Congratulations Rinat and family!

This was my first birth and it was entirely unmedicated. I have the privilege of saying how truly wonderful it was and how genuinely excited I am to do it again.

Alice’s hypnobirthing course was extremely helpful.  I had read Marie Mongan’s Hypnobirthing book (which got me interested in hypnobirthing) but then wanted the practical tools to prepare for birth. I couldn’t afford an in person hypnobirthing class so I loved that Alice’s website was easily accessible and conveyed the main aspects of hypnobirthing and the functions of labor in a concise and less overwhelming way.

I also liked that I could go back and read and learn as many times as I wished.

I also loved the audios. I listened to Alice’s recordings on rotation every night before sleep starting from 28 weeks onward. I began to notice that they had relaxed me so much that I started drifting off without realizing it! I took in and accepted the words and affirmations that Alice kept on repeating. Her comforting tone of voice and music helped me “relax, release and open” and gave me the tools and courage to naturally birth my baby as well as carry on that calmness through postpartum. 

I really enjoyed reading other people’s positive birth stories as well. I also appreciated the videos that showed positive birth experiences (they were not too vivid or scary to watch either… as I and most people would assume).

Thank you so so much Alice for giving me the opportunity to gently and respectfully birth my sweet girl into this world. As well as empowering me to trust my body and my baby. 

My birth story: 

I went into labor three days earlier than my due date.

That same day I was feeling draggier than usual but nothing crazy. I was actually cooking all afternoon for our weekend guests who we were planning on hosting the following day! (pretty ambitious of me…)

That evening by 7:00 pm, I felt a bit of pressure in my lower abdomen not thinking anything of it.  I just felt the urge to move my hips. 

I had wondered if it was “false labor” and began tensing up each time I had felt this feeling. The sensation began coming and going. As it got more predictable instead of fighting it, I remembered that I could get “ahead of the sensations” and breathe like Alice taught me. The moment I started breathing with it, the feeling was not painful but something that simply demanded my full concentration. I told my husband that we could still probably go to bed tonight and he looked at me in confusion. 

I had started involuntarily jittering (didn't know this was also a side effect of labor). Again the breathing helped calm the shaking. I was heavily in denial and told my husband I was probably just in the “early stage labor” and not in active labor. He said, “Ok love, sure, you can think that”.

In between surges I went about my regular night, eating, peeing, and drinking a lot of water. As the sensations intensified and got closer together,  it demanded more of my attention, I laid on our bed with eyes closed and continued breathing through the surges. 

As my eyes closed again and again my husband stopped what he was doing for the moment, and stood by me holding my hand.. he was incredibly supportive. I asked him what the jitters were and he said so sincerely “its power, my love.”

He absolutely got it. His words were so encouraging throughout. The moments I spent with him while in labor were the most connected I had ever felt to him— we were soon going to be parents together.

As surges became more frequent, I agreed to go to the hospital. It had been six hours later but I was not aware of time passing. It was now 1:00 am. The nurse and my doula were highly impressed by me as I was 7 cm dilated!  My husband looked at me with a giant smile.. “I knew it” he said. I had started out in a bath and then made my way on all fours, and hovered over the hospital bed making breathing sounds. Conversations grew fainter and the sensations felt more intense. I kept up with the breathing but more rapidly this time.

 After a couple of surges, my midwife checked inside and could feel the baby’s head!! I reached up a finger's width, and there she was, my finger was touching her little head. It was so incredible to me. 

The energy in the room was filled with excitement and I felt so encouraged.

In my birth prep I had read about adrenaline kicking in at transition. I thought that meant that my heart would be beating rapidly. No. It was adrenaline on a different level; the adrenaline that made me feel unstoppable. 

All of my natural hormones kicked into full gear. I was zoned in completely, hearing the noises behind me but didn’t feel like talking. I was squatting and breathing on the hospital bed with each surge. My husband said I must have been doing that for nearly an hour. It was a full on athletic performance. The exhaustion eventually hit, forcing me to lay on the bed in between each surge trying to regain my strength.

My baby was nestled in my water sac,  taking her sweet time, inching down with each surge and then bouncing right back to the same spot I found her in. Every so often my husband and the doula followed me with the monitor, hearing a steady gentle heartbeat, dancing to the little thumping.

After another hour had gone by with the baby sitting tightly in the same spot, my midwife suggested breaking my water, since it never broke, as it could help move things along. 

After a bit of hesitation and assessing what the risks would be, I pushed it off for as long as I could until the exhaustion really hit. 

