Self-Trust
self-trust is the mark you leave on your heart—a reminder that no matter what happens ‘out there’ you can always find home inside yourself.
It’s that full-body exhale, the quiet knowing that you’ll be okay.
It’s the moment you stop fighting the current, and finally let go.
self-trust
Why I Teach HypnoBirthing
I’m not going to lie — during my own pregnancy, I was angry a lot. Angry at how little space there was for women’s actual experiences in the system.
Even with a background in public health, I didn’t always know what questions to ask at my appointments. And when I did, I didn’t have the confidence to speak up. I was too worried about seeming “difficult” or “needy.” I think many women can relate.
As a birth researcher, author, and educator (and former midwife), Dr. Rachel Reed writes that women have long been conditioned to play the role of the martyr mother—the one who endures, stays quiet, and doesn’t make a fuss. Even now, many are mocked for making a birth plan or wanting something different than the routine protocol. But the truth is, wanting to understand and participate in your own birth isn’t being difficult—it’s being human.
How I prepared for birth
When I prepared for birth, I tried everything: journaling, therapy, energy work, research, podcasts, and courses. I didn’t think I was someone who feared birth. Most women in my family had uncomplicated, smooth births. I was actually intrigued by the challenge and trained for it like I would another physical feat. But I realized my drive to do it all came from a deeper fear—birth trauma. I was determined to avoid trauma, but in chasing that, I was actually giving more power to the fear. Eventually, I was able to let go. It wasn’t more knowledge, more courses, or more books. It was a deep exhale and a choice. I had to slow down and listen to my own voice. It was my own intuition I learned to trust (and am still learning to trust). It became a commitment: to myself, to having a positive experience, no matter what happened. Not just a decision in my head, but a promise in my heart. Even if I experienced something traumatic in birth, I knew I would be okay. Why? Because I’d already been through trauma before and come out stronger on the other side.
self-trust. that’s what it was.
Self-trust is a stamp you place on your heart, promising that no matter what happens ‘out there’, you’ll always find your way back home inside yourself. It’s like a full-body exhale—the moment you know, really know that you’ll be okay, no matter what.
What led me to want to teach the Mongan Method
That’s what eventually led me to wanting to teach the HypnoBirthing® Mongan Method. It pulled together everything I’d practiced in my own DIY birth preparation: the psychology, the physiology, the deeper meaning and practice. Instead, it felt like three months of personal growth and preparation woven into one five-week journey.
What I love about this approach is that it honours both science and spirit. Even if you’re not a “spiritual” person, spirituality is about finding meaning—and that matters in a transition as big as birth. Birth is a doorway into parenthood, but it’s also a process of becoming—of learning how to trust yourself again.
When you’re not connected to your body or emotions, the early weeks and months can feel even harder. This work helps people reconnect—to show up authentically, to feel heard, and to hear themselves again.
That was the missing link for me: learning to listen to my heart, not just my head. I had to stop approaching birth like a research project to solve and start trusting that I would be okay—no matter what happened.
That’s what HypnoBirthing gave me. And that’s what I want for every family I work with: the confidence to know that birth isn’t something that happens to you, but something you’re deeply part of.