It was the last full week of October and I was busy counting down the last 2 weeks of work.  Our baby had been posterior or “sunny side up” from about 36 weeks so I had been spending lots of time on my hands and knees, doing inversions and seeing a chiropractor for some Webster technique adjustments. At our appointment at 37 weeks and 6 days we found out that he had turned anterior! Later that evening I went for another chiropractic adjustment and our chiropractor Rochelle said that things felt good. She also thought she could feel his hand by his face. I went to bed that evening and then awoke at midnight to my water breaking. I was so surprised! ​

OK, so we’re having a baby. That’s amazing! But now what?! As a first time dad, the process and experience of childbirth education, the birth itself and caring for a new little one can definitely be overwhelming.  But don’t worry, I’m here to tell you that with a little bit of preparation and gained confidence, I was totally ready for the joys and craziness that I now can cherish forever. Everyone’s birth story is different and unique and maybe that is what makes it so special. This is our birth story, from my perspective as a first-time dad.

Click HERE to read the rest of Ashley's story at Hypnobabies.com.

​After my first birth experience, both my husband and I felt pretty traumatized. We wanted more children, but even the thought of giving birth again was terrifying to me. When our daughter was 2 and half we began looking into other options - there had to be a better way to give birth! We researched and decided on an out of hospital birthing center (Minnesota Birth Center) with a midwife and a doula and all natural birth. We were feeling at peace with our decision when I heard of hypnobabies and it was like the icing on the cake! I am a naturally anxious person, and hypnobabies felt so right to me. ​

The summer is halfway gone and my winter baby is no longer a newborn. It is probably time to write my second born’s birth story before the finer points melt away like the snow already has!

My first born, Delsy, was born in June 2012 in the hospital using Hypnobabies. It was a long birthing time. It was a good, but somewhat difficult birth. (Read the story here) And I hated staying in the hospital afterwards. So when I found out that I was pregnant again in the summer of 2013, I looked at our insurance benefits again and realized that free-standing birthing centers were covered in-network! I quickly transferred care to Minnesota Birth Center and signed up to take the Hypnobabies course again with Anne, who had been our hypno-doula with Delsy and was now a Hypnobabies instructor.

I’m not sure how, maybe it was the impending weigh-in at my 38 week appointment the next day, but I actually got up the motivation to get to the gym on a Monday morning. I woke up at 6am and was on the elliptical machine mid-workout when my water broke a little before 7. I literally froze mid-stride, completely in shock as I realized what had just happened. I waddle-ran to gather my things and head home and tell Kyle. As I texted him “My water broke” I remember briefly wondering if I was wrong and had actually just peed myself instead. In that case, I thought, I’m about to be really embarrassed.. Luckily for me, it was, in fact, my water and the start of August’s birth day!

This is the story of Jane Rose’s birth, July 26th, 2013.  It was such a wonderful birth that I just have to share it. My first birth was the med free and uncomplicated birth that I wanted, but it was nowhere near “easy” or “comfortable.” I had listened to the Hypnobabies tracks and read the material, but I never practiced and didn’t use them at all. This time I really embraced the Home Study. I started early, practiced often, and really focused on visualizing my birth with the tracks and through prayer. I slept wonderfully falling asleep to the affirmations and even used an inversion with the Fear Clearing track to flip my baby when she was breech!

I've put off writing about the birth of my daughter Harriet for some time now, even though it's been on my mind a great deal, but not for the reason you might expect.  Birth is hard to capture in words because when you're going through it, you're in such a different state of awareness.  Especially because I used Hypnobabies, I was able to experience the birth process moment by moment, to really be present in it.  But, if for no other reason than that I benefited from stories like these in the months leading up to Harriet's birth, I will do my best to sum it up.

My pregnancy with Owen went smoothly overall, especially with the excellent prenatal care at Morning Star.  When we heard that Karla taught Hypnobabies classes, Nathan and I agreed that we wanted to go that route.  The class required a large investment of time and effort but we felt very informed and prepared by the end of the class.  We also felt such wonderful support from Karla as well as the two other couples in the class.  

I had been having pressure waves for two weeks as we approached Owen's guess date. I knew they weren't the “real thing” yet and I felt impatient for his arrival, though prepared and fearless. We had given the midwives our birth plan which asked for lots of privacy and quiet.  I felt respected and supported by everyone potentially involved in the upcoming birth.