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I’d spent the first few weeks of my maternity leave trying to induce labour naturally- acupressure, spicy food, sex- the usual, there was no way i was being medically induced. However on Wednesday 18th May I woke up and decided that all these remedies were in vain and the baby would come when it was ready. I decided to enjoy the free time I had left and let go of the fear of being induced, leaving it down to fate.
Fortunately fate was on my side and at 2am the following morning at 39 +5 I woke with period pains and decided to get up. After about half an hour I realised I was potentially in labour and started timing my contractions. At 6am after a lovely warm shower I woke my husband (he now admits he didn’t believe I was actually in labour, as performing a lower back rub seemed to soothed the discomfort).
Russ (my husband) ran me a bath, switched on the positive affirmations MP3’s and generally guided me through each surge with key words and phrases we’d discussed before hand.
At 7.30am Russ called the hospital, by now surges were 3 minutes apart but only lasting 20 seconds. I was advised to stay at home until they reached a minute long but I had concerns about the babies movements so we headed to the hospital for monitoring.  Once plugged up to the machines, my
Husband commented on how the machine spiked every time I experienced a surge- at this point he realised I really was in labour! The baby’s movements and heart beat were good and surges were consistent and regular.
I was admitted to the ward after an examination revealed I was 3cm dilated. I was given prearranged antibiotics to counteract the GBS I had tested positive for while pregnant.
The midwife looking after us had never experienced a hypnobirth before but read the birth preferences and followed every request perfectly. My husband dimmed the lights, put the MP3s on repeat and performed the light touch massage on me through each surge. At the next examination the midwife was surprised to find I was 6cm and an hour or so later my waters broke.
Baby and I were monitored throughout labour, we both had consistently good heart rates.
My surges soon changed and I lent over the back of the bed and started to concentrate on my birth breathing, while my husband encouraging me to bear down and breath through it. It was the part of birth process I felt I had the least control over. However even at this lowest point, pain relief did not even enter the equation. My mind raced but half way through, Liz’s words of calmness pierced my growing fear and I managed to take back control. Before I knew it I was back in the zone and the head was out. My husband exclaimed “it has your nose and my lips”. One push later and I was holding my baby in my arms.
Unfortunately Ralph was struggling to breathe at birth due to a chest infection and was rushed to the neonatal unit where he recovered well. I stayed calm and logical throughout the whole ordeal asking questions and finding out as much information as I could. The hospital staff were absolutely amazing and 36 hours later our boy was, where he belonged, next to me on the hospitals transitional ward.
We can’t even come to imagine what implications pain relief medication may have had on our already weakened baby boy. We cannot thank Liz or the hypnobirthing community for the wonderfully calm birth experience we were lucky enough to share.

I was one week overdue on the Saturday of the August bank holiday. I was convinced that the baby was not coming till after the Monday and was going to relax, put my feet up and enjoy a few last days off. Unfortunately due to a last minute school shoe drama I had to go into Birmingham with my older daughter on the Friday which involved quite a bit of walking, rushing around and the absolute chaos of Clarks a week before schools started.  That night was the usual uncomfortable night of a pregnant woman at full term but no other signs.

On the Saturday afternoon, around 2pm, I felt a sudden heaviness in my girdle area but put it down to getting up too quick, in an awkward position. A couple of hours later I felt the same sensation again, lasting for just a few seconds. Then at around 5pm I noticed that I was starting to feel this sensation more regularly about every 45 – 30 minutes. I still did not believe that it was the real thing and put it down to Braxton hicks as I was expecting the sensations to be more intense. I later found out that this feeling was due to my baby’s head moving down.

By 6pm I started to think that maybe the baby was coming but I was still reluctant to call the birthing centre in case it was Braxton hicks and I was sent home with my tail between my legs. The sensations became more frequent and it was clear that they were actual surges.

We arrived at the birthing centre at around 8.30pm when the surges were about 3-4minutes apart. It was lovely and calm there, in fact I was the only person there. I cannot rave about the midwives enough. They read my birth plan and were so so supportive of my wishes. They encouraged me where I needed it and seemed to anticipate what I needed.

I was able to get into the birth pool at around 10pm which felt wonderful. I would lie back and relax between surges and each time one came up I would turn and squat on my knees which felt like the most natural position for me (not for my pedicure though). The one affirmation that kept coming to mind was “each surge brings my baby closer to me”. At one point a tissue smelling of lavender appeared next to me which was lovely and comforting.  Whenever I would do my relaxation session I would wear an eye mask filled with lavender.

