Blissborn Birth Hypnosis Home Study | Class Two : Practical Skills for Mom and Dad

Due to a very busy schedule the past couple of weeks I have been unable to keep up with my home study posts.  I apologize for that and hope to get a lot more up in the next couple of weeks.  Today I am going to be talking about Class Two of the Blissborn Home Study Program.  Click here to see a description of Class One.

Class Two is titled "Practical Skills for Mom and Dad", so as you can imagine it teaches us some basic, practical, and easy skills that both Mom and Dad can utilize during the birth process.  Please note that "Dad" is easily exchanged for whomever you have your birthing partner!  Because this class really focuses on the birth partner I highly recommend that they be present.  In fact, if they aren't present, half of this class session will be pretty much useless for you.  If you do not yet have a birth partner, perhaps now would be the time to ask a friend or close family member if they'd be willing to be there for you and assist you.

Alright now, getting back to the class!  It's broken up into a couple of parts, starting with an explanation on how our brains work using the "primitive brain" (nicely illustrated using a lizard), the "emotional, relational brain" (which, to me, looks like a golden retriever feeding a litter of guinea pigs), and the Neocortex or "new brain".  We learn that the best way to have a successful birth (you know, without freaking out), is to "relax" the Neocortex.  When it is at rest the primitive brain takes over and we act more upon our natural born instincts.

Seems simple enough, right?  It makes a lot of sense to me, at least, that our brains play a big role in the outcomes we experience in almost everything in life.  So by relying on our natural instincts with some like birth and ignoring the fears and doubts that our Neocortex can bring to the table, our outcomes can improve.  So how does one do this?  Hypnosis, of course, is an obvious answer.  But the class gives other ideas and suggestions for helping Mom relax and allow nature to take it's course.  Some of these suggestions include keeping questions asked of the Mom to "yes" or "no" answers and not relying too heavily on clocks and monitors.  When we can shut out these things, we can relax.

The next part of the class deals directly with the birth partner.  The Partner is informed that their role in the birth is important.  They act as the protector and supporter, amongst other things.  The class guides the Partner through their role and how it is exactly that they can be present and attentive to the Mom.  The class has you create a "Partner Trigger", a body part that the Partner will touch and a phrase they will say that will help take her into deeper relaxation.  This is the hardest part of the class for me, it turns out.

See, I'm not a gushy person.  So the suggestions of "I love you" and "You're wonderful" just left me giggling.  It would break my hypnosis more than anything!  It wasn't until my darling husband turned to me and said "Can I please say 'Are we having fun yet?' for this part?".  For anyone who doesn't know, this is a reference to the TV show Party Down.  It was perfect.  I giggled the first time, but after that it was just a phrase that I connected to, one we use constantly when we are in stressful or upsetting conditions to sort of relieve our stress and relax a bit.  It's silly, but for us it worked.  So if you can't find a phrase that works for you on the list do try and play around with your own!  You will find the one that works. 

The next part of this class has been my favorite of all of my home study courses thus far.  It lets the Partner literally take a hands-on role in the birth.  A special hypnosis session is included (separate from the main Hypnosis Session 2 CD) that has you literally leaning on them for support and the partner reading from a hypnosis script.  I have never felt so relaxed, supported, and CONFIDENT before.  I love my husband and after this class I feel like he's really grasped that he is important and will be actively involved in the labor and delivery of our child, not just a helpless bystander. 

The final part of this class involved things like giving Partner and Mom ways to help prepare for the birth now.  Things like creating a music play list, hiring a doula, Partner preparation for delivery, and the benefits of hiring a midwife.  Useful information that will help both Mom and Partner be more engaged and prepared for their big day!

Of course, as always, there is a hypnosis CD that goes along with this course.  I listened to it every night for about a week and then would listen to Hypnosis CD 1 every other day and mixing this in until I could move onto the third class since I wasn't able to move on right away due to my schedule. 

