AMY, JIM & BABY EMILY'S BIRTH STORY

I took the Confident Birth and Beyond Hypnobirthing course in September via Zoom, hoping to stay calmer and more empowered during my second pregnancy and birth. 

I suffered with anxiety and insomnia during my first pregnancy and was keen to have a calmer birth experience too. I practised the techniques taught regularly, using the Mp3 tracks on a daily basis. I had a great pregnancy and despite the potential stress of COVID 19, was able to stay calm and positive throughout using the techniques taught on the course. 

I think I knew I was going into labour that day as the nesting really set in. I had the urge to rest up and watched a couple of episodes of The Crown (Series 4 ), had a big carb loaded lunch and cooked a hearty casserole for tea. After feeling a few twinges at 10pm whilst giving my 4 year old a cuddle, contractions started shortly after. 

I was able to use my 'up breathing' to stay calm and labour for an hour at home before deciding it was time to leave for the hospital. 

My waters broke in the car on the the way to the hospital and I was ready to push. Again, breathing techniques came in very handy at this point and my husband was able to understand the process more from taking part in the course and support me with this. 

Once in the labour suite, I felt confident to advocate for myself and change positions to make the remaining labour active and efficient. I didn't get the water birth I imagined but Emily emerged at 1.29am without any pain relief. 

I was surprised to learn that I didn't need any stitches either, which has made recovery much easier.

I highly recommend Danielle’s course not only for maternal wellbeing during pregnancy but for antenatal education about labour and making informed choices.