Birthwise

Kate's Free-Birthing of baby Ocean

2012-01-22T13:59:00.000-08:00

Josie meets Ocean

In her own words...

On Saturday i asked Mum to have the girls overnight so that we could go walk on the beach, and hopefully get things moving. Well, 35mins walking at James' speed in the freezing cold wind was enough to do me in! I went home to bed and had a fantastic nights sleep. The girls came home the next morning and as Freya was feeling ill we had a a quiet indoor day. Rest, rest and more rest, it felt perfect. I think inside, by mid-afternoon I knew that the baby was going to come that night. I was having regular tightenings but no pain, and I made a conscious decision not to time them or pay too much attention to them as I didn't want to feel like I was 'in' labour until my body was really ready to do something about it.

The girls went to bed early and easily that night and I felt like you do just before an exam. - There was nothing more I could do, no more meditating, journalling or researching unnassisted birth would make a blind bit of difference. Instead I kicked back to watch junk television and eat biscuits, I went to bed early.

At 2am I went for a wee and even before I got there I knew it had started, although i'd still felt nothing. I did a wee, stood up and felt a trickle. I smiled. Hmm, what now? I went downstairs and sat on the edge of the sofa for a few minutes wondering if I should light the fire, or wake James. I felt a surge and stood up, no, I'm just gonna ride with this. I liked the dark and I felt that doing it on my own was what I had really planned deep down inside for a while. I wanted to own this birth completely and not have to worry about what anyone else was thinking or feeling at that time.

For quite a time I stood and spiralled my hips through each surge, singing 'the river is flowing' gently to myself and feeling ecstatic that I was going to meet my baby soon. When they started to ramp up a little i got into meditation mode and called the energy from the Great Mother, grounding myself deeply before asking for healing gold light from the father above and calling in my spirit guide who is at this time an ancient midwife. I felt ready to move forward. I got some water and went and sat on my birthing ball leaning on the stair pillar. I remembered reading somewhere that your contractions can never be bigger than you because they are you, and so I thought I would focus on getting my breathing down to a really gentle level, really relaxing in to each contraction. This gave me a break for quite a while. I felt the desire to stand and my waters went with a gush. I remember thinking 'great, we're really going to get on with it now', and sure enough the next surge was a lot more powerful. I moved on to a kneeling crouch hanging over pillows in the corner of the sofa and working with each surge. My singing was getting louder now and i had to work hard to stay in control, I didn't want to wake the family too early and have to concentrate on anything other than what I was doing. When i felt I needed a poo I got up and had another full on surge. Walking up the stairs was hard work!

When I got there I had to cling on the bannister and sing. There was no being quiet now. This woke Lilly and I called James, he came out and told me he'd been listening for about half an hour waiting for me to call him, he told me he was proud of me, I sounded like I was doing great. This really helped to reassure me, and i moved in to the bathroom as he went to sort out the girls.

Thankfully having read 'Hello, baby' many times they weren't at all phased and were soon settled down to watch Mary Poppins in their bedroom whilst I was roaring away in the bathroom. I had tried to sit on the loo and it felt really wrong.

James came to check on me and i asked him to get the shower going and put some towels down in the bath. I had felt for a while that Ocean wanted to be born in to water, but having a bit of a phobia of baths I didn't do anything about. Getting in the shower was bliss, it gave me a few moments peace before i had a really strong urge to push, i reached down and felt I wasn't quite ready but the urge told me to push. I went in to a full deep squat and the urge to push just wouldn't stop. I roared and out came the head, but so did a load of blood, I yelled to James to call the hospital to send a midwife as I was bleeding. ( Throughout my whole unassisted pregnancy my only fear had been hemorrage). James called them and they and told him to call the paramedics whilst they kept the line open, meanwhile I had another urge to push. I roared again and out came his little body, with a lot more blood. I remember looking down and noticing that he had two arms, two legs, everything was where it should be. I couldn't believe it, i had done it!!!! I'd freebirthed!!!!

I yelled to James and the girls that he was here, but the girls were watching a good bit of Mary Poppins and James was still on the phone. I got out of the shower with Ocean in my arms feeling amazing, but there was another big spolsh of blood come out. James ran upstairs and wrapped us both in towels, the paramedics had advised him that i needed to lie on my left and they would be there in three minutes. They turned up and a minute after that a midwife turned up. I consented to her checking me and it turns out that although i had some tears there was nothing to major to worry about, she sent the paramedics away and James set about cleaning up the blood (the girls were fascinated by it all and ran around saying there's more blood here, and here, pointing it out to each other).

Jane (the midwife) was fantastic and stayed for a cup of tea and wanted to check that the bleeding settled after I passed the placenta. I did consent to having the injection (can't remember what it's called) after I had birthed the placenta, just because there had been a lot of blood loss already. Ocean was here, beautiful, and his birth and placenta had not been affected by any drugs or interventions in any way..

All in all I can say that this was the most powerful experience of my life, I had achieved everything that I wanted and I felt immense pride and satisfaction that my experience had confirmed to me everything that i had believed and worked toward in the last year. I completely owned this birth experience, it is something that should be every woman's birth right. James also feels that he got more out of this birth, even though he was less involved. Having his role as protector and organiser made him really feel valuable and involved, and the girls loved being here when he was born.

Thank you Josie for all those classes, many times throughout the labour, and the weeks previously I used techniques and information I had learned to help me, Ocean was born at approx 6am on Lilly's third birthday 09-01-2012, our family is now complete.

Hannah's Unassisted Birthing of Freya

2012-01-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

In her own words..

Hello, Freya is 3 days old now and I finally have time to write some words about her birth :)

So Friday 23rd my contractions started but it was stop-start-stop-start. The longest break I got was about half hour.

Labour didn't progress much over the weekend but Christmas Day Eve I started leaking fluid. On boxing Day Eve I informed labour ward as the contractions were also stronger. A lovely midwife came out and examined me (my choice as I had been contracting for so long I needed to know if anything had happened) I was 2-3cm but stretchy and between 50-75% effaced. Nothing much happened the rest of the night and I went to bed.

On 27th another MW was on call and she was awful, she wanted me to go in for a pitocin induction and cont monitoring due to PROM but I refused, she stalked me the whole day, ringing constantly, told me not to use birth pool as it increases risk of infection & even questioned my plans to tandem feed!! In the end my labour came to a halt, I knew she would arrive if things kicked off and I did not feel safe to birth my baby. She was still on duty on the Wednesday and I had had a big bloody show but I got OH to screen phonecalls and make excuses for me. She told him all the 'risks' and asked him what our plans were to which he replied 'to stay at home and have a baby'. We went out for a drive and came back to 5 missed calls from her and she had even turned up when we were out. We nick named her stalker madwife.

In the afternoon of the 28th another MW took over, she was amazing, came out to see me, trusted in me. She was happy with me & baby and told me to forget about having a baby, watch a film, order a takeaway & have an orgasm ;) She was the best thing that happened as I really relaxed.

Thursday 29th I woke up to a big contraction but went back to sleep. 10am I had another (OH got up with the kids) and went to the loo to have a gush of fluid - waters had def gone this time - yay!! I realised the leaking must have been a hind water leak.

Throughout the day contractions got stronger but whenever MW (the lovely one from boxing day who I really liked) arrived it all slowed down - think I had white coat syndrome! By 8pm I was in pain and asked her to examine me - I was 3-4cm and no more effaced than Monday! Could not believe it! I sent MW and my Doula home and we ordered Pizza, I was having painful contractions but I wasnt sure if this was it as nothing seemed to be happening!! I was sounding through every contraction and needing to rest on Toby. Toby said the sounding sounded so different when I was actually in labour than when I had practiced.

I called everyone back at 11 as I was in pain. we talked and labour seemed to carry on progressing so I wanted to get in the pool. MW advised best not to quite yet as it may slow labour down so I asked her to examine me at midnight to see where we were. I was still only 3-4 cm but cervix was more central. MW suggested I take some paracetamol and try to sleep, I was devastated and told her I was convinced baby was going to be born within a few hours so could not understand why I was not dilating.

Bed was a bad idea, could not sleep, asked DH to rub my back and he fell asleep mid contraction - I flew out of bed and ran downstairs! I had had enough! I told my Doula I needed more pain relief and she gave me some homeopathy to help back labour, I was upset as baby was no back to back yet the contractions were so intense I could feel them EVERYWHERE. She phoned the MW who said to let me get in the pool & she would be over about 4am. At 230 the pool was ready. Climbing in was a massive relief, the water seemed to absorb my contractions and finally I felt I could cope!

At about 3am I felt restless, I couldn't cope again and was telling myself I needed to get out the pool and transfer to hospital as a cesarean or epidural seemed like a good idea - I now realise this was transition but I had convinced myself it could not be as a few hours ago I was less than 5cm.

Then at 305 I needed to push, Dana (my doula) and my other half heard the noise and immediately called my MW then 999 - with the first contraction I put my hand down and could feel her head, I was told by Dana to get out of the pool (she was talking to emergency services) but I refused, I felt it was safer for me to stay there. Dana jumped in the pool on the phone to emergency services and followed their instruction. Second contraction and the head was born - 3rd contraction and Freya was born at 315am.

I sat back in the pool and fed her, she was awake and alert. 5 mins later paramedics and MW arrived, MW asked to cut the cord as she wanted to check baby over, I let her as I wanted the reassurance she was ok. MW sent paramedics away and I got out of the pool - placenta arrived at 340 naturally and we cracked open the champagne at 345!

I was checked over and had no tears just a couple of internal grazes. I felt on top of the world!

It was the most intense, amazing experience of my life and had restored my faith in birth, such a healing experience after a traumatic first birth.

