“I can’t thank you enough for the support running up to birth for me and Joe, it all made such a huge difference. Juno was born at 42 weeks exactly, at home, in a pool.
My independent midwives, Carole and Regina, were amazing and I feel so lucky to have had them there. I think Joe now feels firmly on board with the ease and mood that being at home created. This was a much gentler journey into the 4th trimester, being able to get into our own bed afterwards and rest well right from the start!
The whole labour was about 8 hours from when contractions began (erratically at about 7pm the evening before) with the last two hours in the pool really taking the intensity out of the surges!
I was leaning forwards on the arm of the sofa as this felt much more comfortable than all fours, but after a couple of hours my legs got wobbly. I think I was entering transition at this point and getting in the pool, leaning over the side and resting my head was such a relief.
I used the four breaths to get through the peak of the surges and the humming exhale worked really well for me – it became a gentle growl when I had the urge to push!
My final two hours were a mix of pushing contractions and regular ones, so I was encouraged to take it at my own pace and Juno was born at 2.30 still in her amniotic sack of water.
We’re all so in love and her sisters are being very sweet and understanding of all the rest and feeding.
The affirmations really helped (I had them in front of me on the sofa!) and it was especially ‘I am enjoying this’ that got me through!
So many thanks
Mel and Joe”
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Congratulations to Mel and Joe, and thank you for sharing your beautiful birth story.
Mel attended our Hypnobirthing course, which uses self-hypnosis, relaxation and breathing to prepare you for a calm, confident labour.
