Hi, I’m Heather, Melbournian, The Calm Birth Coach, Research Nurse, wife and mother of two wild babes.
Rewind 6 years and as a newly married couple, we packed up our lives in London and set out for a honeymoon adventure which consisted of six stress-free months of travelling around SE Asia before landing on my cousin’s doorstep in Melbourne, Australia. She was horrified to see two weathered travellers knocking on her doorstep in shorts and t-shirts in June, the middle of Australia’s winter – we were clearly from the Northern Hemisphere as we had not registered the season swap. We quickly set up camp in our new home and I started a new career path in research nursing which I love.
With a passion for running and hiking, Australia appeared to have it all and we were definitely at home here. Then, my dream for having children kicked in. We had trouble conceiving but were finally blessed with our daughter Lucy who we call our ‘miracle babe’ as I was told it was a false positive pregnancy and we would probably lose her. However, her strength shone through from an early age and she is now 4 and full of sass! Our second babe Alex set us many challenges with minor health issues but is getting stronger each day and overall is a chilled and happy little chap!
Both my pregnancies and birth experiences enhanced my desire to become a hypnobirthing instructor. My labour with Lucy didn’t really go as I’d expected. I thought that as I was super strong and fit, I could just pop her out after a couple of Panadol and a few pushes…how wrong I was! My body went into fight or flight mode and it ended up being an extremely challenging experience both mentally and physically.
I knew I didn’t want a repeat of this experience for my second birth and a great friend suggested hypnobirthing. I bought The Calm Birth School audio book and listened to it religiously when travelling to work and when exercising, repeating my affirmations and visualizing my calm positive birth. I wanted my body and mind to connect this time and not separate. Alex’s birth was such a different experience – it was still challenging but the hypnobirthing techniques were incredible and I drew so much strength from what I had learned.
This has stirred up a passion in me to help other women achieve their desired birth and to show how labour can be positive and rewarding for mother and babe. My study with The Calm Birth School has opened me up to a much calmer way of life not just in birthing, but everyday life. It has shown me the importance and benefits of breathing, positive psychology and what an incredible tool visualization can be.
I can’t wait to share this with you!