Want to know how Blissborn works --
from real users of the program?
Read below!
A three-hour birth for a 9.5-pound baby!
Hi Laura!
Our baby has finally arrived! I just wanted to take a moment to share our birth story with you.
As my due date came and went, I began relying on my Blissborn recordings to ease my anxiety and discomfort and to continue a dialogue with my baby. I would sit up at night telegraphing to him that he was safe, and that I trusted him to know when the timing was right and I that I trusted my own body to do its job as well.
This Sunday, 8 days overdue, and having sat around 5 centimeters dilated for 5 whole days, with no organized contractions in sight, I took the plunge and tried some castor oil. (I had discussed all of this with the midwives first!) After a few hours I hadn’t seen much of the oil’s main side effect, but continued having mild, sporadic, contractions. I tried a pumping session, bounced on a yoga ball, and then gave up and decided to take a nap.
As soon as I turned on my side, I felt a little “pop” as my water broke. My first labor was 29 hours, but because this was my second baby, I knew things could be faster and I called [the birth center] right away. From there things quickly intensified. Within half an hour, I went from mild disorganized cramps to contractions that were 2 minutes apart and nearly a minute in duration! We put on the “Time to Move" track and headed in to the birth center.
The recording was so helpful, and the time I put into practice allowed me to deeply relax and reconnect with my body and my baby on the trip. Throughout the initial intake process and exam I was able to calmly respond to my partner and answer questions about my birth preferences and progress. I was so grateful to have strategies to reset and find comfort as my labor progressed. The partner work was also so evident in this birth as compared to the my first. We truly worked as a team and Sean’s anxiety was less because he had the tools anticipate my needs and provide me with with strength and support.
All those repetitions of “open, and open, and open” must have been effective, because 3 short hours after my water broke (and less than 2 from the time we got to the birth center) Gideon slid into the world! Our not-so-little guy weighs in at 9 lbs 8.4 oz and is currently enjoying soaking in all the snuggles from his big brother.
I continue to find new ways to use the techniques I learned in class (going into deep hypnosis to make the most of the sleep DO get, using my “Let Go” trigger to ease the discomfort of the first days of breast feeding) and I hope to do so for many more years to come. Thank you so, so much for helping to make our birth experience the perfect one for us.
Best of luck to all you Mamas!
Michaela, Sean, Oliver, and Gideon
PS Here’s a couple of pictures of those brother snuggles I mentioned!
Even with a big change in plans…
K. & S.: Well, we're sharing our story a little sooner than we thought we would. Our due date was March 23, but we welcomed our daughter “F.” to the world on March 1st at 7:29am. 5lb 3oz.
F. was determined IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) in December, so they kept a close eye on her with weekly ultrasounds. Right around the time of the fear class, it was determined that she'd probably need to come out at 37 weeks if she wasn't out of the 3rd percentile. This was disappointing as I really didn't want to be induced — I emailed Laura about this and she assisted in some facing down fear work which really helped me accept the current possibility and still have the best birth for me.
Then we had our final Blissborn class, and the next day I went in for my ultrasound (BBP) and non-stress test. The non-stress came back with variables -- drops in heart rate -- so I had to go to the hospital for more monitoring. I ended up having to stay the night and my induction was scheduled for March 2nd (my 37 week mark). I had to continue to go into the hospital daily until then for more BBPs and Non- stress tests. I allowed myself to feel disappointed, and began to plan for how I could still make the best of this situation.
F. must've been working with me this whole time, because on Sunday afternoon my water broke — I didn't really realize it, just thought it was increased discharge -- but in hindsight there was totally a "gush." Either way, they had me come in to test for amniotic fluid and it was positive!
When they examined me after I was admitted I was already 3cm and 90% effaced. I also was having contractions basically every five minutes, though at this point they still felt like Braxton Hicks. My midwife said if I didn't progress by 3am, we'd start some pitocin, but until then I could try breast pumping. I worked on that for a while and at 2:30am I felt the contractions start to change and when they checked at 3am I was 4cm and 100% effaced. (whew!).
