
Baby Arthur
"Just to let you know that Baby Arthur arrived 12 days early on Sunday afternoon. It was a very quick labour, I started having contractions at 5am and he was out in the world by 12.40pm!
Because he was born 12 days before my due date I cannot believe how unprepared I was! I had no hospital bag packed and my plan was to have the hypnobirthing downloads playing in the birthing pool room and listen to them before going in too - but with my ipod run out of battery I just had to try and remember the tracks myself, but it worked - the mind is an amazing thing! Considering all this, I am very pleased with myself as I managed to get to 7cm dilated at home by using the breathing techniques and focusing everything within. The bathroom became my baobab tree!
Unfortunately I couldn't have the water birth I wanted because it was really packed in the Birthing Unit, so I ended up in the Labour Suite. This made me lose my confidence for a bit, and I ended up having pethidine, which felt lovely but in hindsight I wish I hadn't because it didn't really help at all and just made me sleepy and I didn't know how to push, I think the pethidine sort of stopped me knowing what to do.
I was home in the evening, which was great. It definitely wasn't pain free, but thanks to your course I was not afraid of any stage of labour and I am just so pleased I managed to quietly get to 7cms at home before going into hospital."