A JAZZY BIRTH TO OVUMAIO

“Let the music take your mind …Just release and you will find ...”

One sunny spring afternoon I sat in front of the microphone with my music mate and we started to improvise songs. I was simply feeling “her” my Rio in my womb and melodies start to flow like a natural fountain. “Ovumaiyo” means something that holds life.

That delicate moment was “The Birth of Ovumaiyo” a conceptual prenatal music journey album , Rio ‘s journey in my womb and my second journey to motherhood.

If there is a universal orchestration in life, I believe that the music god, the intelligence behind life force, surely was setting up this moment for Hati and me to meet ... I was about 7 months pregnant and “Ovumaiyo”s recording was just finished when i met her at one of her prenatal talks with a group of expectant women.

My love for music and her passion for Jazz naturally connected us and it didn’t take long for me to decide to a give birth at the hospital she was in charge of an international division and to have her as my personal birth coach.

She listened to me, my needs my joy my feelings the way she was listening to music. She spoke the music language, I felt understood, she trusted in me. Dots were connected. It drew a beautiful line. I just needed to trace it.

On the X Day, when we arrived at the hospital Hati was there. She conducted her medical team so well that I was feeling very safe and felt like there was nothing to worry about and she added “We having a concert today”. My partner, my 3 years old daughter Miya and my dear friend were all present. It was time for this little family to go on a next level. Welcoming a new member. I was excited and I felt like we were simply having a celebration.

When my contractions got stronger Hati accompanied me to the delivery room and she even became my personal DJ during the whole process. She started playing “Birth” a delicate jazz tune by Keith Jarret that helped me relax and enjoy the flow of that moment ... and all the tunes from Funky grooves to uplift my enjoyment to Nordic Jazz and standards in sync with the labor progress. We started off with mellow sweet soul then it became fast tempo free jazz in my head with the trumpet crying and the drum is all over the place, the contrabass was flicking and the piano was flying high.

I was hamming to the music, hamming became howling, I felt like crying. What a strong force. This unique jam session was coming to the climax. We know when to land if we are in tune with the flow.

It was about that time; I followed the cue and with about two pushes i sang Rio out. Our little but powerful stream was born. She joined my melody and sang beautifully few seconds after. Even though it was my second time everything was very different and much faster! I was shocked how dynamically it flew and all I did was to be in tune with the moment.

My partner was accompanying me with his guitar and he played our welcoming song while Rio was climbing on my chest to find my breast. What a concert!! It was an incredible experience. Very primitive and most beautiful scene I have ever experienced.

Birth is a lot like jazz, Hati says. Improvise. Be one with the moment. Feel it and let it take you in .

 Listen OVUMAIO

Thank you Hati for being a such a great support for my birth concert, for taking me back to that moment and reflect to the most beautiful concert I ever performed.

To mothers and fathers ...Bon voyage!

To Babies...sing out loud

Ayumi

A DIFFERENCE THE WAY MADE

I am so deeply thankful to Hati and the hynobirth practice, it reconnected and healed me on so many levels. I had a short introduction of hynobirth with my first birth, but with my second, I fully dived into the daily practices and tools to prepare my mind, body, and heart for the new arrival of our second child. Hati’s continual support goes beyond just the preparation for birthing, but the approach, the arrival, and the departure of these critical stages between mother and child, and not forgetting fathers. I found it so refreshing to empower my partner for his role, that we had a beautiful and intimate reconnection together during the active birthing period too.

When I look at the two births, I can see a dramatic difference between my first birth (induced, medical, lying in my back) versus my second (hynobirth, meditation, breathing, dancing, singing, water birth), not just in the birth but also in my recovery. For me second, I stayed at home so I could focus on the hynobirth practices as long as I could, even walked the stairs up the hospitals and the nurses were blown away that by the time I got to the hospital, I was already 7cms. They couldn’t believe it because apparently, I seemed so calm. And that is all thanks to Hati!

Photo by : Mandy Cai (Family Photography ,Childbirth Education ) WeChat:mandycai

Thank you for reminding me that it’s me who is more important in my pregnancy, sounds simple, but it’s easy to forget.

Jenny

FREE YOURSELF FROM FEARS

She took my hand and said: “Don’t worry, you won’t need an epidural.”

It was my second pregnancy. And I knew I will experience a beautiful pain-free childbirth, the type of labor I read about in my Hypnobirthing manual. I also knew how difficult it would be to guard myself from my fears.

I already experienced the relief of an epidural. Initially, I didn’t feel this was a wrong decision until I understood that I was completely numb below my chest. My sensations were gone, and I thought: “How will I push the baby if I have no feelings?”- while the midwife announced my 10cm dilation. I thought of the many scary stories about people pushing for hours. And although my experience was not so difficult, I set up a mission to do it differently this time. It should not be a difficult mission, but unfortunately Shanghai hospitals have their preferred procedures.

Shanghai has 24 million people and the city’s medical care is unable to provide 100% attention to every woman in labor, so the procedures are standardized. Most medical staff have simply never witnessed a natural birth. Most of them, except her.

I met Hati. A woman who is advocating for the right to a natural birth, who is advertising NATURE for your profit. So, I couldn’t help but trust her.

I went to her prenatal classes where she was talking about letting things go. And, man, it was the hardest. The hardest work I have ever done was to let things go, forget my previous childbirth experience, stay in the moment, don’t anticipate, don’t think, just let things go through you and experience them.

So, after 2-month classes my husband and I took private consultation with Hati. She took my hand and said, “Don’t worry, you won’t need an epidural.” Then she added, “I will be with you during your labor.” So, I finally let my mind rest.

On “day X” I took my internal self and walked in the safest place inside of my mind, where Hati used to guide me during private sessions. Ironically, I let things go to a point that I fully dilated at home. It wasn’t until I was close to delivery that I thought, “maybe it is a good idea to go to the hospital...RIGHT NOW.”

So, I did. And I made it there with the baby still inside of me. But Hati didn’t. Wesley showed up 20 minutes after I arrived at the clinic, not nearly enough time for her to make the commute.

Now i know that the face you make during labor is mistakenly taken for a painful grimace. In fact, if your mind is free and you allow your body to simply experience what it is actually made for, you will never ever associate the labor process with pain. The sensation is only painful when you are afraid of it. So don’t be. And if you still are, talk to Hati, she knows how to fix it.

Thank you, my dear Hati, for being a part of my journey.

Dina

DOULA DADS

As an expectant father, I spent the early stages of our pregnancy trying to define my role both over the coming months and during labor. My sessions with Hati have provided me with tangible, practical tools which have instilled a strong sense of confidence that I can provide an essential support role as my partner gives birth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Through our sessions as a couple, we’ve had access to all the fundamental information necessary to feel fully prepared. Hati has provided a reassuring and knowledgeable presence throughout our pregnancy which has, most importantly, allowed us the opportunity to really enjoy this magical time and take in the moment.

Daniel

IN FLOW FATHERHOOD

This program has helped me cope with some of the concerns I’ve had long before I knew I became a father. The biggest one of them was to deal with the fear of failing as a father because I myself had the feeling as a child, teenager, and adolescent that my father has failed me.

Another big pressure and concern that began to grow after we found out that we are expecting a baby, and one I think I wouldn’t be able to deal without the help of this program was to prepare for the birth itself, to actually realize what birth is, to leave behind all the prejudices, and to realize that I am enough, and I already have everything I need to be there for my woman and my baby to support them during birthing and welcome a new life into our family.

Overall, the program has helped me feel empowered, aware, taught me tools and helped me gain perspective, and a deeper insight into a challenging but beautiful future that is to come for us.

Javier