Birth story - Hannah and baby Ivy

I had an incredibly positive experience with my elective C Section and I’m sure it’s all thanks to the course I did with the Positive Birth Company. The course made me feel informed, empowered, and relaxed about all scenarios of pregnancy and birth.

Pregnancy:

I was incredibly lucky to have a super easy pregnancy. I had very few symptoms, except for feeling a little bit off my food in the first trimester. In the second and third trimester I had so much energy, which was probably a good thing as I was trying to organise my wedding and moving countries to join my husband in Italy (based there with the armed forces). I was so surprised by how “normal” and active I felt the whole way through. In fact, I ended up booking myself in for several private scans as I couldn’t believe I was pregnant, and there she was - wriggling around even though I couldn’t feel her yet! As time went on, I began to feel lots of kicks down in my crotch area, and at my 32 week appointment I had a scan (to check low lying placenta) and they confirmed my suspicions that she was breech. I then moved to Italy to join husband and tried everything to turn her - swimming every day, yoga, inversions, and I lived on my birth ball. Tried the frozen peas trick too but all to no avail - I could still feel those kicks downstairs and the head high up.

I bought the PBC course around week 12 having heard so many wonderful things about Hypnobirthing. I was determined to have a calm, Unmedicated birth using all the techniques set out by the course, and spent a lot of time practicing my breathing and listening to positive affirmations. Because I moved countries and was in the care of the military, a home birth wasn’t an option so I went to the hospital to have a look round. The staff were incredible and at my first appointment with them they wanted to hear all about my birth plan. They scanned me at 37 weeks and confirmed she was still breech. They offered the ECV but the doctor told me it was unlikely to work because of a few factors (low amniotic fluid, position of placenta, and she had super long legs!). Because I’d read so much into “natural c sections”, and the hospital were so attentive, I used my BRAIN and decided I was happy to book myself in for a planned C Section, so we chose the 16th September as that was my husbands mums birthday.

Birth:

Wow, what a surreal experience. It felt dreamlike. I was a little nervous that morning but kept repeating positive affirmations and telling myself I was going to meet my baby soon. I used UP breathing to help me through the “scary” bits (for me I was dreading the IV being put in), and the breathing was sooo useful as they were putting my spinal in, especially as I wasn’t with my husband at that point. With spinal in I was laid down, and the nerves ramped up a little, but the breathing helped me relax and I kept telling myself that I was going to meet my baby soon. My husband came in and sat beside me, and then they started! Within 2 minutes they lowered the curtain (as I requested) and I was able to see them lift my gorgeous little daughter out. I was so in love straight away They brought her to me and helped me have skin to skin straight away, and even helped me to get her latched on for her first feed as they were stitching me up. I didn’t even notice what they were doing as I couldn’t stop staring at our daughter.

Recovery has been so much quicker than expected. We were home within 48 hours and within a few days I was back on my feet.

I am so thankful to PBC for giving me the skills to have a relaxed, informed and empowered birth. It gave me the tools to help me stay calm, and all the information I gained meant that I felt in control of my own birth and felt confident telling the hospital my requests.

Little Ivy Elizabeth is such a happy, relaxed baby and we are so in love.