I took Carol's class and found it extremely informative and helpful! I would highly recommend this class if you are thinking about having an unmedicated birth, either at the hospital or a home birth. Carol explained things in a very easy way to understand and made it feel like anyone could learn Hypnobirthing techniques! read more

I've attended many natural home births, but hypnobirthing is something else. I actually didn't know that... when I enrolled in Carol's hypnobirthing course, I thought it would be a refresh of techniques I already knew. Wrong! Hypnobirthing is a different birthing technique entirely. I feel so confident and prepared alter taking her 5 week course and Greg feels the same way. Whether you're birthing at home or in a hospital, take Carol's hypnobirthing course just to gain the knowledge and confidence this ain't no Lamaze class. read more

We truly enjoyed our hypnobirthing course with Carol. My partner and I both feel confidence, clarity and ready for our home birth. My partner said he learned so much about birth. I am excited to give birth and I have that confidence thanks to this class. Thank you Carol! read more

I was quite intrigued by the whole hypnobirthing method, but had found out about it really late into my pregnancy. I contacted Carol as she was recommended by quite a few people, and she was extremely flexible and helped me get as much info as I was able to get before the birth. Not only was her teaching style so comfortable and calm, but the information she provided was clear, concise and easy to follow. She obviously really cares about helping people get the birth they want and will go above and beyond to get you what you need. My birth experience was WONDERFUL, even with only a few weeks of hypnobirthing preparation. The relaxation techniques and visualizations really helped make it a calm experience. Although it wasn't pain free (I didn't expect it to be), it was DEFINITELY a much more relaxed and calm experience than my first two. I had epidurals with my first two births, and was able to do natural with this last one. Thanks so much, Carol, for being such a great coach at the end of my pregnancy. The things I learned were invaluable! read more

If you're already set on HypnoBirthing and just looking for a class and/or instructor then stop reading and just sign up with Carol right now. You won't be disappointed. If you're on the fence about HypnoBirthing in general then read on... I consider myself a well-grounded, open-minded, and "normal" guy. So while I like a good balance of East and West philosophy and medical care, I don't subscribe to the extreme hippy BS (though I respect other people's beliefs of course). When my wife told me about HypnoBirthing, I was open yet skeptical. But you have to play the role of the supportive husband, right? And then when you just Google a bit and see these HypnoBirthing women giving birth looking as if they are asleep you say to yourself "well, if our birth can be even 1/4 as smooth as one of these then we'll be stoked". Realizing that not all births probably go like that, you always need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Hence why we are giving birth at a hospital and not at home or a birthing center. Carol makes HypnoBirthing real and pragmatic. Not some hippy BS that you're not going to be into. The class shows you not only the principles of this great methodology, but also gives you perspective into what to expect during your birthing day (this knowledge/education being something that is of huge value in addition to HypnoBirthing). Carol guides you though self-hypnosis and how to release your fears and anxiety about the birth day. She also gives you relevant and valuable information about what you need to prepare for, watch out for, and examine. So if you're a dad and your wife is "dragging" you to this class, it's not that bad. In fact it's pretty awesome. You learn a lot about things you should know (and trust me, you don't know what you're doing). If you're a mom and thinking about dragging your husband (or I guess you say partner these days to be PC), I can say the juice is worth the squeeze. Both parties will get a lot out of it. Carol is adaptable to your needs. If you're super granola and looking to do home birth and all that craziness (from my POV at least), then she'll be your go to there. If you're looking to birth in a hospital and want to use the HypnoBirthing method then she'll be there for you too. She'll guide you into the right birth for you and your family. Beyond HypnoBirhting, Carol also helped me with some fear releases and I will be looking to her in the future for HypnoTherapy. She's a wonderful and caring person and I am very happy we took her class. You will too! read more