The only things I would have changed were the vaginal exams, they set me back emotionally which is why I did not recognise transition. I also would not have informed the hospital about the waters leaking and I would have refused to let the cord be cut so early - in fact the only things I would have changed were things involving the medical profession ;)

One thing I will say is that Freya is a completely different baby to Amelia, she fed immediately after the birth, she is more contented and alert. There has been no issues with breastfeeding and it feels like she has been here forever! I also feel differently, I was on a real after the birth and managed to get showered and dressed within a few hours. Amelia was poorly after her traumatic birth, didn;t breastfeed until about day 4 (she was admitted to SCBU) and I felt awful, drained, tired & uncomfortable. I don't know if that is coincidence but to me the two very different outcomes speaks volumes!
xxx

Rebecca gives birth to big baby number 3, Laurence

2011-09-20T01:46:00.001-07:00

Hi Patricia, Sorry for very late update, life with 3 is flat out! Laurence is now 4 months. I was induced at 12 days overdue with a pessary. Between 6 hourly monitoring I went for lots of walks. The following day contractions started as I left the hospital for a walk at 9:30 in the morning, I very slowly walked down Barrack road with diminishing intervals needing to stop. Walked back to labour ward after an hour and delivered an hour later. He was as big as his brothers at 4.5 Kg. A very positive experience. I wasn't examined and found your advice of talking to your baby whilst in labour and imagining them going through their journey downward to delivery hugely helpful. A feeling that we were in it together was great. I vocalised a bit and stood up leaning over the bed with some rocking and circling of hips. In short the few classes I had managed to get to along with your evening recap really equipped me to have a very empowering experience. Thank you so much, Rebecca and Will x

Nora's second birth to baby Hanno LAurens

2011-09-20T01:44:00.000-07:00

Hi PatriciaGeorge and I were delighted to welcome gorgeous little Hanno Laurens on 18th August at 11:10pm! Although he made us wait a few more days than expected, his arrival was a lot quicker than his big sister’s. I started having some contractions in the morning on the 18th and went into labour in the afternoon. We timed our trip to the hospital well and arrived at around 8:30pm when I was between 6-7cm and little Hanno arrived at 11:10pm. It didn’t feel like less hard work than first time round as the speed of the last three hours made it feel pretty relentless, but I managed to deliver with just the tens machine and all went very well. The low risk unit wasn’t open, but by the time I got to the hospital I no longer cared about where I was giving birth anyway. My midwife had some concern about the baby’s heart rate (which fortunately came to nothing), but it meant I had to be monitored and had to deliver on my side which wasn’t the most effective, but all in all things went very smoothly and we both fell in love with the little guy right away. We’re at home since Friday morning and are enjoying life as a ‘proper’ family – needless to say that Hanno is fitting right in and is getting spoilt by his big sister! We’d be happy to come by to tell our birth story anytime – I could either stop by with Hanno on my own or George & Elsa would be happy to come along but would have to be at the beginning of the class as 8:30 is getting a bit late for little Elsa…Off to stare some more at little Hanno JAll the best, Nora

Sarah's Home birth to Redvers Frank

2011-09-20T01:39:00.000-07:00

Hi there Patricia and Karin,Hope you are both well? Just wanted to let you know that we now have a little chap, Redvers Frank. Born at home on 9th August and a healthy 7lbs 7oz.The labour was incredible. What an experience for both Red and I! Contractions started the night before but I ignored and snoozed through as wasn't really sure whether it was the real thing. Planned long walks and flapjack making for latent labour but those plans went out the window as contractions came on pretty hard and fast as soon as I got up in the morning. Managed to let the chickens out and get in the washing, intermittently hanging off trees in the garden, before calling the midwife (with a little persuasion from Rob). 8cm dilated by the time she arrived late morning which was a surprise to me!In the birth pool for the afternoon which was very soothing though didn't deliver in there in the end as getting a little tired and contractions slowing. Little Redvers was born 'on dry land' just before 7pm.So pleased to have had him at home - fantastic midwives who just left us to it for the large part of the day. No drugs. Sort of forgot to ask, which must have meant I didn't need anyway. Managed to do it on Purdeys energy drinks (with Ginseng) and Sesame Snaps. Oh yes, and a massive breakfast!Everything has gone well over the past couple of weeks - all happy and healthy. Still finding our feet a little but enjoying every minute. I wanted to thank you both for everything you have passed onto me over the last few months and during the couples course. It gave me the confidence to make the decisions for myself and stick to my guns when others expressed doubt, particularly with the home birth. Also to know what was going on with my body so as to be prepared for the day. Many many thanks.With love,Sarah, Rob and Redvers xx

Jenni's 3rd birth to Leander weighing in at 9lb 8ozs

2011-09-20T01:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Patricia,
Just thought I'd grab this rare quiet moment to let you know that I had little Leander on Friday night. I had a very weird stop-and-start labour since Thursday morning, and things finally got going properly on Friday afternoon. We went to the low risk birth unit at 5 pm in the afternoon and he finally arrived at 10.43 pm. I managed to have him naturally with just some entonox in the final stages. THe midwife was absolutely lovely and the whole experience was generally fabulous, with the exception of a tear. Hardly surprising though, given that the little lad was 9lbs8 and sucking his thumb as he went through the birth canal.
We're all doing well and went straight back home that night.
I'd love to come and share my story at some stage.
Thanks for many happy Wednesday evenings preparing for my latest arrival!
See you soon,
Jenni x

Nic's second Bracken birth to Ella Mae

2011-09-20T01:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia
You've probably already heard from some of the girls in Yoga that I gave birth to Ella Mae on 23rd July at 4.17. She weighed a healthy 7lb 9oz and the birth went really well; I managed without drugs although couldn't quite manage to give birth to the placenta naturally so had to have the injection for that. I was really lucky and managed to get into Braken and have Ella in the Water pool which really helped with the pain. Unfortunately Ella was born posterior which was very painful but it was quick at least, lasting only 3 hours 17 minutes!
I'd love to come in and tell my story, so just let me know when you would like me to come in.
Thanks for all your help again, your techniques were used throughout the pregnancy and birth.
Nic xxx

Juliet's birth to Harriet

2011-09-20T01:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia
Our baby girl Harriet was born on Wednesday morning. We had a wonderful water birth at the Low Risk Birth Unit with no pain relief required. My waters broke on Tuesday evening at 10 pm without any warning signs at all and 5 minutes later my contractions began. At 4.30am I found that they were becoming increasingly powerful and decided we should head to the hospital. When we got there one of the midwives took us straight through to one of the rooms in the birth unit and checked to see how dilated I was. I was 5cm so was able to get straight into the pool which felt so amazing. After that I completely lost track of time and just got really into the contractions. Each time I felt one coming I had this almost indescribable feeling of power. At no point did it feel like pain, it was just powerful. When the pushing urges came I realised I was making a lot of low moaning sounds and breathing really deeply and slowly, this seemed to come naturally. At 8.10am Harriet was born weighing 8lb 7oz and contrary to what I had heard about babies being calmer when born in water, she came out screaming! I held her for almost 15 minutes before I realised we hadn't checked the sex!
I would love to bring her in after a session in a couple of weeks time. I am positive that the active birth classes were the thing that made me feel relaxed about labour and instead of being aprehensive and tense I welcomed each contraction and it didn't even occur to me to ask for pain relief. I loved every minute of it :o)
Thank you for all of your help.
Juliet xx

Laura's home birth to Poppy

2011-09-20T01:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia,
Just thought i'd write to say thank you and let you know I had a baby girl - Poppy Elizabeth - at home on Saturday morning, 7lb 15oz. I was in labour for about 8 hours in total, but had been getting increasingly stronger Braxton Hicks and had a show last Tuesday so things were obviously getting moving. It was such an empowering experience, I loved every minute of it. Seems a bit of a blur now to be honest. I used lots of yoga and my birthing ball. At the last minute, I rented a tens mach ine which seemed to help with the very early contractions, and I tried some gas and air for a couple of contractions but actually found breathing through them and vocalising a lot more useful. I'm feeling really well in myself and starting to get the hang of breastfeeding, which was interrupted due to the below... Phil wants to say thank you as well, he was a brilliant birth partner and really appreciates the help you gave us.
I've attached a picture of Poppy for you to see...
Anyway, I hope you're well.
Love Laura

Laura's birth to Mary Ann

2011-07-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia
I've not been attending the yoga class because my baby girl was born 3 weeks ago on Monday 6th June (her due date!). Unfortunately I didn't get the home birth I so badly wanted but we gave it a good shot, labour started slowly on Sunday morning at 5am with very mild irregular contractions, we had a really nice day at home using my breathing techniques and yoga positions, Phil had my birth plan and was a wonderful support. The midwife came out to us at about 1am and examined me and I was 7cm dilated.
I got into the birth pool about 1.30am, I'm not sure when second stage began but looking back I think I fought it for a while and I wish I had been examined again and encouraged to push because by the time I was pushing which I think was about 5am I was exhausted, the midwife encouraged me to feel for baby's head as I was pushing and as I did this I popped the membrane with my fingers! I got out of the pool and this is when things became too much for me, I couldn't get into any sensible position to push as I had shooting pains up my back and down my hips, baby was in a perfect position so we wonder if maybe the head was pressing on a nerve, and I was starting to worry for baby as time was getting on, an ambulance was called at about 8am and we were taken to Musgrove delivery ward, baby was born at 8.54am, Phil tells me it took 4 pushes once I was in there and she was born.
The midwife came out to check baby the following day and she said she was so impressed with the support Phil had given me, we told her about your couples course! It was definately because of your course that Phil was so relaxed and confident and I'm so glad we did it.
So, Mary Ann was born weighing 7lb 4oz, absolutely perfect without a blemish and completely unaware of the drama! She is beautiful and we're all very happy.
We are already planning number two for next year haha and I will be back to your class then! Please send my best wishes to everyone and if you still here from Elsa could you please give her my love I hope all is well with her little one, I have been thinking of them.

