I reached out to Melissa during my 3rd trimester for support in preparing for the delivery of our second baby. My first birth had started with induction which ended up with fetal distress and an emergency c-section. This time around, I wanted to try for a VBAC. Melissa helped my husband and I change our understanding of birth. She helped us understand the physiology of birth, including foetal positioning, labour, pelvic balancing, the interaction between environment, our mental state and labour progression and also helped us work through fears around birth. Melissa brought her expertise and experiences as a midwife as well as her spinning babies skills to the hypnobirthing course. This really helped my husband and I get on the same page regarding our understanding of birth, and subsequently our birth preferences at hospital during labour. Her sessions were hands on. During and between sessions, she had us practicing relaxation techniques, meditations, massage skills for my husband to use during labour, spinning babies techniques for optimal fetal positioning. We were able to have a VBAC, thanks to Melissa’s support. More than her skills and knowledge base, Melissa is an extremely caring person who genuinely wants women to have a beautiful birth experience. She is one of those health professionals who puts all of themselves into what they do, with a lot of kindness and light. Leading up to the due date, Melissa recorded a guided relaxation meditation tailored to me. She would check up on how we were going leading up to the due date, send exercises to help if the baby was in a less than optimal position, cheered us on when I told her that I was in labour, and came to visit after the baby came. We are so grateful that Melissa was a part of our birth team, and would recommend her to anyone looking for birth education without any hesitation.
Cassy
After the birth of my first child left me feeling frustrated and disempowered, I was determined to educate and upskill myself throughout my second pregnancy. Meeting Mel and undertaking the HypnoBirthing course provided exactly what I needed to take charge of my birth. Mel’s calm and compassionate approach, supported by her extensive knowledge in the birth space, helped my partner and I to take a fresh perspective towards birth – giving us the confidence to self-advocate and achieve a positive birth experience. The course provides an array of practical tools to use throughout pregnancy and during the birth process, and Mel’s warmth and kindness left us feeling safe, encouraged and informed at the end of each session. I feel very lucky to have crossed paths with Mel and my partner and I are now approaching the upcoming birth of our second child with excitement, rather than fear.
2 Reviews on “Melissa Blackford”
I reached out to Melissa during my 3rd trimester for support in preparing for the delivery of our second baby. My first birth had started with induction which ended up with fetal distress and an emergency c-section. This time around, I wanted to try for a VBAC. Melissa helped my husband and I change our understanding of birth. She helped us understand the physiology of birth, including foetal positioning, labour, pelvic balancing, the interaction between environment, our mental state and labour progression and also helped us work through fears around birth. Melissa brought her expertise and experiences as a midwife as well as her spinning babies skills to the hypnobirthing course. This really helped my husband and I get on the same page regarding our understanding of birth, and subsequently our birth preferences at hospital during labour. Her sessions were hands on. During and between sessions, she had us practicing relaxation techniques, meditations, massage skills for my husband to use during labour, spinning babies techniques for optimal fetal positioning. We were able to have a VBAC, thanks to Melissa’s support. More than her skills and knowledge base, Melissa is an extremely caring person who genuinely wants women to have a beautiful birth experience. She is one of those health professionals who puts all of themselves into what they do, with a lot of kindness and light. Leading up to the due date, Melissa recorded a guided relaxation meditation tailored to me. She would check up on how we were going leading up to the due date, send exercises to help if the baby was in a less than optimal position, cheered us on when I told her that I was in labour, and came to visit after the baby came. We are so grateful that Melissa was a part of our birth team, and would recommend her to anyone looking for birth education without any hesitation.
After the birth of my first child left me feeling frustrated and disempowered, I was determined to educate and upskill myself throughout my second pregnancy. Meeting Mel and undertaking the HypnoBirthing course provided exactly what I needed to take charge of my birth. Mel’s calm and compassionate approach, supported by her extensive knowledge in the birth space, helped my partner and I to take a fresh perspective towards birth – giving us the confidence to self-advocate and achieve a positive birth experience. The course provides an array of practical tools to use throughout pregnancy and during the birth process, and Mel’s warmth and kindness left us feeling safe, encouraged and informed at the end of each session. I feel very lucky to have crossed paths with Mel and my partner and I are now approaching the upcoming birth of our second child with excitement, rather than fear.