I had only heard about hypnobirthing in rare conversations, but found these other reviews for Carol when I was doing birth class research. I took both the Bradley Method class and the Hypnobirthing. Frankly, I felt that the hybnobirthing is ideal for people who already have a general understanding of the birth process, but truly want to get the skills and tools to have a calm and peaceful birth. Because I am giving birth to twins, I may end up with a C-section, but I am still hoping to do a natural birth. The biggest benefit that I can say I have right now is that the hypnobirthing techniques have helped me tremendously in dealing with my preterm labor. i went into labor at 30 weeks and had contractions 2 minutes apart. I started using the techniques and as my body relaxed, so did my contractions. I will update this review after my babies are born, but for sure the 5 stars are merited. Carol is a great teacher and teaches at just the right pace for her students and has a lot of integrity. read more

My husband and I have nothing but praise for our hypno classes and birth experience. We were both a little skeptical at first, but Carol had such a down-to-earth and real way about teaching the class it put us both at ease. With guidance from Carol and the weekly classes we found what worked and felt comfortable for us. Just a few days after my due date I woke to contractions...and I wasn't scared or panicked. I tried to go back to sleep and stayed calm the entire time. Our daughter was born in just under 7 hours, and the best part was that we arrived at the hospital around 9 a.m. and she was born at 10:20! The doctor and nurses were AMAZED and it was so nice to be at home for as long as possible. Less than 2 hours at the hospital and a completely drug free, IV-free birth. I don't think I could have done it without the mental preparation and practices this class taught me. I would HIGHLY recommend this class for couples who want to do a natural birth...in any setting (home, hospital, etc.). read more

After stumbling onto the idea of HypnoBirth and reading "HyonoBirhting: The Mongon Method," I knew that this was exactly the type of birth that I wanted to prepare for. I connected with the philosophy immediately, as did my husband. Because we had already read the book, we weren't sure if we really needed to take the classes as well, but, after hearing such wonderful things about Carol, we decided to enroll. The 5 week course was fantastic and offered us so much more than the book alone ever could. It was informative, empowering, and the hypnosis was soooo relaxing. I always had the best night sleep after our birthing class! We were so happy with the entire experience, and I even remember Carol's voice in my head as I was giving birth to my son, encouraging me and supporting me through transition. I think that one of my favorite things about Carol is that, while she strongly believes in a natural birth and gives you Hypnobirthing tools to help make that happen, she is also completely non-judgemental and open to however your child's birth might transpire. I remember her saying that in the end, no matter if you birth naturally, take an epidural, or have to have a C-section, you still had a Hypnobirth because you went into the situation knowing everything you needed to know to make an informed decision about your birth experience. I highly recommend Carol to anyone who desires a natural birth and feels that Hypnobirthing is right for them. read more

I thought I'd write an update since having our baby 3 months ago and putting our hypnobirthing training in action. I cannot stress enough how important hypnobirthing was in achieving the natural birth I was looking for. That said, it is clear to me now that no matter the type of labor or birth (hospital, epidural, water birth, home birth, etc.) these techniques could be useful to all mothers-to-be. And my husband used the techniques and knowledge throughout our labor not only to assist me but to keep himself calm as well. I achieved my goal of an intervention-free, drug-free home birth and stayed calm and comfortable throughout our (49 hour!) labor because of my use of hypnobirthing. Did I have a pain-free birth? No. But I remained calm and focused throughout my labor and a more accurate representation is that I experienced discomfort during contractions, not "pain". And that discomfort disappeared when it came to the pushing phase - I experienced no pain at all while delivering my baby. This still amazes me. Did I mention she was NINE pounds? After watching the birth video its clear to me that I did better using hypnobirthing then I originally thought. I was so calm that I appeared asleep during contractions in early labor and as they progressed, remained completely calm. Because of this I had enough left in me to 'purple push' my baby out. Also, because of the 'time distortion' I practiced in advance, I had no idea it had been 49 hours since our labor began. My husband will attest that he was not afraid and felt knowledgeable and empowered during the labor and birth. He was a HUGE comfort to me as he had been trained in class on ways to help me and what was happening in each stage of labor. Again, this was the #1 most valuable tool of my labor and I will continue to recommend it to all women, regardless of the birth they are aiming to have. Why not have a calm and empowered birth instead of a frantic and scary one? (my other tidbit would be to hire a doula, even for a hospital birth... we hired one familiar with hypnobirthing -as many of them are- and she was the #2 most valuable tool to our successful labor and birth) Good luck and congratulations ladies! read more

