My name is Liat, a new mother as of 9 months ago. I met Gina Kochany in December 2007 when I enrolled in her HypnoBirthing course before my baby’s birth.
I must say I was a bit skeptic at first, thinking childbirth is a painful thing and there is nothing that can change that. But, not only did I learn it is not true, I have gotten to know an amazing woman who gives her heart and soul to the mothers she works with.
The course was a series of 6 classes composed of explanations of what HypnoBirthing is, the logic behind it, practices, and working towards resolving fears and other issues with birthing. For me it was especially important as it was my first birth and I was planning to birth at home, so I’d have no option to ask for pain killers even if I wanted to. I was very determent to birth naturally and was looking for something to help me with that. I must say Gina and her classes were just right for me.
Gina is a great teacher, she did her best for my birthing partner and me to understand everything she taught, to make me feel safe and relaxed and ready for my birth as much as possible.
I found the relaxation meditations so helpful, and Gina’s presence so reassuring and relaxing, and we had hypnosis sessions on a weekly basis almost until my due date. The birth was fast and easy, I used what I learned at the classes and found it extremely useful and helpful. I believe HypnoBirthing is one of the main things to help me birth at home with no problems and have the beautiful birth I had.
I cannot explain in words what it felt like to use the techniques I’ve learned in this letter, but I can say that it was an amazing experience and I feel myself lucky and blessed to have been able to birth the way I did, and I do believe HypnoBirthing, and Gina, had a big part of it and of the easy pregnancy I had.
I’d like to think Gina and I have developed a close relationship as a result of this, and even though I moved out of the country we still keep in touch to this day.
Thank you
Liat Mizrachi
________________________________________
My husband and I took the Hypnobirthing class with Gina last fall. Our experience was so wonderful and inspiring that we also decided to use Gina as our doula. This was the single best choice I made with regards to my birthing experience. I was able to have natural childbirth despite hours of pitocin. Gina enabled me to do this. It is no exaggeration to say that I absolutely could not have done it without her. When we have our next child I plan on asking Gina if she will be our doula again.
I would be happy to be contacted. I cannot say enough about Gina!
Sincerely,
Emily Reusing Hebner
_________________________________________
Dear Gina,
Our baby girl was born on Saturday, May 28 (exactly on due date!), weighing 6 lbs 13 oz and 18 3/4 " in length.
I started feeling steady surges the day after my massage with Lori (thank you Lori!), they slowly become closer (10 min apart) and longer (~ 50-60 s) by Friday, but we were patient and relaxed and I went about my day, we even saw Kung Fu Panda 2 on Friday afternoon. Surges stayed at 10 min apart until I called Gina Saturday morning for advice, and boy, did your advice worked almost instantaneously! I started feeling my bottom pressure by 11 o'clock and we got to the labor and delivery by noon, and baby Lara was born shortly before 6 pm. We opted for epidural around 4 pm, by that time, the surges were so close together, almost without any breaks (esp. when I let my own endorphins kick in), we were able to utilize the relaxation techniques every 2 out of 3 surges - but I was so exhausted it was getting more difficult to concentrate. Kurnia was able to keep me relaxed while having surges and placing the epidural. I was able to feel the baby full of life and still kicking even while crowning. To quote Kung Fu Panda, her health and life force was "pure awesomeness."
Things I'm thankful for:-
- My body for being able to take in steady surges since Thursday
- Kurnia for being my advocate
- my son, who was still able to study for his test during all this
- my baby for being a cutie pie
That's it for now, I'm going back to my baby honeymoon
- Isti
This letter is to let your organization know what a great partner you have in Gina Kochany and Virginia Hypnobirthing. I was seeking out a natural way to birth my first son, after considering the standard available choices I realized that none of them reflected what I wanted in a birthing experience. I came across the information on Hypnobirthing quite by accident and was happy to hear that Gina was here in the Richmond Area upon my inquiry to the corporate headquarters of the Hypnobirthing Institute. The Hypnobirthing program with Gina’s guidance is an invaluable asset to have available to your clients. To have my son without fear, tension, and with the strength and knowledge that she provided through her courses has made a huge impact on my life as well as the life of my son Brian. I was so impressed with the program that Gina was among the very first people I called when I found out I was expecting another child. I have since enrolled in her course again as a refresher, taking classes in your beautiful facilities. I always speak highly of Virginia Hypnobirthing and your hospital whenever the topic arises in conversation. I hope that you would regard Gina Kochany and her program as highly as I do keeping her available to all of your clients that are seeking a natural birthing alternative.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Croxford
Mom of one and one on the way
( Had a third, finally a girl this last November!)
