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The following are some testimonials from couples who have used Lotus calmbirth techniques.

Maddy's birth

I have been out and about and telling everyone and anyone that will listen to me all about calmbirth, and how fantastic it is! After discovering that calmbirth existed, and reading as much information as I could find about it, I mentioned it to my Midwife, and asked her if she knew any women that had used it. She told me that not only had she heard of it, one of the Birth Centre Midwives was a qualified teacher, and so we met Lainey.

We had wanted a fairly "normal" natural pregnancy, labour and birth, hence our decision to go with a Birthing Centre, not a delivery ward. Our idea's of labour and birth were fairly open, and we both wanted a positive experience, with as little medical intervention as possible. Lainey met us and we immediately felt at ease with her, and extremely comfortable learning and relaxing. We felt that we could not have been better prepared for our impending labour and birth.

My waters broke at 2.30pm on Thurs 6th April , and we were immediately excited about the impending arrival of our little one. Unfortunately, I did not go into labour for some time, but with a few simple suggestions from Lainey, we were well on our way. The first sign I got that I was in labour was at 2.30am on Friday 7th April, and all I felt was tightening in my belly. We moved out to the lounge room couch, and I started my relaxation breathing. Ash then commenced with his positive affirmations, and was timing the waves. At 7.30am, we called the Birth Centre, and made our way to the hospital.

We arrived at 8.30am, and I was still in full control, and in no pain at all, just tightening with each wave. With no medical intervention, no drugs, and no internal examinations, our beautiful baby girl, Maddison was born in a calm environment, bright eyed and wide awake, and not crying, at 10.32am on Fri 7th April, after only an 8 hour labour and delivery.

Maddison is a calm child who rarely cries for long periods of time and I continue to use my relaxation breathing to quickly go to sleep in between night feeds.

I constantly rave about the benefits of calmbirth to anyone that will listen to me, and am already looking forward to having another child, using the calmbirth techniques. A huge thank you to Lainey, who made our labour and birth such a positive and fantastic experience.

It was truelly amazing, and we couldn't have done it without her.

She is a star!!!

Love Kellie, Ashley and Maddison Bird.

Michele
A calming approach to preparing mind, body and spirit for the birth of our little miracle. Thanks to calmbirth we felt at ease with the labour ahead and welcomed our beautiful Lily Mae into the world in 3 hours. Lainey's approach to calmbirth is holistic, her touch was both professional and loving throughout our time together antenatally and as a family.

Matt
At our first calmbirth class I went into it a bit sceptical. I never believed that it would work, let alone it could help with making the birth of a child easier. During one of our initial sessions I was totally amazed at the power of the subconscious mind. With Lainey's guidance I experienced something that I never felt was possible, and gained self belief that calmbirth could definitely make a difference.

Thanks to your beautiful caring nature and love surrounding us throughout pregnancy and birth! Our birth wouldn't have been the same without you.

After attending your class, we felt so prepared to birth our baby. Alex raves to anyone who will listen about how amazing your calmbirth classes are, as do I.
We both felt prepared for what was to come...even though we had no idea what the fates would throw at us, and that was the most important thing. We 
knew that no matter what happened during my labour, we could deal with it together, and breathe through it.

As it was, I was very lucky. When my waters broke and I was told that unless I went into spontaneaous labour by 3am the next morning,I would have to have to
be monitored and need antibiotics. I started visualizing the flower opening at double time! And as you know, sure enough, I did go into labour around 9pm when
you started your shift. I had a quick 6 hour labour and having you there as our midwife was the most perfect scenario.

Poppy is thriving. She is a very easy and cruisy baby. I have a lot of jealous friends, who can't believe her demeanor or my perfect labour story. 

Thanks again, and we will see you again when it is time for baby number two.

Jane, Alex and Poppy x

The birth of Campell John Blake

Andrea, Craig and CJ.

Hi Lainey

Dear Lainey,

Thank you so much for all your help during the calmbirth workshop back in June. As you might remember, I was a bit ambivilant about doing the workshop after finding out that my baby was breech and I'd need a caesarean. I had really wanted a natural birth and felt like the workshop might just leave me feeling more disappointed about not being able to have the birth I wanted. You, however  made us both feel really comfortable and I was surprised about how much we both got out of the workshop. I realised that the calmbirth techniques would still be helpful in managing my anxieties about the caesarean and it felt good to be prepared for anything, just in case.

As it turns out, I needed the techniques more than I realised. I was booked for a caesarean at 38.5 weeks but went into labour spontaneously at 37 weeks when my waters broke whilst having a pregnancy massage/facial!

