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  1. 3 little ladies

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    All 3 couples in one of my August group classes have given birth to beautiful baby girls within a week of one another and all 3 used HypnoBirthing to welcome their babies, in different circumstances into the world.  The first birth was an incredible home water birth that astounded the midwives who witnessed it; the second was a calm, hospital HypnoBirth (the birthing pool was unavailable), the third a caesarean section yesterday due to baby being breech.  The fact that all three couples were able to rely on their breathing and relaxation techniques to create the perfect enviroment in which to bring their baby gently and calmly into the world is testament to the flexibility of HypnoBirthing even when birth plans change due to unforeseen circumstances.  This is the reason I teach this course - 3 couples brimming with confidence and able to give birth free from fear in an atmosphere of calm joyfulness that so many fail to experience.  Come along to one of my free taster session and enjoy finding out how HypnoBirthing can support you in getting the birth experience you deserve.

  2. Just say "Yes!"

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    Last week,  I was delighted to receive a birth announcement text message from a couple I had finished teaching the HpnoBirthing course in a group class to only the week before.  They were thrilled to let me know that Libby's birth had been, in her mum's words "the most amazing, blissful experience of my life". What was particularly heartwarming about this news was that I knew that between our classes this couple had been striving for the birth they wanted. Having had a very traumatic experience the first time around they decided that they wanted to feel completely in control and planned to give birth in their own home this time around. This choice was almost prevented when they discovered that intravenous antibiotics needed to protect their baby from the Strep B infection had to be administered during labour at the hospital. The hospital advice was that they should therefore birth in hospital for ease of logistics/organisation rather than medical need.  My clients were not happy with this and had to repeatedly vocalise their desire to plan to return home post- antibiotics to complete labour and the birthing of their baby at home.   Ultimately, they secured the support of both the hospital and community midwifery team at Rotherham hospital.  The outcome was that they got the birth experience that they so desired and deserved -  a gentle, calm, drug-free waterbirth at home.

    So often, as humans conditioned from an early age to believe that saying "No" to what we are asked to do is wrong - do you recall being scolded as a child for saying "No"?- we find it difficult to stand up for what we believe in and so often can ultimately end up feeling so dissappointed that we didn't speak up for what we really wanted at the time.  But if, like this couple, we think of it not as saying "No"  to what we don't want but as saying "Yes" to what we do believe in and feel is inately right for us, it becomes easier to make ourselves heard.

    It is so important that mums feel safe and comfortable with their choice of planned birth place. This is an essential element in our preparation for a calm birth. For my husband and I, our choice was to birth in hospital. For this couple their choice to birth at home was complicated by the need for early medical intervention once labour started. Ultimately they got their wish and the outcome was everything they had hoped and planned for themselves and their baby daughter.  Welcome to the world, Libby Bliss. 

     

     

  3. Why choose Hypnobirthing- the Mongan method

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    HypnoBirthing, the Mongan Method is the original, authentic and the UK's foremost Hypnobirthing programme. Grounded in science- anatomy, physiology and psychology, it is the only programme with 25 years of evidence- based outcomes to demonstrate its effectiveness in supporting women and their babies prior to and during labour & birth. It is fully supported and trusted as an effective natural birth method by the Royal College of Midwives and its President, Professor Lesley Page, the accomplished midwife, campaigner and academic.

    Established in over 30 countries, its popularity in the UK make it the number one birthing programme available.  It is fully accredited and underpinned by the Code of ethics by the HypnoBirthing Institute, whose UK Hypnobirthing Advisory Board ensure all its teachings and course materials are fully UK-oriented to meet the particular needs of UK mums and dads, birthing within the infrastructure of NHS Maternity Services.

    For me, the most convincing aspect of this particular programme is the fact that it has spread simply because it works - that is, through primarily word-of-mouth recommendation from one mum to another and from one midwife's experience to another.  This is what makes the Mongan Method entirely unique and entitled to its reputation as the leading birth and antenatal preparation programme.

  4. Feeling in control about the choices around how your labour starts.

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    A recent research study identified that the length of each individual pregnancy for each woman can vary by up to 37days. With this finding in mind, one has to question the wisdom of a one size fits all approach by hospital and care providers to mediocal induction if natural birth hasn't started by 40 weeks upto 42 weeks. If every pregnancy is different and there is no medical justification for intervening i.e. no established risk to mum and baby, isn't it better to allow each mum's own body and their baby decide when it is time for labour and birth to commence.

    After all, if the Bishop's score is low, suggesting the baby and body are not ready yet for labour to start, it is highly unlikely that a sweep or pessary will succeed in inducing labour anyway. All that happens is that mum's experience of a sweep is ofetn uncomfortable and unfruitful whilst they have their hopes falsely raised that labour may begin as a result.

    On the other hand, if the Bishop's score is high i.e. 8 or 9, then this is indicative of natural labour being just around the corner anyway. So, that being the case and in the absence of medical need, why intervene?

    Natural labour often starts gradually and gently, enabling mum to utilise her HypnoBirthing relaxation and breathing techniques from the outset and with the support of her partner, get easily connected with her own body's rhythm and the ebb and flow of labour as it progresses.  She can assume a state of deeper and more profound relaxation as labour progresses.

    Chemical induction always works, even if the cervix isn't ripe and ready, and labour will commence full pelt and intensely with surges in very close proximity from the outset. In this scenario, HypnoBirthing  breathing and deepening techniques learned in classes and practised during pergnancy will be an  invaluable support.  It is essential that mum brings herself into a state of deep relaxation prior to chemical induction commencing in order to remain in control, calm and much more comfortable once labour is induced.

    The HypnoBirthing programme that I teach raises and encourages couples to carefully consider the pros and cons of each induction method compared with natural induction.  This way,  couples feel knowledgeable and able to ask their care providers the right questions regarding any induction method that is suggested. This way, rather than feeling vulnerable and powerless, they are able to make an empowered and informed decision as to whether natural induction or medically induction is the better option in order to safeguard mum's and baby's health and wellbeing.