Kirsty and Ryan

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I found out in January 2019 that we were expecting our first baby.

We’d been trying for a while and were so desperately waiting for

that positive result. But I’ve always hated hospitals and am an all

round worrier, so straight away the thought of giving birth made

me really anxious.

It wasn’t just the labour that scared me, but the thought of the

whole process leading up to it too. I spent the first part of my pregnancy panicking about everything and worrying about things that would likely never even happen.

My friend at work recommended hypnobirthing and I was quite sceptical at first. But I was really determined to embrace and enjoy my pregnancy and upcoming labour so I thought I’d give it a go.

I’d started to relax straight after our first session. Hayley allowed me to be completely open about what it was that frightened me, and she gave me alternative ways of thinking about those things and dealing with my fears.

Once we completed the course I felt so much calmer and in control. I was enjoying my pregnancy and was no longer scared at the thought of birthing my baby. Hayley had talked to us about our birth preferences and helped us understand all the options, so we both felt much more confident.

I followed all of Hayley’s advice in an attempt to prepare my mind and body for the labour as best I could. The hypnobirthing recordings really helped and we would listen to them each night in bed.

Around 2am on 26th September (3 days before due date), my contractions started. Both my husband and I had decided we wanted to stay at home as long as we could in an attempt to stay as relaxed as possible. I started using my breathing techniques and ran myself a bath. I took a couple of paracetamol after a couple of hours, but still felt I was able to largely manage the contractions just by concentrating on my breathing. This was something I was never sure would work for me, but it absolutely did.

We arrived at the hospital around 7.15am. While I knew at this time that I would be happier at hospital, I didn’t really believe I could be that far in to my labour as I was still able to deal with it quite well just by using my breathing. Once I was examined I was told I was 8cm dilated and only a couple of hours away from delivering our baby. I got straight in to the birthing pool and continued using the breathing techniques. I did try gas and air but didn’t like it, so carried on breathing through it.

Our son was born at 9.42am and I can honestly say it was a calm and positive birthing experience.

Thank you Hayley and Love Mama for helping us to make this possible xx

 

 

Imogen and Rob

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When I got pregnant I really wanted to understand what my body was going through and how I was actually going to manage giving birth at the end of it. I attended a few classes to learn about pregnancy and then heard about Hypnobirthing. A few friends had recommended it and I was always interested in mindfulness so thought it would be worth a try. Anything that might help me out!

From the first season I was amazed how much me and my husband loved it. It was an amazing time to spend together as a couple focused on growing and birthing our baby. It really helped my husband feel like he had a role in the pregnancy and even though if felt odd doing breathing and visualisations a times we both found that it really helped. We would practice at home when we had the time and it brought us closer together and feeling more in control. 

I was in labour from about 10am - 6pm before my contractions were strong enough to go to hospital. During this time I think the techniques we both learnt helped me and my husband remain relatively calm. I think it helped my husband feel a bit more useful in a situation where there isn’t much he can do. I arrived at hospital at about 7pm and was 5cm dilated. I was able to use the birthing pool as I had hoped and successfully delivered my daughter within 3 hours. Although this was the hardest part of my labour the breathing techniques me and my husband learnt helped me focus and stay calm. My husband knew what to do when I got scared and we worked as a team with only the necessary input from the midwives. I only used gas and air for pain relief and managed to get away with no stitches.

 

I feel so lucky to have had an opportunity to learn skills to help me get through one of the most amazing experiences in my life. I was incredibly hard but I don’t think it would have been such a smooth and calm journey if it wasn’t for everything my husband and I learned in hypnobirthing. I still even use some of the skills now in my day to day life with my daughter!

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Leanne and Adrian

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‘High risk, planned caesarean, special care baby unit’ are absolutely not the words you want to hear when pregnant with your first baby. But for us and so many other parents-to-be, sometimes the curveballs just keep coming. But persistent curveballs don’t have to mean a negative birth experience. Honest!

When I became unwell during my pregnancy and the consultant had some concerns about the baby’s growth we booked a c-section. I was naturally concerned but I knew I had the opportunity to focus on the things I could control and embrace the excitement of meeting our baby.

But as with many things baby related, it got a little unpredictable! My waters released three days before the planned c-section and I ended up in hospital sooner than expected. I still had a section and it was the most incredible experience.

 

Both myself and my husband felt a little apprehensive in theatre but we were relaxed enough to joke with the anaesthetist and really enjoy the buzz and anticipation of the moment. The whole team were completely professional and the atmosphere was calm. 

Best of all, within just minutes we were snuggling our perfect newborn. Thankfully, she didn’t need special care in the end and we were home just 24 hours later to continue the snuggling.

Hypnobirthing gave me the confidence to embrace our unique situation, take each ‘challenge’ in our stride and draw joy from meeting our baby - however she made her entrance in the world.

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