Birth Stories

My second pregnancy was a strange one. After a really positive first birth of my beautiful Albie I had this weird niggling feeling that "I couldnt get that lucky twice" "I couldnt have TWO amazing birth experiences" the whole way through my pregnancy I was carrying fear that this birth would ruin my first experience, I would have the horrible time EVERYONE else I spoke to talked about and all the positive memories I had from Albies birth would vanish!
6 weeks before due date my fear was at its peak. I was struggling physically with the weight of my bump and I had lost all confidence in my body to achieve another positive birth.
Thats where Kate came in. After doing her hypnobirthing course first time round I realised I could change the direction of this birth and the last few weeks of pregnancy. I started listening to the relaxed birth MP3 and twice a day listened to the Fear Release MP3. This one was the real gamechanger. It forced me to really pinpoint what it was that I was fearing and LET IT GO.
By the time my due date came around I was feeling ready. I knew I could do this and I trusted my body.
After a week of on/off contractions I had a sweep on due date. This triggered my contractions so I tried to ride that wave. I walked home from my sweep listening to Kate's MP3s. I bounced, I bathed and kept those contractions coming. By midnight I was really in the thick of labour. As we left the house for the hospital my waters broke and it was 100% go time. We arrived at the hospital and after a check I was told I was 4cm. I went for a walk around the hallways but rushed back 30mins later to let the midwives know baby was coming. We got to labour ward at around 2am switched on the relaxed birth MP3 and got going. It all happened so fast after that. I let my body relax and slowly guided our beautiful baby into the world. It was even more magical than my first birth, my body was working with me not against me and all 9lb 10 of our Baby Teddy was born with barely a push. No tearing, no stitches just our perfect baby boy. The midwife delivering him could not believe how our birth panned out and nor could we. We really owe both our birth stories to you Kate. Your voice grounds me, brings me back to a calm state, you fill me with confidence that my body can and will birth my babies naturally and calmly. You have given me the greatest gift and second time around meant I can be back on my feet ENJOYING being a mum of 2 quickly and comfortably. THANK YOU KATE from the bottom of my heart. These birth memories will be with me forever. 

Lauren

Hi Kate! Just to let you know that little Arthur arrived early hours of Friday weighing 9lbs. I birthed him at home in living room without any pain relief. I just used my breathing and positive affirmations. I was 3 days overdue and just trying to stay nice and calm and busy. Tom and I went for dinner Thursday night and when we got back I started having some cramping and lower back pain. At 10pm my contractions were about 8 minutes apart and getting very intense and I had to breathe through them using Tom as a support to lean on. At 2am I got into the birthing pool though my midwife had to encourage me to try different positions as I was getting tired and stiff from pushing. In the end I got out of the pool and delivered him in the lounge whilst standing and leaning on Tom. After he came out we waited for white and had lovely skin to skin though due to a tear and some blood loss we were transferred to hospital for suturing I totally went into the zone during birth and Tom was an excellent birthing partner. I was home a few hours later and am loving being in a newborn bubble! Baby is feeding well and I’m recovering well post-birth xxx

Thank you for all your help and encouragement, it really did make all the difference!!

Siwan

Dear Kate

I just wanted to write to let you know that our daughter, Sofia, was born on Sunday 29th November.

My birth experience was very positive and I am so grateful to you and to hypnobirthing for helping me to have such a positive experience to birth my daughter naturally with no medical intervention or drugs, which was very important to me. 

Early labour started at 3am on Friday with contractions every 15 minutes, but these were very manageable and I walked, bounced on the birthing ball and listened to the relaxation music to keep me focused and relaxed. On Saturday the contractions continued every 15 minutes or so but were much stronger and so I started using the tens machine to help and took a couple of paracetamol. 

On Saturday evening at about 8pm we went to get checked at the hospital. Sofia was monitored and the midwife then said she would check to see how dilated I was but said that I would most likely have to go home as I was far too calm and that contractions were too irregular (my water hadn't broken yet, which is what I had been waiting for). She was VERY surprised that I was 4cm dilated and in established labour and off we went to the birth centre.  I was fully dilated about an hour and a half later (another surprise for the midwife) and when I told her I felt like I needed to push she told me to do whatever felt right, which is exactly what I then did. About two hours later Sofia was born. Her head did get stuck and towards the end the midwife was suggesting taking me through to the labour ward, but that only gave me the final burst of energy needed to birth her and she came out all in one go! 

