Dear Katharine,

Our son was born in the birthpool at home on the 19th of June at 14:41 in the afternoon, weighing 8lb6oz. It was the most amazing empowering experience I could have wished for, and he is a very happy healthy contented baby! We are so happy we did the Hypnobirthing: it turned what is for so many women a traumatic experience into something so wonderful.

Here follows a short(ish) account:
I had a show just after midnight and mild surges (like menstrual cramps) started soon after. We went to bed and I managed to doze most of the night, occasionaly waking up and breathing through another surge/cramp. Morning came and my husband timed some cramps. They were now coming about every 3-4 minutes lasting around 1 minute, so even though I did not think I was in labour (all I felt was these menstrual type cramps - very manageable) we gave the midwife a call to let her know things might be happening. At around 11AM I had to rush to the bathroom to throw up, which is when my husband decided to call the midwife again! She arrived about half an hour later, sat quietly next to me timing some contractions, then decided to stay!

I got in the pool soon after - I was fully in 'endorphin-induced trance' by now and spent the next couple of hours (although had lost all sense of time myself) breathing deeply (& completely quietly) through each surge and resting in between. Just after 1PM my waters went, and about an hour later the sensation changed and so did automatically my breathing. I apparently gently 'breathed' him out (although it was quite a powerful feeling - but NO pain, amazing!) in just over half an hour.

Just as his head was emerging, I changed my position from kneeling to squatting (dad supporting me from behind) - one more contraction and I lifted our baby out of the water.

Official time for established labour was 3 hours 41 minutes - not bad for a first baby!

Many thanks,
Lucy