When I found out I was pregnant I immediately felt partial to having a home birth. I was born at home myself in the early 90s, as were many of my cousins and my brother four years later (which my mum encouraged a very excited me to be present for – my interest in pregnancy...
Our birth story was one that did not go to plan AT ALL. I know I will miss some information out as it was a very long day and I was running on very limited sleep but here is what I remember… Both Adam and I had our hearts set on a natural birth, to...
I’ve been waiting for this incredible vaginal breech birth after caesarean story as I was so privileged to be a part of this birth as a doula, which meant being a part of the preparation, the fears, the tears, the excitement and the unknown as even though I have supported many VBAC births, I had...
This birth story is the perfect example of how hypnobirthing classes encourage mums to trust their body and their innate wisdom. I am so proud of Sharna and Scott and how they used all their hypnobirthing knowledge and techniques to create that perfect birthing environment and drew on the experience and midwifery skills of their...
Hypnobirthing in Perth is becoming more popular, and we love sharing our positive birth stories – whether that is home birth, water birth, land birth, hospital birth and even caesarean birth. My hypnobirthing classes are not about natural birth at all costs. This comprehensive childbirth education program is about preparing women and their partners for...
My Hypnobirthing classes can help you feel calm and in control no matter how your baby is born. These classes are about recognising that birth is unpredictable, and there is no one size fits all. It is all about being educated, confident and calm so you can still feel you are in control and can...
When I got pregnant, everyone said “you must find an Obstetrician immediately! All the good ones book up quickly.” I was in a panic. I had no idea what I was doing so I went out and dutifully found an Obstetrician ASAP. At my first appointment, something didn’t feel right. I don’t think our Obstetrician...
My hypnobirthing journey is so special because within 18 months I birthed two absolutely beautiful little boys. Each birth was completely unique, but both were guided by the hypnobirthing philosophies so here is my journey. It really began a good 6 years before I even became pregnant; whilst I was watching the show ‘One Born...
Obstetricians and GP obstetricians are heading a push for machines that go “ping” to replace midwives. What this means is replacing real and dedicated continuity of care, touch, conversations, connections and experts in normal physiological birth with numbers, machines, computer screens and charts that lead to interventions and caesareans. The well-known skit from Monty Python’s...
Knowing what your choices are and making informed decisions is the best start to any labour. Adrianna shares her birth story, where she was initially booked in for an induction, yet after looking at all her options and evidence-based resources and confirming that she was well and her baby was doing well, she then used...
Even the best planned births don’t go to plan. Congratulations to Christine and David on the birth of their gorgeous Sophia who was born 10 days before her estimated due date and was very healthy and happy. Christine shares her experience in the hope of helping other women feel calm and relaxed, even when birth...
Introduction by Vicki…. I have waited a year to get this birth story from a woman I admire so much, and when I read this it brought tears to my eyes yet warmed my heart. Yes, it’s a long birth story but it is one that needed to be written that helped a woman heal...
Sheryl shares her birth story after completing my Hypnobirthing classes and highlights how she only just made it to the hospital in time as she started to get the urge to bear down on arrival at the hospital. Sometimes mums can second guess themselves because they are handling their surges so well, breathing and moving through...
On the 28th of April at almost 35 weeks pregnant we had a wonderful surprise when we welcomed our baby girl into the world. It certainly wasn’t in the way we expected and yet given the chance I wouldn’t change a thing. I had just finished up work and was enjoying my first week on...
I was 38+6 on Tuesday the 7th November 2017 when our wonderful midwife Linda visited in the afternoon. The previous weekend we had held a birthday party for our not-quite four-year-old, I’d had my last day of work on Monday and I had joked that once I’d sorted out the house on Tuesday baby could...
Well, baby no. 3 made his appearance and what an entry he made into the world thanks to Vicki Hobbs and Hypnobirthing. I wanted to thank you for your fear release session and to let you know how much it helped leading up to the birth and also during the intense surges. It really pulled...
After quite a few weeks off work, I was getting impatient for my baby to arrive. As a first time mum, I was quite anxious and excited. Regularly listening to my Hypnobirthing tracks and preparing my affirmations helped keep me calm. I was booked in for a scan at 41 weeks but the night before,...
Every woman should write a birth plan, but for a VBAC mother it is even more important! This is because many women who are having a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) are now more educated and have identified that there may have been alternatives or different options they could have chosen instead of the interventions...
Bit of a ranty blog this one about understanding that your cervix should not be on a timer – what we need is for women to go back to basics birthing. That Friedman’s Curve from the 1950’s has a lot to answer for and is outdated and inappropriate to be used in this day and...
There is something about a royal baby that has the whole world excited. I know…. not everyone gets excited, and if you are not that interested, well just go on by, but I think you will agree that there really is a lot of excitement once we know that a Royal Princess is in labour,...
I love this positive induction birth story I received from Anna who used her hypnobirthing techniques to help her cope with the intensity of her labour and the deviation to her birth plan. Here is her story….. I started bouncing on my fit ball, listening to my Hypnobirthing tracks and practicing nipple stimulation from 38...
