Mama A says: “Thank you so much for everything you taught us during the course. I really enjoyed learning about Hypnobirthing and it gave me a completely different perspective going into labour. I think my attitude towards the birth really helped during labour and your course helped me to think about it all in a positive way. I really enjoyed the fact that my husband and I could do something together in preparation for the labour.”

Hi Claire,

I hope you’re doing well and enjoying the summer so far. We welcomed our baby boy to the world on 8 June and I wanted to share our birth story with you…it still feels surreal that we finally have our son and a real bonus to be able to share our positive labour experience with you. 

At 38 weeks I was booked in for an induction at 39 weeks. Having spoken with the consultant, we were happy to press on with the induction but I was really eager for the baby to arrive naturally before then and did everything I could to get things going (including going to my friend’s wedding on the Saturday night and trying to dance him out!) but there was no sign of him and on the 7 June, the hospital called asking us to go in for 4pm. Amazingly, the visiting guidance had changed on that day which meant that my husband could be with me between 9am and 9pm…I was sensing positive vibes and we left the house, for the last time as a two, feeling excited! 

The staff on the induction ward were lovely and so supportive. They gave me the prostaglandin pessary at 5pm on the Tuesday and I knew that I’d be examined again in 24 hours. I went for a walk around the hospital grounds and the nearby park that evening before spending some time bouncing on the exercise ball, watching some tv and writing in my diary! Someone who had recently been induced told me that being on the induction ward had been more mentally challenging than physically challenging. The ward is busy with a lot of coming and going and women at different stages of labour. I found it helpful having this in the back of my mind and thought that if I could use my hypnobirthing techniques to stay calm and positive, it would all help.

Things started progressing quite quickly and I felt period like cramps throughout the night and didn’t sleep much. My husband came back in the morning and I was experiencing what I hoped were surges every 2 minutes. I wasn’t sure whether what I was experiencing was the “real deal” but really hoped that it was a sign that something was happening! We went for another walk and sat to have a bacon baguette and coffee near the “lake” just outside the Heath’s main entrance. I’d asked my husband to bring my hot water bottle in and found it really helpful to have this on my lower back. My husband would apply pressure to my lower back whenever I experienced a surge (so he also had a bit of a workout doing that all day!) I remember learning about the fact that surges come and go and don’t last forever and it’s so true. Although I was contracting all day, they didn’t last forever. When I was plugged in to the monitors, my husband could see the surges intensifying and then falling and it really helped hearing him say “it’s over”. I used the up breathing technique throughout the day and it really helped me focus and manage the surges. I took a warm bath at around 3pm which was lovely and helped break up the day. When they examined me after 24 hours I was already in active labor and 5cm dilated! The relief! 

We went up to the delivery ward and things progressed quite quickly from there. Once on the delivery ward, I used the gas and air with my up breathing techniques which I loved and I used different positions throughout the labour. The midwife was amazing and made my husband and I feel like we were doing it as a team! They gave me an injection at one point to slow down the contractions and help our baby’s heart rate recover between them. I instinctively knew when I wanted to start pushing and he arrived safely at 21:39 that evening. The feeling of my husband shouting, it’s a boy and having him on my chest is something I’ll never forget! If I had to sum up the experience, I think I’d describe it all as intense and powerful. I’m in awe of what our bodies can do! 

Thank you so much for everything you taught us during the course. I really enjoyed learning about Hypnobirthing and it gave me a completely different perspective going into labour. I think my attitude towards the birth really helped during labour and your course helped me to think about it all in a positive way. I really enjoyed the fact that my husband and I could do something together in preparation for the labour and setting time aside at night to do the scripts was so lovely and relaxing. 

Thank you also for the yoga classes. Coming every Wednesday evening was a real treat and helped me really enjoy the pregnancy and feel good. 

Looking forward to bringing our baby boy to baby massage and yoga! 

Thank you again for teaching me all the tools and helping me feel like a superwoman!!

Anna xx

Daddy P says: “I really enjoyed your course and learning the techniques together with my wife, and trying to get into a similar headspace to best support her. Also seeing examples of positive births gave me a fresh insight. Thanks very much for all your help.”

Looking back at our birth 2 months ago and trying to share some things from it is quite difficult, as it already feels less intense. It was intense, but in a good way (easy for me to say), and having some preparation for what was to come meant we could look forward to it rather than possibly fear it. My wife knew she was going to be induced, and while this may not have been her 1st choice, we both look back at it very positively.

The midwives were all fantastic, and let us deal with the surges just the two of us whenever they could. It really felt like they were in the background, which was the role I had half expected I would play with staff running around in between us! This wasn’t the case which let me feel like I was doing something, and possibly gave my wife some comfort knowing where I was all the time while she got stuck into the gas and air. One midwife said she was a superwoman handling an induction with only gas and air, and I can’t help feel that without the positive mindset Hypnobirthing helped create she may have not had the belief or confidence to trust her intuition as to what she needed.

I really enjoyed your course and learning the techniques together with my wife, and trying to get into a similar headspace to best support her. also seeing examples of positive births gave me a fresh insight. Thanks very much for all your help.