She gently broke my water after I agreed to it, and I felt an overwhelming feeling of relief. More so than my baby coming out!  Apparently she said that my water sac was REALLY strong! My baby gracefully slid down and peaked her little head out, as my doula describes it. My midwife was in shock because it happened so quickly! With a few more powerful pushes, a soft cry emerged. Little Nina was born at 6:33 am. Just 6.7 pounds (3.065 kg).

Since Nina was born she has been such a sweet natured and calm baby. I truly believe it was because of her gentle birth. It also happened to be the superbowl that week. My husband eagerly told his friend who’s wife was also expecting that watching your wife give birth is like the most insane athletic achievement. He would like to see an NFL player try to birth a baby!

Well done to this Cornwall mum who had a challenging induction experience at Derriford...

"I don’t know what I would have done without your tracks and positive energy. I was in a right frame of mind from the start and I was able to ask valid questions and consider my options.

Max was fantastic with his encouraging voice throughout and he stayed on top of maintaining our birth bubble intact for as long as it was possible. T

he whole process took 9hrs, which I was told was very quick. I seem to be recovering pretty well and Felix is a very happy boy.

Thank you for being a part of our journey into parenthood!"

It's been quite a while since I refreshed the statistics with survey responses, so recent subscribers will shortly be receiving their invitations to fill out a simple 7 question survey on their birth experiences. You may choose to remain anonymous.

Statistics will be included from everyone who indicates that before the birth process began, they felt they had practiced my techniques either 'enough' or 'extensively' as opposed to 'not sure', 'not enough' and 'not at all'.

Some interesting initial results coming through, e.g. 43% of respondants having an established phase of less than 3 hours!

I also received the following comments:

"So relaxing, it felt wonderful to feel like someone was supporting me and ‘allowing’ me to let go and let my body do its thing."

"This was my second birth, the first using hypnobirthing properly, and despite having to be induced for to reasons beyond my control, I had an absolutely amazing birth experience!"

"Easy to follow material and the audio was fab to help us be excited and prepared for the birth of our baby. In the middle of it all my husband forgot to bring in the phone which has the audio on it so he ended up having to talk through the affirmations himself! Good thing he had practiced with me a handful of times too so he knew what to do"

"I found it very useful - although found the ignorance of the nurses r.e hypnobirthing somewhat hard to manage. Next time I'll certainly get a doula!"

"I decided last minute to go with the c section. I was listening to your hypnobirth meditation while waiting for the surgery to ease the stress caused by the hospital environment. I followed your guidance and it was really helpful even if giving birth didn't go by my plan A"

Quantitative analysis of previous survey responses can be found here: our hypnobirthing statistics

"Although this was not my first pregnancy and everything was very smooth, I was of course extremely worried to give birth during the global pandemic, and the fact that my husband could only be with me for the actual birth was also very stressful to imagine. We live in Japan and the birthing clinics are generally wonderful here, but very strict due to Covid.

 

I was recently asked by a first-time mum what exactly my course includes, and what she might be missing out on by choosing a shorter course. I thought my response may be useful for others, so here's my reply...

On a general note, the 12 hour courses are written for groups and may include lengthy icebreaker exercises, more frequent breaks etc. I personally find teaching 1:1s far more efficient and enjoyable.

The main difference between my course (6-7 hours - I often run over) and the 12 hour branded hypnobirthing courses I've taught in the past (HypnoBirthing® / Mongan Method® and Natal Hypnotherapy™) is that I've cut out time spent on extra lengthy hypnotherapy sessions and couples' exercises, and replaced them with alternatives to be practiced in your own time (e.g. my programme of 10 hypnobirthing MP3s, an adaptable birth partner script etc).

Be under no illusion that a longer hypnobirthing course during pregnancy leads to greater success on the day. Whichever length of course you choose, you MUST be committed to regular post-course practice during pregnancy (approx 3 times per week before 34 weeks, daily thereafter).

My content includes:- 

• Individual birth consultation - discussing your understanding of the birth process, hopes and expectations
  
  
• Birth physiology - we discuss and explore:- 
  
  Signs & symptoms
  Stages of the birth process
  Breathing techniques & positions
  Creating an optimal birth environment
  How to be an excellent  and assertive birth partner
  Writing your birth plan
  
  
• Hypnobirthing theory - origins, what it is and how it works, including the fear-tension-pain cycle and the mind-body connection, qualitative and quantitative evidence
  
  
• Hypnotherapy - what it is (and isn't) and how it works
  
  
• Two full-length hypnotherapy face-to-face sessions (one per workshop)
  
