Pain Free Labor

I became pregnant last year, and after the initial shock,

I began researching all my options.

I knew I wanted to have a natural birth. 

It was always something that appealed to me,

but the unknown can be very scary.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out where I wanted the big day to go down,

and stressed about the pain.

You know,
the pain that so many women feel so inclined to tell you about,
 the moment they find out your expecting.

It scared me and made me doubt myself. 

Until I found Hypnobirthing.
Now if you are hoping for curse words and screams to fly through the room,
this is not for you.
But if you want a calm, peaceful and relatively pain free birth,
look no further!

Unfortunately, because it has the word hypno it in, many people stop reading and run at this point. 

I assure you though, you will not be quacking like a duck,

 And I am 100% positive that If you give it a chance, I can convert you,

and if I can't then surely Andrea Crouch, a licensed hypnotherapist can.

Andrea graciously let me join her hypnobirthing class,

as my expected date grew closer, and my nerves grew stronger. 

It was exactly what I needed

and I have her to thank for giving me that extra boost of confidence,

and teaching me so many wonderful techniques for my tiny's arrival...which you can read about here.

 Our recent interview contains so much invaluable information that I didn't want to cut anything out. 

Check it out below, and if you don't have the time to read it, let me sum it up in 6 words:

Hypnobirthing is amazing and it works.

 

Me: What is hypnobirthing and will I become hypnotized?

Andrea: HypnoBirthing is a form of birth education that teaches self hypnosis techniques to be used in labor and birth.  Its techniques are based on the philosophy that birth is a normal, natural, physiological function of the female body and that when the mind is relaxed, so is the body.  A relaxed body leads to a more comfortable and gentle birthing.  Yes, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.  Hypnosis is a natural, normal function of the human mind.  We go into self hypnosis many times during the day and aren’t even aware of it.  Daydreaming, highway hypnosis, dreaming, creative thought and visualization are all functions and examples of the subconscious mind at work.   

Me: Who can benefit from this? 

Andrea: Anyone that is interested in a more comfortable, relaxed and peaceful birthing would benefit from HypnoBirthing.  Moms that seem to be very stressed or concerned about their first birth or Moms concerned about birthing due to a previous birth will strongly benefit from HypnoBirthing.  Moms that already use meditation, yoga or other self hypnosis techniques as part of their daily routine will strongly benefit from adding HypnoBirthing techniques to their practice as well.

     

       Me: Does Hypnobirthing allow for my partner to be involved?

 Andrea: Yes.  HypnoBirthing encourages your partner to be involved in each class (or as many as they can attend) in order to learn scripts, suggestions, and relaxation techniques to keep you feeling great during labor and birth.  HypnoBirthing believes that babies are born the greatest ease when labor and birth mimic conception or at least the mind and body’s perception of conception. 

      

 Me: Will I have a pain free birth if I use Hypnobirthing?

 Andrea:  The degree of the comfort level varies from woman to woman during labor and birth.  In HypnoBirthing we work to eliminate and reframe unnecessary concerns that could stand in the way of you having the most comfortable birth possible.  Many women report feeling nothing more than strong menstrual cramps or sensations of tightening and pressure. 

Me: Do you need to plan on having a natural birth to have success with hypnobirthing?  

Andrea:  You do not have to plan on having a natural birth in order to have success with HypnoBirthing.  The relaxation, self hypnosis and breathing techniques you will learn will help you have a more comfortable, gentle birth, regardless of the type of birth you have.  

 Me: When is the best time to start?

 Andrea:  Anytime during your pregnancy is fine to start the class, however, many couples like to begin around their second trimester to have plenty of time during the rest of the pregnancy to practice the techniques.  Those that practice more seem to have better “muscle memory” when it comes to getting in to the relaxed HypnoBirthing “zone”.

Me: What does a typical class look like?

 Andrea:  A typical class involves participation between you and the instructor or you and your birth companion along with other expectant couples learning self hypnosis, relaxation and breathing techniques along with watching/discussing videos of natural HypnoBirthing births as well as discussion on the physiology of birthing and how to make labor and birthing comfortable by directing our mind/emotions.

       Me: If I’m interested, what do I do next? Where can I get involved?

 Andrea: If interested you can visit www.hypnobirthing.com to find a class nearest you or speak to Certified HypnoBirthing Practitioner in your area.  Locally, Healthy Being Wellness Center www.healthybeingllc.com , offers group classes on Wednesday evenings, and Saturday mornings or private classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday by appointment, visit www.loveselfhypnosis.com for class schedule.

So there you have it. Hypnobirthing takes commitment and practice, but it really works. I truly had an amazing birth experience and stayed calm the whole time. If you are pregnant, thinking about becoming pregnant or know someone who is, I urge you to give it a try.

Baby Boot Camp

Fitness. 

I have always had a love, hate relationship with it. 

In my single days, 

when looking good was more important than getting a good nights rest I was all about it. 

But ever since I found myself married, 

and especially now with a new baby that I can't bear the thought of leaving home for more than an hour,

I avoid the gym like the bubonic plaque. 

That was until I gave Baby Boot Camp a try. 

Baby boot camp is a workout program designed for both new moms and veteran moms alike. After my first few classes, I really started looking forward to my morning workouts; a place where no one cared if I smelled of spit up, had circles under my eyes, or if my outfit matched. I was just impressed that I actually made it out of the house and somewhere on time!

I recently had the opportunity to interview Christie Bruner, the national fitness coordinator for the baby boot camp company, as well as the owner of the St. Petersburg Baby boot camp franchise. 

Talk about inspiration!

Christie has an Exercise Science degree and swam competitively her entire life. At the time she had her first daughter, she was a Program Director for a kids gymnastics program but feeling fed up with a long drive and having to leave her daughter in daycare, 

she looked into other options.

 Little did she know, it would be the beginning to something great. 

After giving Baby boot camp a try in Tampa, she decided to bridge the gap and bring this innovative workout to St. Petersburg. 

I can assure you that many moms are glad she did. 

If you aren’t the workout type, don’t fret. 

Baby boot camp is truly a class for all fitness levels. 

When asking Christie who can benefit,

 she assured me that the program is a come one, come all type approach.

 “At any given time, we could have a mom who is seven months pregnant, 

a new mom with a two year old, a former collegiate runner, 

and a mom who has never worked out a day in her life”.   

I can attest that I am not the collegiate runner and I fit in just fine.

If your wondering what to expect here’s what Christie had to say: 

“We begin class with a five minute warm up.  It’s always okay if moms are a bit late; 

(Mom's she said a bit late, don't push it) 

sometimes it’s a chore just to get out of the house! 

cardio and strength segments. 

 We will walk or jog with the strollers to a station, 

a short distance away from our warm up area.  

 Then, the moms perform a few strength-training activities with the resistance tubing. 

We also sing some songs and include the kids in the exercise. 

 Next, it’s off to another station for more strength moves. 

 We continue this interval type training throughout the next 50 minutes around the park.  

 The class finishes up with the moms and kids, out on blankets or mats for core work".

 

So what are you waiting for? 

Hop on over to the official baby boot camp website to get more information.  
It is truly a great way to meet new friends, get in shape, and it’s never too early to set an example for your wee ones.