I just wanted to say a big thank you, I feel like our sessions prepared us both really well, and I actually did get the best birth that I could hope for!
I think my contractions started during the Wednesday night, and my waters went on Thursday morning. Although I had contractions all day, life was hectic with the girls/my mum being in the house and I just knew the environment was exactly what I didn’t need! By that evening I went into hospital to be checked on the CTG and they said they would book me for an induction at 10am on the Friday as it would have been over 24 hours since my waters had broken. That night I finally had the space and peace to be alone and my contractions continued but were still manageable. I went back into hospital early Friday morning as I was concerned that there was some blood in my waters but they checked me and the baby with CTG and all was well. They thought they would continue with the plan to induce me later that morning but while I was waiting, my contractions suddenly ramped up and M was born 30 mins later! I nearly didn’t make it into the labour room as it took me ages to walk down the corridor from the maternity day assessment unit and suddenly got the urge to push while I was walking! I’m not sure whether I/they didn’t realise that I was in active labour or whether it was genuinely that quick or whether I just felt like the contractions were manageable, but I feel like had I not done the course with you I probably would have just gone to bed and accepted my fate of being induced in the morning, with perhaps a very different outcome. I knew that I needed to stay up and help keep the contractions going and actually felt very calm and positive despite my previous experiences.
The course was definitely empowering and I’m so glad I did it. There was so little drama about it being a VBAC too, except that they insisted on the continuous foetal monitoring - though by the time I got to the labour room she was so low in my pelvis they could only pick up her heart beat by holding the monitor on my pelvis! They also only did one vaginal exam, when they realised that I was in active labour, and hearing that they could only see the head did help motivate me that she was nearly here! I’m not sure I even saw my midwives face until after baby was delivered as I had totally zoned out! I think your course really helped my husband appreciate how to help me too, especially giving me the space to stay up on my own to feel unobserved etc.
She is a perfect 6lb8 baby and my recovery has been so much easier this time. I feel so lucky to have had a pretty perfect birth and am very grateful for your help in achieving that.
Thank you so much!
I've been lucky enough to prepare many people for a positive birth experience, including this lovely couple who did a Private Hypnobirthing Course at their home in January 2023.