« hypnobirthing

Birth Stories

Baby John’s arrival

I thought I would update you on the new arrival. We had John George yesterday at 12:20 am weighing 9lbs 2oz.

Had the most wonderful birth, went into hospital (Gloucester birth unit) at 10pm and I was only 2cm dilated. Stayed calm, had a bath, then an hour later I was 7cm and started on the gas and air. Then she started filling the water pool up and by the time it was ready I only made it in there for the 15 mins which was mostly the pushing and he arrived!!! Came home after a few hours and two good feeds. He is a boob monster

Take care and thank you once again for the lovely hynobirthing experience.

(Sarah wrote this to me the day after John’s birth! And all during Covid time too.)

Baby Aubrey’s story

I’ve been meaning to get in touch! Baby Aubrey arrived on Saturday 20th April at 9.51pm. We were able to have him in the birthing pool in the kitchen as planned which was amazing.

Joseph was an awesome birth partner. We’ve mostly been cocooning since he was born, establishing feeding and being cosy at home but we actually took him to Westonbirt today for a little walk!

Thanks so much for all of your help, it really kept me calm during labour. I started noticing some purposeful contractions at around 10 am and at about 3pm they were at 5 minutes apart so the midwife came, examined me and went to get the birth kit from the maternity hospital.

I had requested that they didn’t tell me how dilated I was but they later told me that I was already at 6 or 7cm! At about 4pm I got in the pool and the next couple of hours were spent floating around in the evening sunlight, breathing through all the contractions. I was examined again and fully dilated. I had some gas and air to help me with some of the pushing and then Joseph held me in a supported squat as he was born! I had a physiological third stage and Aubrey had a lovely first hour of skin to skin with both me and Joseph.

I’m sure using hypnobirthing helped me to progress quickly through my labour because I didn’t feel any fear about what was to come. As soon as I started to realise that the contractions were real and not Braxton Hicks, I felt sure that my baby would arrive the same day and I was able to keep everything moving along. I found the affirmation “I trust my body, it knows what to do” incredibly powerful in helping me to let go.

It was all rather incredible and we feel super lucky that we were able to have him at home!

Sarah’s story – overdue, long and intense labour – at home, birthed naturally!

Indira, 8lb 8oz Indi arrived safe and sound on 15th Feb, 11 days overdue.

Because she was so late I was offered induction a few times but because that wasn’t part of the plan we refused and chose to wait at home. My waters broke partially at 5am on Friday morning and I was in first stage of labour until Saturday night. After more offers of induction and some monitoring we went home and waited again.

Throughout the endless waiting I took a herbal tincture, raspberry leaf tea, clary sage had sessions of acupuncture but Indi was quite comfortable, I’m not sure if any of it really worked but at least it felt like I was doing something! So I reached second stage on Saturday night and I was in good labour at about 10pm our midwife came out to us at home around that time and from her arriving to Indi appearing it took 12 hours. With 2 hours pushing!

Indi was 8lb 8oz so she was a little large for me which made things slower. The midwife had to fully break my waters for me and move a cervical lip which was blocking the way. Eventually Indi was born. At 9.02 Sunday morning.

Afterwards our midwife said if I had chosen to go into hospital I would have without doubt had forceps or suction to assist me, this made the decision to have Indi at home even more important. I have to say we had the birth we wanted – we had her at home, not in the pool but the pool helped me with pain relief during stage two contractions so was worth having, I had no conventional pain relief only the water and aromatherapy. I managed to cope with the contractions using the techniques you taught me. Nile was incredible throughout he was so supportive I can’t remember what he did at the time but whatever it was it worked! I remember feeling so comforted by him and he had the confidence to know what to do to help me.

Our midwife complemented me on how well I was using the hypnobirthing and I found it worked really well for me and kept me going through a lengthy and intense labour. Thank you for all your help! Xxx

Imogen, James and baby Elias

Just to say I gave birth to our gorgeous giant 9lb baby boy Elias on Thursday evening.

He came nine days after his due date and during that nervy time I practiced the breathing and hypnobirthing a lot, and tried to bare in mind to greet any labour signs with the curiosity you mentioned.

We had an amazing day of labouring at home, doing tons of 4/8 breathing and hypnobirthing, listening to music, a little walk and plenty of massage – we were very inspired by the Daisy vid.

After a certain point my labour accelerated very quickly. This meant that by the time the midwife arrived I was already fully dilated and very ready to jump in the birthing pool.