With my wife and I both being in the health and wellness field, we were researching the various methods for natural child birth. Our friends over at Indigo Dragon Center for Health and Wellbeing highly recommended Carol so we decided to check her out. The classes were informative and inspirational and provided my wife an I the insight, tools, and confidence to have a natural birth. On December 14th 2009, my wife went into labor. The birthing experience itself was intense, but we believe that the techniques that we learned and practiced really helped us. Long story short... the next morning we gave birth to our beautiful daughter at the UCSD birthing center. We are so thankful for Carol and all the information and experience she provided. We highly recommend her to anyone that is interested in having a natural birth. read more

We were seeking a normal delivery for our second child following a C-section with our first (VBAC) and I decided to attend Carol's classes as an alternative to the usual childbirth classes that were recommended by the hospital. Carol's class was fantastic! It set me squarely on the road to delivering my baby in the manner that I wanted to: without any unnecessary procedures or interventions. The classes are incredibly informative, intimate, soothing and very practically useful. I used to look forward to them every week. Ultimately, Carol's class and the materials she provides (books and CD) were instrumental in putting me in a mind-frame that allowed me to negotiate a 48 hour long labour, and 4 hours of pushing without any medication. Carol gave me the information that I needed to stay confident throughout my pregnancy, the tools to cope through the intensity of labour and delivery, and an opportunity to relax and restore as we headed into the last few weeks of pregnancy. I can't thank Carol enough! The amazing Dr Biter delivered my baby, without medication, without losing his cool, without a single tear, and also gave me an ice cream to eat while in the middle of it all. Carol and Dr Biter rock! read more

We just begun our hypnobirthing classes just this week and after only one - we are hooked! My husband has now even moved to the suggestion of looking into having a home birth as he truly believes in the power of what we have already learned in just one class! Carol has real experiences to draw from of her own and years of experience with hundreds of couples going through her classes. She provides a small group setting where you and your birthing companion feel comfortable and free to express yourselves. Again, we are hooked! We look forward to progressing through the remaining four classes and having the birth experience that we desire! THANK YOU CAROL! read more

My husband and I knew from the start that we wanted a natural, drug free delivery for our baby. I knew I could do it, but I didn't know what to expect and felt scared that all of the horror stories of long, painful labors would be true. My husband discovered the HypnoBirthing book and felt that taking the class would help ease my fears. I must admit that at first, I was a little skeptical of the HypnoBirthing method as the name conjured up images of other people being in control of my mind during labor. But that is as far from the truth as possible. Carol's class taught us so much about the birthing process. It destroyed many myths that we had heard about labor, plus it prepared us for what to expect in the hospital environment. The class also helped bring my husband and I together and work as a team to put me into a relaxed state. By the time the class was over I felt educated, confident, united with my husband and baby, and free of the fear I had been carrying around with me for so long. Our son was born at the UCSD birth center and we welcomed him into the world within three hours of arriving at the hospital. I was able to go through the whole labor without any drugs and I felt very little pain. There were definitely moments that were intense, but I felt in a peaceful zone the entire time. It was the most beautiful experience of our lives and I attribute so much of this to Carol. I would highly recommend this HypnoBirthing class to anyone looking to make your birthing experience a positive one! read more

I was invited to experience one of Carol's hypnobirthing class series this year, and I learned a lot! I am a birth doula, and I came out of these classes with new tools to take with me for future births. Carol teaches her classes with a fun and relaxed style, and by the end of the series I felt like her couples were much more informed. As a birth support person, and an individual who does other areas of birth consulting, I give Carol the highest recommendation! Val Peterson www.birthdaywithval.com read more

