After many hospital trips and going back and forward with the midwife’s/doctors we decided that induction at 39 weeks was the best route to go down. We were offered it sooner, but we kept strong and questioned what would be the actual benefits for both myself and Sophia for doing it any earlier. Once everyone was in agreement we opted for induction at 39 weeks, we decided that the balloon was the best route to go down based on a few factors. So on Monday I went into hospital to have the balloon inserted. I went in at 11am, after checking over Sophia’s heart rate they wanted to monitor things a bit further before the balloon was inserted. At 2pm they inserted the balloon, I wasn’t allowed to go home with this like some people are because I was 39 weeks and they wanted to monitor Sophia due to the growth and her heart rate/movements. I got moved to a bay and just tried to relax and take the next stage at it came. I was having tightenings but nothing major and I was coping with them, they had me hooked up monitoring Sophia and I just lay with my headphones in and listened to my audios until kieran came in to visit. We then just sat and chatted and relaxed. At 2am I was taken to down labour ward where they were going to burst my waters so they phoned kieran and told him to head in. Once we were settled in the room they examined me and broke my waters. I thought maybe by this point I would have been about 3cm dilated, which when they examined me and broke my waters they confirmed I was 3cms which going by how I coped with my first labour I was on track. It gave me peace comparing it to the early stages of my first labour because I knew if I could progress that much the first time I could do it again even although I was in the hospital instead of at home. Once they broke my waters we were all in agreement that they would give me 4 hours to see if my contractions would come on themselves and I would dilate without needing the drip. So the next 4 hours felt so important to me. I tried different positions, birthing ball, listened to my favourite music, going walks around the corridors to try and engage babies head while staying calm. Those 4 hours were tough emotionally and mentally. My contractions got very intense but I kept breathing, I coped. In my head I thought yea this is deffo working stay positive. In my head I thought I’m absolutely dilating there’s no way I haven’t progressed. 4 hours had passed and they examined me where they told me I hadn’t progressed there was little change I was 4cm dilated. I felt like the last 4 hours had been for nothing. After speaking with kieran and accepting the news we decided to let them put me on the drip. At 8am the drip started, my contractions started ramping up even more they were very intense but again I kept breathing, we put my headphones in and listened to the audios again. I kept telling myself it would all be okay. They attached me to the monitors to monitor Sophia while the drip was in. During some contractions her heart rate was dipping, they monitored us closely. There was someone in the room the whole time which wasn’t part of the plan however I knew it was for Sophia’s best interest. At 9:15am they came to us and explained the situation and said they think it would be best to take me to theatre and let Sophia have her entrance to the world as she wasn’t really coping during the contractions. My whole world crumbled. I looked over at kieran and he knew just how I felt and I knew how he felt. In that moment I can’t even bring the words to describe how I felt. They left the room and kieran said it’s all going to be okay we have got this. My contractions were still coming and I said I honestly think she’s close I can feel it. I kept breathing through every contraction, at 9:35am one of the midwife’s arrived back into the room and were standing at the monitor and explained the other midwife had went for a tea break and it gives us some time to just make sure Sophia is alright and I’m alright. 9:40am I said to the midwife during a contraction I really need a pee and she said it’s okay just pee, and I said to kieran, I need to push and kieran said to the midwife can you have a look and check things, the midwife examined me and said okay Hayley your babies head is right here let’s get her here. We were all in disbelief. No one seen it coming. She ran out the room to get the things she needed and tried to get the other midwife back in. A contraction came I shouted to kieran I needed to push and just as I finished my sentence she ran back into the room and told me to push. Babies head was out, she told me not to push and that baby was coming all on her own and to keep breathing and whatever I had been doing is working, the next contraction came I pushed and she was here. 9:57am she entered the world and was placed onto my chest. The relief I felt was instant. I couldn’t believe she was here and it was completely natural. The only pain relief I had was the techniques you taught me and for that I can’t explain how grateful I am. My baby girl arrived and we all got home the same day. It wasn’t the birth I had planned but I can hand on heart say, the outcome was the best outcome from the situation we were in and I honestly believe if it wasn’t for my breathing techniques and learning how to stay calm and listen to your body I would have ended up in theatre. Some people may disagree but I honestly feel so strongly about that.