We had the birthing track playing on and off with some music in-between and as the contractions got deeper we used it continuously — [my partner] S. used the Partner Trigger, which helped until I started to feel annoyed by it :) Things were starting to progress more. The Comfort Techniques, especially dissociation, were very useful during this process. I spent a lot of time on the birthing ball leaned over the bed. By 5 am the contractions were much deeper and I asked for fentanyl -- the only pain med I was willing to try (I really didn't want an epidural). We turned the track off at this point — I just wanted Steve and silence really. The fentanyl helped me rest between contractions and prepare me for what would be a very long push — probably 1 1/2 - 2 hours of trying to get little F. out.
It was imperative she get out quickly because with each push her heart rate dropped. S. was super helpful and asked if I wanted to change positions; I was on my back, (he remembered the “upright and active” discussion about gravity) but I really felt like I couldn't change positions so I just stayed on my back and kept bearing down.
My midwife was truly amazing and I am so grateful she was the one to deliver our baby. She kept me focused and calm through the whole process. I was kicked into full gear when the possibility of an episiotomy came up (F. really had to get out) and so she finally entered the world (I didn't have to get that episiotomy in the end). She was crying and seemed healthy so we did the immediate skin-to-skin and delayed cord clamping. It was all such an incredible relief.
F. had to go on oxygen after about 6 hours, and her bilirubin levels were high, and blood sugar low, so she spent some time in the NICU and also under the phototherapy light, and had some formula supplementation. By the time we were discharged Wednesday night, all was looking good.
We've been home and learning and things are going well. Feeling so grateful for all that happened. The Blissborn class was seriously one of the best decisions I've made. I am a high-anxiety, type A person, and all of these techniques helped me really relax through this whole process, accept my disappointments, and go with the flow.
I even used my Blissborn tattoos — I highly recommend the “relax” one on the thigh. :) I also had “all is well” and “breathe” on my inner wrists.
We're wishing you all the best with your babies!
Changed from the Inside Out
Dayna & David: In a society that focuses on pain, a drop of hope and perspective filled my consciousness when I found Blissborn. I went from the fear of having a watermelon push through a hole the size of a lemon to confidently having a natural three-hour labor and delivery story for my first baby.
On the way to the hospital, I started to use my let go trigger and focus on all the techniques I learned in class. My husband and I picked a new word for contractions…EXPANSIONS! This helped me focus on opening up instead of contracting, aka closing down. This helped tremendously! Throughout the 40-minute car ride, we listened to CD 6. All the practice from March to June was in full effect. I felt myself go deeper and deeper into a hypnotic state. As the expansions came and went, I could feel unconscious triggers inviting me to release and escape the discomfort. It was all a choice which path I wanted to take. The path of pain was easy because it was reactionary and what my conscious mind (my neocortex) could understand, but the path of surrender and allowing, the path I practiced for months, was not as easy but it was waiting for me to make the choice. As we drove up to the valet, I sent my last text to my family, “We are at the hospital. Coming!!! Hurry” It’s all I could muster.
As we were given our wheelchair and headed to the delivery triage area, an unbelievable urge to push overwhelmed me. We got into the triage area and the nurse started to ask us to fill out paperwork. I let out a cry “He’s COMING!” The nurse decided to check how dilated I was….10 centimeters! “Oh my! We have to head to the delivery room NOW!” the nurse said. They called the doctor who was 10 minutes away. As they wheeled me into the delivery room, CD 6 was playing on speaker on my cellphone and continued to play throughout the whole experience. Each sentence drew me into my left brain and my pathway to self hypnosis and release. This was it, everything we learned, all the practice was for this moment in the delivery room. My mom and sister finally showed up in the delivery room and were shocked to hear that I was already 10 centimeters dilated, as their labor stories had a much longer duration. We dimmed the lights in the delivery room. My husband David helped me go deeper into the relaxation state of mind with the partner trigger we practiced for months by placing his hand on my shoulder and saying the affirmations my mind was so used to.As I started to push, the voice on the CD pulled me into the depth of hypnosis while the voice of the doctors and nurses pulled me into consciousness. My purpose was to balance both while allowing my body to do what it was built to do, give birth!
