Usually I don't plan too much in my life. I just wait and see where life is going to take me and if I don't like it, I know I won't do it again. So taking the class with Denise and really looking at how I wanted the birth of my 2nd son to be was pretty challanging. I never had gotten past that I wanted a waterbirth at home. We were in the midst of renovating our new home and moving, so I was already 8 months pregnant when we started taking our classes and it was really convenient for us to have the classes over the phone.

It also was great to have Denise check in with me every now and then to make sure I was relaxing despite all the chaos around me, so childbirth preparation didn't become something else to do but actually a time to look forward to - to relax and create. My son's birth was the most amazing experience and I definitely would do all of it again. And everything turned out the way we had wanted it to be: quiet, easy, fast, just perfect.

Martina Caviezel-Schenk
The birth preparation and experience represented a profound journey for me and an opportunity for growth, transformation and intimacy. I will always have a vivid (or should I say blissfully foggy?) memory of a peaceful, conscious birth. It was a birth that my dreams and visualizations were made of, that I think all women hope for. I feel grateful for every stage of my labor/birth, the times when I was focused and at ease as well as the times when I was afraid and uncomfortable, because those times reminded me of the power of my mind.

When I realized that my thoughts had shifted from my original intention to trust my body fully, I was able to pull myself back, surrender my body and mind, and return to watching the miracle unfold on it's own. BornClear was an amazing anchor, teaching me to trust myself and my body and how to stay focused and relaxed. I attribute my experience of ease and empowerment to the training I received through reading, instruction and practice.

Laurie Gerber
Denise's class was inspiring and really empowering. She puts together such a rich array of material, then presents it so clearly and down-to-earth, everything she said made perfect sense to us. You leave the session feeling like for once, labor, delivery and post partum aren't mysteries to confuse you, but natural, organic

aspects of life which you can relate to in a very direct and helpful manner. We left the one day class feeling on top of the world, ready for labor and like we'd just spent the day with our best friend, coach and mentor.

Dana Fabbro

My first birthing, the birth of my daughter, was completely traumatic, both emotionally and physically. When I was 5 months pregnant with my son, my second child, I was panicked and terrified. I did some research and found Denise's class, BornClear.

Denise helped me rethink all aspects of my life and encouraged me to make all the necessary changes I needed to, to fulfill my dream of an easy, clam, and peaceful birth. I listened to daily affirmations and relaxation tapes. Yoga aided me physically and spiritually, by preparing me for the deeper more profound level of consciousness I needed to be successful in my birthing. The birth plan helped me clarify in my mind who and what I needed present in those crucial hours to help me feel safe and honored.

When the contractions started, I had the tools to make this a truly awesome birth. My experience was one of spiritual nature. I was able to let go of tension and fear, and replace it with deep trust. My baby was born so quickly, I had a hard time believing he was actually there. Later that night, my baby in my arms, I listened to another woman laboring. Her screams and moans lasted hours, and I thought, she does not know that it does not have to be this way. I want other women to know - you can crate the birth that you want.

Jill Ordonez
BornClear and Denise Spatafora, helped me to create the birth experience that I truly wanted and will cherish forever. Having "toughed" out my son's birth without drug interventions, I was skeptical about the value of Hypnobirthing, but equally sure that I wanted something different for my daughter's birth. The natural birthing classes I had attended had given me plenty of information about what to expect, but armed me with very few tools about how to deal with the actual birth. In the end, I did have a drug-free birth, but I was unable to share the event in a meaningful way with my partner because I was too consumed with the effort of managing my contractions. My husband simply had his hands full dealing with me. The techniques that I learned through BornClear helped me to remain calm and focused during the early stages of my labor. I stayed at home, took a bath and even fell asleep for a short time.

When labor intensified, we were both able to be fully present and engaged throughout the entire process. Yes, my labor was intense, but I felt in control and ultimately exhilarated. As soon as my daughter emerged, I was totally energized and ready to walk around the room. All of the energy I had conserved, I was able to use to take care of myself and my baby. It was a beautifully empowering experience. I recommend this course to anyone who has a heartfelt commitment to a drug-free labor but who also has concerns about their ability to cope with their fears and uncertainty around the birthing process. It is a wonderful gift to give to yourself, your partner and to your baby.

Deb Grant
When I found out I was pregnant I sent my husband out for books. I began to eat thru them by the handful. I was ignorant about the aspects of pregnancy and childbirth, and devouring books was the only way I knew how to educate myself. It became clear very quickly that finding unbiased information was nearly impossible. The naturals mistrust the medicals and the medicals think the naturals are quacks. Early on, under the influence of my obstetrician, I assumed that I would take an epidural and any other drugs they would give me at the first possible moment during labor. It was not until several months into pregnancy that I began to question that assumption. I was reading “The Birth Book” and, while much of it was incredibly biased against the medical profession, a lot of the author’s points rang true for me.

I started to believe that my body was not just able to handle childbirth, but was in fact made for it. I realized that women were giving birth to babies for thousands of years before the invention of drugs. I wasn’t ready to question the prudence of having my doctors perform sonograms and genetic testing, but I did begin to wonder if I would need the epidural and other painkillers after all.

Full story...

Elisa Rader

I was so peacefully present to the experience I had giving birth to my daughter Isabella that when I close my eyes, today 5 years later, I can bring myself back to the moment I looked down into her eyes and welcomed her into the world. I thank Denise and BornClear for this. Because of Denise, I will hold for my entire life, one of the most beautiful moments ever experienced as a mother. I came to Denise during my pregnancy with Isabella at 5 months. I knew of her techniques and methodology of combining relaxation methods with her sense of meditation, knowledge and teaching of trust. I needed her help. I was getting ready for my second baby and I wanted to have a beautiful experience. I had in my mind how I wanted it to go but what was getting in my way was Fear. I was afraid of not having the stamina to breathe through the pregnancy as I had learned by watching the birthing tapes and I read almost every labor and delivery and meditation book but I was still nervous. I also planned the birth to e in a hospital but I wanted that experience to be as soft and natural as I could make it.

My husband and I took the BornClear course and learned how to trust each other, how to calm our minds and how to plan the birth of our baby. Denise taught me more about my body and about giving birth than I had learned during my first pregnancy with my OB/GYN. Denise’s caring and understanding of what I was sharing with her, about my fear of pain, and my fear of not being able to breathe and my fear that I wasn’t going to be able to do it, She helped me work through all of it.

Isabella was 15 days early and I went into labor during dinner with close friends. We had invited them over and planned to do a photography session after we ate ~ I wanted to have black and white photos taken of me and my husband with our son and my belly before the baby was born. I got a little nervous that I wouldn’t be able to have the pictures taken but we did it. I was a lot of fun knowing that I’d be having the baby within the next day or so. At 5am the following morning, it was clear the contractions were coming on much stronger and I became a little nervous. I couldn’t focus on what I had learned and I called Denise, within minutes she phoned me back - she brought me back to that peaceful place and reconnected me with my baby and my body. I was so in touch with what was going on and I could talk to Isabella it was amazing. I could feel myself being able to help Isabella position herself to be born. We got to the hospital, checked in and I was ready to go. I was able to breathe life in and out and the experience was incredible. Isabella was born right into my arms.

Lisa Robbins