Dance Me Over The Threshold - Art Of Birth Workshop

This is what we read, and what we created in our Art of Birth workshop today

Dance Me Over The Threshold

We have been waiting for this dance, you and I.

Holding our breath,

Biding our time,

Waiting for the right moment,

The right music,

The right night.

Listening for the first few quiet notes to tell us that the dance has begun.

May I give this dance?

To take your hand.

This will be for you and I alone, The music only ours.

And so we dance,

Together,

Softly at first, the rhythm gentle, the music quiet.

Our first few tentative steps into the unknown.

The tempo builds slowly,

I roll my body in time with our music and you lie spell bound, rocked by the waves of our dance.

The music plays out like an orchestral masterpiece, the different parts, the rises and falls, the cues, the crescendos, 

And I dance and sway and sing, and am swept along by the music and the rhythm and the dance.

I dance ferociously, uninhibited.

I dance the dance of the wild woman, of all those who have gone before me.

I dance for life and love and the great mysteries of the universe.

I dance for the past and the future and the very moment of the dance.

And I dance until I am exhausted, and I feel like I can’t dance another step,

But the music continues.

And the women, the wives and daughters, the mothers and lovers, all those who have danced before that I might be blessed with my own dance,

Those who have danced hold me up,

And breathe gentle kisses onto my tired limbs and whisper secrets of the universe into my open heart.

And you take my hand and lead me back to the dance,

And now we really dance together.

The music so loud and the rhythm so strong that I am powerless to refuse.

Our bodies dancing as one in the final moments, until we dance so beautifully and so powerfully that we become two.

And I dance you over the threshold of life.

The universe holds its breath,

And we are suspended, you and I, in the space between worlds.

Set free by the music, released by the dancing.

Then we breathe, and sigh,

And I take you in my arms and know that we danced a good dance.

Josie x 

Kate's Free-Birthing of baby Ocean

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

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

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

Hi Patricia George 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 J All the best, Nora

Sarah's Home birth to Redvers Frank

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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....

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

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

Welcome, not so little Daisy!

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

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

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

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