't remember them being there) and they told me that they were amazed and that I was their 5 star patient!! It was an absolutely wonderful experience, and I thank you very much for your knowledge and guidance.

Thank you again,
Kathy







Sherry,
Cabe sent the photos out to everyone the night Christian arrived, but I did want to tell you that the HypnoBirthing was success! We did it all on our own! My doctor was wonderful about my birth plan and all my requests - and the nurse who attended me all day was WONDERFUL! She simply asked me at one point what HypnoBirthing was and that she had never had anyone do it. (this was at the beginning of the day) She never asked me another question, she was very respectful and very impressed! From start to finish it was about 12 hours, the first 10 were completely relaxing and I was feeling great. I was able to walk around, bounce on the birth ball and enjoy myself.

The last 2 hours were definitely more intense, but I made it! My doctor said we should have put it all on film because he couldn't believe how good I did. He has had some patients try HypnoBirthing, but said he had never seen anyone do it like I did. I didn't have an episiotomy, we had done perineal massage before and warm compresses that day. My doctor simply would massage it as well as Christian was crowning.

There were even a handful of nurses who were not assigned to me, who heard what method I was doing and they came into the room just to "see." One of the nurses asked if I would teach birthing classes at the hospital! And another one just kept saying she couldn't believe how calm and quiet I was and that she has seen women with epidurals freaking out. I was very proud of myself and felt WONDERFUL! My mind was definitely in a happy place and the whole experience was the best. Cabe was able to receive Christian, from the point he started crowning until he was delivered. I think he was happy to enter his dad's arms! My doctor was so great to allow Cabe the opportunity.

After Christian was birthed, I was going to switch to another room for the next day or two and I was able to get up and walk and push Christian in the little bed to our new room. I couldn't believe that not even an hour earlier I had just had him, and here I was walking! The nurse came in to ask if I needed any Ibuprofen etc. I told her no, (I did really feel good) you should have seen the look on her face. She was taken aback. She said, "Are you sure?" I said, "Yes, I really feel great!" She said, "You don't have to be strong for anyone" and I just said, "I really am OK, thanks."

Christian is a big boy, he was 8.14 and 22 inches long. He has huge hands and feet and is so sweet. He has a very sweet disposition about him and yet, like you said in the photo, he definitely asserts his personality. He has a little temper, but he is SO great. I find myself just giggling at him because he is so cute. Cabe and I are madly in love with our new little guy!
So, thanks for the classes - they were wonderful. I am so happy to report a successful birth and look forward to future births! Hope all is well with you.

Happy New year!
Cabe and Susan



Hello Nesters:

I just received a call from a HypnoBirthing Mom who took my class. She was totally ecstatic! I have her permission to share her story and what a story it is!

Her water released Thursday 10:00am. No surges and her midwife told her to go about her business and report to them later. They don't induce but do ask that antibiotics be administered (mother to remain at home) if surges haven't begun in 15 hours, but they still would not induce if there are no presenting signs of infection.

She is a Massage Therapist and decided to continue with her work day and massaged until 6:00pm. Since she wasn't feeling any surges she said she decided to take castor oil and did so at 9:00 pm. She went to bed at 11:00pm and just relaxed and visualized opening. Her surges began around 12:00 am and as she said, "They were nothing to speak about." She continued to visualize (colors from Rainbow) and began to just "putt" around until 2:00am.

She decided to leave for the hospital at 3:00am and called her midwife. She said, "I still didn't feel much but they asked that I come in for antibiotics at 3:00 so that is why we went." She arrived at hospital with surges being 3 minutes apart and feeling great. They walked to the elevator and she said she had a surge that stopped her in her tracks whereby she looked at her husband and gave him a funny look. She then bent over to throw up in a waste paper basket. Her husband got a nurse and they took her upstairs where she had another strong surge, whereby she sat down on the birth ball and proceeded to tell the nurse she had to push. The nurse said, "Well honey, I haven't even checked you yet!"

The nurse did check her and got a funny look on her face and said, "Sweetie you just need to breathe for a moment," and called the midwife. Midwife arrived smiling and Chelle had her baby at 3:13 am.

A beautiful girl!

