Testimonials
Shelby - Ithaca, NY
At the beginning of my pregnancy, I was so very terrified of giving birth. I had decided I wanted an epidural and was going to do whatever I had to do to get one. I didn't know anyone who had given birth in the last 20 years without an epidural and I had no desire to go without one myself. I was so afraid of the pain an imagined labor and birth as a sort of torture women were forced to endure.
After exploring HypnoBirthing, I found that its philosophies really made alot of sense to me. We are so very grateful for such a wonderful birthing experience for our son and ourselves. It made all the difference in the world to us and made for a birthing experience I could have only dreamt of. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Lorne R. Campbell Sr. - M.D.
I began delivering babies in 1983. I believed in the use of drugs to manage obstetrical pain. I saw lots of complications, including babies with compromised breathing. In spite of my best efforts to use sound judgement, I believed that epidurals were a medical blessing. I had a 25% C-Section rate.
Patients demanded natural births. I then performed hundreds of deliveries using the pushing, blowing techniques, and holding off on analgesics until the mother could no longer take the pain. I saw babies that were no longer respiratorily compromised, but were exhausted and quite often needed respiratory support with oxygen. But my C-section rate had fallen to 5%
Next I used visualization and guided imagery to manage pain. Occasionally I still had to use narcotics and a rare epidural. I continued to see exhausted babies who were not fully able to bond. I still had a C-Section rate of 5%.
Eventually, I began using hypnosis to manage pain during birth. The results were okay. Babies were less often compromised and very rarely needed oxygen, but mothers still experienced painful births. My C-Section rate remained at 5%..
I have now made the transition to HypnoBirthing. I truly believe that birthing does not have to involve pain. I have over 200 births of women who prepared for birth by learning and using the techniques and philosophy of HypnoBirthing - "The Mongan Method". All of the families have left their birthings excited about the birth event. I see support people meaningfully involved with the mother assisting in many different ways. I have had no complications. No babies needed oxygen or any support other than warming by mother's body. My C-Section count is 3 - in as many years. I have given absolutely no analgesic drugs since I began using HypnoBirthing with mothers.
Over the years, I have come to realize that during a birthing, I no longer perform 'deliveries'; I attend and observe as mothers birth their babies in calm and comfort, and birthing companions receive the babies as they emerge. It is as if my new role is to be present to witness the miracle of HypnoBirthing.
Now I enthusiastically lecture to medical groups on a regular basis about the merits of HypnoBirthing as a means of achieving easier, more comfortable births for laboring mothers. I am more than happy to talk to health care professionals (or anyone else) about my experiences with truly natural birthing. I have a large number of happy HypnoBirthing families - mothers and fathers - who love to talk about their own birthing experiences.
In my present position as a faculty member of the Atlanta Family Medicine Residency Program in Atlanta, Georgia, I train medical residents to use HypnoBirthing as an option for the families they will serve.
Lorne R. Campbell Sr. M.D.
Atlanta Medical Center Family Residency Program
1000 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 200
Morrow, GA 30260
HypnoBirthing Baby Jonah - Princeton NJ
HypnoBirthing Baby Eli - Buffalo NY
Tori - Bath, NY
My birthing was an amazing experience and I would do it again hands down. I know my birth went so smoothly because of the attitude and ideas you instilled in me and I could not thank you enough for that. I never knew how much you could love until I saw her face. Thank you so much for everything. What you helped me do means the world to me.
HypnoBirthing Baby Sydney - Bath NY
HypnoBirthing Baby Lucy - Harsens Island MI
Anne W. - Harsens Island, MI
Janice has every element of an excellent teacher, she has truly found her calling as a HypnoBirthing instructor. I believe that because of her positive energy regarding the birth process, she was a huge contributing factor in helping me achieve the type of birth I wanted for my daughter - a natural, unmedicated birth.
Janice helped me see that the birth process does not have to be what most of my peers and the media have described; rather, that the birth process can be a peaceful and positive experience for mother and baby. She was also a great contributor to helping build my confidence about the labor and birthing experience. One of the best things that came from my experience with Janice was her helping me to relax during the last two weeks of my pregnancy. I am truly grateful to her for all she did to help me have the best birth experience for my daughter.
HypnoBirthing Baby Pauline - Oxford MI
Click here for the 2007 HypnoBirthing® Outcomes - United States, research document
HypnoBirthing Baby Cole- Oakland MI
Kim - Sterling Heights, MI
Even with my unique health circumstances which caused a true emergency c-section a few weeks early, HypnoBirthing helped me in so many ways.
I will say that the one thing the class did was keep me calm and my blood pressure low so that I was able to hang on. The Dr. was really surprised at how level I was able to keep my blood pressure. And being calm I’m sure has made William the tolerant, calm, happy baby he is, despite how he was born.