By 11pm I was well on my way. The midwives said that my baby would most likely be with us by midnight. However, due to my practicing on the toilet (great trick Liz) I was able to breathe my 8lbs 5oz baby out who was born at 11.27pm without any intervention. Sunil received the baby as planned who was placed in my arms, completely calm, staring up at me with her big eyes.

Now I’m not an over emotional person but to my surprise I acted just like many of those women we saw in the birth videos. I was half sobbing, half laughing as I kept repeating “it’s my baby, it’s my baby”.  As I mentioned, my little Mila did not come out screaming her head off but was in fact extremely calm and wide eyed.

I remained in the pool for some time cradling my little girl, coming out with god knows what gibberish. They did not cut the cord immediately as requested.

Whilst Sunil and Mila had skin to skin time the midwives examined me and decided that they would need to assist the delivery of the placenta instead of naturally letting it come away. None of this was decided without my consent. They explained everything to me and made sure I understood the choices. As it happened they were unable to do it and were about to call an ambulance to take me to the hospital when one of the midwives said she would try again but this time could I help. Using my HypnoBirthing techniques I was able to breathe the placenta out within seconds after which the bleeding slowed down, furthermore there wasn’t any need for stitches.

They then left me and Sunil to bond with our baby alone for a few hours only checking on us a couple of times. We left the birthing centre after a few hours and we were back in our own home and bed by 4.30am.

The following day I was surprised at how well I felt considering I had just had a baby. There was obvious tenderness but I was up and about , not lying in bed constantly.

To say I was happy with the experience would be an understatement. However I need to be honest, I did panic near the end. As my surges were pretty much one after the other I decided that I had had enough. With the panic I began to tense up and do all the things I had been working against doing. I even demanded gas and air from the midwife who was very reluctant to give it to me due to my wishes and how I had progressed up until that point. In the end I would only use the gas and air for one puff to slow my breathing so that I could concentrate on my surge breathing and filling the balloon.

Everything I practiced worked brilliantly. The only area I wish I had practiced more and I didn’t was my surge breathing which is where things veered off the intended path slightly. Lesson learned – practice, practice, practice!

My whole experience was so very different from my last due to hypnobirthing. I was aware and in control the whole time. I was able to enjoy my baby instantly. My recovery has been great.

Mila is less than 2 weeks old and my body has recovered dramatically. I saw the midwife today who was impressed that my uterus has completely gone back to its original pre-pregnancy position.

The day after Mila was born we had to return to the hospital to have her standard checks done and for the oral vitamin K. As we were leaving I was thanking the midwives and telling them how much I appreciated their understanding and support when one of them replied that it was down to people like us that made the job worth it and how impressed they were with the hypnobirthing.

So thank you Liz for all the support, you’ve really opened my eyes!

Dear Midwife

I know your job is a labour of love to you. I know you chose this path because you are a supporter, a nurturer and you care deeply about women, their babies and their birth experiences.

I know you do all you can to ensure that all the women under your care have healthy pregnancies, healthy babies and positive experiences.

I know you take pride in increasing women’s confidence in their bodies and ensuring that they are informed about the birthing process.

I know you share with each woman the options they have during their pregnancy and help them decide how to birth whether low risk or high risk.

I understand all this and I thank you for it.

At least, this is what I want you to do for women.

Today you dented the confidence of someone who, 2 months ago had very little belief in her body and her ability to calmly birth her baby.

Today you knocked the faith of someone who, 2 months ago didn’t think she could give birth without drugs and intervention.

Today you made a grown woman, with a responsible job, husband, home, car feel inadequate and naive.

Today, with one comment you opened up an old wound which she had worked very hard to close.

This woman, who has a heart, a soul, a mind was treated like a child with no regard for the repercussions of your words.

Your choice of tone and words left her doubting HER choices.

Please understand the position of responsibility you have. Each word you say leaves an imprint on her.

Please understand that there are some things that you do not have adequate knowledge of to dismiss or dumb down.

The next woman who excitedly reveals to you her plans for labour, reveals how happy, calm and motivated she is to really experience childbirth, tells you how much time and effort she has put into preparing for the best possible experience for her and her baby… Please think before you respond. Think before you tell her she is wrong to feel that way.

From someone who has enjoyed childbirth, felt the elation of birth without drugs, felt the awesomeness of my body doing what nature intended, I can tell you that you are wrong.

Wrong to dismiss our method of birth.
Wrong to criticise our preparation.
And further more wrong to even comment on something so negatively that you quite obviously know nothing about.

So, I will help my client close that wound you have opened, I will help her build her confidence back up. She will once again become confident, empowered and positive.

And she will one day soon know that you were wrong and she was right.