Positive Birth Stories

Birth Stories

First Time Mum, Water Birth on the Maternity Led Unit

Axel Moss 10lb 2

Thank you so much, Meg, for your incredible support throughout my birthing journey. We had to go in for reduced movements Friday last week but it turned into a magical experience as I got a tour of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital MLBU, it reminded me of your relaxation classes in Norwich due to the magical lights and it made me feel excited. Your compassion and empathy truly has made a difference.

On May 1st, 2024, I had my sweep at 3 pm, feeling nervous yet excited...and guess what? I was already 3cm dilated waters were bulging and in active labor (I couldn't believe it!)! I went home and just tried my best to boost my oxytocin and although the contractions kept me awake I tried to rest as much as possible, I managed to breathe through them with the techniques you taught me.I was remembering the affirmation you told me that each contraction brought me closer to welcoming my baby boy. I had so many stops and starts and this slow labour lasted 3 days.

When I went to the hospital I was 4cm and they were confused why i wasn't progressing as it had been 24 hours and my waters had broken but we came to the conclusion my back waters broke not my front, so they popped them for me and i went from 4cm to 9cm in 30mins. Gas and air was making me sick beyond belief so i had pethidine with anti sickness drugs which helped.

Even though my labor progressed slowly, your support and breathing techniques kept me going. Eventually, after a long but very empowering journey, my baby boy arrived on May 4th, 2024, at 5:12 am. The experience was filled with magic and empowerment and I just want to thank you again for all your support throughout.

First Time Mum, Csection at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital

Our beautiful little girl, Hallie, decided to make an early arrival 8:08 PM 10.06.2024, weighing 5 pounds 1 ounces!

We had an elective C section booked due to health issues but my labour decided to start on its own which meant I had to go into hospital for an emergency esection.

I want to thank you so much for everything as this wasn't my plan at all, and a lot of things went wrong in a short period of time as we lost babies heart rate. My heart rate shot up to 180 during surgery, and I found myself staring at the ceiling, focusing on steadying my breathing and calming down.

Thanks to all the techniques I learned with you, I managed to drop my heart rate to 70. The surgeon was really impressed and happy that I could manage it myself.

I truly can't thank you enough for changing my birth experience. My husband couldn't believe how calm I stayed in such a stressful situation, and it was all thanks to you and the hypnobirthing techniques I learnt in the classes.

First Time Mum, Induced Labour

Millie Arabella Lloyd, 5lb 7oz

Last night after being in the Norfolk and Norwich hospital a few days for induction my waters were broken, and they then started the oxytocin drip at 8:30 PM.

Every 30 minutes, the dosage increased until I was in regular contractions. After four hours, they examined me, and I was 5 cm dilated and feeling exhausted. The drip had started at a level of 2 and by this point, it was up to 24. I was so tired and unable to eat, so I decided it was time to start gas and air.

That helped for a bit, but I was still struggling, so I made an informed decision and opted for pethidine.

There were moments when I felt ready to give up again, but I kept pushing through. Eventually, I was on the bed on all fours. They told me to focus and push with the next contraction. After about 10 minutes, she was here. Ended with two small minimal stitches.

I love her so much.Thank you so much for everything. I wouldn't have managed as long as I did if it hadn't been for your hypnobirthing course.

Second time mum, home birth with hospital transfer

Our precious Zachary Maxwell made his grand entrance on the 4th of July, weighing a healthy 10lb 140z, at 41 weeks and 4 days. While it wasn't exactly the birth we had envisioned, I'm thrilled with the outcome because every decision made was mine.

Labor began spontaneously at 11:20 PM on the night of July 3rd. It progressed smoothly, and we spent most of the time laboring at home.

The hypnobirthing techniques and relaxation exercises we had practiced were invaluable, helping me stay calm and focused through the contractions.

As labor advanced, I reached the pushing stage, and we could see Zachary's head. However, he was a bit stuck, and I decided that I wanted more pain relief. So I made the decision to be transferred to the Norfolk and Norwich hospital, where I received an epidural.

It turned out that Zachary had his hands up by his head, so we needed some assistance with forceps to help him out.

Despite the unexpected turns, I feel empowered by the experience.

I wholeheartedly recommend hypnobirthing techniques and relaxation methods they were a lifesaver during our time at home.

Welcome to the world, Zachary Maxwell!

First Time Mum, Maternity Led Unit

My birth was truly an amazing experience. It's incredible how your body just knows what to do. On her due date, I spent most of the day in early labor, experiencing contractions every 8 to 10 minutes. By the next day, I transitioned into established labor and gave birth within just five hours.

