Amy

Hi I’m Amy, Here’s my story…

I’m a HypnoBirthing practitioner teaching private one to one classes in South West London and I would like all women to experience the birth I had for themselves.

My first birth… 

I had had what I had taken to be a mostly good birth with my first son, Jake. A birth that involved a lot of eye rolling due to excessive entonox (gas and air) right up to and including Jake’s birth in water at Homerton hospital, Hackney, and therefore most of the birth passed me by. I looked at this birth positively as the water had been amazing. I asked for an epidural on 3 different occasions but as I had asked for me t. It wasn’t until I had my second son that the contrast seemed so evident

Learning HypnoBirthing…

I discovered, early in pregnancy while living in Hong Kong, that the water birth and home birth that I had hoped for were not allowed.

I began to explore HypnoBirthing, a technique I had originally come across when heavily pregnant the first time. It transpired that my private midwife was also a HypnoBirthing practitioner so my husband and I decided to attend private classes with her. The course was fabulous. I had initially felt panicked that the birth I was planning wasn’t an option but I then began to feel calm and in control. Through the HypnoBirthing techniques I prepared for the optimum outcome, I  focused on the useful thoughts and disregarded the negative ones and crucially understood the fundamental mind and body connection. I believed in myself and the Hong Kong system and I was practising relaxation, visualisation and affirmations daily. My husband was a part of the process too by joining in the relaxations and understanding how he could contribute to the birth.

My easy second birth…

When Freddie was born the whole birth was so calm and relaxed. I had spent the day walking, baking with my son and chatting on the phone while the surges (contractions) continued. I later laid down on my bed and used the techniques I had learnt and went within myself to draw upon my own natural instincts to birth. I felt in control and even when we travelled to the hospital at 3am my midwife thought my surges had stopped. She hadn’t noticed the 4 I had had en route despite me laying across her lap. In hospital I declined the wheelchair offered and walked, stopping to lean against walls when a surge arose to breathe effectively. I never asked for an epidural during this birth and had mostly laid down breathing and visualising with my ipod accompaniment. Freddie was born about 3 hours after arriving at hospital in such a gentle way which amazed the group of Chinese midwives present. I was apparently 4cm when I arrived showing how the 1cm per hour rule often does not apply with HypnoBirths.

I later heard an account of a student midwife who was present at Freddie’s birth. She stated at a midwifery conference how I had made no sound, I had laid down, how it was all peaceful and quiet and then I gave birth. The staff had been shocked. I enjoyed my birth and was thrilled with the outcome. I felt happy and proud with what I had achieved and most of all had a beautiful baby boy who was so chilled out and alert.

For more information check out www.birthnaturally.co.uk  Courses are taught over 5 x 2 and 1/2 hour classes in your own home in the following locations (and their environs) in South West London: Barnes, Chiswick, Fulham, Hounslow, Kew, Kingston, Putney, Richmond, Sheen, Twickenham, Wandsworth, Wimbledon.