Testimonials for Hypnobirthing Antenatal Classes in Banbury Oxfordshire
We absolutely loved the course and highly recommended it. For me personally, it has completely changed my perception on labour and the lead up to it. I can truly say I feel a lot calmer and in control of everything which is exactly why we signed up to the course. Thank you to Rachel for making us feel so relaxed and welcome.
"Rachel was such a brilliant, calm and informative teacher. She made myself and my partner feel completely at ease and reassured whilst she delivered the hypnobirthing classes at our home. I found hypnobirthing to be far more factual than I had expected and it has given me a whole new perspective on the birthing process. I can honestly say I feel far more calm about the prospect of labour since taking the classes and I hope that my practice will pay off once the time comes. I highly recommend Rachel's hypnobirthing classes to anyone looking for a more calm and relaxed birth and pregnancy"
"I am so pleased that I did the Hypnobirthing course with Rachel. She made my Husband and I feel comfortable and was very accommodating with our situation which was amazing for us as we had our lessons at home. (We have a 2 year old who would insist from time to time to put a plaster on Rachel's baby (prop) and would need to be put to bed in between the lessons)
My Husband was more of a sceptic on the course than what I was and he had a total turnaround of thoughts by the end of the course. Rachel has a calming approach and her knowledge from being a midwife I think adds great value to the course too. I'd highly recommend booking with Rachel to learn about Hypnobirthing"
"Both my partner and I found Rachel's hypnobirthing course extremely helpful and informative. It has made us both look forward to labour with confidence and understanding and Rachel was amazing at delivering all the information. Don't be fooled by the title, hypnobirthing is such a logical approach to giving birth and learning skills to remain calm and confident. Couldn't recommend her highly enough :-) xx"
Blissful birthing ♥️
We have thoroughly enjoyed each Hypnobirthing session with Rachel and feel empowered to give birth in a positive and relaxed way with as little intervention as possible. I now feel myself and my birth partner (my husband) have a full understanding of the process my mind and body will go through during labour therefore we can both respond accordingly with the knowledge I will remain in control and I can do it. Before we started Hypnobirthing I was uncertain and my husband was nervous he wouldn’t know what to do for me or what to expect during labour but now we are both looking forward to the experience and feel fully prepared. We have found a lot of the techniques useful in our day to day life especially with the current situation. Thanks to Hypnobirthing we have found ways to remain calm and relaxed. We can’t thank Rachel enough for he help and support teaching us everything we need to know ready for birth.
Both me and my birthing partner (my mum) would highly recommend these hypnobirthing classes! I was so anxious about labour and everything that is involved and the classes have completely eased my mind and I am so excited to go into labour now and can’t wait to use the techniques I’ve learnt in the moment.
Rachel is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and I am so so happy I decided to pursue these classes and do them!🌸
Rachel through her calm and informative approach has helped me prepare for birth in exactly the way I had hoped. Especially in the current climate where so much is unknown it has helped me to stay calm and to concentrate on the things that I can control and stay positive about every aspect of the birthing experience regardless of what that experience will look like. Currently 36 weeks and now very much looking forward to it as feel prepared.
My husband and I have really enjoyed our hypnobirthing sessions with Rachel. Due to Covid-19 we weren't able to meet face-to-face, so ourselves and 5 other couples utilised the wonders of Skype to connect with Rachel and her weekly sessions; this slight change of plan didn't affect the quality of the course at all, a testament to Rachel's teaching skills, knowledge, lovely personality and passion for hypnobirthing.
You may have heard the word hypnobirthing and thought it was something a little 'woo-woo', a bit strange and a bit too 'out there'. That couldn't be further from the truth and having taken the course I wish I could share my knowledge with everyone because everyone can benefit from hypnobirthing.
This course has been an amazing eye-opener for me. I used to have nightmares about giving birth, years before I had decided I wanted chidlren! So naturally, with this in mind, and the horror stories that people were quick to tell me of their births as soon as I announced that I was pregnant, I was very anxious about giving birth.
Hypnobirthing is very much science-based and this is what I love about it. There is no woo-woo. There is no swinging pendulum sending you off to the land of nod as someone whispers in your ear. Everything in the course makes so much sense and once that information has passed onto you, you can take a huge leap towards feeling confident and empowered about your birth.
I have learned a great deal about my body and how it's going to work during labour. I have nothing to worry about, my body is capable and it knows what to do. I know all about the different stages of labour now, which makes me feel incredibly empowered and ready. I know that my uterus is a powerful muscle and it's going to work to open my cervix; when I'm in the first stage of labour I'll know what's going on inside my body and I can tap into the skills I've learned throughout the course to help me help my body. Rachel did a brilliant job of explaining the effects of the different forms of intervention and their pros and cons, so now I feel fully equipped with knowledge should the issue of intervention arise and I need to make a decision.
Rachel is such a lovely, warm and approachable woman with a great sense of humour and I'm so pleased we chose her to learn with. She has trained with Katharine Graves and is a midwife (my own community midwife - very lucky!) so I know the information we have received is up-to-date and reliable, something that's important to me. Rachel has always said that if we have any questions we can just email her, which is really useful as you often remember or think of something after a lesson!
If you're looking to embark on a hypnobirthing course, I'd say definitely go with Rachel - you won't be disapointed and you'll really enjoy the personal touch that other, larger hypnobirthing courses aren't able to provide.
