Better late than never! Here is my incredible birth story. Thank you Hypnobabies for my 2nd unmedicated natural birth and thank you Carrie for the amazing Hypnobabies class, twice in a row and for being an incredible doula! 🙂 I'm so inspired I want to do the teacher training next year and teach this class. It truly is life changing and empowering and I want to be able empower other women to channel the power they ALREADY have.
Asher's Birth Story (1/22/2019)
Starting around 4am on the morning of January 22nd I started having pressure waves. They were about 10-15 mins apart. I turned on my Hypnobabies Deep Hypnosis Track and "slept through" the majority of the pressure waves. I also alternated and listened to the Turn Posterior Baby hypnosis track to get lil Asher to move because he, like his older brother, was in the posterior position! Our friend Cait came to our house around 9:30am to sit with our son Aksel so Bjørn and I could focus on getting me through the pressure waves and seeing if it would potentially ramp up and be time to birth our precious lil Asher. My pressure waves were 10-15 mins apart. I slept for a few hours and relaxed in bed with Bjørn while Cait took care of Aksel in the living room as we knew the time would come quickly where our lives would change forever. We figured getting some much needed rest would be a great idea together and I was able to listen to my hypnosis tracks and essentially "sleep" through the pressure waves. Cait put Aksel down for a nap and headed out to get lunch and brought me back a Superfood Bowl from Nektar. She put it in the fridge for me until I woke up. 
I texted my hypnosis doula Carrie Cesario Mendes when my pressure waves started at 4am and kept her posted. After my nap with Bjørn I told Carrie that since my pressure waves had slowed down I was going to go to the chiropractor and get an adjustment since I knew that would be beneficial for when Asher decided to come. She agreed it was a great idea. So I took my Nektar Superfood Bowl in the car and Bjørn drove us to the chiropractor as Cait stayed with Aksel. The bowl tasted so amazing and gave me a nice burst of energy without weighing me down. I also made sure I was drinking tons of water.
I had a few pressure waves in the car. Once we arrived to the chiropractor I had a few more pressure waves while on the table to get adjusted. I got an adjustment from my amazing Dr. AJ who had been treating me my entire pregnancy and I told him next time I saw him would most likely be with a baby. He said it was good I was getting an adjustment while in active labor as it would help with alignment when Asher decided to come. We headed back home and I had a few more pressure waves in the car but they were all very spread out. 
Once we arrived home around 4pmish we sent Cait home and told her we would call her if we felt like things were ramping up again. I went back to the bedroom to lay down and listen to my hypnosis tracks and Bjørn took care of Aksel in the living room. I slept for a few more hours while listening to my Birth Day Affirmations and Your Birthing Time Begins. It was so relaxing in my room as I had my salt lamp on and all the lights and shades made the room dark. I was snuggled up with my Comfort U birth pillow and was very relaxed through any random pressure waves that came through. 
At 6:17pm I texted Carrie and told her that I just had 4 really intense pressure waves and with one of them I felt Asher descend down into my pelvis. I wondered if Asher also had changed positions because I was rotating the Turn Posterior Baby track. Each pressure wave was about a minute and a half long and were about 5 mins apart. Carrie told me that the longer, stronger and closer together waves are what were going to bring Asher into my arms. I put on my Deepening Your Hypnosis to re-focus me and keep my pressure waves at Bay. At 8:09pm I texted Carrie that I think she should come over as I could use more focus and Hypnosis support. She said she was putting her son to sleep and then was on her way. She told me to smell or diffuse lavender essential oil and if I hadn't already submerged myself in water, then I should do that as water is nature's natural epidural. Man was she right! I bought a kiddie pool off Amazon to setup in our living room to soak in as our bathtub in our apt was too small and had a sliding glass door which was difficult to maneuver considering the size of my belly. Bjørn then called Cait to come back as things were starting to progress and she arrived within 15-20 mins and would stay the night with Aksel when we decided to go to the hospital to birth Asher.
