Lydia is an excellent example of a mum who committed to the hypnobirthing tools and then reaped the rewards – as you’ll hear her explain what made a difference in her second birth to Eloise.

In this chat we cover:

- How hypnobirthing made a huge difference for her and her practice routine

- Sebastian’s birth in hospital, pressure to push

-Doing everything possible to conceive a girl

- Moving house and regions in pregnancy

- Extra monitoring with a small baby, declined induction at 38 weeks

- Making informed decisions

- Being pregnant at the same time as her midwife

- Difference in the sensations using the hypnobirthing tools as opposed to not using them

Here is the Spotify link to the playlist that Lydia mentions: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5dRjQtPfHtKPAQV6VjqLvl?si=wgCFvjcNTtWdlwWXgb7DHw&pi=n384zBltTA-AK

If you would like to learn hypnobirthing techniques to make a difference to your birth head to www.positivebirths.co.nz. Helen is NZ’s most experienced facilitator, with 19 years of experience sharing these tools to thousands of couples.

You’ll find options for personal sessions, small groups live in person or online, or recorded courses.

Don’t leave your birth prep to chance, your actions will make a difference.

For more info and inspiration on positive birth prep follow us on @positive_births_nz

Ellen’s inspiring homebirth to second baby Rowan include thewords “rest”, “underwhelming”, “slumber party vibes”.
Ellen has previously shared her first birth to Nuala on an earlier episode on the podcast;  you can find it by searching  Ellen'shospital birth to Nuala

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5nF1izYF7fxIXJg5dtBMNH

Our chat includes the following topics:

-Miscarriage in between first and second baby

-Fear release exercise bought up subconscious fear instead of what she had expected

-Tearing in her births

-Dealing with anaemia in pregnancy

-Baby born at 38 weeks

-Laughing with toddler as labour starts = oxytocin

-Using breathing for labour and for breastfeeding

-Episiotomy to prevent big tear

-Turning phone off so no distractions and no need to knowwhat the time was

-Planned a waterbirth but was fine without the pool

-Difficulty birthing the placenta, retained piece of membranecame out with a clot a week later at home

Read the recent research that’s just been released aboutHypnobirthing:

https://www.womenandbirth.org/article/S1871-5192(26)00056-9/fulltext

summary: is a study conducted in Australia with a largegroup of women who participated in hypnobirthing education throughout their pregnancy.

Conclusion:

Hypnobirthing is associated with a significant reduction inthe use of epidurals, greater use of water immersion, and decreased odds of caesarean section.

Study suggests that the use of Hypnobirthing during labourcan further support women’s aspirations to avoid pharmacological analgesia and achieve an unassisted vaginal birth.

They also went onto recommend that - Maternity servicesshould explore ways to provide women with increased access to Hypnobirthing training.

If you'd like to use the benefits of practical hypnobirthing tools and techniques for your labour, birth and postpartum check out your options at www.positivebirths.co.nz

For more inspiration and information about positive birth prep follow us @positive_births_nz

Hayley shares her two positive birth stories – an inductionwith Lilah and birth centre waterbirth to Briar.

In our chat today we cover the following topics:

-Consultation with specialists around Conception journey

-2nd trimester  fibroid degeneration, dealing withthe extreme pain resulted in belief she would be fine for birth

-Plan for homebirth

-High blood pressure week 38

-39+4Misoprostal induction, membranes released

-Briar’s conception within first month

-No fibroids

-Midwives with different opinions

-40+3 doubt worry about going into labour, stretch and sweep

-Different way labour felt induction vs natural

If you'd like to learn some hypnobirthing tools and techniques for your pregnancy, birth and postpartum, you can find a variety of live and online classes at www.positivebirths.co.nz

For more info and inspiration follow us @positive_births_nz

Sofia shares her straight forward homebirth to first baby, Atlas

In this chat we include:

- Her very physical lifestyle as a dance teacher and Less Mills instructor, with cross fit right up until end of pregnancy

-Signs of labour starting at 40+3 (burst of energy), 40+4sore back

-Calm labour

-Cervical lip and waiting for that to disappear

-Pushing without an overwhelming urge

-Midwife helping the pelvic floor as having troubles torelease it

-instinctual postpartum

Sofia purchased the Positive Births Short n Sweet onlinerecorded course to gain mindset, breathwork, relaxation skills to use through her pregnancy and birth. Find all course options at www.positivebirths.co.nz

Follow us for more info and inspiration @positive_births_nz

Teresina shares her fast, instinctive birth to Isabella, inthe water just a few minutes after arriving to the birth centre.

In this chat we include topics such as:

-PCOS – told she would never have kids, but how she used that diagnosis to become more in tune with her body

-Birth culture in Mexico

-Learning about birth in NZ

-Changing midwives at 38 weeks to support the type of birthshe wanted – no intervention and no hospital.

-Trusting that the body heals and knows what to do

-Her labour while out walking, progressing as she’s leaving her apartment, navigating traffic to get to the birth centre, baby arriving just minutes later

To learn the skills Teresina used in her pregnancy, birth and postpartum head to www.positivebirths.co.nz for a range of course options - online and in person.

For more info and chats about positive birth follow us @positive_births_nz

This chat arose because of a thankyou email that Josie sent to me right at the very most perfect time that I needed it…..