GentleBirth Hypnosis Home Study | Class 1

GentleBirth is a great home study program for women wanting a calm and gentle birth.  Each of GentleBirth's classes are designed to be focused on over the course of a week and then you move onto the next class.  However, the first class really introduces you to the base of what GentleBirth is and CD 1 is one that you will listen to throughout the rest of your pregnancy.

When I started GentleBirth I actually started with the CD only.  Tracy, the wonderful mastermind behind GentleBirth,  was kind enough to send me the MP3 before I received the whole kit in the mail so I could get started and not have to wait too long.  Listening to the CD really, really helped me.  I didn't notice it was happening at first, but over the course of just a couple of days I found my outlook on my entire pregnancy and the upcoming birth changing dramatically.  Perhaps you noticed it, too, if you read my pregnancy journal.  I feel confident and have faith in my body and my ability to birth a child.  This is precisely what the hypnosis session is meant to do.

I started my listening to the CD at night before bed and found myself sleeping better than ever as well.  In fact, I can tell in the morning whether I've listened to the CD or not just by how I feel.  When I wake up feeling well rested and ready to go, I know that I listened to the CD.  When I wake up feeling tired and sore, I know I haven't.  It's an amazing thing, the mind.

After receiving the full kit I was finally able to read the first class in the workbook.  I found the information in it to be repetitive, as in the same ideas are written in numerous places, but that is the point of the whole thing.  The book makes a point to explain that by repeating positive affirmations and positive words of encouragement over and over it will eventually "reprogram" or "replace" negative attitudes toward birth that are ingrained in us from Hollywood and society.  So the fact that this is mentioned over and over is done on purpose, it's part of that reprogramming.  It did become a little mundane toward the end, but the chapter isn't too long and I was left fascinated by some of the wonderful studies that it mentions.

In fact, it was the mentioning of numerous studies on the brain and psychology that really kept me interested.  It made me want to look these up and get more information because they truly show how powerful our brains are, and how our perception of the world around us and our opinions on things like birth can truly affect our experiences.

Most importantly, I appreciated the easy-to-understand comparisons of birth to things we do every day without thinking about it.  In different places birth is compared to your heart beating or your stomach digesting food- your body has the ability to do it, and can do it even without you thinking about it.  We don't need to force our stomachs to digest, just like we don't need to force our bodies to deliver babies.  Our bodies come fully prepared with the knowledge of how to make this happen on its own. 

The final part of the first lesson of the GentleBirth Hypnosis Home Study Program is the breathing techniques CD.  This CD guides you through a series of relaxing and helpful breathing excercises that put you in the right mindset for dealing with birth so that you may have a calm and gentle birth yourself.  I will admit, despite listening to this CD at various times during the day I never fail to fall asleep by the third breathing excersice.  The breathing techniques have a way to sooth me and put me right out before I hit the "Scan Breathing" excercise.  So what I've started doing is listening to ONE breathing technique at a time and then going to do something else.  Each is about 10 minutes long and I've only done the first four so far, but it's going well using this method!

So whether you connect with the program through the numerous studies that relate to it or by the comparisons that just make sense, this is a great program for any woman wanting a natural birth.  But don't worry, it also doesn't leave out those that aren't going to be able to or even don't want to.  It is explained how the GentleBirth program can be used for those wanting epidurals as well as those who are having c-sections.  So even if you are on the fence about having a completely med-free/intervention-free birth, this is still a program that you can use and utilize during the birth of your choice (or the birth you are going to have regardless).

I will have a more in depth review of the GentleBirth Home Study Course included in the guide that I am creating, which will be live on the blog in a few months time.  This is just a brief description of what you can expect in the first class session should you choose GentleBirth as your home study method.  All in all I am very pleased with the course so far, and look forward to future weeks. 

My Pregnancy Journal | Weeks 26-29

Weeks 26-29

So here I am, third and final trimester!!  Time has really flown.

