Our baby boy Jaxx William Walsworth arrived 11 days late on Sunday 11th November 2018 at 00.48am.

I had such a positive and lovely birth experience at Huddersfield Birth Centre and would like to share it with you, as this wouldn’t have been possible had we not known the techniques we learnt on your course.

Early signs of labour, using hypnobirthing techniques to build beneficial hormones

I woke up the Saturday at around 05.30am with period cramps.They were coming every 20 minutes. At around 0730 my husband and I came downstairs. We kept the curtains closed and he lit candles all around the living room, I got on my birth ball and we put on some comedy (friends). At around 9am I switched from friends and put on the mp3s, as the cramping was becoming stronger, and got in to the breathing techniques.

I had an appointment at Birth Centre at 1pm for a stretch and sweep that day anyway so by 11am I rang the Birth Centre and spoke to my midwife. I told her that I thought labour had started and asked if she still wanted me to go in. She said to still come in so she could see where I was at.

In the car I really focused on my breathing and listened to the affirmations and birth rehearsal mp3s. I found these really helped me.

Using hypnobirthing techniques at the birth centre

We arrived at the Birth Centre for 1pm, surges (for me were strong period cramping at the front only) had become 1 every 10-15 minutes. I was greeted by my midwife, I agreed to have an examination to see what was going on as my husband and I were intrigued. At this point she told us I was 1cm, I was happy things had started. She said that we could stay at the birth centre if we wanted and have a bath.

My husband ran me a bath, I found water really helped me. We sat and chatted inbetween surges and he kept filling it with hot water for me to keep it nice and warm. After a good few hours in there (that flew) I decided to come out. I found sitting in a wheel chair rather than on a bed or chair was better for me (for some strange reason) and I concentrated on breathing. My surges had intensified at this point and I chose to take some codeine to take the edge off. This helped and at 5pm my midwife asked to check my progress again. I agreed and it was good news…. I was 4cm and in active labour!

Using hypnosis birth MP3 tracks to stay calm and focused 

My midwife started to run the Birth pool and I got in. My husband set up all the battery tealights we had taken and he put them all around the Birth pool, he turned off the lights and put on the mp3s. For some strange reason I only wanted to listen to the affirmations and had these on repeat for the next 8 hours lol!!!!!!!! I felt these and the breathing techniques really helped and I felt I was coping so well, again talking and laughing with each other inbetween each surge.

9pm came I was still 4cm. This shocked both of us as I had progressed so much in the first 4 hours. The midwife  gave us 2 options.
1 – she could break my waters to see if this helps get things moving and stay out of the pool for 2 hours
or
2. I could come out of the pool and try the birth ball or other apparatus to see how i did in the next 2 hours but if i hadn’t progressed anymore in the meantime I would have to be transferred to Halifax. This we did not want!!!!

Using the hypnobirthing decision making tool to help decide on what step to take next

Using BRAINS….. We chose for her to break my waters. This was instantly effective and knew we had made the right decision. My surges got very intense and I had to really concentrate on my breathing. My husband was brilliant at this time giving me lots of encouragement and reminded me to focus on my breathing. In just 2 hours I had progressed from 4 to 7cm had reached the transitional phase and was able to get back in the pool to start preparing for our baby boys arrival.

Back in the Birth pool the water really helped me, I felt so at ease and relaxed really breathing and starting to bare down.

Creating calm and peace ready for the baby to be born

The next hour and 50 minutes flew…. the midwife let my husband and I have our time and privacy but kept doing the regular checks. Everything was so calm and peaceful and all of a sudden with one big surge came our baby boys head (husband running out to get the midwife) and on the next surge our baby boy arrived and floated to the surface for me to catch him face up! I could not believe how perfect he looked and I had done it!!!!

We chose to have skin on skin in the birth pool and let the umbilical cord stop pulsing until it was clamped and cut by daddy!

"I would recommend hypnobirthing to anyone"

Thank you so much for everything you taught us, giving us the tools for both of us to manage all stages of labour and giving us the knowledge to make an important decision. I would recommend hypnobirthing to anyone!!