From the bottom of my heart Kieran and I want to thank you for all your help and support. You went above and beyond to communicate and give extra support and information to us when we needed it the most. The way you’ve went out your way not only during our sessions but even after them has been outstanding, you have 2 kids yourself and a family to look after yet you were still there at all hours supporting us during our decisions and that honestly means the world.

Thank you so much, I am so glad our paths crossed and I stepped out my comfort zone to try this. I’ve gained so much information and I can hands on say my birthing experience is one I’ll treasure even although it didn’t go exactly to plan. I got the same outcome.

-Hayley

• A truly mesmerising story showing the power of using Hypnobirthing techniques to cope with difficult situations in birth as well as the importance of being in tune with and listening to your body. We don’t all follow the same pattern and things can change very quickly. Trust your intuition.

On the Wednesday night I spent it tidying up, going for a bath, watching love island & at 10pm I felt a little pop with a gush of water. I was told to come in just as precautionary due to only being 34+5, and having lost my mucus plug a few days prior, to check if it defo was my waters breaking as I wasn’t in pain. I had literally just ordered my hospital bag that and completed my first draft of my birthing preferences & sent to Kelly and day, so had a temp hospital bag & no copy of birthing preferences to give the hospital.

I was told I wasn’t going to get my preference of birth so had to rethink my plan quickly. I repeatedly had the word “induction” thrown at me which I was completely against and started to feel completely overwhelmed and lost myself between 12.30-2am. At around 01.30, I was still only 2cm - majorly defeated demanding I was taking for a c-section there & then as I wasn’t doing it anymore. I couldn’t focus on any breathing techniques due to having myself in such an overwhelmed state. I was reminded of all the work we had practiced during hypnobirthing, the options I do have rather than don’t have and that we are going to see our boy soon which is the main goal. After that, the midwife and doctor came in (both completely on board with hypnobirthing over medication intervention which made such the difference) reminded me I didn’t want the interventions I was calling out for and to gather my thoughts and get back into breathing together as a group, which we did. After 2 hours of constant overwhelmed surges, I accepted morphine and started my visualisations.

Shortly after the morphine kicked in, my mindset changed, my body just started to take over, I got up and moved about, got on the ball, got a sleep and watched my birthing partner sleep, rode the surges and started to enjoy them and focused on what my new birth was going to look like.

Over the next few hours, my surges had slowed (or so we thought), I was watching TikTok’s, wandering about the room, was told given the change calmness of me, I should expect that things had slowed down as my pain and demeanour had changed so much they didn’t expect me to be more than 2cm. At 7.30am, the doctor done an examination and confirmed we were over 6cm and were entering active labour.

I phoned my second birthing partner to tell her to come up and she arrived at 8.15am. I was sat up with my midwife & birthing partners, we laughed and had the best morning joking around riding the surges as they came in using only gas & air, taking pics, everyone was in such a relaxed mindset.

I had a check by my midwife at 09.30/10am, who laughed as she examined me as I was lying up on bed eating crisps and joking away completely oblivious that I was 10cm dilated. I had managed to progress so quickly and effectively not being in uncontrollable pain what so ever. Apart from the morphine in the early hours, I had only used gas & air, I just let my body take over & control what it could and focused on my breathing & visualisations which helped me progress on without me really noticing or being in pain.

I had started down breathing when I could and just riding the surges, up & moving about as much as possible, trying to keep a high morale. At 13.00, I wasn’t progressing the way I had hoped, my body was starting to get tired and I was unable to pass urine so was uncomfortable. At 13.15 I had an examination and my bladder emptied and my baby was sitting behind my bone so I just needed to try focus on getting him round that bend, I put all my efforts in getting my body into position, my down breathing, keeping my positive attitude but I could feel my body getting tired and my morale dramatically changing which I knew was going to halt my labour full stop. I had to then weigh up what was best for me and the baby vs what my “ ideal birth” would be. I had been actively in the 2nd stage of labour for 3 and a half hours, with a premature baby who was already at high risk and slightly stuck so I did what I felt was best in that moment.