Big Ups:

#1: I passed my "modified GD test"!  My midwifes don't do the traditional test but rather a fasting blood draw and then a post-breakfast blood draw.  I not only don't have GD, but I actually have the opposite issue (hypoglycemia) where I process sugars too quickly.  This I've known my whole life and my diet reflects this knowledge.  So my results aren't a big surprise, but I'm still happy thatI don't have to worry about adjusting my diet that much.

28 Weeks

#2: I had a baby shower!  It was a bit of a downer because half the people who RSVPd never showed, but those who did seemed to have a really good time and I got some great gifts.  My California friends and family are awesome and I was definitely spoiled.

#3: I finally got to see the hospitals that I have to choose from to deliver at!  Since we are returning to MN for the birth for all of the various reasons I wanted to see what my options were for delivery.  St. Mary's was an obvious one, but there was also a smaller community hospital that I have the option to deliver at.  Obviously if I need emergency surgery right after the birth I will be at St. Mary's, but if not I really, really like the smaller hospital and as of right now plan to deliver there.  The biggest selling point were the jacuzzi tubs in each birthing suit.  OMG they look amazing!!!  I wanted to crawl into one during the tour but decided to have a bit more self control.  :)

Big Downs:

#1: In weeks 28/29 I caught the flu and then a sinus infection from my awesome, lovely husband.  OMG!  Being sick while pregnant just sucks.  I tried fighting it off but upon realizing that I was about to go on a plane with a sinus infection I decided it was time to go to the doctor.  I am soooo happy I did!  Two days into antibiotics I boarded the plane and was feeling better, but still had a miserable experience.  It was just uncomfortable with the pressure in my head (and the screaming child throwing themselves against the seat in front of me).  I can't imagine having taken that flight without the relief the anti-biotics were able to get me.  And now, as I am about to board my flight to fly back, I am feeling 100% and looking forward to a nice 3-hour nap!

Week 28 - Last Forensics Tournament of my Pregnancy

#2: I am anemic.  While my GD blood draws revealed I don't have GD, they did reveal that I have low iron levels.  I did find out they aren't *that* low (my numbers were 10.6, and they consider anything under 11 to be low, so I was just below that).  I am an iron pill and feeling good.  I am NOT getting constipated from the iron pill, thank goodness, although it does turn my poop black which is still something I can't get used to!

#3: Braxton Hicks have started!  Just yesterday (at 29 weeks) I started feeling what I'm pretty sure are Braxton Hicks.  I've felt them once or twice this pregnancy but didn't know what they were and only 1-2 a week.  Then last night I had 5 within a couple of hours.  They don't hurt and oddly I kind of like them!  Although they did have me concerned since they were relatively close together (every 7-8 minutes) and would last a minute each.  I found that switching my position made them stop so every time I felt on coming on I'd just shift or roll over and I would be fine.  So, no biggie!  Just interesting.

Knocked on my Pregnant Bum!

Sunday was my shower.  You would think I would have woken up beyond thrilled and excited, but instead of I woke up feeling... sore and really tired.  I brushed it off as a pregnant side effect to attending a Forensics tournament the day before, but when my husband woke up coughing and with chills I knew I was just a day behind the horrid flu/cold thing he had caught.  Oh joy.

We made it through the shower just fine, but by the time I got home it was like the virus or bacteria or whatever took hold and three days later it still has a hold on me.  I haven't been able to leave the house, eat full meals, sit upright without getting dizzy, etc.  It SUUUUCKS! 

My hubby decided that in an action of solidarity he would only take meds that I could take.  Which as all pregnant women know is highly restricted.  By Monday night was demanding that he take any and all meds he could get his skinny little hands on and ENJOY them.  For me.  I wanted him to feel better because then I could whine and complain and get sympathy.  It worked... sort of.  He did get quite sick of my "can you go get me ___________" requests that I would make every few minutes, but he did it.  He's a good husband.