I could feel the release of pushing and how good it felt. The CD continued to walk me through the process of relaxation and the doctor continued to instruct me to push and that the baby was crowning, we were close. I started to visualize flowers opening up naturally, a video I watched many times. I gave a final push and gave birth to our son DJ.
The gift of life and the birthing process gave me a new outlook on life. I was changed from the inside out. My body and my mind worked in unison to produce a beautiful chain of events. I made an experience that will last a lifetime and become an inspiration for other moms giving birth, walking into the unknown with confidence and clarity. The support from the Blissborn class, the instructor Lisa Kelly and my husband who practiced with me was so important. It made me feel like I had a team helping, guiding and comforting me along the way. I highly recommend Blissborn to any mother and couple that want to elevate their birthing experience and connect to their innate God given gift of natural childbirth.
A Truly Blissful Birth
Julia & Anel: On a Sunday night at 7 pm my usual nightly contractions started, but they had been coming around this time every night for about three weeks, so I thought nothing of it. After one or two (about 20 minutes apart), I realized they were stronger than they had been in the past, so we started timing them just in case. I really still didn’t think I was in labor though because it was totally bearable.
I tried to relax and read a book. After about an hour of reading, I realized that I couldn’t do anything besides focus on the contractions when they happened. At this point they were eight minutes apart and getting more and more painful.
My husband came in the bedroom and was shocked at how things had progressed. Things escalated quickly, and within the next hour my contractions start coming harder and faster, every five minutes.
It reached the point where I couldn’t talk through them, and that’s when I knew this was really happening. For each one, I would say my Blissborn mantras to myself and get on my hands and knees. At the same time, Anel would put one hand on my forehead and rub my back with the other, our partner trigger, and say the words we had practiced ahead of time on our call with Laura. Anel kept me grounded and made me feel strong and capable. It was pretty incredible. I couldn’t have gotten through this period or any of it without him.
By 1 am, I threw in the towel, and we headed to the hospital. Luckily there were no cars on the road, so Anel was able to pull over and do our partner trigger en route. I had three contractions in the eight-minute car ride and then three getting up to the labor and delivery floor, but Anel got me through them.
I never screamed, and I never let my shoulders tense up. One of the things Anel said consistently to me was to relax my shoulders which helped SO much. This was something we learned in Blissborn as well. Laura taught us that if you’re tight and tense in your body, it slows down labor, so trying to relax is one of the most important things you can do to move things along. Apparently it worked because things moved faster than I could have imagined!
We arrived at the hospital and they whisked us into a delivery room and we found out that after only a few hours I was 5 cm dilated. Things progressed quickly over the next few hours, and baby Amalia was born at 8:02 in the morning!
I Felt Confident
Felicia: I just wanted to thank you and share my Blissborn experience. I gave birth to a healthy beautiful baby boy on Sunday, three days before my due date. My labor and delivery was about five and half hours long. I was able to labor at home for as long as possible listening to the Blissborn mp3 audios. When I started to feel a shift in how I was feeling, I knew it was time to go to the hospital. When we arrived I was already 8cm dilated. My baby was born an hour and half later with only 30 minutes of pushing.
I listened to the mp3's in my headphones during the route to the hospital and then I was able to play it on our portable speaker in the labor room. After my delivery, the nurses said they were impressed at how well the hypnobirth went, and it was one of the few they had seen done right. I explained it was Blissborn.
The program really made me feel prepared going into labor. I felt confident and although it wasn't an entirely painless labor, I felt it was the way it was meant to be. I'm also really enjoying the postpartum audios. I will definitely recommend the program to friends! I will always look back at my birth experience as a positive one!
