Hi Melissa

I’m a bit slow off the mark here as my beautiful little hypno bub was born 3 1/2 months ago but I was adamant that I was going to write to you and send you my biggest thanks in helping me to achieve such a wonderful and positive birth experience. I had an incredibly quick labour and although it was a quick, intense labour, it was calm and positive and I felt 100% in control and I owe every little part of that to hypnobirthing!

Although I didn’t attend any classes (as there were none held locally), I downloaded your CD as recommended by a friend and it was the best thing I could’ve done!
The birth of my first son, before I’d discovered hypnobirthing, was still a wonderful experience (a natural, 27 hour, intervention-free labour), however one of the strongest and clearest memories for me is how scared I was as I felt each surge coming. I would tense up and shake my head thinking, “No, no, no, here comes another one!” It was a horrible, out-of-control kind of feeling and I was determined not to experience that this time around.

From 20 weeks, I listened to Surge of the Sea or the affirmations almost daily and your voice instantly became such a big comfort and put me in the right mindset for the rest of my pregnancy. Most people called me crazy but I literally couldn’t wait for my birthing day!
So when I felt my first surge at 1.30am, six days after my due date, I could not contain my excitement! I had a nice, peaceful area set up in the lounge where I listened to the affirmations through my headphones and I soon found myself drifting off into my own little zone. As the surges intensified, I began using essential oils and visualisation as well. I was amazed at how calm and in control I felt during the surges and how ‘normal’ I felt in between, as though I wasn’t even in labour. I was labouring at home for only a couple of hours when something told me we really had to get to the hospital….and we made it just in time! Within minutes of walking through the hospital doors my waters broke and I started pushing. This was the only time during the whole labour that I felt out of control as I was put in a wheelchair and I didn’t have the freedom to deal with the surges as I had previously.

I was wheeled straight up to the labour room and it was the longest couple of minutes I’ve ever endured! I’ll never forget the look on the midwife’s face when she realised how far along I was. She was initially more concerned about checking dilation and foetal heart rate, so she asked me to hop on to the bed on my back. There was no way that was happening! So I compromised and got on the bed on my hands and knees and as she walked behind me she exclaimed, “Oh! Head on view!”. A couple of pushes later, just 2 hours and 50 minutes after I felt the first surge, Harry entered the world with the cord wrapped around his neck twice and once under the arm. He certainly was in a hurry!

I look back on my labour as such a wonderful, positive and exciting experience. I really could do it all over again! The ‘pain’ of the surges was not even close to the horrible surges I experienced with my first labour. It’s as though it wasn’t actually pain but more of an extremely intense tightening. I find it so difficult to put into words and explain to someone who hasn’t experienced a hypnobirth.

John (my husband) was a wonderful support. He was a bit skeptical at first as he didn’t understand how simply listening to something could help with reducing labour pain. I think he was pleasantly surprised

All I know is I’m so proud of my body and my mind for staying in control and allowing me to have such wonderful memories of my labour and birth. I’m so thankful that I discovered hypnobirthing. The power of the mind is an incredible thing so why not put it to use!

Thank you so much again Melissa, I can’t wait for my next hypnobirth!

Debbie and John, Warrnambool, Victoria.