Sometimes it can be really hard for your partner or birth support person who is a friend or family member to see you in pain during labour. Having the right people there can really make a difference with the outcome of your birth. Let’s be clear here – the most important person in that birthing...
I was 36 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I’d finished work 5 days earlier and was finishing off all my “jobs” so I could have a few weeks to relax at home. On this day I was finishing painting the nursery. I was taking it slow but at 4.30pm I felt a little twinge in...
In sharing my experience, hindsight is a wonderful thing. Sebastian was born at 9.03am on the 8th September weighing 8-pound 3.5 oz. Even with the knowledge you gave us, I suppose you don’t truly know how it will be until you go through it. Next time I don’t think I’ll go private. As you warned...
Thankyou Vicki for sharing your knowledge and experience with us during our Hypnobirthing classes in Karratha. We ended up having a great experience at the hospital especially after we contacted you while we were at the hospital, and you emailed with additional information and support when we were unsure of what to do. It was...
Introducing our little man Lennox Jack Brodie, born at home Friday 28th July 2017. The birth of Lennox was completely different to that of our little girl Jorja, who graced us with her presence at 35 weeks. The private hospital pressured me into an induction with my FIFO partner only just making it home in...
In 2013, I got a referral to a well known OB/GYN, and during the 3 month wait for my appointment, I fell pregnant. Being my first pregnancy, I was relieved that I was already in the hands of an Obstetrician and I didn’t feel the need to look any further into care providers or birthing...
Don’t be fooled – Hypnobirthing is nothing new! With a lot more exposure and media around hypnobirthing, there’s a lot more awareness of this amazing program, but something has been bothering me, and this has bothered me ever since I started teaching hypnobirthing, so let me share my thoughts with you about hypnobirthing. Hypnobirthing is...
Thanks to Vicki and her amazing hypnobirthing classes I was able to birth my first baby naturally. We cannot thank her enough for all the knowledge both my partner Mark and I gained from hypnobirthing. On the 16th September 2016 (one week after my estimated due date) I went into labour with my first baby....
Our son Elijah was born in a public hospital in Perth on the 11/12/16 at 9:46pm. Actually, Elijah was born in the carpark at the front entrance to the hospital on the front seat of Vicki Hobbs’ car and I am so grateful for everything that she taught my husband and I in her hypnobirthing...
Thank you to Rory for sharing his experience and it is brilliant to hear how he viewed the effectiveness of hypnobirthing and his role leading up to and during the birth of his son. My wife Katie was diagnosed with gestational diabetes early in the pregnancy. Due to meticulous diet control, she lost a heap of...
The perineum is the area between the vagina and anus, made up of skin, tissue and muscle and stretches incredibly as the head emerges. Many women become fearful about the perineum tearing or needing an episiotomy and wonder how their baby is going to fit through their vagina. An episiotomy is where the Obstetrician or midwife...
Being a neonatal nurse in a high risk maternity hospital, I had seen my fair share of medicalised births, so when I found out I was pregnant; I always knew I would never have a birth plan. I would accept whatever needed to be done to ensure the safety of my baby and myself. I...
I am so proud of myself and beyond grateful for everything I learnt at hypnobirthing!! I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes and my Obstetrician wanted to induce me and had even set a date for the 4th December, which would’ve made me 41 weeks. Originally he’d spoken about inducing at 38/39 weeks and thanks to...
We heard all the horror experiences of childbirth from our friends, which gave us a shiver in the spine. I am a person who is scared of needles, and I felt childbirth was way beyond my capacity. In February 2016, we had the positive results of our pregnancy but along with the happiness; there was...
The best advice I can give you for your labour and birth is to enjoy it. You are only going to get the opportunity to birth this baby once. How you prepare and educate yourself and practice your knowledge will make a world of difference to the way you birth – regardless of how your...
Decreased foetal movement, deceased, three days of being in hospital waiting for baby to come, induction, health complications, breech baby, stillbirth. Massage, laughter, relaxation, meditation, movement, music, dancing and love. All these experiences, actions and feelings I would never have imagined to occur in the same week as each other, but approaching birth with these...
The first hour after birth of skin on skin and bonding is an important and sacred time for the newborn baby, mother and partner and needs to be protected and supported. You cannot get this time back so it should not be interfered with unless the mother or baby need medical attention immediately. Many hospitals...
A ground-breaking Australian study on effective childbirth education was recently released by Dr. Kate Levett and Dr. Hannah Dahlen (who were also key-note speakers at our annual conference). This study highlighted how important it was to not only participate in independent childbirth education classes but to also find a program that included complementary therapies to...
“I wish I had done some classes or prepared myself for what to expect when I went into labour, and maybe my birth would have been very different.” This is what so many women say to me when they are trying to have a more positive experience with their next birth or VBAC (vaginal birth...