Laura x

Bryony's birth to Eliza Amelia

2011-07-13T04:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia
I am writing to let you and the class know that we had a little girl on Thursday - Eliza Amelia, born 6lb 10oz. She is doing just perfectly!
I would like to come and tell my birth story at some point, but here are the highlights! I began to have weak contractions 6am Wednesday morning, but carried on with things normally and they started coming every 5 mins or so in Sainsbury's that afternoon, when I thought I better head home! Throughout the aft and eve they began to come on more intensely and by 2am I was feeling that I needed to go in, but when I got to Bracken I was only 2-3cm and had to face the car journey home! We then went back in at about 7am, when the contractions were about every 2-3 mins and I was quite out of it as I had been very sick a number of times. I had an anti-sickness injection, which was a life saver! I then got in the pool at about 9am and Eliza was born at 11.34 - she fed within 10 minutes in the pool and again in the water after I had delivered the placenta - she has taken to breastfeeding just wonderfully and I feel very lucky. We stayed in Bracken until about 7pm that night. Labour was harder than I ever imagined, but I would do it again tomorrow!
Thank you very much for all your help and I will be in touch when we have a bit of a routine, but enjoying every minute at home at the moment.
Best wishes, Bryony

SARAH'S BIRTH TO SAMUEL

2011-07-13T04:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia,

I just wanted to let you know that I gave birth to our gorgoues little boy; Samuel Philip Marshall on Friday 24th June.

I was 13 days over my due date and had an induction booked for Saturday 25th. To my great delight I went into labour spontaneously in the early hours of Friday morning so avoided induction by hours!! I therefore was able to have the water birth at Bracken that I had really wanted. Eleanor was one of the midwives present for part of it too which was great.

I can honestly say that your yoga classes transformed both my view of the birth during my pregnancy and my experience of it. The breathing techniques were absolutely fantastic. I didn't take to the gas and air -(it made me sick) so I was completely dependent upon the breathing. So thank you very much.

I am now adjusting to the sleep deprivation and other joys of new motherhood, but my husband and I are completely be-sotted with Samuel and spend endless hours watching his funny little expressions.

i would be very happy to come in to give my birth story in a few weeks time if you would like me to,

Sarah Marshall

Hannah gives birth to Theo....

2011-05-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia
Hannah here from your Monday yoga class!!!
I have baby news!!
We had a baby boy on Good Friday (22nd April) at 4.03pm. We have called him Theo and he weighed 6lbs 7oz's ( 1lb heavier than Faith)
The labour was totally amazing and so different from my 1st. I was so frighten by my first as i felt totally under prepared with no coping strategies..
Again i had a very quick labour... that began with niggles on friday morning but we carried on as normal and went out for a family lunch as planned. During lunch the niggles turned into contractions approx every 10 mins and i could really feel them in my back. We stayed for lunch and i just breathed through them.
We left the pub at about 1.30 and took Faith to our friends house... where my Fiance decided to have a cuppa!!!! we left there at 2 again with contractions ten mins apart but i was coping totally fine with them. Once we got home i packed a bag and made the bed... as you do and called the hosp (Bracken) to let them know i was in labour but i was fine at home and would go in when i was ready. I was waiting for them to get closer together although they were lasting over a minute i though i should wait for them to get closer. I got to hospital at 3.15pm as 'something' felt different!!! They began running the pool and my contractions became alot closer together and the breathing became alot louder. At this point i did start to panic and had the felling of ' i cant do this anymore'!!! i was checked and was 8 cm and had gas and air for a few contractions while i waited for the pool. Both me and lee got in the pool and a soon as we got in i started to push! I was pushing for 10 mins (no time at all i know) but Faith was born in one push!!! The sensation in the pool was completely different to being flat on my back like the 1st time. My body did it all it was amazing .... The 3rd stage i found a little strange and was pleased when it was over as i then felt like i could relax! We went home at 7.30pm ....
It was a whirl wind but an amazing day that i could do again ... I am so much more positive about labour and birth this time and i cant thank you enough for all your help your a total star!!! i would love to come and show him off he is gorgeous!!! xxx

Fliss gives birth to her second baby girl

2011-05-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia

Our baby girl arrived on saturday's full moon at home in water, all went really well. Midwife arrived as she was being born! All very happy, just very sleep deprived! I used a lot of yoga moves in labour, especially bum circling and lots of vocalising and breathing well which all really helped...so thank you for some great classes! I am still doing yoga poses now to try and help my very sore bruised coxcyx and rear end!! Hope to catch up with you soon and have a chat...

love Fliss
xxx

Water Birth

2011-05-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome, not so little Daisy!

2011-03-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Patrica
Sorry it has taken me soo long to email. I just wanted to say thank you for the active birth sessions, they were brilliant and very helpful throughout my labour. I had a beautiful not soo little girl called Daisy weighing 10lbs 11.5ozs. I went into hospital fully dilated ready to push, but Daisy got quite stuck and had to be helped by forceps. I managed to do it without any pain relief apart from the homeopathic kit you supplied, and the spinal anaesthetic which I had to have for the forceps which was very last minute.

Thanks again for helping make it such a nice birthing experience.
Julia, Mike and Daisy Adams x

Sal's birth to Xavier

2011-03-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia,

Xavier Ren Freudenberg born half past midnight this morning. 8lb 5oz. He is lush :)

Induced last night with a pessary and sweep as combination of worrying factors (diabetes, too much fluid, baby's heartrate). Started up within couple of hours and built up quite quickly but manageably. Lovely active labour just using TENS. One 'sip' of gas and air in second stage but still didn't really like it. Lots of humming ;)

Was lucky enough to get Bracken midwife (male) Aki even though on labour ward. He was brilliant. Once fully dilated baby's heartrate dropped so had waters broken and he was literally out in 3 big pushes (under 5 minutes work!).

Will bring him in to yoga in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for all your help and advice - particularly in getting him into a great position for birth :)

Sal x

Christell's birth to Jamie Liam

2011-03-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia,
Just to let you know- I had a wonderful birth on Friday. Jamie Liam was born at 5.35pm, weighing 8lb 4 and measuring 56cm long- which I've been told is very long for a baby!
I managed to spend the majority of the labour at home, which I found very relaxing. I spent early labour on the ball progressing to being on all fours and leaning on the sofa. I used the breathing techniques as well, and when the contractions got more intense and I started to loose my breathing technique Jon was fantastic and got me back on track. I found moving around between contraction sped up the labour and soon I was in the hospital pushing! Staff were amazing- ended up going to labour ward as bracken was closed. But I didn't take much notice of it really as i was ready to push and was focusing on that. On the late stages I was kneeling, but right at the end I decided to lie on the left for delivery. I have no idea why- it just felt right. Midwife and student midwife were truly brilliant- I hardly noticed them there. They looked at my birth notes and read how I didn't want to be coached and let me push. I didn't have any pain relief because I didn't feel the need and just focusing on breathing and using the positions from your class were soothing enough for me.
I did have a third degree tear- but it was worth it. It really was a tremendous experience and I can't thank you enough for all the advice and tips- I felt really in control of the experience and focused. I would do it again a million times for Jamie.
Jamie is doing well- breastfeeding has been going well.

Christell and Jamie x

Jake's early arrival

2011-03-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia

Just to let you know that that our baby boy has arrived two weeks early. Interestingly my waters went and contractions

started in the night after yoga! I had felt a very tight/hard bump that day but no other real indicatons I was aware of.

Bracken was closed due to no heating! I ended up on labour ward but I have give the staff I met credit as they were absolutely respectful of my birth plan and very encouraging. I managed with active birth, birthing pool, aromatherapy oils/massage, gas and air plus the wonderful support of my husband.

Jake Thomas Garnsworthy was born at 21:09 on Tuesday (22nd) weighing in at 7lb 9ozs. We are at home now and all doing well.

Thank you for your pregnancy yoga and active birth classes, they really helped me.

Best wishes

Clare

Rachel's home birth

2011-03-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia
Just to let you know that that I had a little boy on tuesday. The birth was
amazing, I had him at home after 6 hours in the birth pool. The midwives were
brilliant and I managed to have him with no pain releif. He was 8lb 9oz.
Unfortunatly though i had a 3rd degree tear and had to go into hospital
But i'm holding onto my positive birth experience and its all thanks to you :-)
thanks you so much. I'll come in in a couple of weeks to tell my birth story -
i'll keep you posted.

Take care, speak soon and thanks again Rachel xxxx

Jonty's birth

2011-03-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia

Hope all is well. Just a quick email to say that I did not come to Monday’s class because I had my little one on Friday. He is called Jonty James Holcroft and (as you said would be likely) was not on the worryingly small as possibly predicted! He was 6-14oz and is fabulous. Your breathing techniques really helped as I got to 7cm at home through breathing, using the ball and the exercises that you had taught us. Ironically, I went for my Bracken assessment on Thursday afternoon, as they now want you to have a detailed assessment to check your suitability for Bracken . I was in the early throws of labour and contracting while I was there but the midwife who assessed me put it down to practice contractions.

I loved the classes and the advice was really helpful. I also was sick only once thanks to the little pills you gave me. Thanks you so much and good luck to everyone else.

Love Tammy and Jonty

Tristran's arrival

2011-03-21T05:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia,

Just a quick note to say our lovely baby boy, Tristan arrived on the 19th. I am totally in love :-)

He was delivered by ventouse after a long labour and much to-ing and fro-ing between Honiton and Wonford but we are both doing well now and have bonded wonderfully. Breast feeding is also going well which is a relief.

Here's a pic of Tristan and his proud dad.

Love,

Mon xxXXXX

Introducing Niamh Eloise Graham

2011-02-14T05:55:00.000-08:00

Weighing in at 8lb 8oz. Born 1^st Feb at 3.06pm

Love Jane and Nick x

Wecome to Poppy Eloise, born in her caul!