_________________________________________________
September 24th, 2007
To Whom It May Concern:
I write this letter in regards to Gina Kochany and her child birth class. After exploring the many options that are out there I settled on taking her class after speaking with her. She is extremely professional yet at the same time makes herself available to you like a close friend would. I felt comfortable bringing my questions and concerns to her. She was always helpful and always pleasant. I would recommend her class to anyone interested in natural childbirth with out hesitation.
Sincerely,
Amelia
Want the best!
Expect the best!
Get the best!
Virginia HypnoBirthing
Experience matters!
Celebrating 7 years of service to
expecting couples!
Expect the best!
Get the best!
Virginia HypnoBirthing
Experience matters!
Celebrating 7 years of service to
expecting couples!
CULTIVATING FAMILIES
CHANGING LIVES
CHANGING LIVES
Virginia HypnoBirthing®
Fertility, Prenatal, Labor, and, Childbirth Services.
Offering Hypnotherapy,
Childbirth Education Classes and Doula Services
(Serving Richmond, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Hampton Roads and surrounding areas!)
Gina!!!
I am so happy that you emailed me. We have been meaning to email you for so, so, so long. Please forgive the enormous delay. We have had so much going but we are all settled now!
First I want to thank you guys for the information you provided us with. It really, really changed our lives. When I found out I was pregnant, I was not at all trying and it was a complete surprise. Ronnell was still far more immature than I and definitely didn't understand what having a baby entailed.
Your class has changed the way we think. It changed our relationship in such a good way, I can't even tell you. We understand the world to be very different after having taken your class.
Our daughter was born on Monday, October 24, 2011 at 7:25pm. I started having contractions at 5:30am that morning. I labored at home for 10 hours on my own. With each contraction, I heard your voice speaking through my own. I focused on imagining the baby moving down and my body comfortably opening up for her. Each contraction I had, I was sure to visualize the baby moving down and my cervix thinning and opening. I swear that visualization made the most difference!!
At around 2pm, we called my doula to come over. She was such an amazing, amazing help. I did have a bout of back labor for a few but we worked that out with visualization and relaxation as well. At 3pm I started feeling enormous pressure. I told my mother that I wanted to go to the hospital but she thought I was being dramatic. She advised us to stay home at least until 6pm but I knew I needed to go so I insisted. We got to MCV around 4p and checked in. My midwife was the new addition to the team, Amber. She was amazing! She used much of the same imagery and visualization suggestions we discovered in hypnobirthing at our prenatal appointments.
Amber asked if she could check how dilated I was, which I allowed but I didn't want her to tell me. She told the nurse who was amazed and repeated that I was already 9 centimeters! I was so happy and immediately I thought of you and telling me to visualize the process, visualize my baby moving, and visualize my healthy birth. I labored for another two and half hours and my water broke at 6:30pm. I started to push at 6:58p and she was born 27 minutes later.
It was so amazing. Labor and birth are intense. I understand why people experience pain. In the few moments where I got off track and was stressed, the contractions felt so different. Otherwise, I wasn't in pain. It was definitely so much pressure. It helped so much to know what my uterus was doing while in labor. It was a good way to manage discomfort to understand that utility. I was able to relax and assist my body rather than hinder my body.
