This is such a powerful message written by one of my wonderful Hypnobirthing Mummas. Susie was a member of of my first ever group Hypnobirthing course in October 2018. I had been successfully teaching private courses for 5 years, be decided I wanted to branch out in to teaching groups so that I can bring like minded people together and in the hope that it would facilitate friendships that lasted way beyond the pregnancy and maternity leave days.
I was so overjoyed when I read Susie's article in the new issue Isabella & Us Zine (https://isabellaandus.com/positive-wellbeing-zine-for-mums) as she describes just how important her mum clan is to her, and how without Hypnobirthing she never would have met them! Take a read of Susie's story and also below I have included what Susie and her partner Mike thought about their Hypnobirthing course experience. with me.
"If you love baking then it’s a pleasure to chat to someone about Bake-Off and share recipes. If you’re a 90’s indie music enthusiast, then it’s a treat to discuss the best tracks on the first Charlatans album with someone like minded. These conversations and exchanges are like a little dose of therapy with someone who ‘gets it’. It’s the same with parenting. Chatting, texting, skyping, crying and laughing with your mum-clan is one of the most important things you can do for your self-care as a mum.
I took part in a group hypnobirthing class during my pregnancy. There were three other first-time mums on the course and our teacher set up a Whatsapp group so we could connect and share our hypnobirthing experiences. Little did we know that this group would create friendships that none of us could now live without.
Through pregnancy it became the safe space to ask questions about perineum massage techniques and if any of us had braved sex with a bump. During our individual labours it became the voice of reason and a reminder of all those hypnobirthing techniques we’d practiced. In those terrifying and deliriously happy but crying at everything first few weeks, it was the encouragement and the ‘we all created humans’ celebration needed. During the night feeds it was a place to share comedy poo-nami in the middle of ASDA and wobbly belly stories. And so it goes on.
A weight is lifted when someone responds to a random question with ‘oh I had that too’ or ‘yes, it is weird, but apparently it’s normal’! You instantly feel comforted and like you’re not on your own. You end up feeling like part of a family, not the one you’re the mother of, but one that is made up of mums. All facing the unknown, the first times, the ‘how do I do this?’ and ‘am I doing it right?’ questions. All crying when they see a school choir on telly, all finding their way through the mess of emotions that comes with going back to work and all fighting what seems to be the never ending battle with teething!
Be candid with your mum-clan, it is so important! Whether you see each other often, text all the time or have a call and a glass of wine every week, those little interactions with your mum-pals are much needed. They ground you, they strengthen your confidence as a mum, they are great for sharing top tips on how to entertain a toddler during a pandemic lockdown and they offer bucket loads of laughter which is sometimes the only way to get through a day."
Here is what Susie had to say about her Cornwall Hypnobirthing experience:
"I had read and heard a bit about Hypnobirthing so knew it was something I wanted to know a bit more about once we found out we were expecting. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find any support in Cornwall, but a quick search and I found Cornwall Hypnobirthing. Terri has been a delight from the very beginning answering my random emails asking about classes and what to expect all the way through to the actual course.
My husband joined me and we both thoroughly enjoyed every week. We both feel so much more at ease about what's happening to my body, our baby and the birth. I'm actually excited to give birth now knowing that Terri has given me the tools to do so calmly and with confidence. The class was a small group which was lovely as it gave us time to get to know the other parents-to-be and we're all staying in touch which is great. I would definitely recommend attending one of Terri's courses. You'll soon feel so proud to be pregnant and in control of your birth no matter which way the path turns. Plus the birth partners feel much more part of the whole experience which is super. The course is definitely one of the best decisions we've made in preparation of becoming parents.
Thank you Terri!"
Due to the current Covid19 restrictions I have transferred by group courses to distance teaching via Zoom. The next group course is June/July 2020 and will be run over 3 sessions. For more information visit my website (https://www.cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk/the-course) or you can book your place here: https://www.cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk/book-online - The course is open not only to Cornwall residents; You can participate in this group course wherever you are in the world!
Huge thanks to Susie for allowing me to share her words and images.
You can find Susie on Instagram = @susiesnowflake
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