I initially felt a bit panicked as I knew my baby was still breech and that I needed to get to hospital asap. Stu came to pick me up and within 15 minutes of my waters breaking, contractions had started. Another 15 minutes later the contractions were less than 2 minutes apart and we were both thinking we'd be having a breech baby in the car! I have to admit I hadn't practiced the calmbirth techniques much, as I thought I wouldn't really need them. But I did remember one of the breathing techniques, so I just kept breathing in for 10 seconds and out for 10 seconds, focussing on the counting.

Poor Stu was trying to help by counting me through, but I found it more helpful to turn my focus inwards and by blocking out the outside world. It seemed to help me block out what was happening to my body. I also kept saying to myself, "you can do this, you're going to meet your baby soon." The pressure was incredible and all I wanted to do is push but I knew I couldn't.

We eventually got to the hospital and rushed up to the labour ward. Stu told me later that one of the midwives asked if this was my 2nd baby as I was coping so well with the contractions. I still ended up having a caesarean because of bubs being breech, but I ended up getting to experience labour just like I had wanted, which I am so grateful for. Without the calmbirth calmbirth techniques, I think I would have been a complete mess, but instead I look back on my birth experience as a wonderful one, albeit a bit exciting!

Our beautiful little girl, Alice Elizabeth, is now thriving and has more than caught up after being a tiny 5lb13 when she was born. She's such a happy and relaxed little baby and I can't help but feel that being calm during our exciting labour might have helped.

Thank you again for all your help and support.

Kind regards

Catherine, Stu and baby Alice

What a fabulous way of thought and teaching that promotes confidence and rightly restores the responsibility and control for a woman to contribute to what can be one of the greatest experiences and joys in a woman's life. Calmbirthing...The word really needs to get out there.

Lainey, I can't thank you enough for facilitating the way to tap into inner strength and resources that gave a profound inner healing and a confidence to face "birthing" with total confidence. Even when things didn't go exactly as planned, the skills I was able to employ kept me calm with all fears allayed. Our beautiful daughter Crystelle, a calm, healthy and happy baby is testimonial to the calm pregnancy and birth I was able to have. Calmbirth was a major contributing factor for my attitude.

I was greatly blessed and fortunate enough to have had the exceptional midwifery experience and firsthand experience of this excellent calm birthing teacher Lainey, to help my husband deliver our beautiful cherub into this world.

A truly remarkable, professional teacher and an inspirational model for all midwives to follow suit.

Thanks Lainey, I hope all women are as lucky as we were to have you in our lives at a very important time on our journey.

Caterina, Brett and Crystelle

When faced with the thought of our first child's arrival, Daniel's main concern was how he would stop himself from passing out 
due to his weakeness of all things medical. My main concern was who would look after me if he did!! I have bad reactions to
most medications and knew I needed stratergies to cope.

After a weekend of Lainey's teachings we walked away empowered with the knowledge that we needed to ensure that our
baby's arrival into this world would be our experience. No longer was Daniel concerned as he knew his role to and how to help
me. The 'medical things' that used to be so daunting became much less scary as we began to understand them. 

Tahlia arrived 12 days overdue. Our labour experience was nothing like we planned, but with the last minute help of Lainey on 
the phone and by doing all that I had learnt I managed to re-focus and deal with everything as it arose. I remained calm and focussed throughtout. I was 
very fortunate to have a midwife and obstetrician who were very supportive of calmbirth and knew Lainey.

Despite my baby girl being posterior and quite stuck they supported me and I achieved a natural birth. It was only afterward that they told me that
it was quite a difficult labour and most women would have had an epidural! I didn't use any medication, and really didn't need it. 
Daniel was amazing and supported me throughout the labour and didn't feel faint once!

Most importantly our beautiful little girl arrived into this world bright, alert and very calm despite her tricky arrival and for the first three months we have 
barely heard her cry. Tahlia is just delightful and we are so glad that we used calmbirth to make what could have been a very traumatic experience into a 
calm and beautiful one.

From the bottom of our hearts, thankyou.

Jaime, Daniel and Tahlia.

Hey Lainey

Just reporting in to say that Justin Peter Rule arrived 4 weeks early on the 9th of July, the Thursday after we attended your workshop. Thank the universe for calmbirth because we used every technique you'd taught us!

The labour lasted 6 hours and I breathed my way through the whole thing with no drugs. Justin came into the world a happy little vegemite and it is an experience that I will treasure forever. I am looking forward to doing it all again in the coming years with the knowledge that I can once again use the calmbirth techniques.

I kept my cool the whole time and focussed on making the experience a calm one for my little one entering the big wide world and it worked a treat! He has been a cool little cucumber since his birth and we've had comments supporting this from the midwives in special care ( he was there 9 days) and from friends and family visiting the last couple of weeks. Of course he does the odd squealy tomatoe face- but who doesn't when they are hungry?

I have told anyone who will listen and recommend calmbirth to my pregnant friends. As far as I am concerned it was the best money I've ever spent and I'll be back for a refresher in my next pregnancy.