Zion is now 11 weeks old. She is a happy, healthy baby. She is sleeping through the night already (we get at least 5 consecutive hours)! She has a really pleasant disposition and is easily satisfied. Breastfeeding is going awesome! The midwife and the nurse put her to the breast about 30 minutes after she was born and we have never had any complications. I read in the book that hypnobirthing makes for a pleasant baby and I believe it! My parents recounted how awful and whiney of a baby I was. She is not so at all! She smiles and laughs all the time and we love it.
Ronnell and I got married on the 27 of December and I really have to credit you and the class for that. Taking the hypnobirthing class has opened the door for so much more information on spirituality, meditation, and generally how powerful I am by controlling my thoughts. All this information definitely made our bond so strong and our love so thorough. You most definitely changed our lives and we are so, so grateful.
Thank you so much. You will never know what you did for me.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help your business grow! You guys are doing such good work. If I can write anything, forward anything, volunteer for any events, etc...please just email me. I would love, love, love to help.
Zainab Lewis
_________________________________________________________
Sitting here enjoying our new son, Ford Sullivan King! He was born this morning at 824am. I was just getting ready to email you this weekend to let you know that my due date had come and gone and that I was trying to remain as relaxed as possible. However, before I got a chance to sit down to write that email....I went into labor. I woke up around 2am this morning and could not go back to sleep. I was reading about castor oil regimens and getting myself mentally prepared to go another week with no baby. I started having contractions around 330am but I have been having a lot of "practice labor" so did not think too much of it. After about an hour of them being about 1 min every 5-7m I started thinking maybe this was the real thing. I woke Todd up and asked him to call Sara because they were getting to be about every 3-4 min. I still thought we were probably calling her too early so I told him it was just a heads up. I started listening to the hypnobirthing CDs but after a while I just needed silence. I practiced breathing into my uterus giving all the oxygen to the baby. I pictured two hands pushing the baby down with each contraction and the cervix opening up. I heard Mr. Womack's voice thru the entire experience as I had been listening to that CD a lot in the past month. I kept hearing his voice and your voice Gina from our fear release saying that the labor was going to be natural and beautiful and that all the contractions would be tolerable. I kept thinking, "I am not sure this is tolerable...I kind of wish this would be over," but then I would think, "no they told me they would be tolerable so this MUST be tolerable." Soon I told Todd to call Sara that I needed her to come. I got in the shower and the water really helped. I was pretty anxious to go ahead and get to the hospital because I was dreading the whole check in process and IV for the GBS. I told Sara, "I know it is probably too early but I just want to go get settled." The contractions were getting much closer though and when I wasn't in the shower they were pretty intense. But last time I felt like I got no break in-between. This time I just kept hearing Mr. Womack's voice from the CD promising me that the time in between would stretch out and the contractions would go by fast. I felt so relaxed in-between contractions that it was hard to do anything but lie down. I felt like I could almost fall asleep in-between contractions. It was great. We got to the hospital and it was harder getting to the floor and getting settled but again I kept hearing Mr. Womack's voice saying that all the procedural stuff at the hospital would not be that bad. The IV actually felt good! They had to keep sticking me and each one gave me a nice pressure sensation that actually took away from the contractions. I kept thinking "this hypnobirthing thing really is working!" They checked me and said that I was 5-6cm. I thought, "yep, I came in too early but that is fine I will just keep working here." Then I got in the shower but despite the fact that I loved the shower last time, it was nice this time but I was so relaxed in between contractions that I just wanted to be lying down and it felt like work holding myself up in the shower. I got back in the bed and they said that I could try the tub. Sara thought I would have the benefit of the water but be able to totally relax. I had a few more contractions in the bed and a few actually felt enjoyable in a weird way (although I was still really ready to have it all be over but I felt in control). They got the tub ready and I kept asking Megan (we had her as our midwife and I had never met her before this morning) if she thought it was too early to get in the tub. It had only ben there a little over an hour (we got there at 7am and it was some time shortly after 8am). She kept saying no lets get in the tub but I kept thinking I was maybe 6cm and it was too early. I told her, "maybe you should check me again to see if I am far enough along for the tub." but she said no