"Our little boy arrived in the most unexpected - yet incredible - way!"

This blog is a wonderful, powerful birth story of recent Doula clients, Ellie and Chris. Ellie was planning a VBAC in pregnancy for this baby, after an elective c-section of her twins 5 years previous. Ellie outlines her journey to giving birth, which wasn't always straightforward as she was under consultant lead care (due to the previous c-section, and the fact that she went to almost 43 weeks avoiding induction) and planning on birthing 'Out of Guidance' at Truro Birth Centre. Have a read of this inspirational story that I am delighted to be able to share with you. A wonderful example of how birth can throw the occasional curve ball, and that baby's sometimes have other ideas than what's written in your birth plan! Huge congratulations to Ellie and Chris - supporting you on this journey was such a privilege.

"Our little boy arrived in the most unexpected - yet incredible - way… Being almost 43 weeks pregnant (42 + 5) had been one of the biggest challenges of my pregnancy. Going ‘over’ was mentally tough. I’d been hoping for a VBAC at the birth centre and wanted to avoid induction unless medically necessary. Terri was the most amazing support throughout this, helping me tap into my intuition. She attended scans and consultant appointments with me throughout which really help me with confidence and continuity. I’d decided to decline induction and go for extra monitoring and listen to my body, which, even at 19 days ‘overdue’, was still feeling good. 

Labour began around 11pm. I started having gentle surges about every half an hour. I remember trying to tell my husband, Chris, that I thought something might be happening, but I don’t think either of us realised this was the real thing.

By around 6am, the surges eased off, probably because the day had begun and the children needed help to get ready for school. Thankfully, Chris’s dad was staying with us and took the kids to school.

Because I’d never experienced labour before (I’d had an elective c-section with our twins), I expected it to be a long process. Terri had mentioned during our antenatal session that things could slow down when it got light outside, and that early labour may be a bit stop start, so I tried to carry on with the day. I did some yoga, relaxed with clary sage diffusing, and took our dog for a walk - breathing through each surge. 

After lunch (scrambled eggs on toast), I sat on the birth ball watching Bridesmaids. As soon as Chris’s dad left to collect the children from school and take them for a sleepover, something seemed to change. Knowing they were safely looked after almost felt like my body and mind finally had permission to let go.

The surges became much stronger, and I started feeling them in my lower back. I texted Chris at work around 3pm and told him I thought he should probably come home.

I ran myself a bath and when Chris arrived around 4pm, I was sick in the bathroom bin. The bath helped for a while, but every time I got out, the only place I wanted to be was sitting on the toilet. Standing up felt almost impossible. I also became convinced my bladder must be full and worried I hadn’t been for a wee in a long time (although in reality, this wasn’t the case!)

Chris helped me upstairs to our bedroom for a rest - but I headed straight into the bathroom. I couldn’t leave the toilet! I was also worried that I hadn’t managed a wee, convinced it would somehow block the baby’s exit, and we even discussed the possibility of a catheter when I got to Truro Birth Centre. Before long, I found myself making deep, involuntary sounds through each surge. I remember thinking: surely I can’t be this far along already?

Meanwhile, Chris had been messaging Terri. Looking back at those messages now, it’s obvious how advanced labour actually was, but because he’d only just come home from work, we simply hadn’t realised. Terri offered to come out, reading between the lines that things had progressed quickly in a short space of time.

As soon as Terri arrived, Chris and I felt instantly more relaxed. She quickly assessed the situation and calmly explained our options. I still couldn’t believe I was in active labour and so much further along than I’d expected to be! The birth centre was no longer an option - I couldn’t leave the bathroom, let alone make the car journey to the hospital. This baby was going to arrive at home!

Terri was incredible, quietly making the necessary calls to triage and paramedics and protecting our space so Chris could stay with me. I barely had to think about anything other than breathing through each surge.

By the time the paramedics arrived (they were called as a back up, not because there was anything wrong, but because there was a huge likelihood that the baby would meet the midwives!) our baby’s head was already visible.

Chris - who, before labour, had insisted he definitely wasn’t going anywhere near “that end” and didn’t even want to cut the cord - was suddenly at the business end, ready to catch his own son.

Terri greeted the paramedics and gave them a rundown. Gary, the paramedic, took one look and said: “You seem like you’re doing great. Carry on.” He got all his equipment ready and simply reassured us with his presence.

