Heather and PJ

The last night of class I walked out of there telling PJ that if I used nothing I learned, the most important thing I walked away was confidence and a lack of fear. I was thrilled to be becoming a mom but the idea of “labor” still frightened me. After your class I had confidence in myself and in my body. I was excited about the upcoming event. That right there is enough for you to be proud about.

My labor is an experience I look back on with joy. I told my neighbor days later about my experience. She said she was shocked. She had never heard a woman talk about her labor in such a positive way before. I was glad to be the first.

My surges were coming along rather nicely and quite close together. My husband had to convince me to head to the hospital. I wasn’t scared of giving birth, I was more scared of being sent home. The day before I had a doctor’s appointment I hadn’t started to dilate or thin. My due date was tomorrow and to say I was anxious was the understatement of the century.

At the hospital they informed me I was almost 4 centimeters and my bag of water was bulging. They were concerned about it releasing. They decided to keep me. (8pm) I was glad for the advice you gave of different positions. Standing and rocking my hips back and forth helped relieve any pressure.

While we waited we invited our families to come. I know you had told us about lots of bad experiences with having family around but this turned out rather nicely. We played games, made jokes, and really just enjoyed our time together. At each surge I would glance at the clock and focus. In a split second I seemed to be able to go deep inside myself relax. I was surprised and proud of myself. I could go almost instantly from laughing and joking to incomplete relaxation mode. My surges never hurt. There was a great deal of pressure that built throughout the night but I rocked! It was great to hear my dad or sister after a surge talk about how big it was on the monitor and realize it didn’t really feel uncomfortable.

I admit that at 8 centimeters I decided to have an epidural. While I was waiting for the anesthesiologist to arrive my mother-in-law commented on how proud of me she was. She told me that she was really surprised how well I was doing. Even to this day she still brags and said I had “and easy labor”…I just think I knew what to do.

I was complete around three or four in the morning…I remember you telling us that this could help labor go faster…I can truly testify that it works! The only part that I look back on with a feeling of inconvenience is the time I started working to really bring my little boy into the world and then they told me to stop because the doctor couldn’t come for a while. I was put on hold twice. Argh! When the time finally came I started pushing. It was PJ that reminded me to “Make the face.” For one brief moment I was stunned. Here was the skeptic reminding me of one of your techniques. It made me smile and I think it would have made you smile as well.

Right before he made his grand entrance the doctor told me she didn’t think the baby would be really big, maybe 7 lbs. 7 ½ lbs at the very most. Well out our “little guy” came and the doctor laughed. “I lied he’s huge!” was her response. Our little Jack weighed in at 8 lbs. 13 oz, so much for being small. The doctor then commented on being impressed that I had done so well with having such a large baby. I handled it and my body handled it well. Yet again another reason what we did worked.

I pushed with a few contractions and at 6:57 am we welcomed Nathaniel Jack. I remember him whimpering just slightly just after he was born until they laid him on my stomach. Our eyes locked and he stopped. I didn’t hear him cry again for hours. What is that you were always saying about HypnoBirthing babies being happier? To this day I have one of the happiest and most easy going babies I have ever met.

If I had to boil it all down into one sentence it would be, “I Loved my birth!” Everyone who asks gets that as my first response. I can’t wait to do it again. Thank you for your support. I plan on pulling out my books, CD and practicing starting from the minute we know we are having our second.

Thank you.