Positive Induction Birth Story Using Hypnobirthing

I had the privilege of working with Louise and Tom again in preparation for the birth of their second baby. They were planning a home birth due to the Covid19 restrictions, however on listening to their options and choices when their baby went 14 days over his EDD, plans changed and Louise went on to have a wonderful, positive induction experience at Truro Birth Centre.

"After doing hypnobirthing with Terri for the birth of our first son, as soon as I found out we were expecting again I got in touch with Terri for a refresher course. We did this just before lockdown so we’re able to meet with Terri in person, she went over the whole course again and gave us both the focus we needed. 

When lockdown hit I found myself turning to the hypnobirthing techniques more and more for relaxation and calm, with the ever changing situation that everyone was facing it was a strange time to be pregnant. 

We had planned a homebirth but I ended up going overdue and had several meetings with my midwife and at 12 days I was offered an induction and we spoke about the NHS guidelines with regard to home birth after 42 weeks. In the mean time I had a session with Terri which helped me release any pre existing fear I had and really focused me again and made me so much more relaxed.  I decided that the birth centre was now the best option for us but that I would like to go to 14 days before going down the induction route which would take us to Saturday. I was having tightenings every evening but it would just fizzle out. 

Saturday came and off we went down to Truro for an induction - I decided that this was the right thing for me and my baby at the this time. With Covid restrictions I had to go in on my own and Tom wouldn’t be able to join me until I was 4cm. I was told I had until midnight to get to 4cm and be in established labour to be able to use the birth centre still. I was assessed on arrival and the midwife said that she didn’t think I would labour on just the pessary as the baby was still sat so high up (not what you want to hear when you're trying to remain positive!). I would have to wait 24 hrs for the next stage of the induction, after the promise that I wouldn’t leave the hospital grounds I was allowed to leave the ward and Tom and I sat outside for the day and did laps of the hospital grounds. At 7.30 pm with nothing happening I decided to say goodbye to Tom go back to the ward and get some sleep and focus on the next day now accepting that the birth centre was also now out of the question to. Tom decided he was going to sleep in his car incase anything did develop. 

Thank god he did decide to stay close by, as within an hour I was having surges lasting a minute each and two minutes apart. I fully focused using my calm breathing - a ward with other women and no birth partner is not the ideal scenario but hypnobirthing techniques kept me calm. I called a midwife and she said it could just be pains from the pessary, I assured her it felt like proper contractions and that I was almost feeling like I needed to push. After examining me I was 4cm which was now half nine so I was able to go to the birth centre!! I called Tom and he joined us on route. The walk up to the birth centre and three strong surges on route got me to 10cm. I was really calm and laughing and joking with the midwife on the way up about how I had made it just in the nick of time and against all expectations ! The pool was filled up and I had the most wonderful calm water birth. My baby was out within an hour of being on the birth centre and a total of three hours in labour (so much for being a long way off!). He was born in his waters which was incredible and within minutes of him arriving I naturally delivered the placenta still attached. We were then able to delay clamping which was great. He latched on for a feed straight away and has fed like a trooper since. 

Considering the birth was very different to what we first planned, I couldn’t have wished for a better outcome and I couldn’t have done it without the hypnobirthing techniques I learnt with Terri it really helped me to stay calm and go with all the changes. The other big thing that gave us both extra confidence was having the knowledge to make informed decisions and question the guidance given to us. Luckily I had a very supportive midwife who also helped us come to the best decisions for us as a family."

2cm Open at 7.30am - 10cm at 10am! Bring on the Water Birth!

The birth story of Elsie Honey, written by first time Mumma Hannah. Elsie was born at Truro Birth Centre in the water, during the Covid19 pandemic. Hannah and Luke did their HypnoBirthing sessions with me via Zoom (virtual teaching/meeting platform) Hannah's wonderful experience is a proof that a cervix opens at it's own pace and that every birthing persons body will work differently and open at a different rate - It's always good to know and remember that the half a centimetre and hour for first time birthers (and 1cm an hour for subsequent birthers) with regard to cervical dilation is only a guideline!

“When we finished our course with Terri she asked me how was I feeling towards birth and I confidently came out with 'I'm going to smash it!' which I couldn't quite believe came out of my mouth as I usually doubt myself with new things and always underestimate instead of overestimate. But I truly felt I had gained so much knowledge and understanding of how your body naturally births a baby that that was what was going to happen. Obviously I was totally aware that things could go slightly off plan, but I felt like I was in the right place if that was to happen and either way I had control and would cope due to the hypnobirthing.

38+6 I woke up early hours of the morning and felt quite sure that this was it, everything we had learnt was happening! From 5am I started to have surges and they were lasting around 40 seconds every 2 minutes. I managed to have a shower and wash my hair, never got to take the gel off my toenails that were hanging off though! We headed up to the birth centre about 7.30am and greeted by loveliest midwife, she did an examination and I was sure I'd be in established labour with my surges being so close together but I was only 2cm, the dreaded words 'go home, have a bath or a walk and come back later' ...I was happy to go home but in the back of my mind I knew we were never going to get there and back with how my labour was progressing. I was told my ketone levels were low and that honey is great for this...We decided to go on the hunt for honey and a walk about 9am and by 10am we headed back, something felt different and the surges were getting more intense. I was happy to be examined again and all I heard was '10cm and let's get the pool running!' I was so happy I was going to get the waterbirth I wanted and even happier that we were going to meet this little babe very soon!!