Sadly we discovered my blood pressure reading registered as elevated and as a result I was encouraged to transfer over to Gloucester – which I did in a blue light ambulance post-transition! By which point I was having a natural urge to push during which I breathed using the thermometer visualation; deeply in, slow out breath. James also used the breathing techniques in the ambulance to keep himself calm. I declined the gas and air the paramedics were trying to give me as I didn’t want it to muddle my breathing or make me loose faith in my body’s natural abilities. When I arrived at Gloucester my blood pressure was measured as being at acceptable levels. No doubt the breathing in the ambulance helped. However they wanted to use CTG to monitor my baby’s heartbeat during the rest of the labour. They were unable to get readings unless I lay on my back on a bed. This wasn’t how I’d hoped to give birth, but using the breathing and visualisation, I was able to keep calm and stay in the birthing zone.

I only had about 10 more amazing lucid and calm pushing contractions (over the course of half an hour). The “ring of fire” was more like a mild stinging sensation to me. Soon after that out came our huge boy Elias. It was incredible!

The midwife at Gloucester was totally amazed as I was talking normally between pushing contractions and was so calm and present. I’m laughing today because I’m having a flashback of correcting James about the visualation mid-contraction (he mistakenly mentioned balloon and I said I think it’s thermometer now)!

James also used the breathing to stay calm when directing all the midwives and ambulances through the Leazes – and on the journey over to Gloucester.

Thanks again for all of your hypnosis help it really did set us up for the best possible and totally ‘three Cs’ birth, and for life generally – we are doing lots of breathing with new baby challenges, and I’m about to dig out your list of new parent tips.

Esme’s story

I wanted to try hypnobirthing after hearing a family friend’s story. I wasn’t sure if I quite believed in it or not but was open to trying anything to make the birth go smoothly. I had a very troublesome birth with my first and decided to have an epidural. I deeply regretted having one as for at least two years after I had problems with pain in the point where they placed the needle and still now have some numbing in my hip.

From our first session with Clare I felt relaxed. She was great. All the fears we had were put to the back of our minds. By the end of the course I knew my baby would be welcomed into the world in a calm and controlled environment not one of panic. The hypnobirth course made my pregnancy much more enjoyable even with all the complications. After each session I found I slept better and was generally more relaxed and happy.

I wanted to have a water birth and was considering having the baby at home. It was discovered I had very low platelets, which means my blood would not clot properly so I decided it would be best and safest to go to the hospital for the birth. When the time came and my waters broke I felt excited about what was to come and was certain all the preparation on the course would make things run smoothly and it did!

It was the most amazing experience we had ever had. I was in control; my body was doing what it was made to do. I wouldn’t say the birth was completely painless but bearable. When I felt the pain coming I remembered what we had learnt with Clare and went into my own little zone, blocked everything and everyone out around me.

Within five hours our lovely healthy baby boy was born at 9lbs 9oz. He was much larger than our first but I did it and it felt amazing. I was so proud of myself.

After the birth I was worried I was going to get postnatal depression again but five months on I’m fine. The baby was a lot more easeful than my first too and I think it is down to the calm environment he was brought into.

I highly recommend trying hypnobirthing and Clare makes it all so easy. She is a great teacher and has completely changed my view on giving birth. Thank you so much Clare! Esme

Bonding and calming experience for hypnobirthing couple

The best thing about doing hypnobirthing with Clare was how it gave an opportunity for my partner and I to really bond together. We were able to get closer and share the journey together. It was good to do it ‘live’ with Clare. I think we would have struggled to do it just from cd’s but having experienced it we then practiced with the cd’s. Doing the course meant that the birthing experience was calmer leading up to the birth and this must have been good for my baby too. We would definitely recommend hypnobirthing now.

Baby Reuben – 9lbs 11oz and no pain relief!! – relaxing with his lovely Mum.

I have been meaning to email you all week to tell you how the birth of our son went. He was born on the 23rd March at 10.29pm. My contractions started at 6am and woke me up. I texted my midwife at 12 as the pains had continued and she came over to check up on me and seemed happy with how I was breathing through the pains. She said to text her if my contractions became more frequent.