I was offered a section which I repeatedly refused and asked what else I could have, they were a bit hesitant but offered forceps making it clear that it would be a section straight away if it didn’t happen so I agreed. I was utterly deflated, crying my eyes out wondering where I went wrong from having such a successful first stage to not progressing. I got ready, went to surgery where I got an epidural & foreceps surgery delivery.

After 2 pushes, my beautiful boy was born safely via a forceps delivery, which turned out to be the only way he likely would’ve made it out given he was stuck behind a bone so listening to my body I made the right decision. I took the time to reflect in recovery and reminded myself how much I enjoyed my morning, my second stage of delivery didn’t go as planned but I was adaptable and went into surgery fear free and now don’t have any regrets as I knew I done the correct thing, given the shock and time pressures I was under

My main worry about birthing and labour was the fear of the unknown & the pain. I think in total I was in pain for a total of 4-5 hours throughout my 16 hour labor, it wasn’t back to back nor was it unbearable or felt like 16 hours (it was when I was worked up and had lost the control that I had) I was faced with constant fear of the unknown and unexpected changes. I felt I discussed all options as they came to me, stood my ground against inductions, was fully informed of my options & enjoy the surges and the time I had.

-Jodie

• A wonderful story that shows birth CAN be enjoyable and that with the assistance of Hypnobirthing, you can keep your pain levels comfortable. Birth can throw us some curveballs, but Hypnobirthing helps you adopt that flexible mindset enabling you make informed choices when you need to.

Just after midnight, at 37 weeks+6 days, I went to bed, felt a little trickle down my leg. Got up, went to the toilet, peed, still trickling down my leg. Continued to have a constant trickle! Put on pants and a pad and went to sleep. Was woken up by my tummy tightening every 30-40 minutes. Was quite uncomfortable but was breathing through, sitting up and wriggling trying to find a comfortable way to sit! Consistent every 20-40 minutes until 9am and everything just stopped!

I have my own shop so I was desperate to know if it was my waters or not as if it wasn’t I was planning on going to work the next day. I called the hospital and went in. I was very against examination or anything to be honest! Anyway, I sat up on the bed and gave a little cough, soaked the entire bed and was told it was 100% my waters. Still no further tightenings or anything at all (now 4pm) so I returned some curtains to Dunelm and went to my mums for a big dinner for fuel! I was offered all sorts of intervention at the hospital but refused. I agreed to go back that night at 11pm for monitoring of baby. Everything was fine. Nurse was insisting on induction or a sweep but again refused as I didn’t want my body to be forced to do something it didn’t want to do yet! Went home, bounced on ball, built pram, sat in nursery - tried to build oxytocin levels. Until I thought wtf am I doing- I should try and sleep!! So off I went to bed (too excited to sleep!!) and before I knew it I was awake with more waves (contractions).

The next day, at 38weeks, I was contracting every 20 minutes or so through the whole night. Got down to 12 mins at around 4.30am and woke my boyfriend up to blow the pool up. I was between the bed, couch toilet, everywhere! I had the tens machine on too now. I was having waves every 8ish minutes. I tried to go in the shower as I’d read so many people found the warm water helpful… we had ran out of gas and had no hot water so the shower was terrible haha. Off went my bf to the shop to fill up the meter and then the boiler had restarted so the whole birthing pool was filled with the kettle, pots and pans 😀!!

It 😀 took 😀 forever 😀 now 12noon-

I was on my knees over my bed taking turns on the ball to give my knees a rest. I was hot and cold, naked, blanket on and then off! Breathing through all my waves which were now maybe 5 minutes apart and lasting sometimes over 1 minute. Midwife number 1 arrived and sat with me in my bedroom. My birth plan basically said leave me alone so after introducing herself and letting me know she was there if I needed anything, she just got on with her work but was next to me if I needed her. Shortly after midwife 2 arrived (a student) I would encourage anyone who is offered to let a student be present! I loved having her there. My eyes were shut the whole time but she was so lovely and her presence was calming. It was her first home birth and I know she will go on to be a fantastic midwife! I tried the gas&air but it made me feel terrible and dizzy so I quickly went back to only the tens machine. I also had a wave comb. FINALLY- the pool was filled. I got into the pool and instantly felt better in the warm water. I noticed in the pool the transition from waves to pushing. I had a moment (as my KGH hypnobirthing course told me I might) where I was like get him out what can we do!!

This part was very different to what I imagined. I was applying all my learned techniques. I was screaming the house down but it just came naturally. I did want to shut up but I couldn’t! I was trying so hard to hypnobirth my way through this all, I started to feel like I was failing as I was so exhausted mentally and physically as well as feeling extreme discomfort, everywhere!

I pushed in the pool for 2 hours and nothing was happening. Midwife 1- Carrie said why don’t we go and sit on the toilet! So I did, along with my trusty wave comb which had been stabbed into my hand for hours now. Nothing was happening on the toilet after another 20/30 minutes of pushing so she suggested we go on the move again! Towels were all set up on my couch. I was soooo against lying on my back so I lay at a really weird angle with 1 fist under my bum to prop me up and of course the wave comb in my other hand. My boyfriend was holding one leg and the midwife holding another. Carrie told me to focus completely on pushing down and to do it silently. The problem was my contractions weren’t long enough to get a proper push. She suggested a cut to perhaps help and I think that was the only motivation I needed. No thanks no way! So I knew I needed to give it everything in the next one. I did! And a head FINALLY appeared. It came along with a fist and I had tried to push so much it was a mad shape.

I knew there was something wrong as I slightly opened my eyes and seen my boyfriends face. I asked for a mirror and was shocked at how his head looked. The assured me it would go down and it was very normal. I didn’t have another wave for what felt like ages!! Maybe 4/5 minutes so his head was just there until finally one last push and he all came out. 7.35pm.

We immediately had skin to skin and I just cried. I couldn’t believe it. I was in complete shock, in a good way, but still very overwhelmed. I needed stitches so unfortunately, we had to go to the hospital after a few hours.

Off the 3 of us went with my legs shaking, leggings on back to front and a t shirt on inside out 😍 the midwives (3 in total) cleared up everything. The house was left exactly how they found it. Although I didn’t want or plan for Abel to come on the couch, he did and there was not a single mark on it. I do not know what I would have done without the midwives there. They were absolutely wonderful and respected all my birthing plan wishes. We did not get vitamin K injection, we chose the 3 dose oral alternative. No blood was taken from Abel when he was born, we took it from the cord (I am rhesusneg)

The cord was cut when it was fully white and had stopped pulsating. I had originally wanted a physiological 3rd stage. However, when baby was in my arms, I was so exhausted I believe my exact words were “I’m done, give me the injection!” It was all very easy and quick.

I would one million percent have another home birth. I loved being in my own house, I did feel much more relaxed and it didn’t feel like a clinical, medical environment or event. It felt natural, calmly chaotic and very us.

I was devastated I had to stay in hospital for 24h obs with Abel as his temperature was borderline low. It wasn’t the image I had in my head of the 3 of us going to bed together. However, better safe than sorry. I feel so lucky to have brought my baby into the world safely and healthily in our own home (even if I did move in the week before and there were bags and boxed everywhere!) I would recommend the wave comb highly, it was a distraction if nothing else. I had no other pain relief apart from the 3 blasts of g&a which I immediately regretted. Although, biting on it also helped and I did do a lot of biting in the pool.

I felt really quiet for a good few days after. I think my body was still in complete shock and I was sore and swollen. It’s okay to feel anything you feel after birth. We are all different and your body goes through a lot. I didn’t know you could ask for a birth debrief, which has helped. It’s good to know the options you have and it’s there if anybody wants to ask for it. Thank you for reading if you got this far, we are completely in love with our little babe and feel blessed beyond belief ✨

-Lyndsey

• A super inspiring story showing how incredible an experience a home birth can be. Lyndsey was a first time mum, but she wasn’t put off by this and put all her strength into preparation and working with her body during birth. It’s also another story that shows that life (even birth!) can have bumps in the road and it’s so important to be in a calm state of mind so you can be un-phased by these and find new ways to work around it to still have the experience you want!