Finally this morning I decided enough was enough, I was going to the doctor.  The diagnosis?  A SINUS INFECTION!  Uuuuugh!!!!  The doctor was pretty sure it started off as the flu and just sort of became this after a few days and gave me some lovely meds to help me cope.  Just in time, too.  Guess who gets to be on a plane, in her third trimester of pregnancy, with a sinus infection tomorrow?  Yup.  This girl.

Shoot me now.

Quick Update

Over the next few days I am going to be super busy with work, school, and a few extra things we have going on (like my first baby shower, a friend's wedding, and finals) so I apologize if there is a lack of updates here over the next couple of weeks!  After that things will calm down A LOT and I will be back to regular posting until the baby arrives!

I am still working on the Child Birth Home Study Guide so be sure to check back to see updates on that as I will continue to update that during my busy time, too.  I will also try to get another review/giveaway in! 

Thank you for understanding!

Don't Miss Out | Firmoo Free Offer

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Rocking my latest pair of Firmoo sunglasses

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NBC Share and Tell | Great Way To Go Green and a Giveaway!

 

Now, I'm not really that big of a fan of Earth Day.  Stick with me while I explain this!  I think it's GREAT that there is a week dedicated to education about our environment and conservation, but what I don't like is the idea that Earth Day is just a day (OK, let's admit it... it's a week).  The Earth should be considered all year round!  Heck, that's why I write this blog.  It kind of keeps me in check.  What I will say, however, is that I love how I learn about so many great products and opportunities during the week of Earth Day that helps me go even greener each year around this time of the year.  One of these awesome things that I have discovered this year is NBC's Share and Tell.

First things first: How green are you?  Let's find out!  Click on the "Eco Quiz" and see what is has to say about you.  It's only 7 questions and doesn't take too long.  I want to hear what your results are!  And in the spirit of sharing, here's what I got:

SENSATIONAL SHARER: High five, you're a Sensational Sharer! You're the first to organize a carpool or community dinner, because you know that sharing is caring, and fun, too! Do what you're best at: get sharing with fellow Sensational Sharers over at NBCU Share and Tell.

Sensational sharer or really big mooch?  Honestly, the jury is still out on that one.  But, I do carpool with two classmates, have dinners with my friends pot-luck style a lot, and DIY the gifts I give to people so I can share with them the (few) talents that I have.  I guess that accounts for something, right?  The quiz is a bit silly, but it's fun, so join in and let's have fun together.

Done with that?  Check out the great article "7 Ways to Share Your Stuff" to get some great stuff-sharing ideas.

Then, be sure to read the stories posted by others about the great items they got through Share and Tell, and then move on to the meaty part!  Click on "Join the Party" to head on over to the Green is Universal Facebook Page and give it a like.  Then check out all the cool facts and info about the Share and Tell program and how it can help you get the things you need and get rid of the things you don't.

Then you can head over to the Green is Universal's yerdle page and take a look at how it all works.  Share the Green is Universal yerdle page with your friends on Facebook and Twitter to get them to join in the party (for my SF peeps) or host your own Share and Tell party for your family and friends. Then post what you have and wait to see what they have, then get swappin'!  You can do parties online AND in person (bring some food, bring some wine... how fun does that sound?).

Goodness knows I've been asking my mommy-friends a lot lately if they have any baby stuff they are wanting to part ways with (and getting lots of awesome stuff in return!) and now I can share in the love by offering them up some things that are just collecting dust in my house.  Share and Tell is a great way to make all of that happen.

That's about it!  Time to get sharing everyone.   And in the spirit of sharing I want to share with you, my lovely readers, a chance to WIN IT!  Enter now for your chance to win a Green is Universal Canvas Tote Bag filled with some great eco-friendly goodies.   Entering is easy, just use the Rafflecopter widget below!  Be sure to read the directions carefully, it's a bit different than my usual giveaway set-up!

a Rafflecopter giveaway