Bjørn was amazing in inflating the pool and filling it with hot and warm water for me to sit in. It felt amazing. Through each pressure wave Bjørn would put warm water down my back or on my belly and it felt incredible. I took a break from my hypnosis and listened to a playlist of songs I created on Spotify, that inspired me. Oceans by Hillsong United was my goto song and really made me emotional and excited to meet my little boy. It also gave me confidence and joy to embrace the journey of working together with Asher to bring him Earth side with my faith in Christ that he would be with us every step of the way. 
Carrie arrived at 9:04pm and came in and sat with me while I was in the pool. She turned on the hypnotrack Easy First Stage, was coaching me through my pressure waves and showering me with beautiful affirmations to keep me calm and confident. I brought the lavender diffuser and the salt lamp to the living room because that environment kept me very relaxed. Cait also arrived around the same time and helped Bjørn continuously fill the pool with hot water to keep it warm and comfortable. Aksel was already asleep in his room so no one had to worry about him. My pressure waves continued to ramp up and were about 3 mins apart and around 9:55pm I told Carrie I felt like Asher was coming. Bjørn immediately said then we should head to the hospital to birth him. I told Carrie I didn't think I would make it. I took off my bathing suit bottom and Carrie looked and said Asher was in fact on his way and she could see his head. I knew he was coming. At 10:00pm we all acknowledged that this was in fact happening right then and there. Bjørn asked Cait to call 911 to get an ambulance to our house asap to assist with the birth. So she got on the phone with them right away. Carrie asked if Bjørn wanted to catch the baby but Bjørn said no he thought Carrie was going to do it. Carrie turned to me and said she thought I should do it. I told her I was a bit scared that I would do it wrong, she said to use my Mama instincts and it would be amazing and she would coach me. She told me to get on my knees and put my arm down to feel for his head. I did that and I felt his head, it was so soft. I also held my perineum as I held his head. Carrie did an amazing job at coaching me for pushing. She told me to just relax and let my body do what it's supposed to and to make deep moaning sounds and work with my body instead of against it. That's exactly what I did and after a few pushes when his shoulders came out I pulled Asher up to chest and welcomed him into the world at 10:15pm. And guess what, he came out anterior in the perfect position!!!!!! 
Around 5 mins after Asher was born the paramedics showed up. They waited until the cord turned white and stopped pulsating to cut the cord and Bjørn cut the chord. They wanted to get me and Asher to the hospital asap to get checked out but I had not yet birthed the placenta. So they put me on a stretcher and in the ambulance and took me, Bjørn and Asher to Kaiser. Carrie followed us in her car and Cait stayed at our apt with Aksel. I was having some pressure waves in the ambulance which told me the placenta was ready to come out soon. Once we got to Kaiser (about 10-15 mins later), and the paramedics took me straight to Labor and Delivery, I was transferred from the stretcher to a bed in triage. I immediately told them I felt the placenta ready to be birthed and thats exactly what happened. It felt amazing to expel it from my body. They checked it and actually complimented me for the color and look of my placenta (which they also did when I birthed Aksel). I think it was because all of the Ningxa Red I drank during my pregnancy haha. They did Apgar while Asher was on me and we declined the Hep B and Eye Ointment administration. Asher weighed 8lbs even and 19 inches long. Both Asher and I were healthy and I didn't tear at all!!! I was stich free which was incredible because with my first son I had a forth degree tear. The doctors kept pushing me to sign up for a C-section to avoid any potential tears with Asher but Mamas it's possible to have a 4th degree tear and not tear the next time! I'm living proof of that. Go with your instincts. I did some preventive things to try and help my body with elasticity however. I took vitmain c and collagen the last month of pregnancy. also, we got the kiddie pool for me to soak in because I know that helps with tearing as well, but didn't know Asher would decide to come there! 😜
It was an incredible euphoric experience to deliver my own child into the world in a relaxing environment with my husband in our home drug free and naturally. We are beyond blessed. Our bodies are incredible and you can do anything if you believe in yourself. Thank you Carrie and Bjørn for believing in me so I could believe in myself! 
Below are some pictures we had at home and some pictures of our lil Asher now at 4 months. He's a big healthy boy weighing 19 lbs at 4 months. He loves Mommys milk!!

