Testimonials
It's 10:22pm, my little boy is sleeping in his cot and I've just finished enjoying a hot cuppa and a couple of biccies. We are 7 weeks and 3 days PP and when I think back to our birthing experience, it's still makes me smile...
I chose to do Birth Relaxation classes with Trudy because I was seeking some empowerment, support, knowledge and calm for my babies birthing day & the lead up to it and that is exactly what I got.
With Trudy's kind and knowledgable guidance and support I went into labour feeling in control, calm and excited to meet my baby.
My waters broke at 11:59pm, I jumped out of bed immediately and stood there for a moment in shock. Is this it? Am I going to meet my baby soon? - a rush of excitement came over me and then Trudy's voice in the back of my head asking what I wanted to do when I began labour. I had answered, if it was to happen in the night I would like to continue to rest/sleep.
I got into the shower with intentions of crawling back into bed afterwards but my body had other plans. Half an hour later I found myself laying over an exercise ball on the bathroom floor, rotating my hips through surges (contractions). 2hours later I noticed that they were quite close (3 mins apart) and decided to wake my husband and message my mum - my two birth support people.
Soon after, mum arrived and helped me to time my surges. Yes, they were 3 mins apart and I was only 3 hours in. I remember thinking to myself that this wasn't the "plan". I was going to stay home for most of my labour and just leave for the hospital at the end. Again, my body had other plans so I nodded my head to the suggestion of leaving for the hospital due to my surges being so close together and not wanting to risk a home birth!
Once at the hospital, with the support of my husband, mum and midwives I continued to breath through my labour. Eyes closed, music on, lights dimmed, my body moving through each surge. Mentally engaged in the moment and relaxed into a deep state, so much so that I was told I had a nap in the bath. - this would have been right before transition stage.
Conscious of my learnings and blocking out all that was going on around me, I breathed through 13 hours of labour in what felt like 2. There was no panic or fear. There were no tantrums or begging to pack up and come back another day.
I had total control over my emotions, reactions and thoughts. I trusted my body and listened to what it was telling me and followed the lead of my body and my baby.
I felt overwhelmingly empowered and supported through the whole experience.
My husband was skeptical at first but after attending a class and then witnessing first hand, the birth relaxation benefits of the birth of our own baby, he is a believer. He felt ready to support me through it all and trusted me to take the lead on the big day and follow my bodies cues. He was disappointed that there was no happy gas on hand for him to try, but hey - it's not all about him right? 
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The midwives made comment to how beautiful the birth was and how proud they were. My mum was proud and my husband was proud but most importantly, I was proud of myself!
Look what I did with the my own mind and body... I am superwoman!
Thank you Trudy for your birth education and genuine care for us throughout the journey. Memories my family and I will enjoy and treasure for a lifetime.
xx
When I think back to the labour and birth of Billy, I don’t
feel traumatised, scarred or disappointed. Birth for me, was the most amazingly
powerful and empowering journey I’ve ever experienced.
When Trudy first explained Birth Relaxation to me I was pretty
sceptical. However, after our first class, my husband, Joel and I both walked
away happy with the decision we had made. Trudy provided us with all the tools
and information we needed to achieve the birth I wanted. Prior to the
Birth Relaxation classes, I wasn’t aware how many choices I actually had. My first
response when Trudy asked me what I wanted for our birth was, “I don’t know, my
son being here I guess? I mean, pain-free and drug-free sounds amazing, but I’m
not going to be dead set against any pain meds… I’ll take them if I need to.”
The Birth Relaxation really made me realise how empowering
birth could be. It really changed my whole outlook on birthing as a positive.
By the end of the classes I knew I had this. And I
knew that Joel would be beside me every step of the way to support me. We had
‘this’ from the beginning.
Coming to the end of my pregnancy, we really took it day by
day, waiting for our baby to let us know when he was ready to be a part of this
crazy world. At the time, I really thought he was going to be a January baby.
But January came, and January went, and before we knew it so did the 40 week
mark. I always joked around saying he would end up being born on our
anniversary.. but who really knew.
Everyone tells you sex brings on labour, and passing my due
date everyone was in my ear telling me this over and over again on the daily. I
remember thinking ‘f*&k that for a joke’, who knew it would actually work!
Within 2 hours I started noticing contractions starting to form. After lying in
bed for an hour, it felt like it was time to start timing them. Yep, 3-4
minutes apart lasting up to 60 seconds. ‘This is the sh*t they talk about in
all the birthing classes… OMG its really happening!’ With that thought in my
head it was time to wake Joel up. He was in such a daze at first, ‘I’m having
contractions, they are getting really close together, I think it might time to
call the hospital.’
From the beginning, they drill into you to stay home for as
long as possible, and I wanted to. But when things actually started to happen,
all I could think was, ‘No, I don’t want a home birth.. or a birth in the car
on the way to the hospital.’
Up to the hospital we went. Midnight. Back home we came.
