well done Kendra and Matthew! proud parents to Aoife

Hello hello!
And finally I am able to update you on the arrival of Aoife Bethany Byrne, born on Monday 15th November at 7.15 pm - some 3 days after you kindly came over and some 17 days late.
To cut a (very) long story short, she was born by emergency c section.
But the long version:
I had been to the hospital on the Saturday for a check up, and they were happy with all the tests. On the Sunday, I went back again because she had been very quiet, and I was worried. It turned out I was in the very early stages of labour and was having contractions. On some of the contractions, her heart beat was dipping, but nothing of any undue concern. So we decided to give her chance to come out of her own accord, but booked an induction for 1230 the next day just in case things had not progressed.
Contractions continued throughout the day and evening, but stopped at night, or basically whenever I wasn't moving around.
The next morning, M and I got up very early and went for a long walk to get things moving again. I was having much stronger contractions, ones that stopped me from doing anything, but still clearly early labour.
We got to the hosp for 1230, told them we thought I was in labour, and were shown to our room, where my waters promptly broke. HA! So I avoided induction after all! I won! Things then picked up and was I moved to the labour ward. Unfortunately, I was still getting the dips in the heartbeat, even when stood up, and my waters were very very pooey. They started to make concerned noises, but let me carry on to see what happened.
I managed to get to 9cm dilated by tea time without any pain relief at all, not even gas and air! (you would have been proud of the vocalising and breathing!) and the midwife said that she had been a midwife for 10 years and that, as a first time mum, I was the most in control she had ever seen, and that she was very impressed. The consultant came in when I was having a contraction, and asked Matthew what pain relief I had taken - when he said none, she gave a look of total surprise and was equally impressed! Obviously I was oblivious to all this mind you - all I could do was focus on the contractions, as I was not getting that much of a rest in between, and the only place I could be other than on my back (which I had refused to do!) was be stood up leaning on the bed so that they could carry on monitoring.
Sadly, baby's heart beat kept on getting dangerously low after each contraction, and the waters were getting more pooey, so they did the head prick test, which came out unfavourably, so was whipped into theatre before any damage was done. They said that they could have let me carry on labouring for the last 1 cm and pushing, but because they didn't know if that would take 1 hour or 3 hours, it was just too dangerous and risky. I can't really argue with that - I gave it my best shot!
So we are now back home, getting on with coping with a slightly invalid new mum and a new baby! We are starting to get used to each other, and breastfeeding is improving, so I am beginning to settle down and find out what it is I am meant to be doing.
Anyway. Hope thats enough detail for you! Its cathartic to get it all down actually. Having the surgery meant we found out I only have one working ovary and fallopian tube, so I can be more forgiving of myself if/when we try again for another.
Matthew and I would love to come in and tell our story (I'll try to keep it brief) but I have no idea when yet. Matthew has Thomas every other Weds eve, and I now can't drive for at least 6 weeks, so our opportunities are more limited. But I will be in touch and we can sort something out. I want to tell your ladies you can be stubborn and stick to your guns if you want to.
So, thank you thank you thank you for all your guidance and support through this. I am sure had I not been to your class I would have been induced earlier, still had a c-section (due her to her positioning and heart beat issue) and would have felt really shit about the whole episode. I did it my way for as much as I could, and I know that I did my very very best.
I'll shut up now, this is a too-long email!
Many thanks
Kendra xx

Martina's baby girl has been born

Hi Karin,

Katie Alanna Down was born 3 min past midnight on 20 November at home. Her weight was just below 4 kg. I had mild contractions all Tuesday night which stopped in the morning and started again on Friday evening at 6 pm. They were quickly getting stronger and when the midwife arrived after 10 pm I was already fully dilated. Shortly after my water broke and the pushing started. It was a fantastic experience to have had a home birth which was very different to my first difficult birth with Isabel. We did lots of chanting which really helped to cope with the pain.

