'Introducing E, who was born today at 2.20am after a rapid 1 hour 20 minute labour weighing a whopping 10lb!!
'We found the course content excellent, it was very informative. What I personally found most helpful was learning to adapt my mindset. This was achieved from having our one to one sessions and learning different methods of feeling calm, along with breathing techniques. I was against the idea of MP3s and relaxation music etc... However once I had listened to a few I found myself naturally going to them whenever I was sunbathing, at home, in the car or even going for a walk. Admittedly I wish I had listened to them sooner...but saying that it has definitely helped me. Also given me the boost to stick with these for future with my anxiety or any other situation that makes me feel uncomfortable or threatened.'
'I enjoyed speaking about the "ultimate cocktail" of birth hormones, how they are produced, their purpose and how I could encourage them and bring them into practice in my day-to-day life and more importantly during my birth.'
'We went into the course very open-minded, not knowing what to expect, slightly anxious and nervous, but that soon changed. I know I certainly went into the course not having a scooby doo about anything to do with birth in the slightest.... we didn't have the support or knowledge until we met you. For this we are very grateful.'
'The course I again personally feel has motivated me the most to undertake action in learning and knowing when to acknowledge my fears, anxiety, overall my mental health and different ways of dealing with these. I could actually sit here and write quite a bit more. This course has done an awful lot for me, again, personally, mentally. Which will really help me in the future and I am sincerely grateful.
- Paige & Richard, first baby
'After finding out we were pregnant, a friend recommended hypnobirthing as they found it super helpful being fully prepared for birth. I looked for someone local and found Rachel, who responded immediately and we talked about what I was looking for. We wanted to do the private course, where Rachel came to our house, making it more personal.
Rachel is super knowledgeable and so easy to talk to and get on with. She put us at ease very early on and has taught us so much, I feel armed with so much information and know exactly what and how I want my birth experience to be.
I can't thank Rachel enough for her kindness, great attitude and for making us feel confident for what lies ahead. I would thoroughly recommend this course and Rachel to anyone!!'
- Rebecca & Ateeque, first baby
'I can't quite believe the birth I had. Because he came a few weeks later than expected I had more time to really get in the mindset and mentally prepare and I truly believe that's the reason we had the birth we did.
The first sign of labour was my waters breaking at 6.40pm. We went to triage and I was 3cm and then 6cm within 40 minutes. After transferring to the delivery suite I got in the water and despite a few wobbles early on I had him in the pool within a few hours.
I never thought I'd have that type of birth experience until I really started to tell myself it was possible. Sorry for the ramble, just so happy and grateful for the hypnobirthing!"
- Kate & Stuart, second baby
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'My husband and I completed Rachel’s private hypnobirthing course after friends recommended her to us and it exceeded all of our expectations. We both went into the course believing that birth was something you just needed to ‘get through’ but by the end of our sessions were actively looking forward to it.
As a full antenatal course we learned all of the practical information needed to prepare for our baby’s birth, including the mechanics of birth and the labour process, but also the hypnobirthing strategies and techniques to compliment and support this. The content is beyond thorough and truly leaves no stone unturned!
What I really loved about the course was that it was completely tailored to our circumstances and needs - Rachel would adapt our sessions to focus on what mattered to us which made it so relevant and made a real difference to how we navigated the maternity system in the later stages of my pregnancy and then the birth itself. Rachel is really knowledgeable about local maternity services which makes her support all the more valuable.
Rachel definitely goes above and beyond in supporting her clients - towards the end of my pregnancy I faced a lot of pressure to be induced but Rachel was always on hand to talk through options and to give a quick pep talk! I know that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to question and debate with medical professionals without Rachel’s bespoke support - this allowed us to make informed decisions and continue planning for, and looking forward to, our baby’s birth.
I would highly recommend Rachel and her birthing courses to any expectant mothers, it completely changed the way we looked at pregnancy, labour and birth and left us feeling empowered, knowledgeable and excited for what was to come. Thank you Rachel!'
- Rebecca & David - first baby
'Your hypnobirthing course meant that I felt more empowered to ask questions of the health professionals and ultimately I believe this saved E’s life which I will be eternally grateful for!!'
