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SARAH, MICHAEL & EDWARD

"During such uncertain times I feel it’s even more important to share positive birth stories so this is ours.

This wasn’t my 1st pregnancy but my 3rd after a missed miscarriage and a miscarriage so naturally we were more anxious than most expectant parents. I was also very nervous about the birth, I had been told my baby was measuring larger than expected and most women I had spoken to had told me so many dramatic scary stories of birth. I felt birth was something that just happened to you and all you could ask for was for it to be safe. Of course safety is a priority but I really wanted it to be a positive experience for us and not traumatic, that’s when I researched hypnobirthing and found the Jentle Hypnobirthing course.

My partner and I attended Jennie's course expecting to maybe learn a few tips for coping/relaxation during birth. It was so much more than this! The course prepared us both in every way we could have hoped, learning about the process of birth, the choices we have, lots of practical techniques, as well as invaluable advice. It really wasn’t just a course for me but for my partner too, he felt he now understood how he could help and the importance of his role as a birth partner. I finished the course feeling empowered and confident and dare I say looking forward to the birth!

At 40+5 I had started to experience some tightenings around 11pm so had decided to try and go to bed and get some sleep, which I did, but as the night went on I felt the need to get up and be active as well as concentrate on my breathing so I trusted that and did what my body was guiding me to do. I had a bath and listened to some affirmations, by the morning things were definitely progressing and I continued with all of the techniques that I’d practised from the course. I remembered the importance of staying calm and relaxed so we watched a couple of films until the surges were coming regularly every 3-4minutes and were more intense. We arrived at the birth suite around 4pm that afternoon, by which point I was 7cm, the midwife read through my birth preferences and couldn’t have been more supportive.

I got into the pool shortly after arriving, but as the time was coming near I did have ‘a wobble’ and questioned my ability to do this, from what we had learnt on Jennie's course my partner was able to help ground me, getting me back on track and soon after we welcomed our little boy Edward into the world gently in the pool just before 11pm Friday 17th April, weighing 8 pounds 3oz.

In contrast to the negative feelings I had towards birth before completing the the course I can honestly say our birth was a truly empowering, calm and positive experience. Hypnobirthing is something I could not recommend enough to any expectant parents, Jennies course really is invaluable. It not only helped us prepare for the birth but it helped me bond more with our baby during pregnancy and realise the true power of birth! Thank you so much!"

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