I had acupuncture with your husband 3 or 4 hours before the contractions started on Friday which I believe helped the get the contractions started again after they had stopped previously.

Could you please pass the news to Richard. He wanted to know if the treatment worked or if we needed to book another one. Thank you.

Thank you for all your classes, support and help. They were a great help.

Best wishes

Martina

Mette's birth to Frej

Dear Patricia
I am very happy to announce that I had a little baby boy Frej Sunday at 21:44 he weighing 5.15lb and measured 48cm.
It all happened very fast. Sunday morning i had some ache but put it down to the baby engaging. However by 13:30 it felt more regular and started to time the aches, by 15:00 it was 10 min apart but i was not in any discomfort at this time. Spoke to the on call midwife who said she would come and see me later that afternoon. I was still comfortable and cooked dinner for the family when suddenly things started to be a bit more uncomfortable the midwife then came around 5-6 o'clock and confirmed my belief that i was having contractions.
Things slowly started to become stronger and arrived to hospital at 20:40pm with me being in discomfort at this stage and confusion between my partner and the midwife I ended up in the labour ward but in the room with the pool so I was quite happy as this was my main priority. I had my temperature and blood pressure checked and was examined everything was fine and I was 8cm at this stage but my water was still intact. I then walked from the bed to the pool and my waters broke. I got into the pool and had gas and air only. I was very much in control of what was happening at this point and the midwife left me to give birth. My baby boy was then born at 21:44 so all in all very fast. I had a natural third stage and the cord was left until the placenta was delivered this gave me time to have nice skin to skin cuddle in the water. When I was out of the water I had a shower and then a nice cup of tea while having skin to skin and feeding Frej everything was nice and peaceful.
I now have two lovely children who is born on the same day and in the same room :)
The birth is everything I could have wished for it was fast, calm and quiet.
I stayed in hospital overnight and was home again monday morning we have now had our first night at home and so far look like i am blessed with a happy and content baby (long may this last).
I would like to thank you for everything I have learned at yoga without this knowledge I dont think I would have been as informed or actively involved in the planning of my birth.

Thank you so much for your help. Mette xx

Fabulous couples course

What a lovely day we had on the couples course in Exeter yesterday - such a lovely positive atmosphere - I truly enjoyed spending the day sharing the magic of birth with you all and wish you all the very best for your journeys into parenthood.
Here's some of the feedback:
"All fab! Loved practising positions for various stages, partner support and I now have more confidence in me to give birth and for him to support me! Thank you." Sonia and Guy x
"I feel positive and confident again and it was useful to learn birthing positions as a couple so my husband can be more involved in the process"
"I/we found the course inspirational :). An opportunity to be correctly/instinctively/lovingly 'informed' and it has allowed me to feel very confident and to believe in a way which was previously absent. Thank you Karin :)" Ros and Eddie
"Very positive experience. Great to bring my husband along to learn what I've been learning over these few months. Not rushed - great to ask questions. Great biscuits!"

...what more can you ask for...
Thank you.

The birth of Noah

Hi, We have a baby!! Noah, born 9.56am

15/11/10, 8lbs 4.  The birth went really well, was booked in for an induction on the Monday morning, started labouring Sunday night, so just missed it :-), I used the TENS machine Sunday night, decided to venture to hospital at 6ish Monday morning, was already 5cm, arrived at hospital at 7am, he was born at 9.56am, very quick pushing stage, amazing experience, breathing in for 3 and out for 6 got me through and had a bit of gas and air too!, all was fine, had a few deep tears, and due to my "medical condition" lost quite a bit of blood, but feeling on the mend already, just getting our heads around this breastfeeding thing, the next chapter!