A short while later, the community midwife, Emma, arrived. I remember seeing her pulling on her gloves just after our baby’s head was born. Two surges later, she and Chris caught our beautiful little boy together and gently placed him straight onto my chest.

Afterwards, I simply sat back down on the toilet, cuddling our newborn in complete shock, unable to believe what had just happened in our bathroom, while we waited for the placenta. In true home birth style, Terri fetched a colander from the kitchen to catch it!

Chris did end up cutting the cord after all.

Then I walked straight into the shower (with the support of Terri), washed, climbed into bed and was handed a cup of tea by the paramedics. In less than ten minutes, I went from birthing my baby to being tucked up in bed with him feeding. It was heaven!

The midwife examined me and, incredibly, after a VBAC home birth, with no pain relief, I escaped with just a graze - no stitches required. Maybe all those weeks of perineal massage really did pay off!

I’d always said that if circumstances had been different, I’d have loved a planned home birth. But because I’d previously had a caesarean, and because we live quite a distance from the hospital, I’d decided that, for me, the increase risk of uterine rupture wasn't something I felt able to be comfortable with at home. But fate decided for us. Everything happened so much quicker than I had expected, and our baby simply arrived safely and calmly at home. 

Our little boy weighed around 8 lb 2 oz and was born at 8:10pm on 22 July, which also happened to be my granny’s birthday. It feels incredibly special that they now share that date forever. Looking back, it still feels unbelievable.

It wasn’t the birth we planned - but it was also the most perfect birth we could have wished for. We are forever grateful for the calm support of Terri throughout!"

Ellie and Chris' plan changed, but having an experiences and calm Doula supporting them and making all the necessary calls and arrangements, meant they were able to focus on the task in hand, and remain calm throughout. Another wonderful example of the difference a Doula can make. If you are considering having me as your Doula - whether you are planning a home birth, Truro or Penrice Birth Centre birth, or birthing on the delivery suite at Treliske, I can be by your side every step of the way. Drop me an email (info@cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk) and let's chat. You can find out more about my Doula packages here: www.cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk/doula

Birth Isn't One Size Fits All. So Why Should Your Antenatal Education Be?

Why I Ditched Group Hypnobirthing - And Why I Think Private Is Worth It!

And no, it's not because I don't like teaching groups - I actually love the teaching part! But... after almost 13 years of teaching Hypnobirthing in Cornwall, and having taught both group and private courses side by side for many years, I've made a very deliberate decision to focus solely on private, bespoke courses.

Business strategists might think I'm crazy because getting 6 couples to invest in my course and only having to teach it once makes a lot of financial sense! But despite this, I've made the decision that I only offer private, bespoke Hypnobirthing courses now. Because honestly? I think it's a better investment for most couples.

Here's why…

Firstly, the course is about YOU!

Your pregnancy. Your previous experiences. Your worries. Your choices. Your hopes for birth. We can focus on your birth and what matters to you. You're not sitting through conversations about someone else's circumstances that may not be relevant to you. Instead, the time is yours to explore the things that are important to you, ask questions and really get into the detail of your own situation.

To give you an example, one of the last group courses I ran included:

• A couple expecting twins

• A couple planning a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) who were carrying a lot of trauma from their first birth

• A couple who had conceived through IVF

• A couple navigating gestational diabetes

• And a couple who were your basic 'low risk' pregnancy with no other factors

  
  

Three of these couples were first-time parents and two were preparing for a subsequent birth. Every single couple had their own individual circumstances, questions, concerns and things they needed to understand. And this is where the difference between a group course and a private course really becomes apparent.

Group courses can absolutely be useful. The core antenatal education is there, the couples I have taught have been happy with what they learned and the opportunity to learn alongside other expectant parents can be lovely. (Although, if I'm honest, they're not always as conducive to making friends as you might think! Which is often as reason people choose a group setting) But by their very nature, group courses need to be more general. When you're teaching several couples at once, you have to balance the needs of everyone in the room. There simply isn't the same time or space to stop and explore one couple's particular circumstances in depth. With a private course, we don't have that limitation. Which leads me to my next point...

A private course means you can ask the REAL questions.

Sometimes the questions people want to ask are the questions they don't necessarily feel comfortable asking in front of a room full of strangers. Private sessions give you the space to ask the nitty gritty stuff. No judgement. No embarrassment. No worrying about what anyone else thinks. Just honest conversations around you and your specific needs.

And that's what I love about private courses - IT'S COMPLETELY BESPOKE

There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to birth. So I adapt the course around your individual circumstances.

