Angela
Investing in a bowl from SoundBirth was by far one of the best choices I have made to have a great birth experience for myself and my husband.
While expecting our third child I thought a SoundBirth would allow my husband and I to connect during my labour. My last two births Daniel was really a bystander as I didn’t want him touching or interacting with me. I was in my own bubble as they say. I LOVED the sound and the feeling you get from the bowls and thought it may be something Daniel could do to help and participate in the birth.
What we got from the bowls during my labour was so much more than what I was expecting. My contractions started while I was listening to Daniel play the bowl. This was something we had been doing at night to relax. An hour later I was having a few strong contractions but they were very irregular. We started playing the bowl at 11.20pm. Daniel started playing the bowl as I had a contraction. I instinctively started making an mmmmmm humming sound during the contraction. It felt amazing, my body felt like it was floating and the pain would almost disappear. After that contraction I completely could understand what Nicole from SoundBirth had been talking about with her own birth experience. It was by far the best natural pain relief I had experienced. It then became quite intense having contractions 2-3 mins apart. It felt as if toning to the bowl had turned a switch and my body went into full birthing mode.
Daniel had become a huge focus and wasn’t allowed out of my sight. I needed him to play the bowl during each contraction as it was giving me so much relief. At times Daniel would miss the start of my contraction as he was trying to also fill the birth pool. The contractions would be so much more painful and intense if I wasn’t toning with the bowl. We used the bowl for what would of only been 20 – 30mins but I was having back to back contractions during most of that time. During each break I was so thankful for Daniel and the bowl. It was unbelievable the difference when using it.
Just before 12am I felt that things were a lot further along than we had thought before playing the bowl. I got into the birth pool and knew I was going to be giving birth soon. At this time I asked Daniel to stop playing. I started pushing and not long after I delivered a beautiful baby boy at 12:02am. He was so calm after birth he went back to sleep on my chest. It was the gentlest, calm birth and I feel without the bowl the intensity of such a quick/intense labour (I had experienced a quick labour before with my first son) I wouldn’t have felt the support and relief I needed and welcomed this time.
Maxine – doula
“From the very first encounter I had with the Crystal Singing Bowls, I knew that I needed to have one as a tool to help “my ladies” in their labours. It just made sense to me, as a labour and birth companion.
Very easy to use, and very easy to “teach on the spot” to dads or other birth attendants, its a tool that anyone present at a birth can use, freeing up the doula to physically support her lady when called upon.
Bringing the bowl into hospital was an interesting experience. Many of the midwives and doctors asked questions about it, and one midwife commented that she felt it relaxed the whole room. My observation of my labouring lady was that it definitely did relax her, and it helped create more of a “sacred space” for her in an unfamiliar and intimidating place. Toning along with the bowl certainly seemed to help achieve our hoped-for outcome in a time when we were “racing against the clock”.
In a homebirth situation, it was wonderful to be able to simply hand the wand (striker) over to dad so the bowl could keep being played while labouring mum needed my physical support. The bowl was only played for an hour in that situation, and that certainly seemed to be the time when a lot of progress was made.
I feel my bowl is in invalubale tool in “my doula bag”, having seen the benefits of having it present in a variety of birthing situations.”
Shar
“When Nicole asked if I would like to borrow a crystal bowl for my birth, I agreed instantly. I had never used one before but the bowl was so beautiful and the idea appealed to me as I had found singing during my last birth very helpful.
My three children were in awe of the bowl and took turns practicing for the birth day.
The contractions started just after midnight, the day after my due date, and we prepared the birth room, filling the pool and lighting the candles. The contractions came fast and strong and I almost forgot about the bowl, but my eldest son brought it into the room and began to play. He listened closely to me and played as I sang my gorgeous baby girl, Amelie, out into the world after an amazing 2 hours, with only 6 minutes of pushing!
The birth was exceedingly beautiful and the bowl such a part of this, I would highly recommend it to every birthing woman.”
Jacob (age 13)
“At my Mum’s homebirth, I was the one in charge of playing the bowl, and it was surprisingly easy to use. It was a great way to help share the birthing experience with her and my family. It helped soothe her and it felt wonderful being able to help in some way. Playing the crystal bowl at my Mum’s birth, in my opinion, was a great way to help out.”