My partner texted our midwife at 6pm and she came back out at 7 by then we had the pool up and I was in it with only an inch of water! Lucky the pool didn’t take long to fill up and I used the music from your cd’s and breathing techniques to cope with the pains. My partner was an amazing labour partner and supported me through the pains and supply me with honey, water and a cold flannel. The midwife was great at supporting me with my birth plan and understood I wanted to use hypnobirthing. I was getting the urge to push and the endorphins had kicked in by now. He said it was like I was on drugs and I seemed quite ‘out of it’ at times during this stage. I was beginning to feel weak as I hadn’t really eaten anything all day but the honey really helped!

At 10.29pm my son was born! he was weighed and he was a very healthy 9 pounds 11!! couldn’t believe how big he was considering how tidy my bump looked! The midwives weighed him twice because they couldn’t believe it either! I was checked for tears and even though I had 2 they were too small for the need of stitches. I believe this was because I managed to stay calm and felt in control when pushing his head out I could take it slow.

It was only afterwards when my midwife commented that I hadn’t used any pain relief that I realised I had had the perfect birth that I wanted all along. No pain relief, home birth and a water birth!! perfect, and now we have a beautiful son!

Thank you for being part of my birthing journey and showing me how to use hypnobirthing and the power of staying positive to result in the perfect birth for me and our baby.

Bodhi’s Birth – ‘pots and pans heating on the hob’

Well our little chap is now a big 2mth old, very demanding and has found his lungs.

The birth was a success. Had him at home, in a birth pool within 7 hrs, with no drugs, no intervention what so ever.

He was 8 days over my expected due date, I had a stretch and sweep the day before he arrived. Aftewards I experienced period like pains every so often through out the day, but didnt think it was anything as had experienced similar pains weeks before.

Went to bed as normal and awoke at 4am feeling his head push down and my waters broke.

The contractions came very fast immediately a couple mins apart. I barely had time to get my tenns machine on or set up cd’s and oil burner as I was stuck to the bed having intense powerful surges. I tried to breathe and count through them, realizing I was actually in full blown established labour.

Steve was downstairs rushing around to fill the pool, pots and pans heating water on the hob as the tap had run out of hot water.

I shouted down to ring the midwife as started to feel the bearing down pushing contractions.

The midwife (male) arrived at 7.45am, I was 6cm dilated.

I got in the pool at 8.30am he was born at 11am. The contractions pushed him down and out with me only having to do small pushes to help him along.

He weighed 8lbs 2. And we called him Bodhi Ellis (pronounced Bo dee)

The visualizations and breathing techniques helped me to focus and cope. Steve said the workshop helped him to stay positive.

Thanks for all your help and information.

‘…exactly how I wanted the birth to be.’

Baby Max arrived 2 days early and we had the perfect birth!

I took the dog for a walk in the morning and then my waters broke on our drive as I got home at 9.15am. After calling Tom I rang Stroud Hospital who said to come in at 12pm for a check up. Tom cycled home and said to listen to the hypnosis sound tracks on the sofa whilst he went to Sainsbury’s to buy some snacks. He carried on working from home and we sat and chatted and ate doughnuts whilst waiting to go into hospital.

We went to Stroud Hospital at 12pm and the contractions intensified during the car journey. Once we arrived the midwives decided that they wouldn’t examine me because they could tell that I was in established labour. Tom put the TENS machine on to help me with the contractions and kept reminding me to breathe through the contractions. When the contractions were really intense he started to breathe at the correct speed using the 4 and 6 method which allowed me to concentrate on breathing and he guided me through the contractions.

At about 2.30pm I started to go through the transition and said “I can’t do this anymore!” as the contractions were lasting 60-90 seconds with less than 60 seconds between each, at which point I asked if I could be examined and to get in the pool. When they examined me I was amazed to hear that I was 7-8cm dilated.

I got in the pool at about 3pm and the contractions eased straight away and I felt ready to push and the midwife said to go with it. Once in the pool I was able to joke and talk between the contractions and felt a lot more comfortable. Max was born at 3.26pm on 5th July and weighed 8lb 1oz and is absolutely perfect! The only pain relief that I used was the TENS machine and the birth pool, I didn’t even need gas and air!

I listened to the sound tracks everyday for 3 weeks (whilst on maternity leave) which definitely made me very relaxed in the build up to Max’s birth.

I would definitely recommend hypnobirthing to allow you to relax the body and mind and to reduce any fears about labour. Max is a very happy little boy and we’re loving every minute of being his parents!

Thank you for your help! Robyn & Tom

Contact Clare by phoning 01453-750382, or email using the contact form.