The Hypnosis Truly Worked
Jennifer: ...I went into labor on Monday, July 26th, [2017] and it was night and day compared to the labor with my first child. The hypnosis truly worked to ease the pain and keep me in a state of deep relaxation. Just as described, I was able to endure the contractions as though I were sleeping, and the nurses and doctor were amazed. I delivered my daughter naturally and am proud of the way it went. Thank you for this incredible course and experience! I will be spreading the word about Blissborn.
This Birth was Euphoric
Hannah and Scott: I decided to go through the Blissborn class series during my second pregnancy. My labor and delivery with my firstborn went very differently than I had hoped and "planned." This time around, I hoped labor and delivery could be all I imagined - a natural, unmedicated birth.
The Blissborn classes not only helped me face fears, which were residual from my first labor and delivery, but helped me prepare on so many levels for managing labor sensations. The Blissborn cds also kept me focused and positive throughout pregnancy. I diligently practiced with the disks, let go trigger, detailed visualization and personalized affirmations. It was as if l were training for a big race.
Finally, the big day came. When I started to move into a place of fear and anxiety about labor stalling, I vocalized the fear. Then my husband and I vocalized my affirmations to take me back to the present moment, the positive possibilities of this labor experience.
Back at home, I started using the breast pump and by midnight, contractions were full force. Laboring at home, I got into the bathtub, lit candles, and played the Blissborn disks. As each surge and wave came, I "let go" of all tension and worked with the breath, with the moment, with the natural energy of the labor process. Soon, we decided to make our way to the birth center and the Blissborn cds kept me focused during each surge, reminding me to let go, work with my body and breathe.
Upon arriving at the birth center at 2:00 am, I was 7cm dilated and immediately got into the tub with disk 6 playing. Contractions were about two minutes apart, and I was experiencing back labor (a fear I faced during class), so my husband and doulas continued affirming me of my strength and capability. During this time of transition, Blissborn equipped me to face my fears with truth and love.
At 3:00 am, I asked for nitrous oxide and within a few breaths, I felt the urge to push. From that moment on, I had an out-of-body experience, as if I dreamed the final stage of labor. I was aware of my surroundings, heard everything around me, opened my eyes, felt contractions, vocalized, and received instruction. However, I was separated from the present physical state of my body, where time wasn't real, as if I were floating above the experience and observing labor. At one moment, I even laughed and smiled, making my whole birth team curious as to what was going on with me. The instant the baby was in my arms (at 3:24 am), I came into the present moment, back into my body. This birth was euphoric, out of body, spiritual, and beyond what I dreamed. My husband said I looked as if I were in an altered state, peaceful and even happy. The midwife described me as calm and focused.
I walked away from this redemptive birth feeling empowered, high on life, and so grateful for my body and mind! I'm so grateful for the preparations Blissborn guided me through.
Truly Prepared for Labor and Birth
Colleen and Ryan: A friend of mine told me about the Blissborn program and taking the course was one of the best decisions I made during my pregnancy. I was able to face my fears, deal with them, and approach labor and birth with excitement and confidence. It was so incredibly empowering! We had planned for a natural birth and at 38 weeks found out that our daughter was breech and I would be having a c-section.
The course had taught us to handle the unexpected and really helped both my husband and I to stay positive as we accepted that the natural birth we had planned was not happening. When I went into labor 24 hours before our scheduled surgery, my husband and I immediately switched gears and used the techniques we had practiced to stay calm and comfortable for 4 hours before I was taken into the OR. I felt confident and relaxed the entire time, labor wasn’t scary or horribly painful, and the staff was amazed that I was 5cm dilated when they checked me just before surgery!
Our doula told us afterwards that it was amazing to watch my husband and I work together as I labored and to see the complete calm throughout my entire body, even when my contractions were intense. I stayed in hypnosis as I was prepped for the procedure and it was especially helpful when my spinal was administered. I was calm and relaxed, reassuring my baby that everything was ok as my OB brought her into the world. She was very calm, barely cried, and wanted to breastfeed right away. The Blissborn course truly prepares you for labor and birth and gives you an incredible amount of confidence. Because we had “trained” for labor, once the big day came everything kicked in without us even thinking about it. It was amazing! We will definitely use the course again!
