Before taking the Blissborn birth hypnosis classes I thought birth was going to be like what I had seen in movies, or what the women in my family described it to be. It was not presented ever as a very encouraging or desirable life experience, and it was portrayed often as scary and dangerous. So it was no surprise to me that when I got pregnant I thought there was nothing I really had to do but go to doctor visits and get the baby’s bedroom ready. Why would I need to get my mind and body ready for labor and birth? Well the universe had other plans for me, and I indeed would spend months preparing for a pain free birth. As my second trimester rolled around I became aware how fast my body was changing, and I quickly signed up for a prenatal yoga class. Call it luck or fate, but the woman who was the yoga instructor was also a Blissborn birth hypnosis instructor. After listening to her talk about birth as something so radically different than what I had thought it to be, I signed my husband and myself up for the 5 class series.
The Blissborn class series taught me the functions that mind and body provide to a peaceful birthing experience. The materials fascinated me, and the discussions they elicated were life changing. The class exercises were easy to perform and I always looked forward to listening to the practice birth hypnosis recordings. I became very excited about the birth of my baby. I started sharing my excitement about labor and birth with others. During each class my husband’s questions and concerns were treated with just as much importance and significance as my own, and we both felt like we were building a birthing team, just the two of us. Blissborn gave my husband a place and function within my vision of pain free birthing, and he worked to be an integral and irreplaceable piece of my labor comfort tools. For him, he wanted to support my vision of our child’s birth and having him with me during the classes made it all gel together when the time came for me to labor and birth our child. The whole time I was attending the Blissborn birth hypnosis classes I had a deep desire to build the reality of a peaceful and meaningful labor and birth. I felt confident about my body, and my baby to be able to birth without fear.
If you had asked me if it was possible to experience an ecstatic birth prior to taking the Blissborn birth hypnosis classes, I would have quickly shaken my head with doubt. Thanks to the support and learning experience that the Blissborn classes gave me my whole perspective regarding birth changed. After my birth experiences with my children, I feel proud to have honored my body and my birthing mind felt unstoppable after successfully laboring and delivering within the scope of no pain or fear. What I found so impactful about giving birth with peace of mind and body was that it opened my eyes/mind/body to the many experiences of bringing another life into this world.
It has been close to over 9 years since I gave birth, but I still fondly recall my birth experience. Now I have something to contribute to the conversation about birth that flies in the face of what birth was presented to me from childhood to today. The importance of telling women the truth about birth, that it can be a wide spectrum of moments that have nothing to do with pain, is vital in today’s media obsessed society. It changes the outlook for future generations and gives hope to children who will grow up hearing positive stories about their birth.