​The moment I found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted to bring our baby into the world naturally. I was determined to experience child birth in all it’s glory without a drop of medicine. In one of my prenatal yoga classes I heard another lady mention something about Hypnobabies. I went home and googled that term and did some research, which is when I came across a Hypnobabies birthing class, that I immediately signed my husband and myself up for. On the first day of class I met Carrie, and what a blessing this was. I had had a difficult pregnancy, dealing with hyper emesis and a thyroid condition. I had all these doctors ready to medicate me and I really wanted nothing to do with it. In the Hypnobabies birthing class Carrie really taught me that I am in control and I can advocate for myself and educate myself on all my options. By the end of the 6 week class I started to feel more and more confident that I was going to have a smoother birth than I did pregnancy. Also, by the end of the class I knew I wanted Carrie to be my doula! Not only is Carrie well versed and knowledgeable about bringing babies into this world she is kind, caring, fun and funny, judgement free and so strong! 

Leading up to the birth of our baby Carrie was there for me every step of the way. Our darling girl was born 3 weeks early and Carrie stood by my side for all of it, she was there for every text and phone call that came her way and physically by my side, literally holding me up throughout the night until my baby was born. Carrie provided both my husband and myself with love and support that we didn’t even realize we needed. There is no doubt in my mind about recommending Carrie to be apart of your birthing journey. I am forever grateful that Carrie helped bring our daughter into this world au natural. I did it without a drop of medicine; Hypnobabies and Carrie were all I needed (oh yeah, and my husband ;)) 

Hi Carrie! I wanted to share my birth story with you, feel free to use the story and any of the photos for your website or classes! Whatever you need :) thanks again for being a part of this magical experience. 
Love, 
Valerie, Mike, and Roxie 
B I R T H ❤️ S T O R Y 
A lot of you know that I became very passionate about how I wanted my birth experience to be...as natural as possible and as fearless as I can be. Mike and I studied Hypnobabies for months leading up to birth to change my mindset and clear all my fears of all the horrible stories I've heard about labor. And I gotta say- self hypnosis, meditation, Mike, my doula, and the beyond wonderful team at South Coast Midwifery made this possible for me. I hopefully  will inspire someone to have this highly emotional and incredibly special experience too.

I ignored my due date- it became a "guess date" (to avoid interventions) and we knew it was sometime between June 8th and 19th. Well by June 8th I was bored out of my freaking mind and went back to work for a nice distraction... I mean who doesn't like salon drama? Nothing exciting happened until June 13th when the natural signs of labor starting rolling in! I thought my water broke but it didn't, I was leaking a lot of amniotic fluid and the contractions were SERIOUS. I waited 2 days for my water to fully break...nothing. So on the verge of a mental breakdown and wanting all the drugs in the world I went to the midwifery and just about died inside when she told me I was only a measly 1cm dilated. I was sent home with orders to sleep and eat every hour. Oh and to have a glass of wine. Yeah right... it's 7am... I couldn't eat a thing. SLEEP?! Not happening. She had to reassure me that pregnancy is natural, normal, healthy, and safe. If I didn't eat and get rest then I would be transferred to HOAG medical center and most likely have interventions because I have exhausted myself. I was not in any danger and I knew this wasn't going to go well if I didn't reset and focus on everything I have learned to do... which is to really do nothing and trust and listen to my body. I had to get it together and let the process happen the way it's suppose to. I had to believe that nothing could be stronger than me because it's all with in me. I was able to drink 1 protein shake. 
The next day they had me come in to assess me, so we went the midwifery Friday June 16th at 8:30am with an open mind that I may be transferred to the hospital... and I was ok with that. I was given an IV of fluids (because I was so dehydrated it stalled my labor) and then SNAP my water was broke. I drank as much peppermint honey tea as I could and hopped in the birthing tub.