Chelle said to me, "Sandy, it was just like you said it would be!"

What a wonderful testimony of the power of visualization, relaxation and trusting in her body! Chelle said, "The midwives kept coming in the room the next day raving about her birth."

Sincerely In Touch,
Sandy Ventura Gordon



Hey everybody,

We have a baby!!! My babies are timely. Jeremy Galen Dewey was born on March 22, 2007, his due date. He was 8 pounds 5 ounces and was 20 1⁄2 inches long.

He was born at home as planned – well at least mostly. He came so quickly that the joke became that we should nickname him “Rocket”. It was three hours from the time my contractions were uncomfortable until we delivered our baby boy - on our couch – without the presence of our midwife. She arrived just in time to see Mark complete the delivery like a pro. My sister Susan was there and had been to 10 homebirths, and had one of her own. My other sister Allison was there and she is a nurse. I also had my two friends there who had taken my HypnoBirthing classes with me. So I never even thought about whether the midwife was there or not. It honestly never even crossed my mind. I felt completely comfortable with the group that was there, and I knew everything was going along just as it should be. It does make for an interesting birth story.

We had planned on having the baby in our bedroom where everything was set up and prepped. We had also expected a reasonably long delivery, as Joshua was born, after going into labor on his due date as well, but taking 38 hours to be born. This time, I took HypnoBirthing classes, and I was so relaxed and comfortable throughout all the early labor stages that we didn’t realize how far along my labor was until I realized the baby was coming – now! We stationed people behind cameras and then realized no one had woken Mark up! He was sleeping soundly in the next room where I had sent him and Josh to nap, after I had also sent them to yoga that morning, expecting that I would be at this labor stuff for a while. So Allison ran and woke Mark up to the sentiment that – the baby is coming now!!! He bolted out of bed and was there for a total of maybe 8 minutes before he received our baby boy. Josh slept soundly through the whole thing and awoke a perfect 10 minutes after the baby was born. So he got to see “his” baby right away. The next day Mark was joking with someone that he could barely tolerate that 7 1⁄2 minutes of labor he had to endure the previous day.

At three months pregnant, I told Joshua that we were going to have a baby. And his response was “We’re gonna have a baby!! For me??!!!” And he has stayed true to that sentiment throughout! He loves “his” baby and tells him so regularly, as he walks by and drags his fingers across his baby’s body in a sweet caress. He stops often to give his Jeremy hugs, kisses and sweet words like “I love you baby”, or “Well hello there!”, or “Hi my wild Irish Rose, the sweetest flower that grows”. He came up with that after I told him to smell the baby (after Jeremy was born) – because he smelled like a flower. And the next day Joshua said “He doesn’t smell like any flower mama, he smells like a rose”. And he was right. Joshua is in love, and will sit and hold his baby for a long time. He has had no adjustment difficulties what so ever. He loves Jeremy in the sweetest ways. When I am unloading the car – Joshua will say “Mom – don’t forget to get our baby – we want him to be where we are.” And the first thing every morning he asks where his baby is so he can go give him his morning snuggles. I love Josh even more seeing him with Jeremy.

Jeremy is an absolute joy! What a sweet, easy baby. He is a great eater, a great sleeper and he has such a sweet disposition. His name means “beloved, tranquil healer, whom God uplifts”. His name seems to fit him; he is a tranquil, calm, easy going little guy. And he has been healing for me from the minute he was conceived, through a really wonderful, fun birth and up through today. He is a beautiful gift and we are feeling incredibly blessed to have him. And of course he’s about the cutest thing we’ve ever seen. We just gaze at him, and we are amazed. He looks a lot like Joshua did, in that he has strawberry blonde hair and I think he will have green eyes. But he also has a look all his own. We are already hearing again that he looks just like his dad - no surprise there. He was wide awake, interactive and checked-in from the minute he was born. And something shines brightly in his eyes; he seems to be introspective even at this age. It will be fun to get to know him better as we go along.

We have attached some pictures of Jeremy and family. We can’t wait to share him with you all in person.

We miss you. We are grateful to have such a wonderful and rich group of frinds to bring our children into.

Thinking of you all,
Adrienne (and Mark, Joshua and Jeremy) Dewey