more checking you, lets get in the tub. So I got up and started feeling a lot of pressure. I made to the door of the room and I told them, I feel like my body is pushing. But we kept walking toward the tub. Then I collapsed in a squat and my whole body felt like it was pushing the baby out. They said maybe no tub!!! I got back in the room but could not make it to the bed without collapsing again and the baby felt like it was coming out! I asked Megan--is this real? is this real? because could not believe I was ready to push. She said, "it's not fake!" She said, "let me check you." and then she said it was real lets get to the bed. I barely made it in the bed and I pushed twice and they said, "the heads out." I did not believe them. Megan told me to slow down and ease the baby out. I pictured the Russian midwife in the clear tub but I really didn't feel like easing the baby out. I just wanted it to be over. I did try to rest a little though. Then I told them, "I cannot do this. I cannot push again." They all stared at me in disbelief and they said, "the baby is already almost out!" I heard Megan asks the nurse to get a hook because I had not broken my water. She said that the baby was going to be born in the caul. Again I heard Mr. Womack's voice from class saying that that was a good luck sign but then I thought I don't think I can push him out in the membrane, it seemed like more work! Then the water broke. It is funny because I remember that first video we watched the same thing happened and Todd was freaked out, but of course at the time he was not focused on that at all. Then Megan told me to reach down and get my baby. I wouldn't because I was in such denial that they baby was out! I had gone from 5cm to baby out in 1.5 hours at the hospital! But then they put him on my chest and I realized it really was true! And guess what--no tears!! He is 8 lbs 15 ozs, 20.5cm! And they weighed him after he pooped twice, so I think he was at least 9 lbs maybe more!! Cannot tell you how much the visualization and relaxation techniques helped. And the labor was almost on the nose for the time I visualized during the fear release. That also helped because even though I wasn't sure i believed it, when I was having a hard time I would think...5 hours total only 2 left etc. Anyway, please feel free to use whatever of this email is helpful to you for advertising, etc. I can rewrite anything too since this is really stream of consciousness. I feel so indebted to you both. Thank you so much!!
Ashley
_________________________________________________________
My husband and I recently completed the August 23-September 20 HypnoBirthing class sessions taught by Gina E. Kochany. We found the classes to be well organized, insightful, and helpful. We believe that they have been a wonderful preparation for the upcoming birth of our first child. Gina was a professional at all times and provided wonderful support to my husband and I as well as our classmates. Gina’s lectures were informative, practical, down-to-earth, and easy to follow. Her use of videos, visual aides, demonstrations, and relaxation techniques were outstanding. Gina answered any and all questions with heartfelt answers, making sure that everyone felt comfortable enough to ask whatever questions they might have. She put everyone at ease and brought forth a sense of friendship among the participants far exceeding normal class structures.
I would highly recommend the HypnoBirthing class or any other class or workshop taught by Gina Kochany to my friends and family.
Sincerely,
Erin H. Caldwell
I am so happy that you emailed me. We have been meaning to email you for so, so, so long. Please forgive the enormous delay. We have had so much going but we are all settled now!
First I want to thank you guys for the information you provided us with. It really, really changed our lives. When I found out I was pregnant, I was not at all trying and it was a complete surprise. Ronnell was still far more immature than I and definitely didn't understand what having a baby entailed.
Your class has changed the way we think. It changed our relationship in such a good way, I can't even tell you. We understand the world to be very different after having taken your class.
Our daughter was born on Monday, October 24, 2011 at 7:25pm. I started having contractions at 5:30am that morning. I labored at home for 10 hours on my own. With each contraction, I heard your voice speaking through my own. I focused on imagining the baby moving down and my body comfortably opening up for her. Each contraction I had, I was sure to visualize the baby moving down and my cervix thinning and opening. I swear that visualization made the most difference!!
At around 2pm, we called my doula to come over. She was such an amazing, amazing help. I did have a bout of back labor for a few but we worked that out with visualization and relaxation as well. At 3pm I started feeling enormous pressure. I told my mother that I wanted to go to the hospital but she thought I was being dramatic. She advised us to stay home at least until 6pm but I knew I needed to go so I insisted. We got to MCV around 4p and checked in. My midwife was the new addition to the team, Amber. She was amazing! She used much of the same imagery and visualization suggestions we discovered in hypnobirthing at our prenatal appointments.