2011-02-14T05:42:00.000-08:00

Hi Patricia
Poppy Eloise was born on 1 February at 7.39 weighing 7lb 7oz. The labour was a very slow start and it took 30 hours to get to 4cm. I was having 3 contractions in 10 minutes and Bracken was busy so went straight to labour ward. There was no one on reception and we were messed around a bit and so everything stopped for a few hours. This was really a blessing in disguise because by the time I was 4-5cm Bracken was free. I went in the pool at 5.00am at 4-5cm and Poppy was born at 7.39am. The pool was amazing and I felt like a different person as soon as I got in the water. I had gas and air until I got the the final stage and then I had nothing. It was amazing how instinct took over and I said to the midwife "the baby is coming" flipped over (I was on my front in the water for the most part) and started to push. My waters had not broken when Poppy came out so the midwife broke my waters when she born. I then got out of the pool and lay on the massive bean bag with Poppy skin to skin on my chest. My midwife (Mandy) was amazing and understood the type of birth I wanted. The after care in Bracken was excellent and we were allowed to stay as long as we wanted. We stayed until about 5pm because I wanted to get a few feeds in before leaving. Breast feeding is going well and Poppy is back to her birth weight within a week.
Thank you for all of your help in the classes - had I not been I would never have thought of going for a water birth.
Catharine

Karen's water birth to Elfie Joy

2011-02-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Patricia

Elfie Joy was born on Thursday 6th January - she was 4 days overdue and weighed 7lb 11oz.
As predicted, my labour was short and this time without any intervention.
Elfie was born in the water at 10.39 am. I woke up at 6.30 am and was feeling a bit uncomfortable, was having regular, serious contractions by about 8.00 am, arrived in the labour ward in Exeter at about 10.00 and managed to get into the pool at about 10.35 having been examined and found to be fully dilated (really just in time!) - 3 good pushes and it was all done. I managed with breathing and my tens machine and did not require any stitches. We did request delayed cord clamping which was fine, I ended up not having a natural third stage as we were still waiting an hour after the birth and the midwife was keen to see the placenta so we went with the injection (after the threat of a catheter to empty my bladder!) I was discharged the same day.
All in all I could not have asked for a better birth experience and the water birth was lovely. I know that the yoga had a positive effect on the whole thing, particularly the breathing so thanks very much.
Karen

Maria's birth to Lauren/beating the system!

2011-01-10T00:59:00.000-08:00

Hi Patricia
Just to let you know Lauren was born on 5th November.
We had a bit of a stressful week but in the end she came through!
I went into hospital on the 2nd to be induced after fending off medical intervention for a week. I was given a pessary on the 3rd which did nothing. Thursday evening I went over to the labour ward for my waters to be broken but my cervix had become unfavourable.
I was told that I needed to consider a c section or to try again tomorrow. I was also put on nil by mouth.
Decided to go for c section rather than to be pumped with drugs that I anticipated wouldn't work. I felt that with an elective section I had some control as opposed to 12 hours of induction that may may fail and result in an emergency section.
On Friday, the c section list was busy and it wasn't sure if I would get a slot, though I was still nil by mouth. At 2pm I started to feel sick and I was moved to the labour ward at 3pm. I went from 0 to 10cm by 5.30pm. Lauren was posterior and face upwards but decided not to turn. I pushed until 7pm but was then taken to theatre as there was some fetal dipping.
The plan was for ventouse and possible c section if that didn't work. My contractions were so fast that I am convinced we didn't need assistance however one ventouse pull and she was out.
She was born at 7.20pm at 6lbs 6 oz.
The whole thing was so fast I wasn't very active as the space between then was short, but I used breathing and gas and air from around 4.30pm.
While the birth was not as natural as I had hoped,I felt I managed to beat the system as I went into labour naturally despite all the attempts to put me into labour! One midwife congratulated me on beating the system!
Lauren is very relaxed and enjoying life!
Maria

Louise's positive planned Caesarean birth to Alex

2011-01-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hi Patricia,
I have a son! He was born 7lb 3 and we've called him Alexander, more commonly known as Alex, or a whole host of baby nicknames at the moment. He's a very happy, responsive little thing, and an excellent feeder. Amazing to see that instinct in action.
The c-section was ok, a bit tricky in places. We were called in for 8am, but they had loads of emergencies so we weren't seen nntil 3pm, and in the meantime i wasn't able to eat or drink. I think that contributed to me feeling absolutely dreadful afterwards, and i also think they overdid the diamorphine. I couldn;t speak in sentences, and my head and eyes were rolling. After making such a fuss with the birth plan, I was actually too nervous to hold him or try to feed for a while, although my husband held him very close to me. But then a very good, bossy midwife came along and latched him on regardless, and away he went!
The surgeons were quite good at accommodating my request about the placenta. We agreed that they would leave it as long as they could, and they said the cord had started to collapse by the time they cut and clamped. It was only a matter of minutes, but i was glad they agreed to it. Overall, I felt they were prepared to be flexible and it did make me feel more in control of the experience, which was what I wanted.
My recovery is going well now, although the immediate aftermath was pretty tricky. I was very sick and yellow skinned at times, and quite severely dehydrated. I managed to get home after two nights, though, on Christmas Day. I felt like death, but it was worth it to get out of hospital. Now I'm feeling almost right as rain again.
Thanks again for all your help and tips. I think, under the circumstances, I did everything i could to reclaim the experience. Despite the tricky first moments after his birth, I feel a really strong bond with Alex, and i do think the positivity of your classes helped. I was always pretty nervous about parenthood, but it's all coming really naturally.
All the best, and happy new year!
Louise. xx

Rosie's birth of Coco

2010-12-09T03:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Karin. Just to let you know that we had a lovely baby girl on Tuesday 23rd of November. She is called Coco Tui and weighed 6 pounds13oz. Had a really good day of early labour during Tuesday. Very calm all helped with your god-send breathing techniques! End stage was very quick, felt the head coming on the way to hospital and Coco made a surprise arrival outside the lift on the way to the labour ward! We were tucked up at home 4 hours later. Thank you so much for your classes, they were such a calming part to each week. I will miss it!Good luck to the rest of the girls. Rosie

well done Kendra and Matthew! proud parents to Aoife

2010-11-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-23T01:25:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-22T04:27:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-22T03:11:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-22T03:00:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-11T02:49:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-03T03:16:00.000-07:00

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

Jo's last minute home birth to 3rd baby Theo

2010-10-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

As you know we ended up changing our planned place for birth from Bracken to a water birth at home and with yours and Davina's help, we managed to arrange this! Within 24 hours of deciding on a home water birth we had managed to transform our conservatory into the birthing room with the hired birth pool from Davina set up in place! By the time I had finished the room, I felt very tired and had a bloody show. I had been losing bits and pieces of my mucus plug for about a week with lots of Braxton Hicks! By now I was a week over due! My community midwife has never been the kind of midwife I would recommend or want to deliver my baby and even now she was the only negative factor in the whole shift of birth plans. She was not encouraging of our plans and although she did organise the home birth paperwork, she kept reminding us that it still might not go ahead. I had to repeatedly chase up the home birth box to be delivered. My CM also told me that there would be no available pain relief and that there was no Entonox, but this was not what I was told by the lovely CM we had come round to assess me when I was in the latent stages of labour! However, I was woken up at 3am by vague period type pains on Thurs 23rd Sept. I went to the loo and realised I had had much more of a show and with that, contractions started to come about every 15/20 mins but they weren't really very painful. So I put on my TENS machine and tried to rest until morning. I got up and showered and phoned my CM to inform her that things had started. She sent a lovely CM round as she was busy in clinic and I was told I was 2/3cm dilated but that baby needed to move to a slightly more favourable position before labour would really start so I spent some time on my birth ball and on all fours. By just after lunchtime the contractions intensified and my CM turned up and examined me. She is not very gentle and I knew I must be around 4-5cm and was feeling ready to get in the pool as my TENS machine was beginning to not provide enough relief from the pain. I was trying my best to relax and breathe through each contraction and had some relaxing birth music on but I knew it was time for the warm water to relieve the tension I was feeling. However, on rough examination my CM told me I was still only 2-3cm and 50% effaced which I knew was inaccurate as I had already examined myself just before she got there! Maybe it was the anxiety she created that made me clam up! Tony also didn't like her attitude. We knew she was on duty until 5pm and desperately did not want her to be here to deliver our baby, so we were both relieved when she said she would leave us to it for a bit but that I should not get in the pool yet as I needed to be at least 4-5cm before I could do so or I would risk stopping or stalling labour. After she went, my contractions ramped up another gear and I began to get tearful as I was not coping well with the pain. So after about an hour I examined myself and could feel no thickness to my cervix so knew I was totally effaced and guestimated that I was about 5-6cm dilated. So I got in the pool which instantly relaxed me and I found I could cope better with the contractions and could zone out in between each one to get some much needed rest. By now I was vocalising through my contractions to enable me to cope. It was just Tony and I and Tony was very supportive but had to spend much time regulating the pool temperature to keep it constant.

We realised I was at transition stage when I started talking rubbish and crying! We waited until after my CM's shift finished before phoning labour ward to ask for a midwife. They called one out to us but we had to wait for her to get here. I was wanting Entonox by now but was just about coping. I was starting to feel the urge to push and so in between contractions, examined myself and knew I was fully dilated and could feel baby's head at the top of the birth canal. My waters were intact and I could feel the membranes around baby's head. I remained as calm as I could and Tony told Labour Ward I was starting to want to push. They said they would send a second closer midwife but if he thought delivery was imminent, he should phone an ambulance so the Paramedic could deliver the baby. I continued with the urge to push getting stronger with the next few contractions. Finally the door went just as I had a really powerful contraction and I told Tony I needed the Entonox quickly! Just then I pushed hard and baby's head crowned and I told the midwife..... "his head's crowning!" The midwife rushed in and told Tony to prepare to catch the baby whilst she scrambled around her bag to fetch out some gloves. Baby's body shot out with the next push (all in same contraction) and the midwife just managed to get her gloves on and grab him, brought him to the surface of the water and removed him from inside the intact membranes. He immediately cried heartily! The time was 6:24pm. Meanwhile I was in complete shock and crying and shaking all over. The midwife hadn't even had a chance to introduce herself and said to me, "you were hanging on to him until I got here, weren't you?". To which I replied "yes, I think so". Relief flooded my body as I realised he was fine and we had done it without any drugs or medical intervention.

