Hi Katrina,

Hope all is well.

Just wanted to let you know about the safe and healthy arrival of our baby boy on Friday afternoon, April 15.

Mainly, I wanted to thank you for the hypnobirthing sessions you have provided us.

Although I had been practicing to the best of my ability since January, I had no idea how this birth experience would turn out.

Not sure if you remember, but at the end of our last session I had inquired about the unlikely possibility that labour would progress so calmly, I would not realise the progress in time? Well that is EXACTLY what had happened, I ended up giving birth at home, unplanned and unassisted!! By the time labour started and we realised it was time to go to hospital (my birth preference was to go to hospital and into labour ward to ensure I could get an epidural), we had just enough time to get my bag and call the taxi, but I could not get out of my room to get into the car!
Luckily M was around to catch the baby and he was calm thanks to your assurance that it is a perfectly natural thing to happen.  The ambulance and midwives only came after the delivery).

Labour never went so quickly, the surges lasted for just over an hour and although the last few were quite intense, I was constantly using all the anchors to focus. Specifically the birthing affirmation ‘you can’t stop the waves but you can learn to ride them’ was very helpful and every time i visualised it I had my hands go like a wave in the upwards motions along with the sensation of the uterus muscles going upwards.

One of the reasons I decided not to opt for a home birth was for pure logistics, I though it would be complicated with the other 3 girls home. Well that’s another thing that ended up happening exactly that way. I gave birth, while one daughter was having piano lessons downstairs and the other were playing in their room with the childminder.

Lots of people are now asking me about how that was possible, the first response people have was ‘it must have been a trauma’, but I try to explain that I had been practicing hypnobirthing for months and it seemed to have an effect.

Best wishes,

H & M