Page 2

Leigh & Mark

I will start this by stating from the outset that I am a control freak & wanted to do all that I could during pregnancy & birth to understand the process and control what I was able to.

I knew about HypnoBirthing® because friends down south had done the course & raved about their births as a result.

I found the sessions to be highly informative & reassuring; they really made us feel empowered and ready for our birth experience. I think one of the key things which Mark would say is that HypnoBirthing® gave him a real focus and role to play during the birth which was wonderful. I think that all too often partners can feel pushed out or useless.

I found the course really helped me straight away & through the latter stages of pregnancy gave me a calmness and readiness that I would never have thought possible. Everyone I knew kept saying how calm I was, my response to which was of course - Well, why would I not be?

My birth was 9 hours start to finish & I can honestly say that it was the most wonderful experience of my life! I would have done it again the very next day honestly!

I felt calm, relaxed and in control and, above all, empowered throughout the birth. Mark was a star & guided me through the whole thing.

Our beautiful son was born on 13th Feb at 12.45am & we were all home having lunch that very same day by 1.00pm.

If you asked me to use one word to sum up what HypnoBirthing® meant to us it would probably be "Empowering". HypnoBirthing® should be available to all; I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Leigh, Mark & Taylor

Kirsty and James

We found out about HypnoBirthing® when I was handed a leaflet at the SECC Baby Show in Glasgow in March this year. I had never heard of it before then.

This was my first pregnancy and, since I thought I had a low pain threshold and was getting anxious about the birth, I decided to call one of the practitioners to find out a bit more information.

Some of our friends thought it was a great idea and some were very sceptical, not really understanding what it was all about, thinking it was for hippies/tree huggers or women just wanting natural home births.It is far from that! HypnoBirthing® is the best use of money I have ever spent and well worth every penny.

My husband and I attended group classes (with two other couples) every Sunday for 5 weeks. We really enjoyed the company and the relaxed environment and were taught invaluable techniques (such as deep relaxation and special breathing) that made my birth so comfortable and one of the BEST experiences we have ever had.

I had a very long labour, with irregular surges (HypnoBirthing®'s word for contractions) and surprised myself by coping extremely well before going to the hospital. After being examined for the 3rd time at the hospital, I decided to stay in the labour ward, where I felt calm, happy and in total control the whole time, even refusing an epidural.

My husband, James, was very nervous about the birth before attending the HypnoBirthing® classes and I was worried that he would make me nervous and uptight during my labour. But on the big day he was amazing, he knew exactly what to do and say to me and the midwives only because we had prepared for it. Like our HypnoBirthing® instructor said to us, you would not go unprepared to your driving test, so why not prepare your mind and body for the birth of your baby?. It really is mind over matter.

After pushing with no pain, only pressure for nearly 3 hours (well, actually, breathing down to birth the baby gently) I gave birth naturally to a 9lb 2ozs baby boy called Lewis William Kyles.

The midwife said I was a pleasure to have and said I deserved a gold star for being so relaxed. I asked if everyone was like me and she laughed saying NO, as we heard another girl screaming from the down the corridor! Also on the ward the midwives had been talking and they knew I was the girl that had managed so well, they congratulated me. HypnoBirthing® definitely got their attention. I felt so good that I had not embarrassed myself. I remember saying to James afterwards that I had really enjoyed myself and wanted to do it all again!

Antenatal and Parent Craft classes do not teach you this. Every pregnant woman deserves to know about Hypnobirthing, midwives in every hospital should be promoting birthing in this calm, relaxed way and giving mums-to-be as much information and choice as possible.

We could not have had this wonderful experience without the help from our instructor and the other HypnoBirthing® practitioners and I can not thank them enough for handing me that leaflet at the Baby Show.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

James, Kirsty & Lewis

Copyright HypnoBirthing Glasgow 2010