In this episode today we discuss:

Difficulty finding a midwife for due date early January, which lead to the choice of obstetric care

Using positive birth stories to improve mindset

Induction with several stretch and sweeps, balloon, epidural, syntocinin

Positive interactions with hospital staff

The ripple effect

 A reminder that your birth involves your body and your baby, you can choose what feels right for you.  Josie says she feels like she made the right calls along the way to choose induction, epidural and c section – that was the right decision for her.

If you'd like to explore a range of hypnobirthing options check out www.positivebirths.co.nz. There are online recorded courses, online and in person live courses.

For more info and inspiration for a positive birth in all sets of circumstances follow us on @positive_births_nz

A remarkable conception story where Kate share’s hope, inspiration and an admirable attitude about all that she underwent to meet her daughter Farah.

In this chat we discuss:

- Diagnosis of lymphoma, harvesting eggs, chemotherapy, tumor, stem cell transplant

- Waiting for two years before embarking on IVF – smooth journey

-Hematologist revealing he didn’t know of anyone in her situation that got pregnant

-Mind body connection, mention of psychoneuroimmunology

-Working with grief of loss of mum in pregnancy

-Excruciating leg cramps

-OB advising against homebirth

-41 weeks midwives brew to get labour started

-2 nights of labour and not dilated

-No amniotic fluid - Anhydramnios

-C-Section

I loved Kate’s mum’s saying that Kate used in her journey: “We don't worry until there's something to worry about."

If you would like to use hypnobirthing skills for yourjourney check out the range of online and live options at www.positivebirths.co.nz
For more info and inspo on the positive birth journey follow us on @positive_births_nz

A redemptive second birth story that Lynnaire totally deserved after experiencing 3 miscarriages, pre-eclampsia, induction at 34 weeks to daughter Riley.

In this chat today we discuss:

-2 miscarriages prior to first pregnancy led to anxiety infirst trimester

-Third trimester swelling 32 weeks diagnosis of severe preeclampsia

-Birth at 34 weeks via 3 day induction, balloon, misoprostal,epidural, surgery for retained placenta

-NICU for 6 weeks

-Miscarriage prior to Issac’s conception

-Parasite cleanse and naturopathic support

-Pregnant until 41 weeks, induction misoprostal, baby born encaul

-Creating the right birth space, (and the magic room #8 atWellington hospital)

-Mention of @massageaftermiscarriage – for care packagesafter miscarriage

You can find Lynnaire’s range natural baby products at @littlerose_natural, www.littlerose.nz

If you too would like tools, techniques to support you in your positive birth journey head to www.positivebirths.co.nz for a range of course options.

For more info, inspo about positive birth follow us @positive_births_nz

Dalen speaks about the different feelings she had between her first birth and second with feeling disconnected in her first birth to Oaklee but very grounded and present for Asher’s birth. This is an episode where there is definitely quite a difference between first birth and second birth experiences.

In this chat we cover:

-Being a younger mum

-Intense long labour (convinced it would be fast) for first birth

-Got to birth centre 1cm dilated

-Felt disconnected

-Difficult time and difficult recovery determined for this not to happen again

-Education and communication with partner Josh as to how he could be even better support in 2nd birth

-Using TENS machine, being in water, soft loose body

-Very present for 2nd birth at home in the water

Dalen is owner of @labourandlovenz  https://labourandlove.co.nz/ where you can find a conscious practitioner directory, birth pool hire, natural products for birth and postpartum.

This episode is sponsored by www.tenshire.co.nz, Natal Care Naturally has offered all listeners a 5% discount on their TENS machine hire. Use code: POSITIVEBIRTH

A tens machine helps you to cope with the sensations of labour by using pulsing vibrations that reduces the intensity of the feelings by your brain. It also helps to stimulate endorphins the feel good hormones and naturally occurring body’s own morphine. All of this means that you’re more likely to feel more comfortable during your labour and of course a TENS machine works beautifully in conjunction with your hypnobirthing breathing and relaxation exercises too.

You’ll get 6 weeks of hire and for those of you using hypnobirthing skills, you can practise these with the tens machine before you go into labour to feel how well they work together.

If you’d like to gain some valuable hypnobirthing tools head to www.positivebirths.co.nz for course options and a Free Relaxation track.

For more chats and info on a positive birth journey follow @positive_births_nz

Having enjoyed a very smooth pregnancy and feeling excited about her home bus birth Gemma was not expecting the curveball of a pre-eclampsia diagnosis just beforeweek 40.

In this episode our chat includes:

- Excited for birth, being surrounded by positive stories & the plan was a homebirth in their house bus

- Diagnosis of pre-eclampsia just prior to week 40 and resistance to a hospital birth

-Gemma’s decision not to have scans in her pregnancy

-Getting into a positive mindset for the induction, using a hypnotherapy track to help

-Induction with one dose of prostaglandin

-Jared’s support and the inability to speak when she was deep in her zone

-Listening-to her body when it felt pushy and not forcing it.

The podcast episode Gemma mentions is episode #151 Natasha’s induction to Aiden on The Positive births NZ podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/5c4G73U82WkWpBq30Ny7Fc

If you too need support to get your mind into the right state for an unexpected induction, please reach out for your options at [email protected]

If you’d like to learn tools and techniques for your labour and birth you can find a range of course options and personal support at www.positivebirths.co.nz

For more info and chat about a positive birth journey follow us @positive_births_nz