  
• Watching two birth videos
  
  
• Homework set in between the two sessions
  
  
• Discussing how to reduce the influence of fears & doubts, replacing these with personalised targeted affirmations by introducing a CBT thought form exercise
  
  
• Exploring my programme of 10 hypnobirthing MP3s for pregnancy and birth - what tracks to listen to and when
  
  
• Exploring your birth partner 's hypnotherapy script - how you can use and adapt this during pregnancy and indeed birth
  
  
• Introducing touch, aromatherapy and music as positive hypnotherapeutic triggers during pregnancy and birth
  
  
• How to rehearse for the birth just like a play by setting out your 'birth bubble props' and practicing contractions
  
  
• How to enhance your ongoing regular practice with the material on my website (stories, videos, theory etc)
  
  
• Your fee also includes ongoing support via email and my daily e-affirmations to your inbox
  
  

Hypnobirthing home workshops in Cornwall

Congratulations Eleanor and family!

"Just to say thank you for your fantastic online hypnobirthing course. I practiced regularly from 21 weeks into my pregnancy and it was invaluable to staying calm during my long labour. 

Thank you so much for helping me to believe in myself and have such a positive experience"

Well done Hannah! Hypnobirthers don't have to be serene! x

"Hi, I just wanted to say thanks! I bought your online course early on in my pregnancy and listened to the tracks throughout. They were the only things that would get me back to sleep during the inevitable bouts of insomnia I had from about 20 weeks.

I was hoping to have a home birth, but due to IUGR was induced at 40+1 weeks. I had previously had a bad experience with induction so your tracks were essential to approaching the induction positively, as an active participant. I have a morbid fear of VEs, so the breathing exercises really helped there as well.

"I just wanted to share how I’ve been using your affirmations, next to my mirror. 
I’m 37 weeks now so hopefully a story to share with you soon!"

Congratulations Clare and Matt!

"Thank you so much for everything- I was very anxious throughout my pregnancy, and working with you really helped me manage this. 

Baby William was born on Wednesday, with an elected caesarean due to his estimated weight of over 10lbs. In the end he was 9lbs 11oz, and the theatre staff were very clear we had made the right decision! 

 I was initially super nervous about the section- it was not the birth we wanted, and we thought long and hard about it! Your c section resource was invaluable- I listened to it every day, and on the morning of William’s birth." 

The story of our baby Bess's birth, by Rosie and Tim

A lot of this birth story took place before the birth itself! As with our son Wilfrid, born 5 years before, we had planned a home birth and felt very prepared for that (see diagram below!)


Our carefully prepared home birth room! All of the mental/physical time taken over this undoubtedly helped us when considering new scenarios.

However, as Rosie went further past 40 weeks things got a little trickier. The first week 'overdue' was very much expected since Wilfrid had been born at 41 wks + 4 days, however at the end of that first week Rosie felt quite emotional perhaps as the memory of facing the ‘induction deadline' resurfaced. 

In the second week 'overdue' we expected things to get going, especially as Rosie was around 3cm dilated and the baby was well into the pelvis. However we agreed we’d be happy to go in for monitoring at the 42 week mark, to check all was well with baby.

We took lots of stuff to the hospital in case anything was indicated in the monitoring to suggest the baby needed to come out immediately! Happily, all monitoring was entirely normal: the baby’s heartrate, the ‘cord resistance’ (blood flow to/from placenta) and amount of amniotic fluid. As throughout the entire pregnancy, Rosie’s stats were also good, although with a slightly low temperature (she had had a cold all week). 

We then spoke with a consultant, who was clearly in favour of induction and painted a slightly one-sided picture (i.e. the risks of induction were not discussed). However it was clear it was our choice to make, and we had already planned to undertake expectant management (continued monitoring but declining induction) for a bit longer, if monitoring was all fine. A growth scan was booked in for Monday and, after quite a long day in the hospital, we returned home.

On Sunday, Rosie spent some time talking to others who were experienced in this type of situation, both independent midwives and women who had gone ‘post dates’; she also had a detailed post dates/induction plan made by another mum which was very helpful.

At Monday’s growth scan (42 wks+ 2 days) the cord resistance and amniotic fluid levels were again normal, and the baby’s size was predicted as 8lb 6oz. Very kindly another doctor took a long time with us to discuss options. We booked for monitoring again on Thursday (42 wks + 5 days), with the possibility of going for induction on that day, partly since this was the date we thought was more likely to be 42 wks (we think the official due date was out by several days). After another quite long day at the hospital (we also visited the birth centre but their policy is not to take women past 42 wks), we went back home.