Amber asked if she could check how dilated I was, which I allowed but I didn't want her to tell me. She told the nurse who was amazed and repeated that I was already 9 centimeters! I was so happy and immediately I thought of you and telling me to visualize the process, visualize my baby moving, and visualize my healthy birth. I labored for another two and half hours and my water broke at 6:30pm. I started to push at 6:58p and she was born 27 minutes later.
It was so amazing. Labor and birth are intense. I understand why people experience pain. In the few moments where I got off track and was stressed, the contractions felt so different. Otherwise, I wasn't in pain. It was definitely so much pressure. It helped so much to know what my uterus was doing while in labor. It was a good way to manage discomfort to understand that utility. I was able to relax and assist my body rather than hinder my body.
Zion is now 11 weeks old. She is a happy, healthy baby. She is sleeping through the night already (we get at least 5 consecutive hours)! She has a really pleasant disposition and is easily satisfied. Breastfeeding is going awesome! The midwife and the nurse put her to the breast about 30 minutes after she was born and we have never had any complications. I read in the book that hypnobirthing makes for a pleasant baby and I believe it! My parents recounted how awful and whiney of a baby I was. She is not so at all! She smiles and laughs all the time and we love it.
Ronnell and I got married on the 27 of December and I really have to credit you and the class for that. Taking the hypnobirthing class has opened the door for so much more information on spirituality, meditation, and generally how powerful I am by controlling my thoughts. All this information definitely made our bond so strong and our love so thorough. You most definitely changed our lives and we are so, so grateful.
Thank you so much. You will never know what you did for me.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help your business grow! You guys are doing such good work. If I can write anything, forward anything, volunteer for any events, etc...please just email me. I would love, love, love to help.
Zainab Lewis
_________________________________________________________
Sitting here enjoying our new son, Ford Sullivan King! He was born this morning at 824am. I was just getting ready to email you this weekend to let you know that my due date had come and gone and that I was trying to remain as relaxed as possible. However, before I got a chance to sit down to write that email....I went into labor. I woke up around 2am this morning and could not go back to sleep. I was reading about castor oil regimens and getting myself mentally prepared to go another week with no baby. I started having contractions around 330am but I have been having a lot of "practice labor" so did not think too much of it. After about an hour of them being about 1 min every 5-7m I started thinking maybe this was the real thing. I woke Todd up and asked him to call Sara because they were getting to be about every 3-4 min. I still thought we were probably calling her too early so I told him it was just a heads up. I started listening to the hypnobirthing CDs but after a while I just needed silence. I practiced breathing into my uterus giving all the oxygen to the baby. I pictured two hands pushing the baby down with each contraction and the cervix opening up. I heard Mr. Womack's voice thru the entire experience as I had been listening to that CD a lot in the past month. I kept hearing his voice and your voice Gina from our fear release saying that the labor was going to be natural and beautiful and that all the contractions would be tolerable. I kept thinking, "I am not sure this is tolerable...I kind of wish this would be over," but then I would think, "no they told me they would be tolerable so this MUST be tolerable." Soon I told Todd to call Sara that I needed her to come. I got in the shower and the water really helped. I was pretty anxious to go ahead and get to the hospital because I was dreading the whole check in process and IV for the GBS. I told Sara, "I know it is probably too early but I just want to go get settled." The contractions were getting much closer though and when I wasn't in the shower they were pretty intense. But last time I felt like I got no break in-between. This time I just kept hearing Mr. Womack's voice from the CD promising me that the time in between would stretch out and the contractions would go by fast. I felt so relaxed in-between contractions that it was hard to do anything but lie down. I felt like I could almost fall asleep in-between contractions. It was great. We got to the hospital and it was harder getting to the floor and getting settled but again I kept hearing Mr. Womack's voice saying that all the procedural stuff at the hospital would not be that bad. The IV actually felt