Thank you so much for all your support during the pregnancy, it really helped me feel more relaxed and confident to have as much of a natural birth as possible   xx
Much love
Annamai, Ronan and Noah xx

Fire Walk

We lovely Birthwise ladies have always said we would do anything and everything we could to help women have the best birth experience available to them. And now we are being asked to prove it!
We are going to literally walk over hot coals as part of a fundraising drive by Birthing Wisdom to raise money for the African Birth Collective

We are doing the fire walk on December the 5th in Dartington, Totnes, and are looking for sponsorship.
There are several ways you can sponsor us. If you have a paypal account you can sponsor us using the paypal button on the Birthing Wisdom site here.
This account is used by all the fire walkers so if you use this method you will have to forward the conformation e-mail you receive from paypal to the person you have sponsored.
Our e-mail addresses are karin@birthwise.net, josie@birthwise.net or Patricia-  birthwiseyoga@hotmail.co.uk

If you don't have a paypal account you can e-mail us with your details and sponsored amount, and we will fill out a sponsor form for you and let you know when we have completed the walk (or chickened out!!) so you can forward a cheque or postal order to us.

You can also donate directly through the Birthing Wisdom site.

If you are able to make it to the fire walk itself, all cheering/ encouraging/ wincing/ laughing will be greatly appreciated. We really hope as many people as possible will get behind this event, and help us to support the important work of the African Birth Collective and everything Olivia of Birthing Wisdom is hoping to achieve.

We did it! Harrison Anthony George Dunbar born 10/10/10!

Hello Patricia I wanted to send you an email with huge thanks for all of your advice and support over the last 5 months - and to bring you and the yoga girls news of our new baby boy Harrison who was born (to his Daddy's HUGE pride!) on 10/10/10 at 0434 and weighing 7lbs 11oz - not bad for an overdue baby! He's long but not huge - was born at 41 + 3 weeks in the end. I felt so prepared for labour thanks to your classes and very very calm when it happened. I had an induction booked for today (Tues 12) and was so upset at the thought of it happening like that, I became a bit inventive! Tried all your advice, homeopathy, etc etc and nothing was happening so on Thurs the midwife did a sweep - I was very unsure if it was the right decision but had waited a week and refused and felt it was better than the drugs on induction. Nothing happening so on Friday night was in two minds about coming to class again as normal but decided to use the time to take on your last bit of advice and try acupuncture! I went to Cathy - she was amazing - did one session at 7pm Friday which brought on a big show straight away and a few Braxton Hicks (which I hadn't had any of previously) that night. Saturday morning and it had all died down again so I stimulated the labour needle she had left in my ear and they started up again - I went for another top up session with Cathy at 11 and the contractions strengthened into the real thing! Went out for lunch with contractions every 5 minutes which were intense but not terrible but headed home at about 3 as it felt like things were stepping up. Laboured at home using hypnobirthing and yoga (both brilliant) until 6pm when we went to hospital already 5-6cm dilated! Admitted straight away and spent the next 8 hours in stage 1. The hypnosis was incredible and (I never expected this) did most of stage 1 with just TENS and hypnosis in total silence! Used the ball too and tried to move around but actually found it quite hard - although standing and leaning helped with the pain. The midwife thought I'd be done by midnight but his positioning WAS an issue (just as you said!) which slowed things down so they broke my waters at about 2 as only progressed to 7cms. Then used birthing pool and did transition and the birth in the pool within 2 hours with gas and air (which wasn't that great but distracting!) He came out posterior after all! which explained why things didn't progress brilliantly, but I cannot praise the midwife enough (Kathy Moore) - she read my birth plan and created total calm and reassurance the whole time. By transition I was yelling for drugs after all! but she pretty much refused me meaning the whole birth was natural with no intervention at all. They said it was really busy but I felt like the only person on the ward and feel incredibly lucky. I'll stop my boring story now! but wanted to say a huge thank you for helping me feel so prepared and confident and excited about the whole thing. The yoga was absolutely brilliant in the run up to the birth and although I wasn't as active as I had expected (because it made me feel a bit odd during labour - probably because of the positioning) I had a clear idea of how to help him progress and what to do to stay active. Please send my love to all the girls and hope to see you soon Jess