Janet
“My beautiful friend Nicole asked if I would be there for the birth of her third daughter Kira. She was planning a water birth at home. I was thrilled to have been asked and couldn’t wait! Nicole started labor late in the afternoon, she called to let me know her progress. At around 7 o’clock she asked me to come over. We all managed to sleep for an hour or so before labor started in earnest. Nic’s Mum was there, as well as Steve and the girls. Nicole asked me to bring one of her crystal bowls into the birthing room, she knew exactly which one she wanted ’and needed. Nic’s Mum played the bowl through the first few contractions. When she left the room at the next contraction, Nicole demanded that someone play the crystal bowl. I started playing slowly and softly as the next contraction came…I watched and listened to stay in tune with where Nic was at in her contraction. As she peaked I played faster and louder. As the contraction subsided so did I. After a while I respectfully asked Nic if she wanted me to keep playing ( I didn’t want to be annoying or hindering her progress in any way.) She gave me a definite YES! We went on through the night, me playing and Nic laboring. She made the usual laboring noises and they were in tune with the sound of the bowl. I felt as if I was right there with her through every contraction. She felt like I was there holding her hand…that she was not alone. Kira was born just as the sun peaked over the horizon. We were all there to welcome her.
Nicole’s home birth was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life so far. I feel honored to have been there and honored and grateful that Nicole allowed me into her personal space as I played the crystal bowl. I will never forget the night of Kira’s birth.”
Trina
“Since the workshop I have really embraced increasing the amount of music in our home. I have been re-inspired to play the native American flute. I got Tony playing the drums and me toning/chanting along with it, have created a little lullaby and have been singing it and playing along on the piano every day, and I have acknowledged my fear of making strange noises during labour.”
Renee and Shane
Paul
Bronwyn (student midwife)
“I loved your class and I think it provided the group with very valuable information, awareness and exposure to tools that will help them in everyday life as well as during labour and birth. I especially loved the practical side of playing all the different bowls and experiencing the “sound bath” from you at the end.”
Taryn
When organising my home birth I looked for many tools to help me with pain relief and stay away from the hospital and using drugs in my labour such as massage, oils and my birthing pool. Lucky for me I found Nicole and Soundbirth just one day before my EDD. Little did I know I would go over my EDD by two weeks, so I had plenty of time to listen to her CD and practice “singing my baby to me.” If I hadn’t discovered Soundbirth and Toning and the crystal singing bowls I believe that my labour would have gone very differently.
My daughter was mall positioned and my labour was very slow to progress and establish and the first two nights I laboured it was just me and the singing bowls. They kept me focussed, relaxed and sane in the early hours of the morning. By the third night my contractions where demanding so much of my attention I had to put the bowl away (my friend who was going to play it for me hadn’t arrived yet) but the toning alone made every contraction almost enjoyable. I could see it coming, start toning tone through its peak and feel it gently fade as my voice did to. The next day my midwife laboured with us all day and she said “if a contraction had a sound it would be the sound of the Crystal singing bowl.” I couldn’t put it more perfectly myself. Unfortunately the labour still wasn’t progressing so we made the decision on the fourth night to go to the hospital as I felt like I was beginning to lose it. Here they offered me gas and I took it. It was HORRIBLE! With the toning I owned every contraction and felt its ‘strength’. With the gas I lost all control and the contractions felt like waves of drowsy PAIN that where happening to me rather than with me.
Unfortunately in the end my baby was deliver by emergency caesarean and I wasn’t able to achieve the home birth. But if I hadn’t found Soundbirth I would never have been able to labour as long or as hard as I did and I would have ended up at the hospital much sooner losing any power over my body and my labour. Also, I never would have felt comfortable toning or making any other noise in my labour and my contractions would have never felt so enjoyable. I was able to labour at home for four amazing days and got everything out of my labour I had hoped for and can honestly say I didn’t feel any pain with my contractions while I was toning. I was just carrying myself along with the contraction rather than fighting against it.
I will be going for a VBAC next time and Soundbirth will again be my primary pain relief. I can’t say enough good things about Nicole and Soundbirth and the Crystal singing bowls. I can only tell you that you should find out for yourself and you will have an amazing labour and birth experience.
Tanya
I had hoped for a natural birth at home, however, my first son was induced due to preeclampsia. The doctors had told me I may not be able to dilate as I have cervical scarring from a previous procedure. A number of times throughout labour my baby and body went into distress so we were put on a short time frame to dilate. Using the crystal bowl and toning taught to me by Nicole Lloyd I was able to “get in the zone” to focus and visualise full dilation, in spite of the pressure and hospital sounds that were going on around me. We did successfully dilate and I had the vaginal birth I was hoping for.
