Yes I love what I do. Mostly because it has had a huge impact on me personally. As I mentioned my first two birth experiences were awful, traumatic, I had PND, bonding problems you name it. My 3rd birth (and HypnoBirthing) really did change my life, I feel I have changed so much as a woman in confidence and strength since having a "good" birth experience. I love being able to empower other women to feel that way, to help them enjoy pregnancy, birth and parenting and ditto the dads too. I get special satisfaction from helping mums/dads who have had a previous traumatic birth (especially VBAC mums) - seeing the happiness radiate from them when they have a beautiful birth experience is worth more money than any job could pay .
I am pretty broke, I never thought I'd end up here (I had grand plans working in pharma marketing with treble figure salaries), instead I live on less money than I'd earn if I stacked shelves in Tescos but I am HAPPY (nauseatingly so it appears ).
Re. hypnosis/HypnoBirthing I think it works especially well for control freaks (I am one too, also bored in massages/facials!), as it gives you something to do, something to control to help you be in control IYSWIM? without wanting to plug my own website again, I've written some basic stuff about hypnosis here:
www.saffron-hypnotherapy.co.uk/page_1209727573843.html
oxytocin & endorphins will naturally send a woman into this state (even after brith during breastfeeding - you know that half awake drowsy midnight feed?), the key is just letting your body do what it was meant to do, not some artificially aroused mental state (which is how most women give birth).
the word "hypnosis" really does cause so much confusion. I remember the first time I saw a hypnotherapist 6yrs ago, after an hour I asked her "when are you going to hypnotise me" and she laughed and said "an hour ago" .