Carol was just wonderful. We enjoyed her classes and learned so much from them. My husband and I are firm believers in HypnoBirthing now and are so grateful and happy we took the class. WE learned so much more then just HypnoBirthing. It was a time for the both of us to bond with baby, relax, learn and explore other options. WE loved the classes and Carol was the best. Highly recommend it to all. Her website and all the other practitioners she has available for us to chose from was great and very helpful. I found my pediatrician, chiropractor and the placenta encapsulation person from her website. I can't say enough wonderful things about Carol and her Class. Many Many thanks!!!! We are excited, feeling confident and looking forward to our natural and beautiful birth of our baby girl any day now. read more

My husband and I took Carol's hypnobirthing class based on a recommendation from my OBGYN. We signed up for the July 5 week class for our daughter's birth in September. I was interested in birthing without an epidural (didn't like my first birthing experience), but didn't have any prior info on what hynobirthing was or whether it would work for us. We are so glad we took the class. My husband even commented multiple times what a great just general birthing class it was and how much more knowledgable he felt as compared to our first birth. Carol expertise in hypnobirthing is undeniable and her methods of teaching are extremely effective. I delivered a 7 lb 5 oz baby girl with no medication and it was an experience I will treasure forever. Thanks Carol! read more

I took hypnobirthing from Carol in 2010 and a refresher session in 2012. Her classes prepared me for 2 amazing drug-free births. When we started the class I was so scared to give birth. I just assumed I would take all the pain medications offered. I learned so much about the process of labor and how to become mentally prepared during the class. She provides all the information you need in a factual and fun way. Then she guides the class through relaxation exercises to prepare for labor. I am positive this class is the reason why I had 2 amazing deliveries in a hospital setting. I highly recommend her class to all my friends. read more

I took Carol's class in September 2012 in Encinitas. I had my baby in January. I had an epidural with my first baby and didn't really like the experience. In search of a different experience with my second baby, I asked my doula for recommendations for natural birth classes and she recommended Carol's class. I was a bit nervous to attend class because I thought I would be surrounded by hard-core natural birth types. But I was relieved that most other people at the class started out like me--more curious than convinced. And I appreciated that Carol's style was very even-handed and not abrupt or abrasive in any way. By the end of the first or second class, I was sure that natural was the way I wanted to go and that I could do it. I was surprised that getting fully dilated was much easier than I expected. The pushing phase was longer and harder than I expected, but I know I was only able to handle it because of the hypnobirthing training. All in all, I'm very happy with how things went. read more

I took Carol's hypnobirthing class after reading the Mongan Method book to further reduce my anxiety of childbirth and to build my confidence for delivering my baby naturally. Carol was awesome. She is very direct, to the point and realistic about the whole birthing process and procedures. It was refreshing to have this point of view and be given a real message. My husband was a huge skeptic about hypnobirthing but by the end he was definitely an advocate. I would absolutely recommend Carol for anyone who is considering a natural birth! read more

My husband and I both truly enjoyed Carol's HypnoBirthing classes. Each session was interesting, informative, and enjoyable. She gave us confidence to have the natural, medication/intervention-free birth we knew we wanted. After less than 10 hours of fear-free labor, most of which I spent alone (simply because I was so calm that I didn't realize I was already 9cm dilated!!,) I gave birth to a perfect little angel in the comfort of my home. It was, hands down, the most beautiful day of our lives. Was it pain-free? Not quite. But it was peaceful, intimate, and exactly as we had hoped it would be. How many women can truly say that about their birth experience? So, would I recommend HypnoBirthing with Carol? Absolutely. I'm not quite sure I could have done it without Carol... read more