The midwife said how lucky it was for baby to be delivered in his water sac. I felt sick and shaky due to the speed of delivery and how touch and go it was that the midwife was going to make it in time! But within a couple of hours I started to feel better. Baby latched on straight away and fed for an hour in total. He weighed in at 8lb 10oz with a head circumference of 35cm and a length of 51cm. He was perfect but we couldn't decide on a name and at almost 48 hours old, we finally decided on Theo Jamie. I escaped with a very minor tear so no need for stitches despite the speed of his delivery!

So there we go!!!!! We are recovering well and Tony was and is great - really stepped up to the mark and I can recall him standing there expecting to have to catch his new baby son, like a goal keeper with hands outstretched and a look of concentration and fear right across his face! He said it did not bother him in the slightest to watch Theo coming out into the world, whereas, he's never wanted to be down "business end" before with our other sons! lol

I wanted to say thank you for all the advice and support you have shown both Tony and myself through the classes, couples workshop and texts/phone calls. The homeopathic remedies came in handy too, as did the lavender facial spritz, Rescue Remedy and I found Tony blowing cold air on my face helpful!! I truely think we made the right choice in the end for our birth experience and much of that was due to your advice and guidance. The recommended books were also an excellent reference. As it happened, when I was in labour, I would have been turned away from Musgrove due to how busy they were and transferred to another hospital had we not opted for a home birth!! Little Theo had it all planned out for us and waited until we had all our plans in place before making his special and extremely memorable appearance in this world!!

I have attached a photo of our new baby son and look forward to coming along soon to tell his birth story to the Taunton yoga class and for you all to meet him.

All the best.

Jo x

A Birth - baby Aidan Daniel Sothcott

2010-10-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Receiving the call on tuesday 21/09 from Bristol was the most crazy thing. The day we had been waiting for, the day that we were prepared to meet our baby boy for the first time. They told us to make our way there for 12.30 that afternoon and so we hurried around the house packing the last few bits and jumped in the car. A journey has never taken so long (or so it felt) and the whole way I put myself into my bubble and tried to regulate my breathing - no singing along to Robbie for me!

We arrived a little late and to our dismay, told by a midwife that they were really too busy and it may be a while before the induction could be started. However, 5 minutes later another midwife appeared with some rubber gloves and a pessary and told me to lay on my back! Baby was monitored for about 20 minutes and we were then left for the day. I began to feel definate cramps but was told that it was just pain from the drugs and so she inserted another at 8pm. After an hour, I was curled up in pain, breathing forgotten and crying my eyes out. I managed to forget everything I had been taught.

At 2am it all stopped and I was thrilled to get a little rest.. then I realised that it had stopped completely and our boy wasn't going to arrive anytime soon.

Wednesday, a stronger gel was inserted but still no luck other than small twinges.

The doctors decided to break my waters at 2.45am meaning minimal sleep for all of us (mum stayed with Dan and I until I had shown signs on progression).

I was settled with a little gas and air for the VE and breaking of waters as it was so painful due to my cervix not playing ball. The waters, however, should definately have been called rivers as there was the biggest explosion!

After 2 hours of walking around the delivery suite, there was still no progress so the Syntocin was inserted at 6am. This got things moving very quickly and the TENS was soon on. With the midwife trying to push the epidural saying that the two things "go together" I was determined to do it my way and declined, using a LOT of sounding and the TENS going up and up. I was having contractions hard and very close together, usually coming in pairs but still only 2cm dilated yet fully effaced.

At 1pm it all got a bit too much using only the sounding so I had the epidural. Gas and air helped me again to stay still and breathe through the contractions. I was immediately calm and sat in the upright position from the relaxation exercise practiced in class for the rest of the labour.

An hour later, things began to go downhill.. Baby's heartbeat had slown down to about 50 and into the room came an abundance of midwives, doctors plus the senior. She then decided to perform a FBS and did so, while finding out I had become fully dilated in the last hour and easily feel my boy's full head of hair. They then took no time in urging me to push. Dan came back in the room having grabbed a cup of tea while the on call team for my baby were made aware that he was going to be arriving soon.

Dan and a student doctor held each of my hands as I spent the next hour and 15 minutes pushing (the senior using the ventouse). The "newborn emergency stabalisation team" were in the room as he was delivered and immediately handed to them.

I can truly say that hearing the words "I'm so sorry, we can't start your baby's heart" was the worst moment of my entire life. I dived under the bed sheets while Dan continued to watch them work at him. After 20 minutes the machines kicked into action and there were huge sighs of relief filling the room. From the worst moment, came the best moment and after another hour, we were allowed to see our beautiful baby boy in NICU.

Tandi

A Birth - baby Effie Welch

2010-10-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

Lyn’s Birthing Story
According to the sonographer my baby was due on the 16th September 2010. The date duly arrived and departed with no sign of bump putting in an appearance and having seen my midwife who desperately wanted to do a cervical sweep I was determined that this baby was coming out with as little medical interference as possible. I spent the weekend eating copious amounts of fresh pineapple, drinking raspberry leaf tea, having sex and smiling nicely at everyone who suggested that castor oil was the way to go!

I was delighted when on Monday morning I had a definite 'show' and spent the day gazing aimless at the fish tank whilst bouncing on my ball, all plans of going shopping forgotten whilst fielding phone calls and text messages from everyone asking if anything was happening (sixth sense seemed to have kicked in among female friends and relations!) Lack of food in the house resulted in us having to make a trip to Tesco, where I wandered aimlessly until at the checkout I had my first proper, unmistakeable contraction. I spent the rest of the evening leaning over my birth ball and slowly the contractions built during the night until they were coming regularly every 30 minutes. As dawn approached I began to get slightly longer gaps of about 45 minutes followed by 3 contractions which were closer together. Dan and I decided that he would go to work on the proviso that he wasn’t too far away and could drop everything if needed. The contractions continued with this pattern through the morning, and after a phone call from Josie advising that I went back to bed to help my hormone levels increase. That is exactly what I did. I spent the day watching chick flicks, and attempting to sleep but in reality doing little more than shutting my eyes.

By the time Dan returned from work the contractions were much more consistent and powerful at about 15 minute intervals. Dan cooked me tea and massaged my lower back while I continued lying over the birthing ball. By 10pm the contractions were 10 minutes apart and I decided I wanted to put on the Tens machine. I had it on level 2 as anything higher was highly irritating, but in all honesty didn’t do too much to help ease the pain.

At 11.30pm the contractions were approximately 7 minutes apart and taking my full attention, looking through the notes from the couples workshop we had attended

Dan thought I was probably in the deciding phase. By this point I was trying really hard to control my breathing and Dan was being a rock and trying to calm me down and encouraging me to remember what we had been taught in class and at the workshop.

At 12.30am on Wednesday with regular contractions at 5 min intervals Dan phoned the hospital. After talking to the midwife through a contraction she announced that I was probably only in the early stages of labour, at most 2 to 3 cms dilated, and that this could continue for another 24 hours! Her advice was to take 2 paracetamol and go to bed! At this point I do remember uttering the words "If this is only early labour I want a c-section" I was convinced I was actually further along.

Within the hour my contractions were 2 -3 minutes apart and we phoned the hospital again, we were told to come in before they phoned back to say they would send the on- call midwife to see me. As I wanted to stay at home for as long as possible this seemed like a good idea, although whilst waiting for her to arrive Dan started to believe we would be having a home birth! Pat arrived at 2.15am mid contraction (by now I was sounding through each one) and did an examination only to discover that I was actually 7-8cm dilated and maybe we should head to hospital fairly sharpish! She phoned ahead and arranged for us to have a room with a birthing pool and then we all headed up the bumpy lane to the hospital, having warned Dan that I wouldn’t sit in the van quietly and she would follow us just in case we needed to stop on the way!

Knowing that I had got to this stage with very little pain relief gave me a real boost and boded well for the natural birth I wanted. I was really excited and positive on my arrival at hospital that felt I could do this and that meeting bump was going to be happening sometime soon! With everything going to plan, and monitor showing that we had a very chilled out baby I quickly progressed to 9cm dilated and got into the pool. The warm water and the gas and air was working wonders and I was feeling really positive and empowered at 4am I had urges to push, and at 4.40am I was told that my waters had broken and baby would be with us shortly.

5 then 6 o’clock passed but still no sign of the baby. Monitoring via the Doppler showed she was still very relaxed and her heartbeat absolutely fine. At 7am I reluctantly got out of the pool, as contractions had slowed down again and I knew that gravity was going to help me deliver my baby so got myself into a kneeling position using the back of the bed for support. It was at this point I decided to tell the world that gas and air was fab and memorise the sign on the bottom of the bed during every contraction. I can’t remember the exact words now although I assured everyone at the time I definitely would but it was something about removing bits of the bed before moving it!

8am brought a midwife change and at 9am after another examination I was told I was still only 9cm dilated and that my waters hadn’t broken and that this was stopping me from dilating fully.

She also began to question whether bump was actually back out as she had a feeling that it was back to back. Waters broken I continued in the forward kneeling posture in the hope that making a hammock would encourage bump to move around. 10,11, 12.00 o’clock passed and contractions had died off slightly but baby was still very chilled. Jane the midwife did another examination only to find I was still only 9cm dilated. With very little sleep for 36 hrs I was exhausted and running low on energy despite Lucozade glucose tablets and snacks.

Jane my midwife was aware of my birth plan and respected it but advised it maybe time to try something else in order to help me get bump out sooner. After consulting with another midwife they advised Syntocine and an epidural (my biggest fear) I knew that this would mean that baby needed to be monitored continuously. I really didn’t want to give in but had nothing left to give. I was petrified of the epidural but Dan talked me into it and supported me whilst the epidural was administered. Fortunately he had been investigating different forms of induction and knew that I would really struggle without the relief from the epidural.

I was really surprised by my epidural as I had expected not to be able to feel anything, but I was aware of the consistency of my contractions and could still move my legs which meant that when I was told at 2.30pm I was fully dilated and could begin pushing I was able to get myself into several different positions on the bed where I was able to bear down etc despite the wires and tubes attached to various bits of me. Jane was really supportive of this and chased bump around with the monitoring equipment as best she could.