Plus the visualization I did to accept the Spinal, IV and Foley helped so much too. We are truly enjoying William, he is such a blessing.
HypnoBirthing Baby William- Sterling Hts MI
HypnoBirthing Baby Veronica - Shelby Twp. MI
HypnoBirthing Baby Maya - St. Clair Shores, MI
Christy - Imlay City, MI
Dear Janice,
Jeremy and I have a precious new baby girl!! Nora Elisabeth was born Tuesday. She weighed 7pounds 15 ounces, 19.25 inches and is sooooo amazing!! Thank you for all of your knowledge....... HypnoBirthing was of the utmost help in having a great labor/delivery.
HypnoBirthing Baby Nora - Imlay City, MI
References available upon request
Cara - Milford, MI C-Section experience
Elise came at 41 weeks via C-section, after a vbac attempt. I went into labor on my own and did really well using HypnoBirthing techniques and labored from 7:30 am until 10 pm when I went to the hospital. Surges were painful at first (I think I was scared) but I thought back to what you said about the next surge won't always be stronger than the next and I was able to breathe through them and was more comfortable. I got to the hospital and baby's head was still very high, cervix unreachable for the nurses, closed with no effacement. Eventually at 26 hours of labor my doctor recommended a C-section. Scott and I were devastated but I really did everything I could. Hypnobirthing classes, swimming classes, listening to hypnobirthing CD's every day, several chiropractor visits to adjust my hips to encourage the baby to descend in the last week, and switching to a more open minded doctor in my last month. The surgery went well. Recovery was amazing. I had virtually minimal pain. Not sure why. Maybe I knew what to expect? Maybe I didn't have as much stress hormones increasing my pain response?
I really think HypnoBirthing made a difference, even though I had another surgical birth. I don't have any regrets and I know we did everything we could. I really think HypnoBirthing brought Scott and I closer. Thank you so very much!
HypnoBirthing Baby Elise -Milford, MI
Magda - Rochester, MI
Zoey finally joined us last Saturday. She is 7 Lbs 6 oz and 21" long. Dave and I are very happy. The birthing was about 15 hours and I have to say I am so glad I took the classes - I avoided a c-section. Zoey was face up and stuck on my pelvic bone, they considered it because I did not have epidural but I did it! I was pleased with our birth, but I have to say I will consider homebirth next time around.
Jill - Troy, MI
If you're looking to have a calm, peaceful birth free from fear and tension then Janice's peaceful birthing class is the way to go. It was so informative on so many levels and a great way to learn how to work WITH your body and your baby.
Janice is SO passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience and truly cares about helping make your birth the best it can be. My husband and I both really enjoyed the class and getting to know Janice and the other couples taking the class with us. We did not have the gift of hypnobirthing with our first child, but decided to try it for our second and I can not sing its praises enough.
HypnoBirthing Baby Isaac - Troy, MI
Rebecca - White Lake, M - VBAC
I unexpectedly went into labor a few hours after I sent you the email, and Len and I had time to practice all of the scripts and fear release before that happened. They helped tremendously in labor. I kept hearing the affirmations over and over again in my mind and from our doula and Len. I was able to have a vaginal birth with very very little tearing (one minor stitch), and labor stayed intense and strong on its own for over 16 1/2 hours. I did receive an epidural after some time, and I feel okay about that. What I love the most is how the crowning and birth went. I was allowed to breathe the baby down, slowly, surprised even myself at how far down she came with little to no effort on my part. I did feel the need to bear down at the end to get her through my pubic bone, estimated only 15 minutes or so. So, all had time to stretch nicely and I am just ecstatic! We had a wonderful nurse (studying to be a midwife) and just a fantastic experience. The entire staff respected each and every one of our wishes, before and after birth.
Thank you again for all you did for us at the 11th hour. I know it wasn't a perfect hypnobirth, but I believe gave me the confidence and completely took away all the fear I felt in attempting a vbac. Next time, I will have months to practice :)
HypnoBirthing Baby Josette - White Lake, MI
Samantha - Troy, MI
Ariana Danielle was born Saturday, July 10th at 10:47am. She weighed a whopping 8lbs 1oz and was 22-1/4 inches long. Surges started at 6-7 mins apart and were close to a minute in length. By the time the midwife arrived at our home they were just 1-2 minutes apart and well over a minute in length.
I don’t think the midwife believed I was truly in active labor but the doula kept telling her that was the beauty of HypnoBirthing. She asked if she could do an exam to determine my progress. All I remember is laying in bed and the midwife was saying she was completely shocked...I was almost completely dilated and she could feel Ariana beginning to crown.
