I thought it would be fun to tell everyone how I came into teaching Hypnobbaies Childbirth Classes.

To do that I need to go back a few years. I’ve been doing doula work for almost 8 1/2 years and for the first few years had only heard Hypnobabies mentioned once and that was by a mom who I interviewed with and she was doing the home study program. She was the first person I interviewed with as a new doula.

I remember kind of thinking to myself that it was a little kooky that she was using hypnosis. Funny thing was that her birthing time was so fast that she never even got to call me to come to the hospital. Oh how I wish I had gotten to attend that birth and see Hypnobabies in action sooner.

When my son was about a year old Pittsburgh got its first Hypnobabies instructor. Her name was Vanessa and she and I chatted about using each other for back up with doula clients. We bonded pretty quickly and seemed to have a lot of the same thoughts about birth.

A few months went by and Vanessa hosted a hypo-doula training for local doulas. It was a way of introducing them to some of the techniques and the language of Hypnobabies. I was anxious to attend her training because I knew that after the training I would get some referrals from her for clients. I was still pretty unsure about this hypnosis thing though. I attended the training and definitely enjoyed it but just wasn’t sold on the “easier, more comfortable birthing” thing.

Again fast forward a few months and Vanessa referred a couple to me for doula services. I loved meeting with them for prenatals and getting to know them. I thought maybe they were a little to excited about their upcoming birth and really much more confident about it than most couples I had met with.

They called when they were sure their birthing time (what we call labor in Hypnobabies) had begun. I talked with them a few times and kept thinking they were awfully calm for how far along they thought she was. I arrive at the hospital and join them in the triage room where they were monitoring her before admission. I stepped into the room and said my hello’s and turn to find the mom sitting in bed with a smile on her face. We chatted for a few minutes and she then had a birthing wave (Hypnobabies speak for a contraction) and she went silent for a minute or so and then started smiling again. Inside my head I was thinking “wow we are here way too early. She’s still in early, early labor.” The midwife comes in to examine her and I hear her say “great job you’re 8 centimeters.” I did a double take. There is no way this mom is smiling and 8 centimeters right? I was so wrong. Mom went on to birth her baby completely comfortably less than two hours later.

I still drove home not realizing how amazing Hypnobabies really was. I think it took one or two more births with Hypnobabies moms before I realized how truly wonderful Hypnobabies was. I started to long for referrals from Vanessa because I knew her students were positive and well prepared for birth. Even the births that veered from the intended birth plan had an amazing calmness and positivity to them. There are many people who believe that Hypnobabies doesn’t work if your birthing time isn’t picture perfect and without complication but I’m here to tell you that those couples are very prepared for anything that comes their way and they meet it head on with the ability to make decisions well and their tools will still carry them through.

So I’m sure people are wondering how I ended up being an instructor. Well Vanessa found out she was expecting her third baby and called me tell me that she was planning to take at least a year off from teaching but she was concerned about there being no Pittsburgh instructor during her leave. She went on to tell me that they were opening up registration for the next instructor training to be held in the spring the following year. The rest as they say is history. I couldn’t get my application in soon enough! I so enjoyed my training and getting to know Kerry and Carole the founder and VP of Hypnobabies and all the other trainee instructors that year. I have been teaching just over 2 years and I absolutely love it! I have met amazing people, made lots of great friends, have attended several students births too.

I had looked for a few years for a childbirth educator training because I knew I wanted to teach. Nothing really struck me until I experienced Hypnobabies. I’m forever grateful for this amazing option for expectant families.

Please contact us here at Blessed Arrivals if you’d like to learn more about Hypnobabies. Coming soon birth stories from Hypnobabies moms here in Pittsburgh!