We Had a Wonderful Birth
Audrey and Jaime: [Note: Audrey is a care provider herself] My body was doing a lot of hard work for me before active labor began.
I was 40 weeks and 5 days on Mother's Day when I went into active labor. ...The labor picked up its intensity, and I started to feel more frantic. [Our midwife] met us at the birth center just after 2am, and I had been complete and pushing the whole ride to [the birth center]. It was not nearly as scary as it seems. But being belted down in the back seat of a pickup is not terribly ideal.
[Our midwife] started the water in the bath while Laura continued coaching us on the labor track. As soon as I sat down in the tub, my contractions were completely unfelt. Instead my body converted the feeling into pushes. It was amazing. Between contractions, I was either making bad jokes or taking a peaceful rest in the lovely water. My friends and Jaime and Ruth sat around the tub in the darkened room smiling at me the whole time. Jaime was outstanding and reminded me to use my let go trigger at regular intervals while feeding me water and laboraide. He reassured me regularly as we had practiced in class: "You're doing great." And [our midwife] made sure I knew everything was as it should be. Meanwhile, though my mind was deep down in that primitive brain during pushing, I could focus on one or two words Laura was saying. And I repeated them aloud while I pushed. I was only at the birth center for about an hour when we met our sweet baby. He is a beautiful being and already full of character. We had a wonderful birth. And we want to thank everyone in our class--especially Laura--for being a part of this journey. Practicing hypnobirth together made all the difference.
Thank you, and best of everything to those of you who have yet to labor and birth.
Blissborn has completely changed our lives!
Joy and Orlando Lugo: "Blissborn has completely changed our lives! I originally thought I would use the hypnosis as a way to relax on my way to an epidural! Boy, was I wrong! As the classes progressed and the more I read, the more I was confident that I COULD give birth without medication.
"It all starts with the movie. I watched these women calmly progress through their labor. That struck a chord with me. The media portrays childbirth as a painful rage-inducing event. Completely opposite from what it can truly be. That’s where my lessons began. I visualized a quiet and calm birth, and that’s what we had.
"Blissborn classes completely prepare you for child birth. Going through the classes gave my husband and me a new way to connect with each other and helped him really be a part of the whole process. We went into labor three weeks early and my doctor was away. Despite this hiccup, I felt prepared to be an active part of the team. Because of Blissborn, giving birth was something I was doing rather than something that was happening to me. I needed some stitches once my daughter was born. I laughed at the doctor when he offered me morphine. I figured I had come this far, why use medication now? I went right back to my hypnosis. My daughter was breastfeeding within twenty minutes of being born. Those first few weeks can be challenging but I used hypnosis countless times to help myself relax and heal. We credit my daughter’s calm and happy demeanor to all the hypnosis we did while she was still in utero."
I Faced Childbirth with No Fear
Bakani & Doug: "Receiving the Blissborn discs was the beginning of a relaxed time in my pregnancy. They gave me focus and made me realize that as a woman, pregnancy was meant for me, not me for the pregnancy. I relaxed and enjoyed my pregnancy.
"I first noticed I was in labour when my water broke. This did not shock or cause any panic; for a first-time mom I was relaxed and embraced the moment. I closed my eyes and started reciting all that I could remember from the discs. 'Let Go ... Let Go ...' was smoothly clear in my ears. This phrase had become a part of me.
"The midwife had been constantly checking how far I was dilated, and this time she looked confused and said 'I think the baby might be breech!' You could imagine what a shock that was, but then I remembered 'Let Go ... Let Go.' I pushed three times and the fourth time we had the baby! It was a perfect birth with a breech baby. I did not have a tear, episiotomy or any related problem. The midwife and nurse said it was the most amazing and calm, quiet birth ever.
"We have a perfect little girl who is not at all fussy. I faced childbirth with no fear and look forward to giving birth again!"
