Singing and child birth, I know, seems like a strange mix.
But let me tell you how with both of these things, I want to help you find your voice and know your voice.
The Story of Vocal Coaching
Growing up, my sister was the singer. All my attempts to be a singer felt overshadowed by her, so I concluded it wasn’t for me. Over the years, my love for singing only grew and I found myself continually seeking out ways and places I could sing; church worship, open mics, and choirs. Nonetheless, I still believed that I wasn’t “the singer” – I was too late for that.
Oh, how wrong I was!
One day my life changed when I finally made the step to take singing lessons again. I found a teacher that helped me work on MY voice, rather than telling me I should sing in a certain style, or merely “breathe better”. I didn’t have to sound like my sister- my own voice was beautiful and unique, just the way it was. I knew instantly that I had found a teacher who made sense to me and what’s more- my progress was real and tangible. It felt amazing.
I began singing with freedom, joy and ease. Whether this was singing to my baby in the car, belting out “Valerie” in a karaoke bar or singing in front of 1000 people at church, I began to love my own voice and knew how to take care of it.
Getting to know my voice better was the reason I joined the Institute for Vocal Advancement (IVA) and have since trained with world-renowned teachers (who btw.. trained the likes of Barbara Streisand, Lauren Daigle, Michael Jackson…etc.). I’m not Barbara Streisand yet, but that’s okay because I get most of my joy from coaching others using those same techniques and seeing real results!
Through lessons and masterclasses, I have watched my students master their voice, fall in love with singing again and learn to incorporate some serious self-care of their vocal cords into their everyday life. As a result, they can enjoy being the singing superstar they’ve always wanted to be- whether it’s in the shower or on a stage!
The Story of Birth Preparation
After I married the man of my dreams, we came to Switzerland for a long honeymoon which ended up in us simply never leaving. As soon as we had finally both got settled into our teaching jobs here, I began spending my mornings with my head over the toilet bowl. In other words, I was pregnant.
I started to feel everything all at once. Elated that my dream of becoming a mum was coming true but overwhelmed that none of it was quite happening how I imagined it. It felt big and out-of-control and scary doing it away from my family back home.
Simultaneously I was overwhelmed by the amount of information that I was bombarded with from the very beginning. There was no shortage of well-meaning advice from friends, neighbours and supermarket cashiers- I didn’t even know what I wanted anymore!
Add to this- the huge amount of paperwork and bureaucracy to wade through in preparing for his arrival (beglaubigte Geburtsurkunden, Geburtshausinfoveranstaltungen… huh?). I knew I needed to take control, and find my voice above all the noise.
When my friend suggested I try some hypnobirthing classes, I was sceptical about the idea of being “hypnotised” during birth. That sounded more like being told what to do rather than my own experience being listened to. Thankfully hypnobirthing turned out to be nothing like that. It mainly consisted of practicing breathing techniques, visualisations, and understanding how my body works WITH me in birth. The hypnosis part was nothing weird or uncomfortable, it was simply about finding it within myself, to move myself to a more peaceful and joyful state of mind when my body was going through so many changes. My husband also felt empowered to be my most trusted birth partner and he’s never looked back since. Simple stuff, but oh my goodness it was so effective!
What’s more- the proof really was in the pudding. My little boy arrived 2 days early and I could go to the hospital with no feelings of anxiety or worry. Instead- joy and anticipation.
He was born that day and I was elated. Hypnobirthing worked for me, and I can’t wait to help you experience it, too.
Using my hypnobirthing training and my knowledge of being a foreigner in Switzerland, I help parents prepare for the birth of their child. From the nitty gritty of paperwork to finding peace and wholeness for your big day.