Thanks so much Rachel
We have just finished our four sessions with Rachel, which during this lockdown period has been facilitated through weekly skype calls. Admittedly my husband would not be the most forthcoming with these things and he did ask me before hand what on earth were we going to talk about for two hours! It turns out he's really enjoyed it which is certainly saying something! Rachel is a very approachable lovely easy going person who instantly instils a relaxed and calm approach to what lies ahead. I found the course very informative and feel we're heading into the next phase aware of all the different scenarios and how to potentially deal with them taking away the stress of the unknown. I have developed breathing and meditation techniques and certainly the right mental approach giving me peace of mind and making the whole giving birth experience something I'm actually looking forward to! We couldn't recommend Rachel and her blissful birthing course more highly!
When my partner and I first started telling people about our pregnancy, one of the first things a friend of mine said was 'hypnobirthing, you need to investigate hypnobirthing...' So I did, and from my initial Google search it sounded right up my street - a way to take out the fear of labour and birth, by not only learning relaxation techniques but by learning all about the physiology of birth itself.
I looked for a local course and found Rachel, and from her website and friendly tone on email. I knew we'd made the right choice. Then lockdown happened, and I was worried we'd miss out, but Rachel was able to take the classes virtual without a hitch.
I can honestly say that the course Rachel provided was the most useful, positive and empowering experience. Me and my partner knew nothing about labour and birth other than what we'd seen in films and on TV - and to learn that you didn't have to lie down on your back, there didn't have to be shouting, screaming, and bright lights, was such an eye-opener.
We learnt about the stages of labour, how to progress through each, and how to overall have a calm and positive birth experience, fuelled by knowledge and self-confidence - however little one decides to arrive.
Rachel is a great teacher, she's calm and knowledgeable, and being an experienced midwife herself, she was able to offer extra useful information about how things often work in our local hospitals and birth centres.
Hypnobirthing also gives my partner a role in labour. Where he'd previously been unsure of how he'd help, now he knows his role, and it feels like we're a prop team - he even asked our NCT provider if she'd mind saying 'surges' instead of 'contractions'!
I'd previously been quite scared about the labour and birth part, but I now feel both my partner and I have the knowledge and techniques to take control of our birth experience, whatever that entails. And I can't thank Rachel enough for providing that confidence :-)
My hubby and I cannot say enough good things about Rachel and Blissful Birthing. Rachel's warm style and eagerness to understand your goals and concerns makes you feel immediately at ease. Tailoring the sessions to suit your needs. Her classes help you understand that you can achive the best birth on the day no matter how far it may deviate from your original plan. Giving you and your birthing partner the tools to feel calm, empowered, informed and in control.
We would (and have) recommend Blissful Birthing to anyone who wants a positive birthing experience. Thank you for everything Rachel x
We can not recommend Rachel’s Hypnobirthing course enough! From the guided relaxations and talking us through what hypnobirthing really is and how to use it, to the expert knowledge and insight she can bring to the sessions as a midwife we went into the sessions as sceptics and are now fully converted.
Myself and my Fiancé walked out of the course feeling informed, relaxed and prepared for whatever comes our way in labour. Looking forward to meeting our baby girl and putting to use everything we have learnt.
As someone who struggles with anxiety she has really put me as ease and I am not longer panicking and dreading labour!!
Highly highly Recommend to anyone considering Hypnobirthing!
We absolutely loved the course and highly recommend it. For me personally, it has completely changed my perception on labour and the lead up to it. I can truly say I feel a lot calmer and in control of everything which is exactly why we signed up to the course. Thank you Rachel for making us feel so relaxed and welcome.
Very informative, positive and encouraging course. Emphasised the fact that birth is a natural process which puts you at ease and reassures you that should medical intervention be needed, this shouldn't have an impact on still having a positive birth experience.
Rachel is very knowledgeable, warm and engaging and there are plenty of opportunities to ask questions and clarify and if the answer is not readily available she follows up to ensure all questions are answered.
The visualisation relaxation techniques were particularly helpful.
I would not hesitate to recommend Rachel in future to any couples who are expecting a baby
Feedback from Partners:
Rachel is a truly lovely, happy and friendly person. Hugely knowledgeable and always approcahable, she has a real knack for explaining complex subjects with eloquency and simplicity, whilst making you feel totally at ease about the process of labour and what to do, when, and how.
As a first time father, the thought of assisting your partner with birthing instantly fills you with dread because of the huge unknowns and severe lack of knowledge or skill! Rachel's superb course quickly equips you with an in-depth understanding of how to deal with the questions that midwives might ask, what options are available during labour and the pro's and con's, plus much, much more!
I'm really pleased that I joined my wife on Rachel's course as I now feel confident about being a helpful birthing partner and answering any questions that may arise with conviction to allow my wife to focus on the incredible skills she's now equipped with and birth easily and comfortably.
Hypnobirthing was recommended to my wife but I really didn’t know much about it before starting the sessions. Rachel was approachable (no question was too basic!) and has given us a lot of confidence that we can have the birth experience that we want. The best thing for me about the course was understanding my role in the last part of the pregnancy and the birth, and the influence I have in keeping Mum calm and confident throughout!
Just perfect...
From a birthing partner's perspective: in the weeks prior to these sessions I was anxious and had little confidence I could be the role required of me during the birth. I thought these sessions were for Mum and I had a hang up about the word 'hypno'
However, my view completely changed. The sessions were wonderful. They were so, so informative, giving a thorough and broad understanding of birth. The practices and skills taught were effective and the glow and relaxation after each session stayed with us for the following days. I now feel 100 times more prepared and confident that I can be a better birthing partner.
Rachel was caring and lovely with so much knowledge and experience.
We also did NCT and if I was to recommend one over the other, I would wholeheartedly recommend Blissful Birthing sessions, so much more informative and empowering. (I don't normally get round the writing reviews but I am hoping friends get pregnant just so I can recommend Blissful Birthing).