First baby?

Previous difficult birth?

Planning a VBAC?

Twins?

Home birth?

Over 35?

Gestational diabetes?

Planned caesarean?

Induction?

Something else entirely?

We can spend more time on the things that are actually relevant to you.

One thing that sets me apart from other Hypnobirthing courses: YOU GET MY EXPERIENCE - NOT JUST A COURSE

I've been teaching Hypnobirthing in Cornwall for almost 13 years, I'm a Doula and I've supported over 100 clients, so I've seen birth in Cornwall from pretty much all angles. From freebirths to planned caesareans. That experience means I can answer questions, talk through different scenarios and bring real-world birth experience into your education.

My course isn't simply me reading from a manual or following a structure that was set out by a training provider on a weekend online Zoom course. (No shade, because we all have to start somewhere!) But when you're investing your hard-earned money in your antenatal education, I think it's useful to know that we aren't all the same when it comes to our course content, experience and knowledge.

When it's just us, THERE'S TIME TO GO DEEPER!

I want you to understand birth, not just learn a few breathing techniques and listen to some relaxation tracks. We cover your physiology, hormones, mindset, birth environment, positions, comfort measures, interventions, choices, your rights, birth planning, birth partners and so much more. And yes, you got all of this in a group course too. But because it's private, we can slow down, explore things properly and go off on the useful tangents that often come from YOUR questions.

YOU GET A SAFE SPACE THAT FEELS RIGHT FOR YOU

I worked hard to create a space where everyone felt comfortable and safe in my groups. However, the honest truth is that nothing compares to having the course taught in your own home, or in my specially designed, intermate therapy pod. It's more personal. It's your space. And there isn't a room full of other people listening while you talk about your pregnancy, your worries or your birth.

And this point is huge. Birth can bring up some BIG conversations.

Fear.

Previous experiences.

Anxiety.

Expectations.

Family opinions.

Hospital experiences.

Things you've heard from friends.

A private course gives us the time and space to talk about those things properly. And as a clinical hypnotherapist specialising in birth, anxiety, confidence and birth trauma, that's an important part of how I work.

Remember - YOU'RE NOT JUST PREPARING FOR LABOUR

Hypnobirthing isn't simply about having a particular type of birth. It's about understanding your options, knowing your rights, understanding what's happening to your body, developing practical tools and feeling confident making decisions throughout your pregnancy and birth. My aim is for you to finish the course thinking:

"I understand this. I know MY options. I know what matters to ME. And I know how I want to approach MY birth."

That's why I choose private. Not because group courses can't be valuable. But because after years of teaching both, this is the way I believe I can give my clients the most. And that's what I want to offer.

Private.

Bespoke.

In-depth.

Real.

Antenatal education, designed around YOU. Whether you're planning a home birth in Cornwall, to use Truro or Penrice Birth Centre, to birth at Treliske Hospital or somewhere else entirely in Cornwall - I've got you!

Private courses are available throughout the year, including 2027. If you'd like to find out more, email me at info@cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk or fill in the contact form on my website.

"Having our voices heard and our wishes honoured during a gentle c-section gave me a deep sense of ownership and peace about the experience."

"Some birth stories don’t follow the path we imagine, but that doesn’t make them any less powerful. In fact, sometimes it’s within the unexpected, the complex, and the deeply emotional circumstances that we see just how strong, informed and resilient people truly are - Paula’s story is one of those!

From the very beginning, Paula and her partner Dan approached pregnancy and birth with intention. They educated themselves, explored their options, and made decisions that felt right for them; not just once, but again and again as their circumstances changed. And when life took an unimaginable turn with a breast cancer diagnosis during pregnancy, they continued to meet each decision with courage, clarity and deep thought. There is real strength in that. Not just in the big moments, but in the quiet, steady determination to stay connected to what matters most.

And Paula… what an absolute force. Navigating surgery, treatment decisions, and the emotional weight of it all whilst growing and preparing to meet her baby, and still showing up to birth with openness, presence and trust in herself. A true birth warrior in every sense of the word.

It was an honour to walk alongside this wonderful family. To support them in shaping a birth experience that felt calm, considered and aligned, even when it looked very different to what they had first imagined! Their story is such an important reminder that birth isn’t defined by how it looks on paper, but by how you feel within it. Informed. Heard. Supported. Safe. And this birth story captures that beautifully.