4pm saw another midwife change and I was really pleased that it was Josie one of the Ilfracombe midwives that I had seen during the course of my pregnancy. She came in with a fresh boost of energy and enthusiasm which really helped lift my spirits. After an hour and a half of pushing there was still no baby. Baby’s head was visible but not shifting and I was exhausted. After consulting the doctor it was decided that a ventouse delivery was required as baby was most definitely back to back. By this point I was in my own little bubble and was only vaguely aware of what was going on around me all I knew was that I was going to meet my baby soon and that this time it would actually happen! The world and his neighbour seemed to enter the delivery room at this point and I remember being told that it all depended on me to listen to instructions. Apparently I was told the ventouse delivery was a 50/50 chance and I had to put everything I had into getting this baby out next contraction I pushed with all I had left.

At 5.32pm, 48 hours after the contractions started, I had my beautiful daughter Effie weighing 9lb2oz with a 38.5cm circumference head in my hands plus an episiotomy cut and third degree tear and it didn’t matter a bit!

It wasn’t the delivery I had hoped for by any means but I wouldn't change the experience I had for the world. I learnt so much about myself and Dan and I'm really proud of the fact that I managed to get to 8cm dilated at home with no pain relief. I stayed calm and relaxed and knew what was coming so was prepared for the next stage of labour and knew how to help myself by using different positions thanks to classes and the couples’s workshop.

I am so thankful that Dan and I attended the couple’s workshop as Dan took everything on board and researched everything. As a result he was the best birth partner I could have wished for, and his support was what got me through.

I also like to say a huge thank you to Josie and everyone in class for all their words of wisdom. I learnt so much from you all and I know that if I hadn’t attended active birth classes, I would have given in and ended up demanding a caesarean probably on Monday

Lighting a Candle

2010-09-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

I have a space in my house where I light a candle if I know of a woman in labour who needs thoughts and support. If my boys see a candle lit there, they will ask after the woman and her baby, and we will often send thoughts and love to them as we sit down to eat.

In class we talk about lighting candles, and very often a woman will send a text or e-mail to her friends from the classes when she goes into labour, and they will light candles for each other.

The act of lighting a candle focuses our attention and awareness on our friend's labour, and allows us to bring a physical representation of our support and solidarity into our homes.

Many women have said that they thought of the candles burning for them in their friends houses, and that it gave them strength and comfort in labour.

Tandi Update

2010-09-22T00:59:00.000-07:00

Despite contractions building up yesterday they stopped shortly after midnight. Tandi was able to get some rest, and they will try again this morning.

Thoughts for Tandi

2010-09-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Please can everyone spare a few thoughts For Tandi, Dan, and their baby boy. They went up to Bristol this morning, and at the time of writing this, she had had prostin about 3 hours ago, but apart from a few niggles, not a lot happening. She has been in regular contact via text today, so I will post again if I get updated.

They have got a mountain to climb, and Tandi knows that she has the thoughts of all the women she has been at class with, and all their support behind her. If you get a moment over the next few hours and days, please just send your positive thoughts to her, imagine how relieved you will feel when you hear how well they are both doing, and think of how honoured we will all be when we finally get to meet her strong little boy.

I have lit a candle for them, and will continue to do so whilst I am at home and able, until I hear that they are both safe and well. Their little boy has so many obstacles to overcome, I am sure we can all find a little space in our thoughts for him.

If you want to send messages to Tandi and Dan, please leave them as a comment to this post and I will pass them on.

love, Josie

Mothers Cuddle Brings Baby Back To Life

2010-08-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Amazing story about an Australian Mum who's body warmth and breast milk revived her premature twin boy whom the doctors had pronounced dead.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100827/twl-mum-s-miracle-cuddle-brings-baby-bac-3fd0ae9.html

Rhiannon's birth Story

2010-08-25T05:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Rhiannon and Doug on the birth of Robert David McLean

Hi Patricia here is my birth story for you.

Started having regular contractions every 10 minutes from 23.30 20th Aug for five hours, breathed through them, then managed to get some sleep, waters broke at 8.15, forewaters only, some niggly contractions followed but not regular, sat on ball. Took some arnica and pulsatilla and mild contractions approx every 5 mins. Phoned BBC and were asked to come in as regular and waters broken, stayed in for an hour then sent home (4cm, thinning cervix and softened), contractions more intense but still 3-5 mins apart. Would have preferred to stay at home for a bit longer anyway so quite happy! Taken pulsatilla, caulophyllum and arnica, keeping moving, waters clear. Once home went on ball then into shower as contractions intensified, moving, hip circles, vocalising, contractions now 1-2 mins apart, lasting 1-1.5 min, rang bbc, closed so go into labour ward, got midwife we knew, walking from car park got things going after car journey. Contractions starting each min, intensified again, on all fours, leaning over chair, vocalising, using homeopathy kit, got to panicky point so used aconite, felt like transition so midwife asked for exam, agreed, only 6 cm, midwife estimated maybe another 8 hours before birth, tried some more felt starting to push, felt couldn't cope with that much pain, losing focus, on all fours crouched on floor, asked for pain relief, discussed with Doug, tried gas and air, couldn't breath/vocalise so stopped, asked for diamorphine, injection at 1755, was able to move to better position, kneeling on bed, gravity working, felt lucid and focus returned, pushed and felt I knew exactly what was happening, robert david mclean born at 1840. midwife said was a treat seeing normal birth!

Baby unwrapped cord from neck twice, passed through legs for me to hold skin to skin, cord left to stop on its own then clamped, I cut it as was short again. Had synometrin for placenta as started bleeding a lot. Breastfed while placenta being delivered.

I felt I made the right decisions for me to have a good birth experience. Couples workshop helped, Doug massaged my back throughout and breathed with me, knew the homeopathy kit and techniques, very lovely and supportive, stuck up for birth plan and helped me hang on without pain relief for as long as possible!

Baby was alert and responsive straight away, and fed well immediately.

Thank you so much, Rhiannon, Doug, Will and Robert

Emma's Birth Story

2010-08-18T03:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Emma and Adam on the birth of their first baby Isaac: Here's their story:

I really wanted to thank you for every thing you did to help us

prepare ourselves for the birth of Isaac - it was an incredible and

joyful experience. Isaac is beautiful and very loving baby - and is

settling well into this world. He is now 5 days old and is feeding

well, sleeping in the day but still finds the idea of nightime a bit

alien but who can blame him! So... my birth story! It may seem quite

short as my labour cetainly was.

On Sunday at lunchtime I started to get some cramps, I had had quite a

few in the week before so was unsure if they were contractions, I also

had been trying to turn Isaac round, baby spinning website was great,

so I was unsure whether this may be a helping hand to get him to move.

However, I thought I would continue with the day and went to do the

weekly shop where the contractions became more noticeably in gaps of

about 5 minutes. Quite funny when I ran into so many people I know

asking me when the baby was due...soon I thought! Got home made

flapjacks and then a roast dinner.I then had a bit of a show with some

blood. By the time I was finishing food I had to stop what I was doing

during contractions and convinced myself this really was going to

happen. I rang Bracken and said i was fine but warned them I would be

in later. I couldn't eat much and got in the shower/bath and Adam made

sure last bits and pieces were ready. Contractions continued to get

stronger but remained 4-5 minutes apart from start to finish. I was

going to get out of the bath to see whether the contractions

escalated, they did! I was doing my stuff on the ball but by about 9 I

had a strong feeling of needing the loo but when in the bathroom

thought the loo is too small and got in the bath and my waters broke

in the most explosive style. We rang and warned bracken we were on

the way and got me into the car. I have to say this was a bit nerve

wracking bit for me getting to the hospital. The breathing techniques

we learnt had become so imbedded in my experience that despite the

pain, I seemed to know exctly what to do. I also appreciated the

vocalising experiences from the class as I am usually a bit self

concious but the noises flowed and allowed me to communicate with Adam

without having to engage in conversation. On arrival at 11pm l I met

the midwife Eleanor - she read my birthplan, asked me where I had been

introduced to active birthing and when I mentioned your name she said

she knew you and said to just follow what you had said, what I had

learnt and she made Adam and i feel empowerered and able to be fully

involved in the birth. She gave me an internal then asked if I wanted

to feel the baby's head! Birth imminent she filled the pool and I

crawled around on the floor and did a combination of deep and shallow

breathing and a hell of a lot of vocalising - although painful and

amazing and I have to say again a joyful experience. Once in the pool

I politely asked whether I could have my baby!! and Eleanor said yes.

She then sat in the corner and left me to it. I did know what to do,

when to relax and when to push. I found it so strange that I knew I

was ready as my mouth was wide open and my body was then doing the

pushing instinctively. His head came out and I was then elated and I

could feel him wriggling. He came out 'superman style' with one hand

out but I managed to avoid a tear. This stage took 20 minutes! Adam

picked him up and then Eleanor and another midwife helped hand him to

me and we had our first cuddle.He was born at 12.17am (1hour 17 mins

after our arrival!) They helped me out of the pool and put him on my

stomach and we helped him to my breast to feed. He latched on and I

looked at him - a truely wonderful experience. The placenta wasn't

rushing out so eleanor give it a gentle pull that initiated a

contraction that birthed the placenta. She put it in a bowl next to

Isaac.Adam later cut the cord. We were then left alone, brought tea

and toast. We were then asked if we wanted to stay in for the or go

home. We both decided immediately to go home. I had a bath and they

gave Issac a quick look over then we got dressed, put our unopen bags

in the car and took our little boy in the car and drove him home. The

whole birth was phenomenal and the most amazing time of my life -

thankyou so much for giving me the confidence to really experience his

birth and to for us to have such a fantantic time meeting my boy!

A Birth - Baby Ithan Saul Hancock

2010-08-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

In his mothers words;

Ithan Saul Hancock 31st of July 2010

I woke up at 7 in the morning, despite having been up half the night with Rosa, my teethy two year old. I thought that I felt a tiny pop but thought I’d probably imagined it as Ithan wasn’t due for another 10 days.