I can't thank you enough for educating Jamie & I and empowering us to seek the birth we truly desired. Without your HypnoBirthing class I probably would have ended up having Ariana in the hospital and more than likely by C-section.
HypnoBirthing Baby Ariana - Troy, MI
Danielle - Shelby Twp, MI
Isabella Cristiana was born in water July 28th at 7:51 am. No drugs or medical procedures whatsoever! It was a very short but intense labor. The staff at Hutzel was a dream! I could not even believe how insanely supportive they were of my wishes. Isabella was put to my chest immediately and Dan announced that she was a girl. They allowed us to bond for as long as I wanted, until I was ready to birth the placenta. She breastfed within 20 minutes of birth for over 40 minutes! The hospital staff loved our birth! We were the talk of the floor.
We were blessd with the most calm and peaceful newborn I have ever met. She nurses perfectly and absolutely never cries. The staff was amazed - but we know it is because I maintained a very calm and relaxing pregnancy and for the most part birth.
Thank you so much for HynoBirthing and the confidence that we could do it! Dan was amazing amazing amazing! I am so happy he was able to be an active part of our birth instead of an onlooker.
The nurse later told me that my contractions were some of the most intense she has seen (simply because they were so close together and they were almost two minutes long for the entire labor. She was originally worried because I barely could take a breath after one surge before another started.) I am convinced that the water and my practice was my saving grace.
HypnoBirthing Baby
Isabella Cristiana - Shelby Twp, MI
HypnoBirthing Baby Isaac - Ithaca NY
HypnoBirthing Baby Zoey - Rochester, MI
Denise S. - MI
I wanted to drop you a note to let you know that our baby arrived safe and sound on Sunday August 15 at 12:11am. She was 6lbs 7oz and 19". Her name is Violet Eve.
My surges started at 4:30am on Saturday 8/14, and I was able to labor at home for most of the day. We took the dogs for a walk, watched some Netflix while I sat on my exercise ball, etc. We left for the birth center (ABC at Providence) around 5:30pm. I was 4cm/80%. Within an hour or so, the surges started coming one right after another, which sort of threw me for a loop. This was the one point during labor when I didn't know if I could do it, as I had a hard time focusing. Around 7cm, they let me get in the tub, which was a huge help!! The water really took the edge off of the surges, and I was able to focus much better on my breathing. I lost any concept of time, but I think I was in the tub for several hours. I eventually started feeling "different" so they got me out of the tub. I walked over to lean on the bed during my next surge and my water broke. I was just about 10cm at this point, but they said the baby wasn't moving down. The midwife put me on my hands and knees on the bed to help, and I tried to focus on breathing the baby down.
Then she realized my bladder was full, which was probably getting in the way. They got me to the bathroom to empty my bladder. As soon as I did that, I got this incredible urge to push, and it just happened (right there on the toilet!). I couldn't believe how my body just took over at that point. It was like I didn't have to do a thing. James said he watched my stomach drop...when we got back to the bed, they could see the baby's head! I was so excited to be on the home stretch. I felt like this part of labor was so easy because I just let my body do what it had to do. Then they started getting a low heart rate on the baby, and eventually realized the cord was around her neck. The midwife got it off asap, but the heart rate continued to be low, so they really wanted to rush and get the baby out. I ended up having to really push...even when my body did not feel like pushing...so that was a challenge. But they told me I had to get the baby out on the next push, and somehow I did it. I saw James catch her, they wiped her off and set her on my stomach, and she started to cry. Honestly, my very first thought was THANK GOD and I DID IT!! Ha! But as soon as I heard her cry, it hit me that my little girl had arrived safely. We spent the next hour with her (while they stitched me up...I did have a minor tear. The midwife said I probably would not have torn if we didn't have to rush at the end to push her out). She was so alert and content...it was amazing. When our families finally came in to visit, everyone commented on how awake and happy she looked.
I am so happy that I was able to experience the birth that I wanted for me and my baby. Taking your Hypnobirthing class was the best thing I could have done to prepare me and give me the confidence that I needed. It also made me feel empowered to stand up for what I wanted...which eventually helped me make the decision to switch from my OB to a midwife. I'm so glad I did that...I wonder how different my birth experience would have been if I would have stayed with an OB and delivered at a regular hospital. The ABC center was exactly what we had hoped for and the entire staff was amazing.
HypnoBirthing Baby Violet
Andrea - MI
Thinking back about your great birthing class - thanks for empowering us with knowledge! If I didn't share with you already...I had an amazing natural (drug & surgery/intervention free) birth experience, totally supported by the amazing staff at the ABC! Choosing the right professionals is so important and a choice that everyone has the power to make. Thanks again for all you do!!!
