From a first time HypnoBirthing Mum

embracing ennui: "To Those Medical Personnel Who Will Be Attending My Labor and Delivery:
I’m a first-time, hypnobirthing mom, and I’d appreciate any consideration and thoughtfulness in working with me and with this birth plan. I understand that I am nowhere as experienced and knowledgeable as the hospital’s nursing staff when it comes to labor and delivery, but there are a few things which I would like to work for in my own personal labor and delivery experience."

Hello my little boy

A really nice story which talks about Independent Midwives and HypnoBirthing:

Hello my little boy: "The other thing I invested in was going on a Hypnobirthing course. I am so glad I did this as well because the techniques and tips we learned there helped make my labour a chilled out and manageable one.

Now,

Although the baby's head had been about 2/5 down in the pelvis since week 37 I had absolutely no other signs of imminent labour right up until I woke up at 1am on Sunday the 30th (having slept for only two hours, doh!) with strong, regular contractions 4 minutes apart. To be honest I had been expecting labour to start itself off more slowly and that I'd be able to drift off between contractions in the latent phase but no, it was all systems go from the beginning."

A week in the snow!

This is just to say that I'm away for a ski - the first time in years and I'm so looking forward to it. I'll be back on the 14th of January ready for the next HypnoBirthing Courses, which start:

• In Teddington on January 19th.
• At the Triyoga Centre in Primrose Hill on January 20th.

Please keep your questions and comments coming, I may be able to check emails while I'm away, and if not I'll answer promptly on my return.

Fearless Birthing: Great HypnoBirthing interview and testimonials!

Here is a link to a great HypnoBirthing site in the USA. Kim Wildner pracices HypnoBirthing in Wisconsin USA, but here has an interview and a little other information that should interest anyone considering HypnoBirthing.

See extract from a post below from Kim....

"I've been far too busy to do the blogging I've been wanting to do! However, one thing I did do recently was this interview with Sheri Menelli (link below), author of Journey Into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth, and it turned out great! She called a couple of my past clients to talk about their experience, and the link here is the end result."

Fearless Birthing: Great HypnoBirthing interview and testimonials!

January Blues? - not in Wiltshire.

Not here, because I'm off skiing for the first time in several years on Sunday, but there's lots to do before then. Since the New Year the phone hasn't stopped ringing for HypnoBirthing couples, and it looks like I'll have to cut down a little on 1 to 1 client work just to keep up with the HypnoBirthing demand!

I did do a nice course yesterday however - it was a one-off evening workshop for a lovely couple in Bath yesterday who had done HynoBirthing for their first birth 18 months ago, but then found themselves on the induction conveyor belt so had been unable to have the natural birth they had planned. They wanted a specially designed refresher course so that their second baby can have a calm and natural birth in February.

Then I did Part 1 of an HynoBirthing course at my home this evening because the couple will be away for the first day of the course at the end of the month so I laid on a Part 1 especially for them so that they wouldn't miss out.

I'm planning the summer programme and on into the autumn and waiting for the venues to come back to me with approval of the suggested dates, so we'll put them on the web site as soon as they start coming through. There have also been lots of new bookings and courses filling up fast now that Christmas is over and mothers are enquiring who will be having their babies as far ahead as May and June, so things are looking good for 2008 so far.

On the home front I'm trying to get ready to go skiing (did I mention that!), spent a whole day moving furniture so the house could be tidier, had lunch with Alice in Stroud today too. I'm going to Qigong in Bath tomorrow, a workshop on Saturday and is flying out early Sunday. I'll let you know how the skiing went when I get back - I'll see if I can get any photos!

New class location for London

We're really pleased to announce that we've found a great new location in which to hold our central London HypnoBirthing classes.

Its easy to get to as well, being in the Union Jack club just opposite Waterloo Station. The ease of getting there by public transport is obvious, and there's an NCP near by as well so driving in at the weekend (when we hold most of our central London HypnoBirthing classes) is not out of the questions.

The rooms are lovely too, so it should be a nice central location for couples embarking on the journey of parenthood!

Have a look at the site for details of our courses there - its on the Hypnobirthing
London page, and remember there are also courses at Triyoga Primrose Hill, or in Teddington (near Kingston Bridge) for those who prefer to remain out of town!

Looking forward to seeing you all there,
Katharine

News of my new HypnoBirthing Grandchild!

I'm very excited about the progress of my second grandson Nicholas Peter Graves who was born to my daughter in law Trudy and my son Arthur on October 30th. I will be able to visit them again on Monday and see how the little darling is getting on after teaching the Teddington course on Sunday, and obviously looking forward to seeing how much he's grown in the week since I was him last.

Trudy gave birth to Nicholas after a 6 hour labour (she arrived in the hospital fully dilated and gave birth to him half an hour later - and that was her first baby!). Actually that reminds me about the mother who complained that her labour was too short and she felt she didn't have time to get into it - maybe hypnobirthing works a little bit too well for some mums!

Anyway Arthur, Trudy and Nicholas will be off for a trip to Australia in a few weeks, not bad for an 8 week old. He will also get to visit his Australian Grandfather (Trudy's dad) Peter Crawford in Brisbane which will doubtless make both of their days.

I must post a photo of little Nicholas soon for all you other broody mums and grandmums!