The birth experience was nothing short of wonderful. The Midwife-Led Birthing Unit (MLBU) provided such a peaceful environment, and the midwives were incredibly supportive and attentive. I was able to use the birthing pool and gas and air, which helped me stay relaxed and manage the pain effectively.

Following my birth plan, I eventually moved to the bed for the pushing stage. It was strange, but after enduring all those intense contractions, pushing almost felt like a relief...With each push, I felt closer to meeting my baby girl. The pain was much less than | expected, and breathing through each moment made a significant difference. I let my body do what it needed to, and it worked perfectly.

My baby girl is amazing, and I feel so fortunate to have had such a magical pregnancy and birth. Being a first-time mum and quite young, I was often told to expect to go past my due date or possibly need intervention to kickstart labor. So, going into spontaneous labor the day after her due date was a delightful surprise, making the experience even more exciting and special.

Second time mum, Water birth

On the morning of July 28th, we welcomed our beautiful son Louie into the world. He arrived at 7:17 am, weighing 8lb 2oz. The experience was truly perfect, and I feel incredibly lucky.

It all began when I went into the hospital at 12:00 am with contractions. My partner Oli and I settled on the bed and watched Netflix to pass the time. Everything was calm until about 5:00 am, when my waters broke, and suddenly, labor intensified.

My midwife quickly prepared a birthing pool for me. As soon as I entered the warm water, I felt a sense of relief and focus. With a bit of gas and air initially to help with the pain, I soon found that I was pushing better without it. I floated in the pool, concentrating on my breathing, while Oli supported me every step of the way.

At 7:17 am, after a fast and intense labor, I gave birth to Louie. The moment was surreal as I reached down and caught him myself. It was the perfect birth experience-intense but incredibly rewarding. Oli was amazing throughout the whole process, and together, we welcomed our son into the world with so much love and joy.

First Time Mum, Delivery Suite James Paget Hospital

After numerous conversations with many professionals, we decided to go for an induced labour. We wanted the spontaneous labour more than you could imagine and tried everything to kick start it but it wasn't happening.

I wanted to steer away from the more clinical approach to labour and I found the first 48 hours in hospital hugely overwhelming on the wards but the induction did what it needed to and dilated me to a point of braking my waters and off we went to delivery suite!

The midwives didn't see an issue with me being on the maternity led unit as I'd only completed step 1 of the induction and had dilated enough to have waters broken. This initially is what steered us away from induction as we really wanted the option of the water.

My waters were broken at 1pm and contractions started to ramp up in the maternity led unit around 3pm. By 4pm I had dilated well but unfortunately I then needed the oxytocin drip which meant a trip back to delivery suite but I was ok with that.It was this bit which really tested me the most and the hypnobirthing really came into play. A few cannulas failed and I hadn't got comfortable or in my zone before the contractions started to come thick and fast.

My partner was fantastic, aromatherapy came out, lights were dimmed, eye mask, labour comb and birthing ball and we got in the zone! Without these techniques and the breathing I would not have been able to do this on just gas and air...

My labour couldn't have been more short and sweet. The drip began at 6pm, I was fully dilated by 21:20, pushing began at 21:47 and Sadie was born at 22:02pml A quick and positive labour story, which I didn't fear and believed my body could do what I needed it too!

Can't believe I did it on gas and air and my hypnobirthing techniques!!! Thank you so much Megan.

First Time Mum, Csection

Arthur Stanley Bailey made his long-awaited arrival on July 20th at 41+5 weeks, weighing a healthy 8lbs 4oz.

Labour began spontaneously on the evening of Wednesday, July 17th, after a beautiful day spent at the beach with my husband. The onset of labour felt natural and peaceful, marking the beginning of an intense but transformative journey.I chose to labour at home for as long as possible, relying on the techniques I learned during my hypnobirthing course and relaxation classes with Megan. These tools provided me with the confidence and strength to manage the carly stages of labour in a calm and focused state.

Friday morning, it was time to transition to the Midwifery-Led Birthing Unit (MLBU), where I was able to use the birthing pool, just as I had hoped.

However, despite my best efforts and the supportive environment, labour progressed more slowly than anticipated. By Saturday evening, after hours of perseverance and patience, I was still only 4cm dilated. It appeared that Arthur's head was in an awkward position, which was hindering further progression. After discussing our options and considering the circumstances, my husband and I made the decision to proceed with a c-section. It was not the birth I had originally envisioned, but we felt strongly that it was the safest choice for both Arthur and me.

