I chose to do Calmbirth with Cherie after we became pregnant with our third baby after a 6 year gap. I had two beautiful waterbirths with my first two children, however being in a different place in my marriage and being older I had lost all my confidence in giving birth and the thought of 4 trimester period was bringing me crippling anxiety. I had fear I’d feel terribly alone taking on the pressure of bringing the baby safely into the world all by myself. I wanted to work on involving Matt to ensure despite how the birth would play out Matt would be my confidence that I’d lost.
Matt and I attended the 4 week group sessions with Cherie and through that time we connected in a way I’ve never experienced with Matt. We had open conversations following the sessions that helped us bond and grow in confidence that neither of us would feel alone and it would be a team effort. I bonded with my unborn child through the meditations that I commit to every night. Vinn gave me assurance through his trust in my body to safely deliver him, and I trusted he was going to work with me through the stages of labour.
At 39 weeks, my water broke around midnight and I felt excited baby Vinn was on the way. I laboured through the night listening to the playlist we had prepared, moving my body organically and using the breathing techniques we learned through the wave like surges. When things got more intense and contractions were only minutes apart Matt really stepped up allowing me to move through them with confidence, He did all the behind the scenes organising and liaising so all I had to do was work with Vinn. Matt made sure the bath was ready so when we arrived to the hospital with minutes to spare – I jumped in and within a few surges Vinn was out. No intervention was necessary during the labour. I felt all the things – I felt the every shift in the hormones playing out that calmbirth talked about – and the oxytocin high when he was born was like nothing I’ve experienced. Pure love.
I truely believe it was a healing experience, the pelvic floor disfunction I had for years has gone since the birth, he’s a calm and happy baby we had a beautiful 4th trimester in our love bubble. Matt took care of me so I could heal and rest and he had the greatest bonding experience with Vinn which was everything I’d hoped for.
I would recommend this course to all couples on this journey – the tools the most helpful for us was the face to face group sessions which taught Matt the hormonal shifts at each stage of labour, and helped him know when and how to act through each phase.
For me the meditations were essential, I listened to them every night before I slept, despite them being the same meditations I got something new from them each time – going inward more and more each night.
Thanks Cherie for your time and care, you have such a calm and beautiful nature that made us feel safe and supported every step of the way. The information, monthly meet ups, and literature you provide is so informative even for mums who have had birthed before – I learned so much about myself this time around.
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