My daughter's birth this past August was a wonderful experience. Of course luck has something to do with it, but I credit our great experience in large part to the hypnobirthing method and Carol's fabulous instruction. I had always known I wanted to try for a med-free, normal birth. My husband was initially a bit skeptical of the "hypnobirthing" concept, but there was so much more to the class than just training in relaxation. Carol helped to reinforce that birth is a normal process which does not need medical intervention in most circumstances. She helped us put together very detailed birth preferences so that we felt like we were in control of the process. I have many friends who felt like they were bullied into interventions by medical staff during their births, but we had a great experience with the medical staff at Scripps La Jolla. I believe it's in part because they knew how educated we were and that we knew how we wanted our birth to go. I think the class was even more helpful and educational for my husband than it was for me, and he was able to be a great support and advocate during our birth because of the information and training that Carol provided. I woke up in labor on my due date (thanks to acupuncture the night before, I believe), labored at home until my contractions were very close per Carol's advice, spent two hours at the hospital and delivered my daughter at 4:30 in the afternoon, with no medical intervention. My daughter had been measuring large the whole pregnancy and there were suggestions of the risk of a difficult birth or shoulder dystocia given her size, but the class helped me be confident that our baby was the right size for my body. She ended up weighing 8 pounds 9 ounces, and I have a small 5 foot 2 inch frame, but it was a very smooth and quick delivery. I believe one of the reasons it went so quickly and smoothly was because I was relaxed and confident about the birth. I highly recommend Carol's class to anyone, whether you plan a med-free birth or just want to be more educated on the mechanics of childbirth and hospital procedures. Thank you, Carol! read more

I thought I should update this since I have given birth in the last week. I just wanted to add that every technique that I learned in hypnobirthing was used during my labor and delivery. I had a wonderful, natural birth. The nurses could not believe how calm I was. A pediatrician came in to check the baby shortly after birth while my husband and I were laughing with joy. She could not believe that I had just delivered without drugs and was in such great shape. I have to add that my instructor, Carol Yeh - Garner is an amazing person, full of knowledge about pregnancy and birth. She became such a source of support for me (and my husband) during my pregnancy, I really can't imagine how things would have gone without her. And she has tons of great resources on everything baby related that you could possibly need for pregnancy, birthing and beyond. read more

My partner and I took the hypnobirthing class as a tool to help us give birth to our son in a calm enviornment. The fee for the class was very reasonable, especially given all of the tools you receive. There are tons of useful handouts, scripts, a cd and book! Because of what studied in this class, we were able to fully enjoy the birthing experience. We feel truly blessed that we were able to go into labor with such calm and confidence based on the knowledge we learned from these classes. read more

My doctor recommended hypnobirthing when I told her I wanted to have a natural delivery. Until then I had never heard of it, but am SO happy my doctor told me about it. My husband and I took Carol's class and we loved it! I recommend her class to all of my friends who are expecting, even if they are not set on a natural drug free birth plan. I felt so prepared for labor after taking the class that I can say I truly say I enjoyed the amazing process and I look forward to hopefully doing it again for future children. The doctors and nurses commented on how calm and in control I was during labor and it was due to the techniques I learned in Carol's class. TAKE HER CLASS! read more

HypnoFertility review: I cannot recommend Carol enough for her hypnotherapy sessions for fertility. Infertility has to be one of the toughest mental, emotional and physical challenges out there, and I wanted all of the tools I could get. 3 years of trying to get pregnant, a miscarriage, fertility treatments, and a stressful job were a lot to go through. In the end, we were ok with adoption, but we just wanted to pull out all the stops and know that we did everything we could to have a baby on our own first. We would also then know that our baby was meant to come to us in the way it was meant to be. In the middle of all of this, I found HypnoFertility to be a breath of fresh air! Even if I never got pregnant, I instantly felt how helpful the hypnotherapy was in coping with day to day stress, keeping me more relaxed and focused, clearing my head, visualization, and eliminating negative thinking. We should be teaching our children these tools at a young age to go through life! Bottom line - I was so happy that I did it, baby or no baby. Everyone can benefit from the hypnotherapy tools. In the end? I got pregnant and delivered our son, at 41. After 3 years of trying, IUI, and rounds and rounds of IVF. I got pregnant on round 6 of IVF/FET, which was a frozen cycle, coupled with acupuncture and hypnotherapy. He is now 1.5 years old - healthy and happy. And, to top off my wonderful ending, we got pregnant naturally after that (yep, old fashioned way), and now I am 35 weeks pregnant with our daughter, at 42! I know that everything I went through coupled with my hypnotherapy, helped to open up whatever was holding me back. If you are reluctant because it seems like "new age mumbo jumbo", it isn't! I have a degree in the physical sciences, and while I was reluctant at first too, once you talk with Carol and do your homework about what it really is, you will be amazed. The tools you will learn will stay with you throughout your life and can be applied in every area - worth every penny. I wish you the best on your journey, Michelle read more