I went into labour at 4am on 25th Of March 2016. I was in bed fast asleep and suddenly felt like I was peeing myself so I tried to hold it in, which just didn’t work. I slowly moved out of bed and it trickled down my legs. I was too embarrassed to wake my partner Adam at this...
My birth was truly amazing! It was all thanks to the amazing support I received from my husband, my Hypnobirthing practitioner Vicki Hobbs and two amazing midwives, hypnobirthing and believing in myself, my body and my baby! I wanted to share my (very loooooong) birth story with you, in the hope that it will help/encourage...
My husband Stewart and I were encouraged to learn hypnobirthing by my mum who has a background in nursing and is currently a counsellor who uses hypnosis in her practice. My sister also had two successful natural births using relaxation and self-hypnosis techniques. I decided to post on Facebook asking friends for recommendations of local...
Group B Streptococcus (or more commonly referred to as GBS or Group B Strep) is a bacteria that is normally present in our bodies. Around one fifth of women carry the bacteria without even knowing they have it. In RARE cases GBS can cause serious illness and even death in newborn babies, but more commonly it...
During your labour and birth, it is important that you feel comfortable, safe and calm in your birthing space. Music plays an important part in this. Everyone is different of course, and during labour and birth what you think you might like to hear during your labour and birth may be totally different when you...
I just have to share my beautiful birth experience with you all! I took hypnobirthing classes with Vicki and these classes totally changed my perception around birthing! Not only did they educate me and my partner, but they gave me so much confidence and empowered me to trust my instincts and to trust that my...
Just wanted to share my successful VBAC story. I ended up being induced because my waters started leaking on Tuesday morning, but I wasn’t getting any surges so spoke to my midwife and she had said to stay at home as long as possible because they would keep me in once I got to hospital. So I went...
I am so happy that I found and hired Vicki to be my Doula. My husband was unable to attend, making it very important that I had the support of someone, who I felt confident in, to help me through labour. Vicki was amazing, calming, confident and supportive throughout the whole journey of pregnancy, labour...
Greetings fellow hypnobirthing virgins. I am offering you my thoughts via Vicki on the classes that you may be about to attend. Firstly, a little on myself – I am halfway between a sceptic and a believer in processes that may fall under the umbrella of new age. A sceptic, for I do not like...
Why is it so important to choose an independent childbirth educator and attend classes such as hypnobirthing or active birthing classes? Because over time women have forgotten that birth is a natural and normal physiological event! Women have become more accepting of medical interventions. Caesareans are the highest they have ever been, and it is...
The Unique Connection between mother and child – does it exist? I loved watching the video which went viral in 2015 on social media. It has everyone talking about how clever the children are to find their mums, and it got me thinking about how so many couples don’t understand the importance of that skin-on-skin bonding...
Your baby has just been born and you look down to see what you have created and to your surprise you notice your baby looks like it is covered in white zinc cream and ready for a day out at the cricket. Vernix Caseosa (vernix) is the white, cheesy substance found on the skin of...
There is no such thing as a “natural induction” of labour. Anything that is trying to make your baby come before it is ready is a risk. So, you think it is time to evict your baby? You have had enough. You are tired, uncomfortable and just want to meet your little one…..NOW! However, have...
Your hospital bag….. What do you need to take with you to the hospital? This is just a general guide of things you may need or want to have available when you are at your place of birth, and I have added to the list as other mums have recommended items they felt were essential. Now...
Introducing our hypnobirthing baby girl Roxy. I had the most amazing birth at King Eddies in Perth under the care of a fabulous obstetrician. He had no experience of hypnobirthing, but willingly tried to keep it as close to my birth plan as possible, with me having a heart condition. My baby and I were...
Preparing for birth is like preparing for a marathon. You need to prepare both your mind and your body. In your mind, you need to release fear, which creates tension, producing more pain, creating more fear, which starts a whole vicious cycle in the mind and body as described by British Obstetrician and leading advocate...
First of all I would like to thank Vicki Hobbs from the Hypnobirthing Centre WA for helping me release my fear of birthing and to also help me think positive all the way about everything – my pregnancy, my labour, the surges I would experience and moving my baby down. I was one person who...
The Hypnobirthing class helped me from the first session and weeks before my labour started. I have always had a huge fear of needles but I knew that it was all in my mind. The classes helped me to deal with that and my first blood test after starting the course was a whole new...
On the morning of the 15th April 2014, I went into natural labour with my first baby at 5 days past his guess date. At 5.00am I woke to go to the loo, and had my show. I knew this could happen days before labour so tried not to get too excited! However at 7.00am...
I had a very good pregnancy and stayed very healthy and fit throughout it. I listened to my affirmations on a daily basis and focused on having a positive birth. When people asked me if I was nervous or dreading it, I could say with honesty that I wasn’t. Instead, I felt positive that I...
“Hypnobirthing” is just a fancy name for “hypnosis for birth” and the hypnosis part of this course is only one small component of the program. It is a full childbirth education program that covers so much in only 12 hours of session time. When I chat to women about hypnobirthing some of them have said...