Blissborn Prepared Us and Kept Us Calm
Sonja and Jon: "We ended up having our baby girl 2 weeks early at 38 weeks. She was perfectly healthy, guess she was just ready to come out. My body was showing signs that week, so I was thinking it might happen early.
"On Thursday night we went to bed and I woke up at 1:30am with contractions, started timing them and listening to my [Blissborn] CDs and within an hour my water broke. So we headed to the hospital and when we got there I was dilated to a 7! The pain was rough, but manageable. I got into the birthing tub and went right into transition ... It lasted a few hours, and I had the Blissborn CD playing the whole time, which comforted me, although during the transition it was very hard to truly feel relaxed, but as long as I kept breathing in (which Jon was very good at reminding me to do) it got me through ...
Finally, we got to the pushing stage, which surprisingly was not very painful, just tiring! I pushed for 45 minutes and our little [baby girl] was born at 8:46am in the water! A total of 7 hrs all together! And completely natural and unmedicated ... The nurses and midwives were all very impressed and loved seeing the water birth.
"We definitely give credit to the Blissborn classes for preparing us and keeping us calm! ... I hope to do it all the same way next time! And now I know how completely possible a wonderful birth is! She is also a wonderful and peaceful and patient baby, and eats like crazy already!"
I Can't Recommend It Enough
Junelle: "I haven't even had this baby yet and I have more than gotten my money’s worth in stress reduction and relaxation that my Blissborn classes have given me. I actually look forward to my bus rides because I know they will bring me renewal and calm. And for this crazy girl its worth its weight in gold. I can't recommend it enough. I haven’t had to take one anxiety pill since being pregnant. My medical professionals are very happy and I feel ready for another day!"
One of the Best Decisions I Have Ever Made
Amy: "This turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. The classes gave me what I needed. The ability to deeply relax and let go, addressing any fears I had, and building trust that my body was capable of a comfortable birth to name just a few ...
"I believe the baby started off posterior and so I had a lot of back and wrap around pain with each contraction, whereas with my first labor I could say I really didn't have pain, just the intensity. This is where the classes and practice really paid off. I could have easily let it overwhelm me, but I was able to stay relaxed, and found that when I did the discomfort significantly decreased. I was able to just let the process take over and surrender to and accept the discomfort because I had worked thru my fears and trusted that my body knew what to do, I just needed to stay relaxed ...
"I was in the birthing tub for 20 minutes before E. was born, so it was very fast. She came out calm and very alert 2 hours and 20 minutes after we got to the hospital. She breastfed beautifully and still does.
"I am so happy that I could give the gift of a natural birth to my daughter. I believe that it is because of my relaxation and no interventions during birth that she is as calm and alert as she is. Thank you for making such an amazing birth possible! I will be recommending Blissborn to everyone I know who is expecting."
It Brought Us Closer
Melissa: "The first thing I said to Pat Sonnenstuhl [Blissborn educator in Olympia, WA] when I contacted her was that I had no idea how to relax. But the first time we practiced, I quickly fell into a hypnotic state. I left feeling relaxed, confident, and rejuvenated. The practices that my boyfriend and I did together brought us closer and deepened our ability to communicate with each other. This program made our commitment to have an intervention free, suffer-free childbirth a 50/50 job, and mine and my boyfriend's confidence began to grow ...
"In labor, there were times I wanted to give up, but with the tools we learned, I came back to a relaxed state and ready to fulfill on my committment to have a labor with no interventions. I pushed for only 45 minutes, and my precious little boy was placed on my chest. That moment was the most empowered I have, and will ever feel in my life.
"I now know myself as someone who can do anything. My boyfriend now knows himself as being more confident than he ever thought possible. The doctor that delivered our son sat on the end of the bed with us for a few moments and continually commented on how alert he was. He latched right on to my breast and I knew that it was my Blissborn training that had got me to this point. He is such a sweet boy, and we are so lucky.
"Blissborn is the key to have an intervention, suffer-free childbirth. It is possible, and my son is living proof."