“It’s only early labour.. come back when they get more intense.” At this stage
my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting 60-90 seconds. I was
slightly freaking out when we left, and hoping that we would make in back to the
hospital in time. How was a first time mum meant to know ‘when’? Once we got
home, I tried resting, bouncing on the ball, standing under the shower with the
water on my back. After 2 hours of that, and still getting consistent
contractions that were starting to get more intense, so much so I was keeling
over with every surge I had. The feeling was cross between getting punched in
the stomach and period pain. I had had enough. Back to the hospital we went.
By 8am they were still saying I was in “early labour” and
were trying to push me out the door. But I had nested, and I wasn’t leaving
that room until that baby was here.
In and out of the bath, different positions, sitting in the
birthing stool, sitting on the ball, standing up, attempting to walk… but my
goodness… there’s no such thing as walking mid-contraction. My contractions
were still staying consistent but now the back pain had kicked in. NO amount of
vicious back rubbing was easing the discomfort. I turned to the gas – this
really helped me control my breathing. Deep breaths in and out, I’ve got this.
By lunchtime they were telling me I wasn’t “progressing” to
their standards. It was a bit of a punch in the face, but they told me it was
time to rest and I should consider having the Pethidine. This wasn’t what I
wanted, however, after putting it off for 2 hours, I agreed. I needed rest.
An hour and a half of rest and then the contractions ramped
straight back up again. “You’re 5.5cm… you are officially in active labour.”
Just the words I needed to hear – the end was coming and my baby would be here
soon. Within 2 hours, I was ready to push.
I remember towards the end just feeling an uncomfortable
pressure – and that’s exactly what I chose it to be from the beginning of our
Birth Relaxation classes. It was the kind of uncomfortable feeling like when you
stub your pinky toe on the corner of furniture. It was uncomfortable… but
bearable… I had this. The gas continued to help me stay calm and control my
breath. The lights were dimmed, my eyes were shut and our birth music had been
playing all day which really set a calm environment.
It must have been at transitioning time, and I remember
laying on the bed, breathing through another surge and then resting. I could
feel a big smile across my face. Joel wasn’t sure what was going on, or why I
had such a big smile on my face. “He will be here soon,” I said. With the
positive thoughts and encouragement from Joel and my best friend, Jessica, I
knew it was going to be okay.
Unfortunately, I had the wrong midwife in the room with me
at the time I first started pushing. She was negative and kept telling me to be
quiet and push through my bum. She was so irritating, it took every ounce of
energy I had left, mid-contraction mind you, and told her to GET OUT!!! Looking
back after the birth, I wish I had followed my intuition and continued to
breathe the baby down, but it was my first birth, and the midwives do this
every day, so I listened. I pushed that baby out with everything I had left. At
the time I was so focused on getting him out, that when I was having another
surge and I was just focused on pushing that I couldn’t feel anything. I’d felt
numb. No more discomfort… just numb.
My support people and new midwife were so amazing and
encouraging, but by the second last contraction I heard them talking about
episiotomy. I knew I didn’t want this before going into hospital. But in the
moment, I said “just get it done”. It felt like they were prepping the tools
forever, and before you knew it I told them to wait because I was having
another contraction. My body must have just knew it didn’t want to be cut, and
I gave that last contraction absolutely everything I had.. and with one push..
he was here. Billy Joel was born and I remember feeling on top of the world. I
did it. I grew, nourished and birthed this baby, all with my body and
everything I had.
Without Birth Relaxation I honestly don’t think I would have
been able to get through not only labour and birth but even obstacles we faced
in pregnancy and post birth. The skills that Trudy was able to instil in Joel
and I, and also our other birth supporter, Jessica, made Billy’s birth so much
more special and positive. The birth was not followed to a “perfect plan” but
it was perfect to us. Our new family.
— Billy's Birth - by Mum and Dad Cheree and Joel
At the start of this year i was looking for something that i could relax my anxiety but also be something i could use as exercise as well.
I found trudy and attended a normal class i really enjoyed it so i continued a class once a week, then i found out i was pregnant after trying for so long i then switched classes to trudys pregnancy class on friday nights.
My husband found a massive difference in me, as well as myself. I felt more relaxed after a long day & found a way to breathe instead of stressing or going crazy.
My husband and myself attended Active Birth classes with Trudy a couple months before i delivered my beautiful little man.
I was really open to all the techniques and wanted to find a way to birth naturally, comfortable & be stress free with the idea of birth, i told hubby & he was really nervous at the start but walked out with heaps of knowledge about birth and also a way to help me in labour.
His words to me after the class " i found that really helpful i feel like i know what to do and not so useless while you give birth"
I went into labour 2 weeks early & was working with minor contractions that day, i felt pain but used what we learnt in class & remembered to breathe though it.
We went up to the hospital at 5.30pm and delivered our little man at 7.30pm
The ladys in the birth suite didnt believe i was in labour when we arrived she said "you have a face full of makeup i doubt your in labour" even told my husband to get comfortable it will be a long night u will have your little man in the morning.
Little did she know hours later we would have him here, she even said after " wow that happened all so quickly well done honey"
I genuinely believe that Trudy's classes both Pregnancy Yoga and Active Birth classes helped massively with our birth & how calm we were leading up.
I really felt comfortable & not scared at all about our birth & really happy with what we achieved.
Im now 5 weeks post partrum & i cant wait for mums & bubs class with trudy in a couple more weeks!