“I have no doubt that the techniques that you went through with us in the lead up to birthing were critical in giving us the pleasant birthing experience we had.
Although I was only able to attend two sessions with Michelle, I felt very much more empowered to help her through the contractions. Massaging her and just knew what to do to help her through everything was so great – all you said to do worked!!!
Our first birth lasted 33 hours in labour with a constant reliance on gas and pethidine shots, followed by an epidural and a forceps delivery. In contrast, this time round we were in labour 1hr 45mins, no gas, no pethidine and by the time an epidural was ordered, there wasn’t enough time for it to take effect.
This as opposed to the first time around… me standing off to one side hoping it would all be over soon. What you showed me to do really assisted her through the pain and really helped to keep her relaxed and focused.
As such we look back with joy on the whole process. We hope that more people will make an effort to prepare for the birth via this easy work at home. It makes the whole day a far more pleasant and less stressful experience that you as the dad have some control over what happens, rather than leaving it up to whoever happens to be in the labour ward at the time”. – Matthew
Heather says:
The fallout from birthing trauma may be present well into the following pregnancy.
What this dad didn’t say was that his first daughter was still waking screaming about 12 times a night all through from the time she was born – and this is at age 22 months when Mum first contacted me for help with her bronchitis that was just not shifting.
I suggested our first priority was actually getting sleep and to do this we needed her firstborn recovered from her birth shock. There was mum 26 weeks pregnant and being the only one able to settle screaming child back to sleep – as she had had to since birth. As she herself was not able to recover –the night terrors still experienced by her first traumatized baby needed correcting.
(Birth experience of mum is hinted at – heaven knows what it was like for the baby).
I gave mum “Healing Birth” vibrational drops to take home for baby. She used them several times and within a few days, daughter was waking whimpering maybe twice in the night and just a little pat on the back put her reassured baby back to sleep – a miracle!!