Birth Story - Jade and baby Evie

Welcome to the world Evie

15th May, 23:29 at 7lb 3oz

My partner and I were skeptical about downloading the digital course as late as 38 weeks pregnant but thought it would definitely be worth the price tag - my birth preferences included no induction unless 17 days past the estimated due date and I had been quite fixed on this, followed by a water birth in the birth centre with minimal intervention but likelihood of pethidine (thought I had some terrible pain threshold especially with having numbing cream for tattoos previously!!)

So here goes.. at my routine 39 week appointment high protein flagged up in my urine and I was immediately sent down the hospital to have bloods taken & be monitored, I had declined any blood tests up until 36 weeks as I am completely petrified of them and it took me some time to build myself up to face them, using BRAIN I then agreed to the doctors advice of induction via pessary as early pre-eclampsia was detected.

The pessary was put in at 3am - I went over the up and down breathing videos from here to familiarise myself and surges began lightly at 3pm, they became more powerful at around 5pm where I went and had a bath and some Paracetamol and by 9pm I was on the labour ward, advised by the midwife that the pool was not the best place for me due to higher risk of a seizure I delivered on the bed (not as I'd initially hoped) at 11:29pm with gas and air and amazing breathing techniques.

I can honestly say despite only covering about 35% of the course, and my birth going down a very different route to what I had hoped, I had SUCH a positive birth experience and am very thankful for the material that Siobhan provided - my partner had taken in much more than I had realised and was an amazing birth partner (or 'keeper of the cave' as he called himself) reinforcing 'relaxing my shoulders and jaw' between surges, encouraging correct breathing techniques and reminding me to trust my body I am able to say I had a wonderful experience.

Thank you for this amazing course I definitely feel you have fulfilled your aim to make hypnobirthing more accessible and will be recommending the positive birth company to anyone expecting for years to come!