While the experience differed from what I had hoped for, I am at peace with the decision we made. The skills and knowledge Megan provided us with were invaluable, enabling us to stay informed, calm, and in control throughout the process.

We are grateful for the support we received and feel confident that we made the best decision for our family. Thank you so much, Megan, for helping us navigate this journey with grace and confidence.

First Time Mum, Water Birth, Norfolk and Norwich Maternity Led Unit

Alfie Alec Ross arrived at 17:02 pm on August 4th, 2024, just one day after his due date.

Labor started spontaneously at 10 pm on Friday. I managed to get some sleep that night between contractions, which I was grateful for later. After a walk and some yoga on Saturday, things picked up overnight, and by 8 am on Sunday, we headed to the Midwife-Led Birth Unit at the Norfolk and Norwich University (MLBU).

I labored at home as long as possible, using breathwork from yoga and hypnobirthing, along with a wave comb to manage the contractions. The hospital was quiet that Sunday, so my husband and I walked around to keep things moving. The TENS machine provided relief throughout the morning.

By 1 pm, I moved to the birthing pool and started using gas and air, which helped me focus on my breathing. I noticed the contractions were more painful when I lost my rhythm, but the wave comb helped distract from the pain.

Alfie was happy throughout, allowing me to push without intervention in the water—the birth I had envisioned. After an hour of pushing, we welcomed Alfie into the world, changing our lives forever.

The only issue was that my placenta didn’t come out naturally, so I opted for an injection. A doctor was called, but I stayed calm, and they managed to deliver the placenta in the room, avoiding the need for surgery.

I’m incredibly grateful to Megan at Bump 2 Babies. Without her hypnobirthing course, I wouldn’t have had the magical labor that I did.

First Time Mum, Home Birth Norwich with Hospital Transfer

I went into labour spontaneously at 12:30am on Tuesday morning and was able to continue labouring at home until 5:30pm Wednesday afternoon—a total of 40 hours. We had planned a home birth, which we kept relatively quiet, and it was truly a special experience. I laboured in the birthing pool with a midwife by my side, and by that time, I had progressed to 9.5cm dilated. I wanted so much to keep going, but Freddie’s head was wedged in my pelvis and wasn’t turning, which was why we couldn’t get past that point.

At this stage, we had to make the difficult decision to transfer to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. I was rushed there under blue lights, and after a bit of help with an epidural and forceps, Freddie was born at 3am on Thursday morning. It was a marathon labour, lasting 51.5 hours in total, but I’m so grateful for how it all unfolded.

After Freddie’s birth, we had to stay in the hospital for a while due to some complications. A small piece of placenta was left in my uterus, which wasn’t noticed by the doctors who performed the forceps delivery. Unfortunately, this led to a postpartum haemorrhage, and I lost around 2.5 litres of blood. As a result, I had to undergo an emergency operation to address the issue. The recovery was tough—I was very weak, and needed to be closely monitored while receiving drips and other treatments.

Despite these challenges, I have no regrets. I’m so glad we were able to do the majority of the labour at home, in the birthing pool, surrounded by the most amazing home birth midwives, a fridge full of snacks, and even our cat, Eddie, by our side. When we transitioned to the hospital, the team there was incredible. They supported us in crossing the finish line and made what could have felt like an intervention-heavy birth feel much more positive. They even let us choose our own music, so Freddie was born to “Here Comes the Sun”—although my original choice was Little Mix, but I quickly realized that didn’t quite fit the moment!

Even though we ended up having more interventions than we initially wanted, I always felt completely in control of the decisions being made. That sense of control was hugely due to the confidence and tools you provided me. I can’t thank you enough for that.

It was a whirlwind of an experience, but we are so in love with our little boy, and it feels wonderful to be home with him. Honestly, your sessions helped more than you could ever imagine. Every single midwife and doctor involved in the labour commented on how calm I remained throughout the entire process. They were also amazed at how calm and settled Freddie was, every time they checked his heart rate. They told me that it was entirely due to the positive headspace I was in.

I knew I could do it. I knew everything was going to be okay, and I trusted my body to do what it needed to do. Throughout it all, I kept thinking about that moment we spoke about so much—holding Freddie in my arms. Thanks to your guidance, I was able to have the calm birth I’d always dreamed of, despite the few hurdles along the way. Thank you so much for everything.