BEST PART EVER/ magic started happening. We put on soothing music, lit candles, ate fresh fruits with nuts and honey, mediated and used my hypnosis and before you know it I was smiling at the camera at 9 1/2cm dilated. Transition was rough yet tolerable, using my hypnobabies techniques made it so incredibly fast and the discomfort was easy to accept. I imagined every contraction was tight baby hug not wanting to let go until the perfect moment. Sometimes I would imagine each contraction being flower petals reaching up inside me to comfort baby to release. Mind over matter right?! 
It's go time- I hopped out of the tub to drain and refill so baby Roxie could arrive  in gorgeous clean water but when gravity hit there's was no time for waiting for the enormous whirlpool bathtub to fill. I made it to the bed, got cozy, and starting pushing. Midwife Rachel asks Mike if he would like to deliver the baby and he was instantly hands on "catching" baby and she was put to my chest. It was barely 30 minutes of pushing and two positions. Everything went to plan... skin to skin contact, delayed cord clamping, dad cut the cord, dad helped catch baby, no unnecessary interventions, just all love and an incredible life experience. BAM we're a family of 3 and I ordered a cheeseburger 🍔. We had a golden hour of new family bonding and then my entire family came into the room to join us and place bets on how much baby weighed. 8 and 1/2 lbs of perfection, my mom was shocked 😳. The birth team poured the most delicious sparkling cider in beautiful champagne glasses and cheers us to new beginnings and a job well done. We got cleaned up and went over postpartum rules and went home with our 4 hours old brand spanking new baby girl. We were in our own bed sleeping by 8:30pm the same day 😴 ....and we haven't slept since. 

Roxana Belle Owen
June 16, 2017 @ 4:32pm 
8lb 6oz and 20.5 inches long

​Remi Born July 16th at 10:32pm
7lb. 3 oz. 19.5in

This was my third Hypnobaby! My first Hypnobaby was born 9 years ago, my second Hypnobaby 7 years ago and I had amazing experiences both times. I used the home study program for my first two children but this time I decided to actually take a class. I highly recommend taking a class if you can. I feel that I listened to my tracks and practiced a lot more when held accountable. I also learned a lot of new things that I didn’t know before. My instructor, @Carrie Cesario Mendes was also my hypno doula and it made a world of a difference having a doula who truly understood and was passionate about Hypnobabies!  Although I had positive experiences with birthing my first two children, this time I had my dream birth! “Visualize your birth” was my favorite track and I listened to it daily in the last few weeks. It is truly amazing what we can manifest through visualization because everything went almost exactly as I had envisioned. Birthing my daughter was the most empowering and spiritual experience of my life!

From the beginning I knew that I wanted a natural water birth for my daughter. I was very disappointed to find out that according to my hospital’s policy I was only allowed to “labor” in the tub but not actually give birth in the tub. My midwife told me that they would have to get me out of the tub before I started pushing. A home birth was not really an option for me because I personally feel more comfortable birthing in a hospital setting. Still, I continued to visualize a water birth at the hospital while listening to my Hypnobabies tracks. During one of my weekly Hypnobabies classes the topic of catching your own baby came up and it really stuck with me. So I also started to visualize pushing my baby out and pulling her up to my chest myself. 

During my last month of my pregnancy I was experiencing prodromal labor. Lots of inconsistent waves starting in the evening and dying off by the morning. It was getting to be really physically and emotionally exhausting because I would have lots of sleepless nights with waves that didn’t result in going into my birthing time. At week 40 I was tired, cranky, anxious, and not feeling quite myself anymore. I was listening to Hypnobabies tracks every single day and “Come out Baby” was played several times a day for the last two weeks because I was feeling desperate for my baby girl to make her debut. On Sunday, July 14th I met with my hypno doula, Carrie for a hypnosis session. After our session I felt my anxieties fade away.

My husband started his paternity leave that following day so we dropped off our kids at summer camp and decided to spend the day at the beach walking down the pier. It was such a nice moment for us to relax and connect. After the hypnotherapy session and therapeutic beach walk I felt that I was finally mentally in a good place for baby girl to make her debut. 

That afternoon I had a little bit of bloody show and I started getting some stronger waves but they were not coming consistently so I rode the waves all night listening to the Hypnobabies tracks. I decided to go into the midwives office the next morning, July 16th. I was feeling waves every 10 minutes or so. The midwife did a vaginal exam and told me that I was about 3cm dialated 50% effaced. After my appointment we decided to go to the mall to have lunch and do some walking to move things along. 