I tried to go back to sleep and drifted a bit but started to feel like the baby was poking me really low down and so decided to get up and make tea. When I got out of bed I noticed a small wet patch and started to wonder if baby might on his way.

I wrote my diary for a while wondering if it was really happening and cursing the fact that we had decided to start decorating the dining room the day before so the house was total chaos. Not the lovely clean tidy environment I’d imagined giving birth in at all!

By 8.30 the poking feelings had turned into definite period type cramps and I had to go to the loo for a huge pooh so I thought it really must be happening and I’d better wake Gareth up and tell him the baby was on his way. As things were still really quite mellow I didn’t feel any urgency as my labour with Rosa had been about 14 hours, the first 6 or so were fairly relaxed.

However by halfway through Rosa’s breakfast I was starting to find it hard to concentrate and the contractions were definitely getting stronger. Gareth phoned the hospice, where we had arranged for Rosa to be while we had the baby and they were great and said they’d get her room ready, bring her straight in.

I phoned the labour ward and had a chat with them and they said they’d find someone to come out . None of us thought there was any rush though as I could still concentrate enough to make sense during contractions.
They said the midwife might be a while but that sounded fine as I thought it might give us some time to sort our chaos out.

G whisked Rosa off and although she had been quite amused by the noises I was starting to make I was relieved as it meant I could fully concentrate on the physical and what was happening. I went and sat on the loo again and it all reached another level of intensity.
I started sounding and it really helped my breathing and to focus on thinning and opening. I felt so much more aware of the process this time and of everything we had learnt both in the hypnobirthing and the active birth classes. Last time I felt like the hypnobirthing fed in and really helped but it was on a subconscious level. This time I felt I was consciously drawing from what I knew.

I decided to get in the bath. I thought it would help and if it slowed things down a bit it wouldn’t be a bad thing either. G came home as I was trying to run the bath and helped me into it. He then did a super human high speed hoover and tidy. I was feeling like everything was going on very low down and I was really starting to push.

Gareth had been timing my contractions and said that when he’d started they’d been 30 seconds long and three minutes apart and the gaps just got smaller everytime until there was barely a minute between them. I felt they were coming in waves the whole morning but the sets were definitely increasing and getting closer together. I was using the sounding more and more, I surprised myself by how loud I was, mostly using ooooh! and AAAAH! As my surges got deeper and intensified so did my voice. It really felt like I was using my voice to push and squeeze downwards.

G had to give me a lot of support to get out of the bath. I had to hang off him every time a contraction came and there wasn’t much time in between them. Eventually we made it into the sitting room. I felt so happy when I saw it, I think I hadn’t really been able to imagine giving birth in there as we had had to go to hospital at the crucial moment last time.
Gareth had made it really lovely, or so it seemed to me. It was clean and uncluttered and everything was covered in throws and towels.

I think my only moment of anxiety had been at the beginning when I realised it was really happening and the house was such a state. I couldn’t even really sit down anywhere let alone imagine giving birth. I felt huge relief and love for him. All of this in the blink of an eye between fast and furious surges.

I asked Gareth to sit on the sofa and I knelt on the floor resting on him in between and braced by him during contractions. By this point I was really roaring, proper effective pushing with my whole self. My voice was deep down roaring him out. I said to G at that point it felt fierce, I think that describes the physical sensations really well but I felt fierce too.

I needed to sit back for a moment and I leant my back against the birthing ball while kneeling with my legs apart. This was really intense and when I put my hand down I could feel his head. It was amazing and so exciting. I wasn’t at all bothered that the midwife wouldn’t be there. I didn’t feel like I needed anyone else.

I felt a bit stuck in that position so we went back to the sofa. From then it was maybe two or three more pushes and I felt his head be born, it was the most wonderful and satisfying feeling. In a strange moment of clarity I saw the midwifes car pull into the drive. Another push and he came out with a splash onto the floor, he started to cry straight away .

Gareth got out from under me and picked him up in a towel. I was stretched forward, panting on the sofa, everything felt like it was in slow motion. G told me he was a boy and I kept saying hello baby without moving, he asked me if I wanted to hold him but I needed to just stay where I was for a moment.

The midwife knocked on the door and G shouted for her to come in. She came into the hall all of a bustle saying sorry she was late, traffic etc. and she came into the room and said oh my god you’ve delivered! It was perfect timing as far as I was concerned as she was able to do check him out and make sure my placenta came out completely, which it did without the need for the third stage injection.

Ithan and I had lovely naked cuddles for quite a while until the cord was cut after the pulsating had stopped. He didn’t feed straight away but nuzzled around lots and I felt elated and so very lucky. I had a tiny tear but it didn’t need stitches so by lunchtime the midwife had gone and we were eating scrambled eggs on toast and wondering if it had really happened!

Thank you so much for helping me to have an amazing birth experience. I will treasure the memories of Ithan’s arrival for ever. The classes empowered me and meant I felt confident and in control and was able to trust my body and my baby completely.

Callum's birth

2010-08-07T04:04:00.000-07:00

Baby Callum arrived 1st June, so 11 days late. I’m sure the Clary sage and the reflexology points worked because as soon as my sister had finished massaging my feet the contractions were reasonably strong and regular! Thank you for your help and advice and I’m so glad I came to the classes it made a huge difference!

The birth went well, I started on Bracken and then got moved up to the labour ward as Callums heart beat was racing. After lying on my back for an hour with a monitor strapped nice and tight to my belly, they decided all was well and I got moved back to Bracken.

Things were going well until my waters broke and there was old meconium - which apparently is normal with an over due baby. The midwife on Bracken wasn’t happy so I was sent back up to labour ward. I was quite far on at this point so the move was not appreciated!

On labour ward they insisted on me lying on my back with the monitor strapped to my belly. They couldn’t get a good reading of the baby's heart rate so the strap was getting tighter and tighter! I requested to go on all 4s, but the midwife wasn’t convinced as they couldn’t get a reading with me on my back so thought they wouldn’t be able to get a reading on all 4s either.

At 9am it was shift change, so my 3rd midwife (not keen on 1st one, liked 2nd one and was concerned about who would be my 3rd midwife) Both of us were delighted when Eleanor walked in : )

Eleanor took off my monitor straight away got me off the bed and I gave birth on a birthing stool within the hour. Not the water birth I wanted, but it all worked out in the end. The breathing, the birthing positions and the couples workshop definitely enhanced our experience and gave both Robin and I the confidence we needed for an empowering birth. Thank you for your help advice and support throughout my pregnancy - I would definitely recommend active birth sessions to expectant mothers.

It was a great experience and I’m looking forward to doing it all again : )

Victoria

Congratulations to Clare and Malcolm on the birth of Jasmine

2010-08-07T03:39:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know how the birth went . . . . . .I spent as much

time at home as possible. We were the only ones in Bracken (luckily).

The midwife who I think you know - the one who is knowledgable about

aromatherepy - Jane was with us (along with a student) for

the first shift overnight and then Jill took over the following

morning with another student. Jane was more laid back and was fine

about me not wanting any internals etc but Jill was much more time

conscious and as soon as she came on shift basically said that she

accepted I didn't want to have an internal examination but that I

should know it was difficult for her to know at what stage I was at if

I didn't!! She also checked more frequently the baby's heart rate.

After being at Bracken from 11.30 pm on the Tuesday night at about 10

am on the Wednesday I had a really strong desire that I needed to empty

my bowels - I had already done this earlier on and felt that it was

probably what was holding things up. I went with Malcolm to use the

toilet (just off the room with the birthing pool) and after a while

Jill came into the birthing pool room and said that she was going to

deliver the baby and that she didn't mind where she did it - even if it

was in the toilet! I realised later of course that the desire to empty

my bowels was in fact the baby!?! The bean bag I had been using and

cushions were then brought into the pool room and Malcolm suggested

that I go in the pool for a while - they filled the pool up and I went

in. It felt lovely and in this position Jill was able to establish

that I was fully dilated. Unfortunately, I think the water meant my

contractions slowed down - I was in the pool for about 1 1/2 hours. I

got out and went back into the original room I had been in. Jill once

again expressed concern that she felt she really needed to do an

internal examination to see what was 'holding things up'. I agreed as

I was feeling very tired by this stage. She established that the

baby's head was slightly turned so we then tried squats and also used

the birthing chair. As things still did not progress we then

transferred to the room with the bed in it and I climbed on and put my

legs in the stirrups. I felt utterly exhausted at this stage but it

was not long until they could see the head. Jill encouraged me to use

the vocalising effort internally in order to help with the pushing. I

did this as much as possible and eventually birthed the head. I put my

hand down and could feel her head and a lot of hair and a mirror was

brought in so I could see her. It was incredible. One last effort and

she was born. We didn't know the sex but discovered together and were

delighted. Jasmine was placed straight on my chest as I had requested

in my birth plan and I felt really tearful and so happy.

I used my birth ball a lot and found the breathing techniques excellent and did lots of vocalising too!

Malcolm was a fantastic support. I spent a night in Bracken ward which

was really nice as there was only one other new mum on the ward so it

was really peaceful. We came home the following day.

It took me a couple of weeks to get to grips properly with

breastfeeding. I even went back into Bracken ward (when Jasmine was

about a week old) and Jane spent a couple of hours chatting to us and

giving me lots of encouragement (which is I think what I really needed)

and confirmed that I was feeding well and that Jasmine's latch was

fine. I am really pleased that I have perserved with it because it's

fine now.

I just want to say a massive thank you. I gained a great deal from

the Monday evening classes and really valued all your knowledge, advice

and input. I really feel that the birth experience I had was excellent

and I feel that is down in the main to the classes and your teaching.

Also, Malcolm and I really enjoyed the couple workshop in Exeter and feel that it prepared us well for the birth experience.

Jasmine is an absolute joy to have and we are over the moon.

Clare

World Breastfeeding Week

2010-08-06T00:25:00.000-07:00

Its World Breast Feeding Week from the 1st to the 7th of August. You can follow the link to find out more, or on a personal level you can just celebrate your own breastfeeding journey/potential.