THANKYOU!!!!!!

Sonya, Peter and Justin.

Hi Lainey

I was excited to discover I was pregnant but apprehensive about the unknowns of labour. I found out about calmbirth through 
a midwife as we were inspecting prospective hospitals. I selected Lotus calmbirth as Lainey was a trained and practicing 
midwife, which appealed to me.

We learned so much from the course, but also from Lainey's stories about other births from her experience as a midwife. I was 
so happy that I didn't have an epidural and only a little bit of pain relief when labour really kicked in. I kept repeating the mantra 
"your body was designed to birth your baby" which really helped me trust my own body, and get through it.

After an 11 hour labour our beautiful son Lennox was born. I cannot recommend calmbirth enough. Lainey reminded us that sometimes things don't go to plan
Lennox was born by Vacuum extraction due to a number of complications, but we were armed with the knowledge and tools to get us through. I would not 
change any part of my labour or birth and although uncomfortable and at times painful, I look back on the experience as a joyous and relaxed one.

Even the midwives made comments about how relaxed and focussed I was!

Thanks for everything Lainey

Sarah, Tarquin and Lennox

At 32 weeks pregnant, and being a midwife, thus knowing way too much, it dawned on me what I may be heading for with the birth of my baby. Suddenly I was full of fear! Thanks to you, our guardian angel who guided us from here on with the concept of calmbirth, that fear, was transformed to that of excitement, a feeling of being able to let go, and most importantly allowed me to have a very special bond with my baby before he was even born.

I did have an extremely long labour and ended up having a caesar as Darby was in a posterior position, however, by using my calmbirth techniques throughout my labour, I have very fond memories of it. I never felt afraid and I always felt a calmness, and therefore felt empowered to help make decisions throughout my labour, and the birth of our baby. This is all thanks to calmbirth.

We thankyou Lainey from the bottom of our hearts and look forward to using the calmbirth programme with our next baby.

Love Jo, Craig and Darby Blinco

Hi there,

It's Amanda from your calmbirth course. Just letting you know that Steve and I had a beautiful little girl on July 14th, Lily Rose
(7 pound 15). We were lucky enough to only have a 4 and a half hour labour!!!!

Thank you for everything that you taught us, if it wasn't for the breathing techniques I don't know what I would have done. Even Steve thought that the 'hippy crap' was worth it and he was glad that he had some good techniques to help me through it.

Thanks again

love Amanda and Steven x

Just a quick note to say a big thank you. Calmbirth was a very positive experience for us. It allowed discussion as a couple on the ideas we had for the birth and made the birth of Tobias a joint effort. We had the same focus together during the birth. As a partner it made Mat feel included rather than helpless.

The techniques learnt during the course not only helped with Tobias's birth, it also gave help with sleeping during the pregnancy and made us more relaxed within other aspects of life. Calmbirth also gave us the insight that birth process is a normal life event.

Anita, Mat and Tobias

Hi Lainey

Marcel and I gained so much valuable information over the weekend and I wanted to give you my story.

I needed to be induced because I was two weeks overdue. Whilst Marcel and I were excited on the day we also carried a bit of 
fear about the unknown. I was attached to the drip and baby monitor and slowly things started to happen. The first real 
contraction caught me by surprise, but as it passed I knew what to expect.

I found myself breathing through the contractions bringing my attention to my body. I used the TENs machine, which you also 
recommended, from about 12pm when my back started to hurt.

At 3 pm the midwife checked me and I was only 1cm dilated. I found this mentally challenging, exhausting and frustrating. Again at 6pm the midwife checked me
and I was only 3cm dilated.

This is where my mind took over and I thought to myself "Come on Opal... Lets get things going!" I sat up, got on the chair, closed my eyes and worked with the
contractions. As they came, I would stand and swing my body to them. Then I would sit down at the edge of the chair visualising my baby moving down. The 
midwife kept asking if I wanted any gas, but I thought to myself that as one contraction subsided that I could manage the next without anything.

By 8pm the urge to push came on strong. The midwife said I wouldn't be ready and again checked me. I was 8cm dilated and she couldn't believe it. This gave
me even more motivation to keep going the way I was.

It was at this stage that Marcel stepped in. Through the TENS machine and monitor straps he rubbed my back, talking in my ear, "you can do this." It was 
amazing how strong I felt hearing his words and our little baby girl, Celeste was born at 9.45pm, 17th May.

I breastfed straight away and she attached beautifully.

It saddens me that women are so frightened of labour that they opt for an epidural even before their labour starts. I am sure that it because of all the negative 
stories that they hear. I am so happy that mine is a positive story and think that these need to be shared to encourage women and allay some of their fears.

Giving birth is a very powerful feeling mentally, physically and emotionally. Calmbirth helped me get my head around the fear factor.

Thankyou Lainey

Opal, Marcel and Celeste