Hi Vicki, I just wanted to share with you our amazing VBAC experience we had at SJOG Subiaco. We were open about having a VBAC birth at a private hospital and knew some things we may not achieve, but others we could be confident in asking for. I had prepared our birth plan based on what...
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...
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...
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 didn’t realise I needed a doula until I didn’t have one at the birth of my first child. Although my first birth was ‘successful’ I deeply missed having an advocate and was left feeling bullied, disempowered and like I had been robbed of the beautiful experience I had heard about. Going into my second...
Your birth choices will have a huge impact on the way you give birth and may also affect your postpartum experience so you have to be prepared. Anastasia shares her birth story and how important it was for her to do independent childbirth classes and have an independent midwife so that her and her husband felt...
Thank you to Deb and Pete for sharing Oliver’s birth story, which didn’t quite go to plan but with the tools and techniques they had learnt from my Hypnobirthing classes they were able to adapt to their change in circumstances, so they still had a positive birth experience and were able to avoid having drugs and interventions....
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,...
Orgasms release copious amounts of oxytocin therefore I am a big advocate for female orgasms during labour when things start to slow down or stall. If it is a choice between synthetic oxytocin and real oxytocin, what would you rather have? Just put a sign on your door saying, “Please keep out – orgasm in...
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,...
Are you a doula, midwife, childbirth educator, body worker or other health care professional that would like to learn more practical and evidence based tools and techniques to teach or prepare women during their pregnancy for an easier labour and birth? Spinning Babies integrates the art and science of giving birth to give the mother...
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...
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...
There are so many things to consider when you are planning your vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) and these are just the ones I wanted to put together quickly to get you started, but you have to do your own mind-mapping to work out where you need more information, where you feel strong and confident...
Your Pelvis One of the important physical aspects of the body during pregnancy is the pelvis. Your pelvis is not one fixed bone; it is made up of 4 separate bones: sacrum; coccyx two iliac bones, one on the left and one on the right, which are joined to the sacrum at the back at...
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...
Are you having trouble convincing your partner on the benefits of having a Doula at your birth? One of the main reasons a couple may not hire a Doula is because the partner thinks the Doula may take over their role, but it important to know that the Doula will be very inclusive of the...
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...
Amniotomy also known as “artificial rupture of membranes” is where the membranes are ruptured / released by the midwife using a gloved finger that has a hook on the end (amnicot) or a little device called an amnihook. This allows the amniotic fluid to be released. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that in normal...
A synthetic version of prostaglandin hormones is inserted into your vagina either as tablets, gels, suppositories or pessaries. You will need to remain in hospital for this and once inserted it is recommended that you lie down for at least 30 minutes so the gel can stimulate the cervix. The dose, number of doses and...
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...
There is a lot of confusion around the safe diffusing of essential oils and the use of traditional oil “burners” (vaporisers) and diffusers during labour and birth. It is not just about the smell. Essential oils are made up of chemicals – even chemicals found in nature can have adverse effects on the mind and...
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...
Do you want to try and prevent colic and wind, therefore pain and distress in your baby? Every time you pull babies up by their legs to change their nappy you are pulling the nerve roots that go into the intestines out of place. These roots have a direct link to the small and large...
“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...
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...
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...
Hey mummy, please be patient….. Please mummy, let me stay for a little while longer, I feel safe and calm and loved. I know you are tired, I know you are sore. I’m sorry I am putting all this pressure on your body. But I’m not ready to be born just yet. Please be patient…..it...
So you see all these babies with the pretty coloured beads around their necks and mums are swearing that they make a difference to their bubs teething – what a load of rock, right? Actually, you will be surprised to know that for most babies they can be very therapeutic. Now before you think “oh...
There is so much to write about Aromatherapy; however this is just a very basic overview of aromatherapy in pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period highlighting the important things to help mums and their birth partners understand how they can use essential oils confidently and safely Aromatherapy is the use of 100% pure essential...
I love the smell of Clary Sage, and prior to menopause I would use clary sage when I was feeling irritable and in pain during my menstrual cycle and it would provide a lot of comfort and relief. In saying this, I always suggest women use it cautiously because it is very powerful and can...
Every pregnant woman deserves some pampering. Pregnancy Massage can provide that much needed pampering in addition to reducing stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation and preparing muscles and joints for childbirth. It is a much needed therapy to ease some of the aches and pains experienced during pregnancy and labour, and should be regarded as a...
There are many natural induction methods that may help to trigger the start of labour, but these too can also create stress and frustration when they don’t work. It is also important to remember that you’re not designed to be pregnant forever, so you can trust your body to do what it is meant to...
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...
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...