Love and the Second Child

2010-07-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

I have a very close and open group of women in my Thursday session at the moment, and unusually, a large number of them are on their second or third child. Our circle time regularly develops into very full and frank discussions about all manner of things, and this week we arrived at the topic of love and the second child.

It has become apparent to me that almost all second time Mums experience anxiety in some form or other over how the love will work when split between two children. I myself experienced a great deal of anxiety as the birth of my second child approached. I couldn't conceive of how I was going to love two children, and where the love for an other child would come from. I felt that I could no more love a second child than I could love a second Husband, or a second Mother.
And these feelings seem to be a common theme. Either feelings of concern over having enough love for a second child, or worries about how the first child will suffer as affections are diverted and watered down.

The moments after the birth of my first child brought overwhelming wonder at the miracle of love and creation, the moments following my second child's birth made me laugh out loud and cry with joy at the cleverness of nature and the endless possibilities of love.

Because at the moment I looked at my second child's face my love, and ability to love, expanded, doubled, tripled even. In one powerful and overwhelming moment I became infinitely more capable of love and loving.

When I have spoken to other women following the births of the their second children they have reported similar experiences in one form or other. And all have confirmed my feeling that we can't really comprehend how it will happen, until it does.

And this is one of natures gift to us, and as with so many of the gifts we receive, we don't know what we are going to get until we have been given it. So we have to trust, and understand, that we are provided for. That what we need, we have, and have only to wait and trust in our own resources and we will be shown, time and time again, that nature has got us covered.

A Birth - baby Katie Enns

2010-07-27T23:24:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Natalee and Jim on the birth of their second daughter, Katie. Natalee phoned me and said it had been a very good birth, at home in the birth pool. Katie was born on Wednesday 14th July, and weighed 7lb 11.5 oz.
Natalee said everyone was doing very well, although she had forgotten how tired you feel!

Ina May Gaskin on natural childbirth, part 3

2010-07-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

Ina May on Natural Childbirth -3

Ina May Gaskin on natural childbirth, part 2

2010-07-27T00:03:00.000-07:00

Ina May Gaskin talks about natural childbirth- 2

Harry's wonderful home birth in the bath

2010-07-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Patricia,

Thank you so much for being our doula and helping Harry's birth to be as perfect as it was.

During the pregnancy your positivity about pregnancy and the birthing process was a huge support to me. It felt great to be able to spend time with you knowing that you respect and understand the process of birth and therefore have confidence in it.

I loved coming to your classes and especially hearing the birth stories. Ben particularly appreciated coming to your couples workshop and felt much more prepared as a result.

When it came to the labour your support was invaluable.
You showed me the position to hold during contractions to allow labour to get established. After ages of being stuck at every 10 minutes they became every 3 minutes and everything got going.
You met the midwife when she arrived and gave her our birth plan meaning Ben could continue to support me.
You got me through my panic in transition and didn't believe me when I said I couldn't do it. Thank you for this. You were right, I could do it!
Sometimes I just needed to look at you to check it was going ok. Ben was totally supportive but obviously hasn't given birth so having you there as a mother who knows was extremely reassuring for us both.
You did the things that everyone else was too busy to do. Thank you for running the bath, finding the candles, getting the camera, cleaning up and all the things I didn't even notice you do.

I feel that the birth was an occasion full of joy, humour and confidence and I am glad to say that at 10 months Harry reflects all of these qualities in his personality.
Thank you again for supporting such a great start in life.

Love Kate

Midwife Ina May Gaskin Talks about Natural Childbirth - 1

2010-07-23T05:20:00.000-07:00

Legendary American Midwife and Pioneer of natural childbirth, Ina May Gaskin, talks about her experiences of natural childbirth

Barnstaple - Couples Workshop, July '10

2010-07-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Well, despite some very late minute re-arranging due to venue booking issues, the workshop went ahead in the alternative venue of Victoria House Children's Centre. This was nostalgic for me as Victoria House was where I first started teaching my classes, before Fred was born.
Despite not having quite as much room as at Sticklepath we managed very well and it was an added bonus to have the use of the sensory garden for wandering around at lunch time.

It was lovely as ever to meet all the Fathers, and to have a couple join us from the Bumps to Babies group as well.

Our next Workshop is also booked in at Victoria House so maybe if the weather is better we can make even more use of the fantastic gardens

Couples Workshop June 20th

2010-07-02T01:49:00.000-07:00

It was lovely to meet and work with all the fathers to be. Thank you for all the positive feedback, it's great to know that you feel more prepared and confident about supporting your partner's at the birth of your babies. I look forward to seeing you all again when you come in to tell your birth story.

Taunton Birth Forum News

2010-06-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

Taunton Birth Forum News:

The Taunton Birth Forum offers a monthly programme of diverse and stimulating evening talks given by people from a wide professional and geographical field on the theme of pregnancy, birth and Parenting including psychological, physical and medical understanding. TBF provides a forum for professional and interested lay people to achieve a deeper understanding of the journey Mothers take in pregnancy and the impact it has on them, and how we can support them to be as healthy and happy in this time in their lives as can be possible.
The evening began with Midwife Mandy Hutchings talking about the success of the birth centre in Taunton over the past 2 years , and looking specifically at how this small but effective unit has changed women’s experience of birth considerably , not only that , that the Midwives who work there have adapted and changed their practice too.
We are able to be flexible and can practice our midwifery skills with more freedom due to the environment and the choices this gives us, and gives the women and their families.

A Birth - baby Bella Amelie Andrews

2010-06-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

Congratulation to Gabby and David on the birth of Bella, who arrived exactly 1 week overdue on Monday 10th May.

Gabby has shared her birth story here;
At 10.30 on Sunday night my waters broke prior to my labour starting. We called the Bracken Center and were advised to go in for confirmation that it was the waters that had gone. At this stage I had only had a couple of 'random' contractions but they confirmed that things looked like they were progressing and we should go home until the contractions were consistently 5 mins apart. That happened as soon as I left the hospital, but we stayed at home for a couple of hours before returning at 3.30 to be told I was 5-6cm dilated. I went into the pool at 4.30 which was wonderful, I found the water really soothing, supportive and relaxing. Things progressed well and Bella was born at 10.15 weighing a healthy 8lbs13oz.

Thanks again for your guidance, I know that it made a really positive difference to our experience.

Barnstaple - Classes re-starting

2010-06-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

The date for the re-start of the weekly classes has been set for Thursday 17th of June. We have a totally fresh group of women starting together and I'm looking forward to meeting everybody.

A Birth - baby Emily Liddell

2010-05-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Laura and Rob on the birth of their daughter Emily Esme Liddell, who arrived on Thursday 20th May at 4:10am weighing 8lb 7oz.

In Laura's words;
After 2 days of contractions on and off they finally kicked off at wednesday lunchtime. By 7pm they were 3 mins apart and i managed to stay at home until around 10:30pm leaning over my ball with Rob massaging my back between contractions. We got to Bracken just before 11pm and i was 8cm dilated. My contractions stepped up a gear for those last 2cm, which seemed to take a long time! At around 12am i got into the birthing pool, which was lovely, and had gas and air for last 20 mins before i started to push. I felt very much in control throughout my contractions and confident that with breathing and focusing techniques learnt, I was able to manage them. However, i did realise i had thought less about the 2nd stage and did feel a bit anxious about what was to come.
As it turned out i needn't be worried as like you have said before, my body knew what to do and i went with it. Emily slid back 6 times before i finally managed to push her out (which i found very frustrating) but as a result i had little tearing so perhaps that was for the best. After an hour and half of pushing she arrived into the world and we had skin to skin time while the placenta stopped pulsating. Unfortunately, when it did stop pulsating Emily went a bit floppy and we had to cut the cord get her out of the pool. I didn't feel any urges to push the placenta out and wanted to get it out as soon as i could so i could be with Emily, so got out of the pool and had the injection to get me started.

Emily was fine but developed a grunt to her breathing. The midwife didn't think it was a concern and was just mucus from the birth but thought it wise to get the paediatrician to check her out. The paediatrician agreed and we went to the ward, however another paediatrician on his morning round was concerned that her grunt was still there so they took her to special care baby unit to start her on a course of antibiotics incase she had a chest infection. This meant we had to be moved to Willow ward and would have to stay in for at least 3 days until they knew whether she did indeed have an infection.

So 4 days later we were able to leave as surprise, surprise she had no infection. In fact, the grunt went on that day she was born and her breathing stabilised. While, i would have preferred not to have had to of stayed in hospital perhaps it was for the best as Emily struggled to latch on and staff on willow ward were great at helping us out.
Thank you for all of your valuable advice and coaching. I look forward to bringing Emily in to meet you!

Laura.

A Birth - baby Eden Sullivan

2010-05-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Sarah and Ross Sullivan, and welcome to their baby boy, Eden.

Sarah writes;

'Just thought I would announce the safe and peaceful arrival of baby "Eden". He arrived promptly on his due date the 19th May in only 5 hours of labour from start to finish (such a good boy to mum). The birth was perfect and just the way we hoped it would be quick, calm and in water, unfortunately I had complications immediately after the birth but little "Eden's" part was already done and we are happy to say he's a healthy 6lb 2oz's.

I'm so very happy that i managed the birth without the use of any drugs, not even gas and air as he seems to be such a contented baby, I simply used my breathing and positions to help me through and he arrived.

I would love to introduce him to you and tell my birth story although i'm inactive at the moment and under strict house rest but could possibly come to my normal Taunton class possibly the Monday after the bank holiday (June 7th),

Sending our heartfelt appreciation

Sarah (Sullivan), Ross and baby Eden xxx'

Wishing you all the best for your life together, xx

Hello

2010-05-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to the first entry on the Birthwise Blog. This blog will serve as a place to catch up on all news Birthwise. All three of us (Karin, Patricia and Josie) will all be posting here so we hope it will be a valuable resource for everyone involved in our little Birthwise community. If you have any news or info you would like to be posted here, please e-mail or leave us a comment.