Jaimee + Marli’s Positive Home Birth
Everyone left Arus and I for a moment. We agreed that she suited the name we had kept secret for months and told everyone in the room. We got out of the pool so she could be kept warm enough. I lay down on the floor and she latched on straight away. Arus, still there right by our side. The midwives offered me synthetic oxytocin to help deliver the placenta more quickly but I had thought about this and had it in my birth preferences, I said "let's see if my body can do that too", I was feeling very powerful! Plus, my baby was in my arms enjoying her first feed. Within ten minutes, I felt my final contraction and the placenta came out. Everyone was having a look at it and I loved hearing all the comments about how amazing it was - "the tree of life." We kept it for burial. The whole room was filled with love, all those hours and here she was! I'm still elated by the fact my birth dream came true!
Sarah + Blair’s Positive Home to Hospital Birth
I am so honoured to be able to share the beautiful birth of Sarah’s and her sweet boy Blair. I am forever grateful to all the mamas who are able to share these intimate stories with me on this platform. Sarah’s story I am sure will help others, maybe a mama who is stuck in those agonising days of being ‘over due’, navigating the ‘big baby” dilemma, contemplating home birth or just normalising birth itself! What I love most about Sarah’s story is that her transfer from home to hospital during labour never felt remotely like a “failed home birth” but more like a birth where she felt in-control, supported and calm despite all the twists and turns that came her way.
Heres her story…
Greta + Ava’s Positive Hypnobirth
While my birth preferences of immediate skin to skin and breastfeeding were not able to occur, in my opinion, by keeping a positive mindset, when Ava and I were both stabilised, our reunion was magical and she latched on perfectly, something I could only dream of. Ava weighed in at a very healthy 4.9kg (10.8 pounds), exactly the 99th percentile she was predicted. I was reminded of the affirmation blue tacked onto my bathroom mirror - "My baby is the right size for my body". Something I now fully believe, understand and appreciate. Ava at birth is the same size as a one-month-old baby, yet my body was able to birth her without induction and without needing intervention to induce or help her be birthed.
Andi + Alfie’s Hypnobirth
I could feel the stages my body was moving through and found this comforting because I knew if I kept it up it wouldn’t take long. I kept focusing on all my affirmations, repeating them in my head - ‘my mind leads my body’, ‘the sensations are never too strong for me because they are me’. I used my surge breathing - visualising my uterus working just like it should be; strong, rhythmic, efficient. The back pain I was experiencing was unbearable at times but I had trained my mind to stay calm and just embrace each surge like a wave; coming and going.
Andi + Belle’s Hypnobirth
I went into labour on the 29th of November 2016 (4 days before my guess date) after experiencing 12 hours of pre labour. I managed to have a proper dinner and Michael and I got out for our typical evening walk before I thought “hmm these surges aren’t going away”. I hate to cry wolf, but after experiencing pre labour contractions I really doubted whether this was actually the real deal. So, from 7:30(ish) till 11:30pm I stayed at home with Michael and started to practice all my hypnobirthing strategies.