good! They had to keep sticking me and each one gave me a nice pressure sensation that actually took away from the contractions. I kept thinking "this hypnobirthing thing really is working!" They checked me and said that I was 5-6cm. I thought, "yep, I came in too early but that is fine I will just keep working here." Then I got in the shower but despite the fact that I loved the shower last time, it was nice this time but I was so relaxed in between contractions that I just wanted to be lying down and it felt like work holding myself up in the shower. I got back in the bed and they said that I could try the tub. Sara thought I would have the benefit of the water but be able to totally relax. I had a few more contractions in the bed and a few actually felt enjoyable in a weird way (although I was still really ready to have it all be over but I felt in control). They got the tub ready and I kept asking Megan (we had her as our midwife and I had never met her before this morning) if she thought it was too early to get in the tub. It had only ben there a little over an hour (we got there at 7am and it was some time shortly after 8am). She kept saying no lets get in the tub but I kept thinking I was maybe 6cm and it was too early. I told her, "maybe you should check me again to see if I am far enough along for the tub." but she said no more checking you, lets get in the tub. So I got up and started feeling a lot of pressure. I made to the door of the room and I told them, I feel like my body is pushing. But we kept walking toward the tub. Then I collapsed in a squat and my whole body felt like it was pushing the baby out. They said maybe no tub!!! I got back in the room but could not make it to the bed without collapsing again and the baby felt like it was coming out! I asked Megan--is this real? is this real? because could not believe I was ready to push. She said, "it's not fake!" She said, "let me check you." and then she said it was real lets get to the bed. I barely made it in the bed and I pushed twice and they said, "the heads out." I did not believe them. Megan told me to slow down and ease the baby out. I pictured the Russian midwife in the clear tub but I really didn't feel like easing the baby out. I just wanted it to be over. I did try to rest a little though. Then I told them, "I cannot do this. I cannot push again." They all stared at me in disbelief and they said, "the baby is already almost out!" I heard Megan asks the nurse to get a hook because I had not broken my water. She said that the baby was going to be born in the caul. Again I heard Mr. Womack's voice from class saying that that was a good luck sign but then I thought I don't think I can push him out in the membrane, it seemed like more work! Then the water broke. It is funny because I remember that first video we watched the same thing happened and Todd was freaked out, but of course at the time he was not focused on that at all. Then Megan told me to reach down and get my baby. I wouldn't because I was in such denial that they baby was out! I had gone from 5cm to baby out in 1.5 hours at the hospital! But then they put him on my chest and I realized it really was true! And guess what--no tears!! He is 8 lbs 15 ozs, 20.5cm! And they weighed him after he pooped twice, so I think he was at least 9 lbs maybe more!! Cannot tell you how much the visualization and relaxation techniques helped. And the labor was almost on the nose for the time I visualized during the fear release. That also helped because even though I wasn't sure i believed it, when I was having a hard time I would think...5 hours total only 2 left etc. Anyway, please feel free to use whatever of this email is helpful to you for advertising, etc. I can rewrite anything too since this is really stream of consciousness. I feel so indebted to you both. Thank you so much!!
Ashley
_________________________________________________________
My husband and I recently completed the August 23-September 20 HypnoBirthing class sessions taught by Gina E. Kochany. We found the classes to be well organized, insightful, and helpful. We believe that they have been a wonderful preparation for the upcoming birth of our first child. Gina was a professional at all times and provided wonderful support to my husband and I as well as our classmates. Gina’s lectures were informative, practical, down-to-earth, and easy to follow. Her use of videos, visual aides, demonstrations, and relaxation techniques were outstanding. Gina answered any and all questions with heartfelt answers, making sure that everyone felt comfortable enough to ask whatever questions they might have. She put everyone at ease and brought forth a sense of friendship among the participants far exceeding normal class structures.
I would highly recommend the HypnoBirthing class or any other class or workshop taught by Gina Kochany to my friends and family.
Sincerely,
Erin H. Caldwell