Once at home the waves were coming every 4-6 minutes so I took a shower, got all of our stuff ready and headed over to the hospital. Once I got in the car and put my headphones on I was totally in the zone. My waves were coming every five minutes at this point. There was a bit of traffic so it was about 5:00pm when we arrived at the hospital. 

We had prepared snacks and drinks to bring to the nurses and they really seemed to appreciate the gesture. I was also really glad that I did the registration and paperwork before I went into the hospital since I didn’t have to bother with any of that once I arrived. When we were admitted, the nurse immediately asked us “What would you like us to call contractions?” and my husband asked her to call them “waves.” The nurses and staff at the hospital were amazing and very considerate of our Hypnobirth and birthing plan! The nurse did a vaginal exam and I was 4cm dilated and 60% effaced and -2 station. They gave me the option to go home and labor at home but I preferred to stay at the hospital at that point. 

I was very focused and in the hypnosis zone until my midwife walked in. She was so warm and friendly and wanted to chit chat with me. Although I appreciated her friendliness I was completely pulled out of the zone and switched over to my “thinking brain!” My waves seemed to come to a complete stop and the midwife again recommended that I go home to labor which I really did not want to do. At about 6pm Carrie (my hypno doula) arrived to save the day. She came with a suitcase full of her tools, a peanut ball, a birthing tool, and most importantly her presence. As soon as Carrie arrived she set a different tone in the room and helped me get right back into the zone. I was listening to hypnobabies tracks on my headphones while she was reciting affirmations to me. I liked having both voices speaking to me since it gave me a continuous stream of suggestions and affirmations.

Carrie had me do some Spinning Babies moves to get the baby to come down further. We did the side lying releases, shaking the apple tree and the abdominal lift and tucks. I’m not going to lie, the abdominal lift and tucks were quite intense and I felt some pain when we did these. Once the nurses blew up and filled the birthing tub I stepped inside and felt such a relief! The warm water was really soothing and felt so relaxing. Carrie poured warm water on my back while my husband held my hand and I was able to completely focus on my birthing time. My midwife and nurse sat on the bed just observing for about an hour when they decided to step out. They must have figured that I had quite a bit of time left until I started pushing.

Soon after the midwives stepped out, I started feeling the urge to push. I decided to just listen to my body and let it do what it wanted to. I wasn’t making any loud sounds or looking like I was in distress so even my husband and my doula didn’t realize right away that I was pushing. I wasn’t feeling any pain. It just felt like intense pressure.

After pushing for about 10 minutes (or less) I felt the baby’s head bulging out. I put my right hand below and felt her face. Her tiny nose and mouth! I was so excited to meet her! I pushed about two more times and felt her coming! I reached with both hands and pulled her right up to my chest saying “Hi Sweetie!” I was just so happy she was finally here! I was blissed out with her on my chest when my husband said “Her cord!” and I noticed that the cord was wrapped around her neck twice. I knew from my Hypnobabies class that a cord around the neck was very common and that it’s unlikely to cause any problems so I didn’t panic. Just then the nurse and midwife rushed in to find me with a baby on my chest. She quickly came over and unraveled the cord from around Remi’s neck. Right after she was untangled she let out a cry and my heart just melted.

We waited for the cord to stop pulsating and my husband cut the cord. Remi was alert and latched on right away. Carrie massaged my legs with Cypress essential oils while I birthed the placenta. The midwife said I had a minor first degree tear. I think having a water birth really helped with the tearing and recovery. 

Remi was a perfect 7lbs. 3oz. despite my gestational diabetes. She was born at 10:32pm. It was less than 6 hours since we arrived at the hospital and everything went so quickly and smoothly! Remi’s birth was everything I had ever dreamed of. I ended up having that waterbirth that I wanted so badly and even got to “catch” her myself! 

My older children are over the moon to have a baby sister and our family finally feels complete. 
Thank you Hypnobabies and Carrie Cesario Mendes!