The whole way through she was monitored and her heart rate was always completely normal and showed no signs of stress. She did cry very loudly on arrival but then settled quite quickly and had 9 and then 10 on the apgar scale. 

I was so proud of myself for being able to give birth naturally and although it wasn't an easy experience, it was tiring and at times I felt that I couldn't go on, I did it and I know that it was because my mind stayed relaxed and focused on what I needed to do as well as listening to and allowing my body to do what it needed to do. I felt no fear or anxiety.

My husband was a tremendous help and support, reminding me to breath, using 3,2,1 relax and the calming breath exercise. The workshop we did with you was what made him feel confident enough to help me through the labour, and I'm so grateful he was there with me, keeping me going. It was an experience that I couldn't have gone through as positively without him.

It's a long email but I just wanted you to know how happy I am that it went as I had planned and that my recovery has been so fast.

Thank you so much. I will definitely be recommending your workshops and hypnobirthing.

All the best

Theresa

Hi Kate

I hope you are well! Just wanted to send you an update that our second son Charlie was born on 4th February (40+2 weeks) at 22.39 weighing 3.4kg and 52cm!

Everything went really well. I was doing the Hypnobirthing tape daily from about 36 weeks onwards, alternating with the relaxation tape and fear release tape. After 39 weeks I did two sessions of reflexology to speed things along naturally. The labour started around midnight between Saturday and Sunday, I started having mild contractions about every 30 mins. They lasted through the night and the following day. I was up as much as possible, we want for a long walk and shopping in the morning, and for another walk at about 5pm. At 7.30pm the contractions became regular every 5-10 mins, and more intense so I asked Amos to set up the tens-machine. That helped a lot with the pain but at 8.30pm we rang the hospital to ask for advice when should we come in. They said to wait until the contractions were every 2-3 minutes or if I can’t manage at home anymore. We waited another 30 minutes but then decided to go for a check. The contractions were more intense but still only 4-5 minutes apart. I was managing well with the breathing and tens. We got to the hospital around 9.30pm and got set up in the birthing suite. They decided to give me time to settle in before doing a check, as they suspected I was still in early stages of labour (maybe because I was breathing so calmly!). I kept walking around the room, listening to the Hypnobirthing song on loop, and during contractions I went on all fours leaning onto the chair. After about 40 minutes I felt the first urge to push so I asked Amos to call the midwife. She came in and decided to check me (for the first time), and turned out I was already 9cm dilated. I told Amos to go get the hospital back that we had left in the car as we thought they will send us back home…. But the midwife advised Amos that he should stay put - this won’t take long! Because I had had the 3rd degree tear during my last labour, I wasn’t allowed to have a water birth and I needed perineal support during the 2nd stage. Another midwife came in, I laid on my left side and when my body started pushing, I went along with it. They used warm flannels to stretch the tissue and I did have to hold back with the pushing urge a few times to give the tissue time to stretch. As he was coming out, he had his fists on the sides of his head, so the midwives made a quick decision to do an episiotomy towards the side to prevent further tear towards the back. He was born on the next contraction and luckily I didn’t have any tears. The second stage lasted 14 minutes and in total we were in the hospital for about an hour before he was born! I felt great after the labour, and was up on my feet as soon as the epi cut was stitched up. The baby was doing well and started feeding within 20 minutes of being born. I still can’t believe how well everything went. It was the labour that I was hoping to have! 

We wanted to say a big thank you for the course and all the advice you gave us. Hypnobirthing really is amazing. Even on the day of the labour I had some niggling doubts whether I can do this… but once the labour was happening, all that preparation kicked in and I was just concentrating on the breathing and letting my body take control. 

Kind regards

Paula, Amos, Maxie and baby Charlie

Hi Kate

I just wanted to let you know that our little Alice was born on Tuesday August 22nd, her due date! 

She was born in the hospital, I gave birth to her with no pain relief or interventions. The first part of the labour I was in the water but had to get out for the pushing stage.