My husband and I took this class in May 2009, our baby was due in August. I knew I wanted a drug free birth and wanted to get techniques that would help my husband and I be successful. The class not only helped us have a wonderful, drug free birth, but it empowered both my husband and I to not only trust that what my body was doing was normal but also gave us the confidence to decline unnecessary medical interventions. My labor was less than 6 hours start to finish, after my daughter was born the nurses the told me how amazed they were by my delivery and how less than 15 minutes after having her I was up and walking around. I know that my success was greatly due to the information I learned in the HypnoBirthing class. Carol's class is a very intimate setting between couples and prepares you for what to expect during delivery, it helps calm your nerves and you feel completely prepared for the labor and delivery process. We met some wonderful couples in our class and are very good friends with a couple that we met. I recommend this class to anyone I know who is pregnant. read more

Giving birth was something I feared way before I even got pregnant.. When my husband and I found out we were expecting I was so set on just taking an epideral and doing anything I can to basically survive the experience. My cousin Erika recommended me to Carol and after just the first class my whole perspective of the whole birth process changed for the better. Carol calmed all the fears I had to the point that I am dead set on doing this as natural as possible while actually enjoying it. Carol does an amazing job of teaching a peaceful, healthy mindset that for me has helped with the whole experience up til this point. I always thought I would have a hard time being pregnant because you gain so much wheight but just knowing its the healthy thing for my baby I love the way I look and I'm expecting any day! My favorite part was the fear releases and scripts. Thank you to Carol and her Hypnobirthing class. I truly believe this class is a MUST for new moms! She offers such valuable information without forcing her beliefs on you so you are comfortable to choose the best options for you and your baby. read more

Taking Carol's class was the best thing we could have done for ourselves and for our soon to be born baby. Before taking this class, we were under the assumption getting medicated was just a part of birthing, in order to keep you safe and without pain. However, that thinking was completely false! We first watched "the business of being born" and it opened our eyes to the world of doctors and the business behind birthing babies. Then thankfully, some friends of ours recommended Carol's hypnobirthing class after they took it. I will admit I was skeptical at first, but the first class not only erased all my skepticism, but made me extremely excited to know I could birth my baby without any drugs. This class is a MUST if you are a new Mom or even an existing Mom looking to birth your baby in a better, more peaceful way. This class wont promise you a pain free birth, but it will teach you to stay in control of your fear, let your body do what it was meant to do, and experience birth the way nature/God intended it. You WONT be disappointed if you take this class. It's well worth the money and time. Your husband or partner will also find this very useful and informative. I'm so thankful my husband was able to be there with me and learn about all the ways he can help me stay focused and relaxed. Hypnobirthing in general is the way to go, but if you can take the class with Carol, it's even better. She's awesome! read more

Carol is a wonderful teacher! The class was informative and made us confident about the decisions we were making for the birth of our daughter. Carol is knowledgeable about hypnobirthing and a great resource for parents-to-be. My daughter turned breech in the last trimester and I contacted Carol with questions and she was SO helpful and supportive. She gave me advice and referrals, and more importantly, was supportive and kind about my situation. She even took the time to check back with me to see how things had progressed. I highly recommend her class. read more

My husband and I found carol three years ago when we were pregnant with our first baby. After taking her five week hypnobirthing course, we felt more than prepared for the arrival of our first born. His unmediated hospital birth was incredible, perfect in every way. The techniques she taught us gave us the pain free experience we had heard hypnobirthing could provide. When we were 37 weeks pregnant with our second baby, we went to carol for a refresher session. This was all we neeeed to remind us of how useful it was in everyday life. Our baby girl arrived so quickly and without pain, that the midwives missed her homebirth. While we knew that unassisted births are not reccomended, we felt incredibly prepared, given the training and education we has received from carol. Thank you carol for helping us have the experiences we so desired and knew were possible. read more