The relief of the water really helped and so did the continuous support of Luke who was absolutely amazing. I was in the water for 45minutes and by 12.01 Luke received our baby and placed her on my chest, Elsie Honey! It was the most amazing experience and the best feeling in the world that my body birthed this little human safely (but fast!) I couldn't have wished for a better birth. I had total control that whole time, I had no other pain relief other than the water and I couldn't quite believe by 1PM I was there eating that famous tea and toast.

Terri helped us so much and I believe we could have had a very different labour/birth if we didn't hypnobirth. I was so excited to tell her and will always be grateful for her time and the knowledge she gave us.”

If you would like to learn more about the wonders of Hypnobirthing, and want to feel calm, prepared and educated for your baby's arrival get in touch with me! I have a free Hypnobirthing taster session on Sunday 19th July at 11am. You can book your free place via my website. My next group course via Zoom is in August (1st, 8th and 15th from 10am - 1pm) Spaces are limited. , and again, can be booked via my website. for more information email me at info@cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk or find me on Instagram (@cornwallhypnobirthing) or Facebook (Cornwall Hypnobirthing and Hypnotherapy)

I also have Doula availability from September through to December and in to 2021.

Guest Blog: Be candid with your mum-clan! By Susie Merelie

This is such a powerful message written by one of my wonderful Hypnobirthing Mummas. Susie was a member of of my first ever group Hypnobirthing course in October 2018. I had been successfully teaching private courses for 5 years, be decided I wanted to branch out in to teaching groups so that I can bring like minded people together and in the hope that it would facilitate friendships that lasted way beyond the pregnancy and maternity leave days.

I was so overjoyed when I read Susie's article in the new issue Isabella & Us Zine (https://isabellaandus.com/positive-wellbeing-zine-for-mums) as she describes just how important her mum clan is to her, and how without Hypnobirthing she never would have met them! Take a read of Susie's story and also below I have included what Susie and her partner Mike thought about their Hypnobirthing course experience. with me.

"If you love baking then it’s a pleasure to chat to someone about Bake-Off and share recipes. If you’re a 90’s indie music enthusiast, then it’s a treat to discuss the best tracks on the first Charlatans album with someone like minded. These conversations and exchanges are like a little dose of therapy with someone who ‘gets it’. It’s the same with parenting. Chatting, texting, skyping, crying and laughing with your mum-clan is one of the most important things you can do for your self-care as a mum.

I took part in a group hypnobirthing class during my pregnancy. There were three other first-time mums on the course and our teacher set up a Whatsapp group so we could connect and share our hypnobirthing experiences. Little did we know that this group would create friendships that none of us could now live without.

Through pregnancy it became the safe space to ask questions about perineum massage techniques and if any of us had braved sex with a bump. During our individual labours it became the voice of reason and a reminder of all those hypnobirthing techniques we’d practiced. In those terrifying and deliriously happy but crying at everything first few weeks, it was the encouragement and the ‘we all created humans’ celebration needed. During the night feeds it was a place to share comedy poo-nami in the middle of ASDA and wobbly belly stories. And so it goes on.

A weight is lifted when someone responds to a random question with ‘oh I had that too’ or ‘yes, it is weird, but apparently it’s normal’! You instantly feel comforted and like you’re not on your own. You end up feeling like part of a family, not the one you’re the mother of, but one that is made up of mums. All facing the unknown, the first times, the ‘how do I do this?’ and ‘am I doing it right?’ questions. All crying when they see a school choir on telly, all finding their way through the mess of emotions that comes with going back to work and all fighting what seems to be the never ending battle with teething!

Be candid with your mum-clan, it is so important! Whether you see each other often, text all the time or have a call and a glass of wine every week, those little interactions with your mum-pals are much needed. They ground you, they strengthen your confidence as a mum, they are great for sharing top tips on how to entertain a toddler during a pandemic lockdown and they offer bucket loads of laughter which is sometimes the only way to get through a day."

Here is what Susie had to say about her Cornwall Hypnobirthing experience:

"I had read and heard a bit about Hypnobirthing so knew it was something I wanted to know a bit more about once we found out we were expecting. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find any support in Cornwall, but a quick search and I found Cornwall Hypnobirthing. Terri has been a delight from the very beginning answering my random emails asking about classes and what to expect all the way through to the actual course.

My husband joined me and we both thoroughly enjoyed every week. We both feel so much more at ease about what's happening to my body, our baby and the birth. I'm actually excited to give birth now knowing that Terri has given me the tools to do so calmly and with confidence. The class was a small group which was lovely as it gave us time to get to know the other parents-to-be and we're all staying in touch which is great. I would definitely recommend attending one of Terri's courses. You'll soon feel so proud to be pregnant and in control of your birth no matter which way the path turns. Plus the birth partners feel much more part of the whole experience which is super. The course is definitely one of the best decisions we've made in preparation of becoming parents.

Thank you Terri!"

Due to the current Covid19 restrictions I have transferred by group courses to distance teaching via Zoom. The next group course is June/July 2020 and will be run over 3 sessions. For more information visit my website (https://www.cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk/the-course) or you can book your place here: https://www.cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk/book-online - The course is open not only to Cornwall residents; You can participate in this group course wherever you are in the world!

Huge thanks to Susie for allowing me to share her words and images.

You can find Susie on Instagram = @susiesnowflake