I listened to your main hypnobirthing track on a loop throughout the contractions and used visualisations and it helped so much! That part was very calm and special, the bath was by the window and we were able to watch the sun rise over the mountains by lake Como! 

The pushing stage was far more intense than I expected after having had gas and air last time, I couldn't concentrate on the relaxation so put music on instead but still used visualisations as much as I could.

My midwife was amazing, she loved my visual birth plan! After Alice was born she didn't ask Dan to cut the cord until it had gone completely white, and I was left to have skin to skin bonding and breastfeeding straight away for at least 2 hours before she was weighed etc. All of this was because of the visual birth plan as I don't think its normal practice here so thank you for your advice on that. 

Thanks so much Kate your course made a huge difference for me!

Lucy, Dan, Dylan and Alice xx

Dear Kate, 

We're on day 5 and just reflecting on the labour. 

We played the hypnobirth mp3 two hours after contractions started and kept it on solidly until he was born two hours later. 

Sarah was completely in the zone from beginning to end, with no pain relief. We used breathing techniques and the course helped us preaper to mentally and took away the fear. For me, it was great to feel comfortable with a role where I could be there for Sarah and breathe with her. And I've continued to do so with Leo to calm him. 

Thank you so much. 

Best wishes,

Krisnah 

Hi Kate,

Hope you are well.

I am so happy to let you know that I welcomed a baby daughter on Monday 8th May. We have named her Penelope Rose. We are so in love with her.

I could not have got through the labour without using the techniques you taught us on the course. I managed to have a natural birth and only got on the gas and air when I was 10cm!

In the run up to my due date I listened to the mp3's each day and that really helped me to keep my anxiety at bay and to keep me feeling positive.

On the way to the hospital I was listening to the birthing script and I was completely zoned out and calm.

I'm so pleased that we did the course and would recommend to any mum's and dads to be!

Thanks again for all your help and support.

Louise & Steve x

Hi Kate, 

I hope you are well. I came on your one day course a couple of months ago. I just wanted to say thanks. 

My baby girl Amelie came early at 34 weeks. My waters broke a week before this and I was in hospital for a week. Due to an infection I couldn't have the water birth I wanted or give birth in the birthing centre. I only started listening to the hypnobirthing track every day a week before the birth in the hospital. 

I ended up being induced and once in the delivery room Harrie put on the hypnobirthing track and it was amazing how it helped me get into my zone. I gave birth two hours later with just gas and air. Everything about the birth was opposite to how I wanted it but the hypnobirthing really helped me stay calm and have the best birth I could. 

Thanks again 

Ziekelle 

Kate, 

I hope you're well?

Just to let you know I had baby Thomas on Saturday!

I had such a positive experience using the hypnobirthing techniques!

My Waters broke on Thursday night at 10pm and started contractions at 5am Friday morning. We Spent the day at home - went for a coffee in the morning and did 3 loads of washing! - then as afternoon progressed we made the living room dark and "mammal like!" and listened to the hypno birthing music and talks over and over until 7pm.  I was getting contractions every 5 to 3 min apart when we decided to go in - we got to the hospital around 8pm - they wouldn't let me go in the birthing suite as I almost over 24 hrs since my waters breaking.

Anyway they sent me home as I wasn't dilated at all! That was a bitter pill to swallow  - however we went home ran a bath and I sat in it - applying the 321 relax to all my contractions - in the dark for the next 1.5 hours whilst Andrew sat with me. The serious phase was well and truly upon us! 

When we arrived at the hospital, at 12am I was full dilated and ready to push! No time for any drugs! 

Whilst pushing they noticed Thomas' heart rate was dropping and the doctor wanted to ventouse him out - whilst the midwife said it was my monitor interfering with the baby's monitor.

I have to say the stuff we learned on the course really helped with this part as we felt strong enough and knowledgable to say "No"to the doctor and asked for more time (as we felt sure Thomas was ok - and I felt ok to carry on without help!)

My midwife was amazing and her belief in me helped tremendously in being able to deliver Thomas safe/happy and they way we wanted it to be.

Just knowing the phases and applying the techniques to the labour and getting him out was vital in making the whole process more manageable and controllable!

Kate thank you so much for your teaching!

Sam

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