"For many years, I have envisioned giving birth at home. I followed Terri on social media in the hope that one day I would be able to work with her to help make my dream home birth a reality. When I fell pregnant, I was classed as low risk so my midwife was fully supportive of my decision to opt for a home birth. We started antenatal classes with Terri and practised the hypnobirthing techniques we were taught in preparation for a physiological birth.

What’s that saying? ‘Man plans. God laughs’. At 24 weeks pregnant, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I underwent surgery whilst pregnant and I was told, to give myself the best chance of long-term survival, that I needed to start chemotherapy during pregnancy. This treatment would be paused to allow me to give birth and then started up again once I was approximately 3 weeks postpartum. My baby needed to be born within a small window of time. Unless he decided to bring himself into the world slightly early and within that window, I had two options: induction or elective c-section.

After much consideration, we decided to book in an elective c-section. After months of uncertainty and worry, I still wanted to do everything in my power to have a calm, gentle and positive birth experience. During our antenatal education, we had been taken through the induction process and a section was the option that we felt most comfortable with. It gave me a feeling of control and certainty. We knew when our son would be born and how. My c-section was booked. My pregnancy had a deadline. We held onto the hope that I would go into labour naturally and still have the physiological birth that we imagined. Once I entered that safe delivery window, we tried to naturally induce labour but our baby boy had no desire to be born just yet.

At 39+4, my husband, Terri and I arrived at hospital at 7.30am. I was lucky to be first on the list so we were all taken straight to the recovery room to wait. Everybody we met, the obstetric

consultants, the midwives and the anaesthetists were incredibly kind and caring. I was nervous but ready to meet our baby boy. Around 9am, I was taken to the larger of two theatres. Both Dan and Terri were there, dressed in scrubs, and our playlist of music was played in the background.

The most difficult part of the experience was having the spinal block inserted. It felt as though it was taking a long time and although local anaesthetic was used, I could still feel pain in my lower back. I remember saying that it hurt but I was met with questioning. Pain or pressure? Terri advocated for me and after some more local anaesthesia was given, it became comfortable.

Once the anaesthesia began to work, things moved quickly. I was laid down and a drape was put up across my chest. I couldn’t stop shaking and I felt overwhelmed with emotion. I held Dan’s hand so tightly. Terri reminded me to use the hypnobirthing breathing techniques and I began to feel calmer and more present. I remember being able to feel a lot of pressure and pulling. I kept my eyes closed and focused on my breathing.

The birth plan that we had written with Terri was followed closely. So, as requested, the drape was lowered as our son was born for us to watch him emerge. He was delivered slowly, allowing the incision to squeeze him. Terri filmed our baby being born - it is incredible to have that moment captured. He was immediately placed onto my chest for skin-to-skin contact and the cord was not cut until it had turned white. Feeling the weight of my baby on my chest and seeing him for the first time was pure bliss. I didn’t notice anything happening below the drape from that moment onwards. It was magical. Our baby boy spent the first 24 hours of his life doing skin-to-skin contact with myself or my husband. He was only removed momentarily for routine checks that couldn’t be done with him on our chests.

I hadn’t realised the number of choices you still get to make with a planned c-section. Those small choices mattered more than I expected. The gentle elements, like having our choice of music playing, choosing who was with me and being able to meet my baby immediately. Those moments helped align my birth to my values and allowed me to stay connected to the birth emotionally, even in a very clinical setting.

We’re grateful that we had a positive experience despite our birth not being ‘Plan A’. Looking back, I realise that the mode of birth mattered far less than how we were treated within it. Having our voices heard and our wishes honoured during a gentle c-section gave me a deep sense of ownership and peace about the experience."

Doula support is for all births, all choices, and all people. And the same is true for hypnobirthing. It’s time we move away from the idea that this work is only about plink plonky music, fairy lights, home births and a “perfect” plan. Paula’s story is such a powerful reminder that support, preparation and informed choice matter in every birth - including planned caesareans.

As a Doula, I support families across the full spectrum of birth. From free births to elective c-sections, and everything in between. My role is to stand beside you, help you navigate your options, advocate when needed, and make sure you feel listened to, respected and fully supported - whatever path your birth takes. Because this isn’t about one “type” of birth. It’s about how you feel within it.

If you’re pregnant and want to feel informed, confident and supported as you prepare for your baby’s birth, I’d love to walk alongside you. Get in touch to find out more about working together. Visit www.cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk for find out or or email me on info@cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk