Hospital Birth – 2nd Sept 13

Posted on November 24, 2013 by admin

This is a very personal post as it is about the arrival of my gorgeous nephew:

Here is Suzi’s story …..

Before my husband and I were trying for a baby the idea of giving birth filled me with fear, I even had to turn over when ‘one born every minute’ was on in case it put me off for life! When the miracle moment happened and we went for our 12 week scan and saw the little one in my belly, I knew it was time to face up to the inevitable. Luckily my wonderful sister in law was on hand who had experienced an amazing birth the year previous, and introduced us to Hypnobirthing.

A little sceptical at first, I kept an open mind and started to read the Hypnobirthing book – two chapters in and I had already bought in; the theory that fear could counteract everything that the body and birthing muscles were trying to do, did make total sense.

We began to see Lee our Hynobirthing instructor at 28 weeks and she guided us through the relaxation and breathing techniques. She also filled us with the confidence and the knowledge to make sure we would have the best possible birth experience. With much practise behind us, we approached the final weeks of pregnancy and began to look forward to the day rather than fear it. We opted to have our baby at our local hospital where they had two water birth rooms, and so my birth plan was written – I would have a water birth, without pain relief, interventions and ‘instructions’ from the midwives, and use the Hypnobirthing techniques with the support from my husband to let my body do what nature intended. The only lingering question – would the hospital environment allow us this experience considering the stats for births without medical interventions in our modern day hospitals would suggest this was unlikely?

So, this is how the story goes… the evening before my due date, after consuming a spicy curry, my waters break (very cliché!), I have mild surges shortly after and the hospital call me in to be assessed. At 12am they are stronger and frequent so I start to listen to my music and use the breathing techniques, I am relaxed and in control, so much so that the midwife ensures me that ‘I would know it’ if I was in labour and suggests we may be going home shortly. She examines me and we are not going anywhere apart from the water birthing room! I birth and deliver my baby in the water as I had planned, I was not examined further or instructed, and we were left by the midwives to birth as I and my husband had intended. Although this was my first pregnancy, my body told me when I was entering the final stages and needed to ‘breath’ the baby down. I didn’t speak or open my eyes for nearly the entire time and the only voice I heard was my husband’s.

Our beautiful baby boy arrived 7 hours after getting to the hospital, and in such a calm atmosphere that the head midwife stayed past the end of her shift just to see him arrive! That is our story, that was our plan and this is what I believe is nature’s intent.

Welcome to the world Sidney Jack!

Hospital Birth – 06-Sept-12

Posted on May 12, 2013 by admin

Here is Pippa’s story …..

My son was born in 2010 after over three hours of pushing. He was born in the water, which is what I wanted but I sustained a third degree tear and felt like I’d been hit by a truck afterwards. Muscles I didn’t know I had ached! When I was pregnant with my daughter and thinking about the kind of birth I wanted I knew that this time needed to be different.

I remember chatting to my partner a week before our daughter was born and telling him that I didn’t want to push this time. He looked slightly bemused by this but I knew what I meant. I knew that this time I would listen to my body’s impulses and work with them, I didn’t realise what I had to do with my son which I feel led to inefficient pushing and the tear.

When I went into labour I was 9cm dilated when we arrived at hospital. I found a position which helped me to deal with contractions (standing with my arms against the wall and leaning my head on them) and managed well until I could get into the pool. I used gas and air when I was in the pool and, instead of pushing, just breathed down with each contraction. I really feel like my body, and my baby, worked together to deliver her. The only push I gave was to free her body and allow her to swim up to meet us. My partner remarked on how quiet I was. I remember being inside my own mind for most of the time, I feel that I could have done it on my own as both the midwife and my partner were really peripheral. I absolutely got the birth I wanted after the struggle of my son’s. I felt absolutely euphoric afterwards!

I have a beautifully calm, relaxed little girl who has always been an easy baby. I am sure that her lovely birth has contributed to this. While I didn’t formally undertake hypnobirthing I do believe that many of the techniques I used are part of it .and, were I to have any more children, I would definitely be finding out more.

Pippa’s gorgeous daughter arrived safely into the world weighing 9lbs 3.5oz.

Hypnobirth – 21-Sept-12

Posted on January 20, 2013 by admin

Inspiring birth story from Clair J …..

I was 38 weeks pregnant and had only been on maternity leave for one week when I was in the living room tidying up and looked down and found my feet in a pool of water! I instantly thought it was my waters and luckily the midwife was due to come and see me later that morning. She advised to go for a walk and labour might start in a couple of days. Nothing had happend overnight or the next day and so I went to Good Hope Hospital to get checked out. I was advised that it wasn’t my waters and so went home. The two days that followed that visit to the hospital I had started to loose the “plug” and so was positive labour was going to happen in the next few days – which it did roughly around 7pm Thursday 20th September. My surges had no pattern to them initially until much later that night. When by 5am they were every 15- 20 mins. During that night I tried to get as much rest as possible. By 9am the next morning I felt I needed to go to the hospital just to get checked out really and to make sure this was really labour! They told me I was 2-3cm and to go home. Once home I drank water/lucazade and ate toast only. I walked around alot, used the gym ball (which was great because it took the pressure off my back) and concentrated on breathing techniques. My husband was very supportive and we used the techniques we had learned during the hypnobirthing class. We were both relaxed at home in our own environment and so my labour progressed and my surges were coming every 6-7 mins by 8pm.

We were back at Good Hope by 8.30-8.45 where I was assessed and was 5-6cm and considered to be in established labour and so was admitted. I was put on a heart monitor because they were a bit concerned about baby’s heartrate being a little high but I was only on there for 40 mins and everying seemed fine. I planned on a waterbirth and so the midwife then went off to prepare the pool for me. Before getting into the pool the midwife examined me and found she could feel baby’s head and asked if I wanted her to break my waters which she did, the surges then became alot stronger. Unfortunately my waters were green and so she advised baby had a bowel movement and so I was not able to get into the pool. Around 10.30 I was using gas and air through my surges which were every minute and lasting one minute. My body took over and I started breathing the baby out. Before I knew it baby’s head was out and was told one last good push would do it …and so baby Toby Elliot was born Friday 21 September at 11.24 weighing 7Ibs 12 oz.

I would strongly recommend moms-to-be to explore hypnobirthing and take classes. As a first time mom I had watched birthing programmes such as ‘One Born Every Minute’ and attended the NHS anenatal classes which gave me alot of information but hypnobirthing gave me so much more knowledge and power in order for me to cope with my birth which was invaluable and a positive experience!

One Born Every Minute – Birth Choices

Posted on January 15, 2013 by admin

2013 has seen the start of the fourth series of One Born Every Minute on Channel 4. For those that haven’t seen it, the series records the highs, the lows and new lives beginning on two busy labour wards in Leeds: Leeds General Infirmary and St. James’s Hospital.

There is no doubt that it is compelling television but I suspect that a lot of the birth stories selected are chosen based on the background story, rather than the actual birth. So when did giving birth become more about gratuitous viewing than a gorgeous gift?

One Born Every Minute looks at the drama and emotion of a maternity unit, from the perspective of the parents-to-be and the maternity ward staff. There is absolutely no question that the staff are excellent (and at times, highly amusing) but demonstrating medical intervention and simply quite graphic imagery isn’t always the best way to relax and prepare mums to be.

I know a lot of parents who choose not to watch the programme for that very reason.

Having had both a hospital and home birth, I can honestly see the benefits of both choices but ultimately that is what it is. Modern medicine is amazing and we are truly grateful for the advances made but women have been giving birth since the beginning of time. The Rose Diaries are definitely not suggesting that people who choose or indeed need medical intervention are in anyway wrong, we are merely stating that prime time television choose to demonstrate the more dramatic side of birth.

We are here to even the balance. Its all about choice isn’t it?