- Amy & Josh - first baby
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'I simply have to start by saying thank you. I can honestly say without your unwavering support I/we would have been completely and utterly lost at the whole giving birth situation. Even though I like to think we had read up a bit on the topic and we did do NCT classes it didn't even touch the sides compared to what you offered us!
Your support and course was the ultimate aid, confidence booster and knowledge provider. You were calm, helpful and gave us straight, educated advice throughout, at quite literally all hours (including new years eve!!?!)
The pressure to have an induction was immense and it literally felt like you were the only person who truly supported our decision to simply wait until our baby was ready to be born... We used BRAINS. We asked questions, we spoke to you and had the confidence to wait until our baby naturally came and was born 9lb 2oz still with vernix and a healthy placenta! Not the [predicted] 10lb3oz!!! This was the best thing I/we ever did and I am so grateful to you for instilling the confidence in us enabling us to do this.
J was amazing all the way through having been given the tools from your handbook he was doing everything possible to get me in the right positions and get my oxytocin flowing... There was a lot of pressure for baby to get out with forceps or caesarean...however thanks to J and the confidence installed in him from your course, we were able to ask questions and hence ask for time and our baby came without forceps or suction. Thank goodness.
But summary thank you! We gave birth to a healthy alert baby boy (42 weeks + 4 days!) and feel exhausted but incredibly lucky. If we do ever have another child you will be our first port of call for a refresher course and wish you were a doula too!!!
- Georgie & Jonathan - first baby
'Me and my husband feel very lucky to have met Rachel.
We completed Rachel's private hypnobirthing course which was the best decision we could have made. It was so professional but also friendly and very informative. We were always looking forward to the sessions and we both changed our outlook on birth after hearing all the reassuring information that birth can be a good experience. Rachel is very kind and cares about her clients. She was always in touch and sent us very useful information online.
After I had my baby, I was really struggling with breastfeeding and was even told by a professional lactation consultant that I should take a break for weeks from breastfeeding. When Rachel came over she helped me immediately and I have been breastfeeding ever since.
We cannot recommend her more for anyone who wants advice and support during or after pregnancy.
Thank you"
- Vivien & Charlie - first baby
'The birth was CRAZY! Waters broke at 3am, went back to bed and was dreaming of being in labour until about 8.30am, walked the dog, had breakfast, got in the bath for a few hours and was breathing through all the surges, totally chilled! Stood up to shower and the surges got mega intense (about 1pm), got to the hospital about 2pm, a bit of gas and air and she was with us by 4.16pm!'
'Feeding is going SO well!'
'We can't stop raving about how amazing your course was! No one can believe how smooth our birth was!'
- Lauren & Kieran - first baby
'Thank you so much for EVERYTHING!'
'We had the most perfect home birth, and all thanks to you! We are so happy.
She came 12 days early. I started contractions at 2:30am and then she was born in our living room at 11:12am. I stayed up right and active, used my affirmations and imagined my favourite places. D was an absolute hero and he helped me so much in my active positions.'
'I'm so glad you made us so confident to keep pushing for what I wanted as I had gestational diabetes and they were really pushing for hospital birth but I was adamant and basically no one could make me change my mind.
'I am so glad I took the time to do this course. I was so nervous and anxious about giving birth and actually knew very little. This course has made me feel comforted and reassured as well as arming me with the knowledge and self-empowerment I know will get me through birth and beyond.'
'I honestly had no idea of the number of choices I may get faced with them giving birth and the fact that I have the final say in them - I feel the course has really educated me and I feel much better prepared.'
'I now understand where my fears and tiggers come from and will calmly work on these to ensure if something happens I did not plan, I am well equipped to handle it.'
'I really cannot thank you enough..I feel so much better for doing [the course]. Friendly, personable, it was everything I expected and more!'
- Kate - first baby
'For all the expecting fathers it's definitely worth your time!'
'The course gave me an understanding of what I can do to help support my wife through the pregnancy and birth and how I can be an active participant as opposed to a bystander!'
'I have a far greater understanding of the process from start to finish, and how I can better support my partner.'
'I didn't know what to expect but I went into it with an open mind and heart and thought it was really worthwhile.'
- Adam - first baby
'Rachel’s hypnobirthing course was enlightenment, education and self-care wrapped into a brilliant birth preparation package.
As a first time mum and dad we're so glad we opted for Rachel’s course over others as it gave us all the practical, prenatal fundamentals, complemented by hypnobirthing techniques, positive mindset reframing and a confidence-giving, decision-making education for different birth scenarios.
Rachel is hugely knowledgeable and her course was thoughtfully planned with light, insightful and interesting content (the 3 hour sessions would fly by!) Special mention for Rachel’s guided relaxations which are particularly lovely live too.
Rachel was also an authoritative voice of calm, kindness and empowering wisdom through some challenging prenatal appointments and pregnancy complications that I faced after our course finished. Rachel fully embraced the role of birth coach to us and armed us with information, considerations and questions we might want to ask our caregivers along the way. Her personal care and time invested in us and our baby was truly felt and appreciated. Our positive birth experience (to baby Luna, now 5 months) was the proof in the pudding - I wholly put getting through it confidently, without fear (and calmly dilating all 10cms at home!) down to taking Rachel's hypnobirthing course.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rachel and her hypnobirthing courses to any expecting mother. Rachel is great at tailoring advice and content, so her courses would equally be a great option for second/third time mothers, high-risk mothers or mothers who have a planned induction / c-section etc.
Thank you Rachel! X'
- Emma & Joe - first baby
'I can't recommend Rachel's hypnobirthing course enough. I was keen to learn the techniques to stay calm to assist me in my birth but I also learnt so much about the labour and birth process and my 'rights' as well.
Rachel is extremely knowledgable and always made herself available, even after the course should I have any questions or concerns during my pregnancy.
I had a tricky end of labour and I would not have been able to be as calm, collected and logical without Rachel and the techniques I was taught.
Thank you so much x'
- Lauren & Tom - first baby
'I honestly don't know where to start...you transformed us from naiive, overwhelmed, first time parents to confident, positive parents who are prepared, informed and excited about the birth of our baby.'
'I feel like from start to finish you not only provided the course material but a package of care...You went above and beyond and we felt really comfortable and supported.'
'I had been told positive things about the course from friends, about hypnobirthing managing pain, but I didn't realise there was so much more to it.'
'The most helpful thing about the course is about how confident and prepared it has made us both feel about pregnancy and the birth of our baby. We genuinely learnt so much and rather than feeling like we are going into the unknown, we talk about the birth with excitement and like we are the ones in control.'
'It really has been the best thing we have done in preparation for our baby, you made us feel so comfortable and able to ask any questions, I could even be in my pyjamas! We felt completely supported throughout and have learnt so much. We really can't thank you enough and I will be recommending to anyone I know who is pregnant that this course is a must!!'
- Lauren & Liam - first baby
'A 3 hour labour with no pain relief...hypnobirthing with Rachel definitely had something to do with it!'
- Susie & Simon - second baby
'I contacted Rachel in my third trimester to see if she could offer any additional support and advice when prepping for a c-section. My husband and I both have scientific backgrounds and would be quite sceptical, so we particularly liked the way that Rachel reinforced her hypnobirthing tools and advice with the science to support it.'
'I find Rachel's voice recordings useful, relaxing and calming in general, but they really came into their own during the waiting game leading up to the arrival of my baby and in the early post-natal days when new mothers often feel exhausted, drained and overwhelmed. I also felt that the virtual session which Rachel, which my partner and I were both present for, actually helped us bond.'
'Rachel is well articulated and educated, has a soothing voice and takes the time to explain things clearly. We felt her genuine passion for wanting to help make the day you meet your baby to be one of the most special, memorable days of your life - which ours truly was.'
- Michelle & Brian - first baby
'Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your hypnobirthing help and support, without you we would not have the same amazing story to tell.'
'Thank you for inspiring the inner warrior in us as a couple, and to fight for the VBAC birth [vaginal birth after caesarean] we wanted for us and baby. Your tips and knowledge are priceless.'
- Louise & Oliver - second baby
'Rachel, thank you so much for everything, we wouldn't have been able to construct our birth plan without all the brilliant information from yourself.'
'We had some fabulous midwives...who followed exactly what we wanted and we got our first choice of birth which we are very pleased about.'
- Sarah & Tom - first baby
'I would like to say a huge thank you for you.. taking part of your hypnobirthing sessions was one of the best decisions we've made. Hypnobirthing has changed everything in my mind about giving birth - my own husband couldn't even recognize my thoughts after your sessions.'
'After we got pregnant we were absolutely over the moon, but unfortunately we've lost our first baby at week 9. I've felt I am a failure - healthy lifestyle and exercise was main part of my lifestyle, so this was the first time in my life when my body "failed me" - at least that's what I've felt.'
'A couple of months later we've tried again and we got pregnant and as soon as I was over the first trimester I told my husband I would like to give birth with scheduled C-section. The main reason for this was that I couldn't trust my body anymore and also I didnt want to feel any pain.'
'After our first session I turned to my husband and said: "I don't want scheduled C-section anymore...I want to give the most peaceful and natural birth to our daughter." I couldn't wait for our next session, I felt like a godess every time we were talking about how wonderful a woman's body is.'
'Today I can not wait to give natural birth to my daughter, I want to feel all my surges, and I would like to welcome her to this world in the most natural way. As you can see my dream birth has changed 360 degrees and I'll always be thankful for you. You've already made a huge difference in my daughter's birth and my birth experience - what I can not wait to share with you.'
- Alexa - first baby
'We went into this with an open mind especially as our antenatal classes were cancelled and came out feeling relaxed even given the late challenges in my pregnancy. You've even converted [my partner] and changed his opinion on how helpful hypnobirthing is and can be.'
'The extra support you provide, the care and just listening to what we had to say was excellent.'
'Rachel, we honestly cannot say how helpful this course has been and how much we would recommend you!'
'Everything you have shown us and taught us along with all of the extra information and research you did for us...went above and beyond in our eyes and we can't thank you enough.'
- Victoria & Charlie - first baby
'I wanted to say I feel we were very lucky to find you! Lockdown has obviously been very hard, particularly being pregnant and [my partner] not being allowed to accompany me to appointments, scans etc. But without it we probably wouldn't have come across your page, so that is definitely a silver lining!!'
'My partner literally had no idea about birth, so this course has been great in educating him and assuring him it won't be a hectic or stressful experience.'
'I feel much more prepared for the birth of my baby and feel more confident in achieving the birth experience I would like, no matter what 'pot holes' we may come across along the way. Thank you so much.'
- Sarah & Tom - first baby
"We are extremely excited about our birth and look forward to sharing our birth story, which I am positive will be an empowering one."
"Thank you Rachel for the support during this amazing journey that we are embarking on."
"I am more and more chill about the whole process so thank you for that."
'We now have the facts and connection through our practice, not just for our labour, but as an important tool which has spilled over into our personal life."
"I really am so excited to give birth and feel relaxed about the idea of things not going down the lane of 'my perfect birth' and A is too."
- Jade & Adam - first baby
'Just wanted to say that we really enjoyed the course... It was really insightful and I now feel in a much more comfortable and relaxed state of mind going into the birth. I feel very prepared and I'm actually looking forward to that day arriving.'
- H & J - first baby
'The course included a great mixture of very useful information throughout from Rachel, which as well as teaching us a great deal, also made us realise that we have many more choices about labour and birth than we knew were possible.'
'As we went along, we asked lots of questions, which Rachel was both happy and able to answer in detail, without hesitation...She knows her stuff!'
'We would highly recommend the hypnobirthing course with Strong Like Mama to anyone that is considering it. It's definitely worth the money...'
'Rachel makes it fun and relaxed rather than making it feel like you're back at school in a classroom again.'
'The course has made [my partner] and I both feel so much more prepared, confident, empowered, and calmer about the upcoming labour and birth of our baby.'
'Whichever direction things go in, and if things end up going 'off plan', we now know that we have the tools and knowledge for the labour and birth to be the best it can be for all of us and we can now make informed decisions throughout.'
- Rebecca & Ben - first baby