On Tuesday Rosie contacted several women she knew who had either undergone induction or a C-section at our hospital in the recent weeks. They offered some very helpful ‘tips’ and related their experiences. We started to create a new plan for an induction birth at the hospital, in order to keep making positive and informed decisions ourselves rather than ending up being swept along by events.

On Wednesday we went for our midwife appointment and Rosie had another ‘stretch and sweep’ – little had seemingly changed since the Friday before which was a little disheartening. Apart from that we tried to relax as far as possible.

Thursday ended up being our decision day. We went into hospital for the third time for monitoring – again all fine – and spoke at length with another consultant. We had decided Tim would speak with the consultant first, on his own, since it was really quite stressful for Rosie, and then we would discuss between ourselves. Deciding to have Tim take on a lot of the information gathering role was really helpful since much of the stats on bad outcomes (stillbirth, hypoxia etc) are quite emotive. Over the course of the day, after considering lots of options, we came up with a plan that we would opt for induction via Artificial Rupture of Membranes (ARM, breaking the waters) on Saturday (43 wks).

The hope was that, having had one previous normal birth, it was very likely this would kick-start things and get contractions going via Rosie’s hormones. The consultant we spoke to took a lot of care and answered our many questions, and it felt we were able to make informed decisions ourselves. 

Throughout these weeks our family were very good at not bothering us, although it was impossible to not get a bit of a sense of anxiety from them as the days ticked on!

The actual birth!

Things had not got going naturally and so, on Saturday 29th June 2019, at the 43 wk mark (by scan dates) we made our way to the, now very familiar hospital.

We arrived around 11:15am at the delivery suite, where we were shown our room. We had brought a lot of things to help make the space ours (nice lights, music, own pillow and blanket, essential oils, a picture of Wilfrid), and also in case we ended up staying in for a while (lots of food, colostrum Rosie had been expressing for baby, spare clothes etc).

So we unpacked and met our lovely midwife, K. K was absolutely everything we could have wanted; she was very experienced in home birth and knew what we needed. As we had found helpful before, Tim went to talk through the birth plan with K away from Rosie, so Rosie could just concentrate on being relaxed.

Several things K said were very reassuring: she emphasised she would go at our pace and how important it was that we were the ones in control. She did some initial monitoring of baby and Rosie and then left us to settle into the room. We got the lighting low and pinned some affirmations (positive statements about the birth) to the wall. We thought it would be a good idea to have lunch before, to get energy levels up. It was slightly odd knowing that Rosie’s labour was hopefully about to start, after waiting for it for so long! Tim sent messages to close family to let them know we were at the hospital and in good hands.

A little before 2pm K returned, and confirmed our plan – she would break Rosie’s waters, do some monitoring to check baby was still happy, and then we would have 4 hours to ourselves to see if contractions could get going. We had a plan of strategies to use: going outside for a walk, Rosie using a breast pump, sitting on a yoga ball, listening to some of the hypnobirthing tracks, relaxing. At 6pm we would assess with K how things were going.

A good sign when Rosie’s waters were broken was there was no meconium in the amniotic fluid – most people we had talked to seemed to expect some since we were so ‘overdue’. This can cause problems for baby if they inhale it during the birth. K could also tell baby was in a really good position for labour which was great to hear.

We went for a walk to the small park in the hospital grounds, it was a lovely sunny day. Rosie could feel some mild contractions but fairly far apart. She felt a bit disheartened since if things didn’t get going ‘naturally’, the next step would be artificial hormones to bring on contractions which would likely be harder to deal with (your body doesn’t release endorphins in the same way to help cope). We went for quite a wander round before returning to the room. Back in the room we spent a bit of time using our other strategies, e.g. listening to the affirmations and Rosie using the breast pump. K came to see us and also mentioned that walking up stairs sideways might be helpful!

We decided to go for another walk around 4:40pm, and during this walk Tim started timing the contractions which were definitely getting quite close together – Tim actually recorded 21 in 50 minutes. However they were still manageable through breathing – Rosie would just stop walking, close her eyes, and breathe through it. They were lasting about 1 minute, but again, this felt manageable. Rosie certainly didn’t feel this meant things were proceeding quickly. We returned to the room about 5:30pm and Rosie lay on the bed on her side. As with Wilfrid’s birth, Rosie felt the contractions as period-pain like cramps in the front abdomen, not towards the back. This may be partly as baby was in a good back-to-front position (not back-to-back).

Fairly soon after this the contractions started feeling quite a lot more intense and Rosie wanted to move onto all fours on the bed to see if that helped. She had one quite strong pushing down contraction and felt she really needed to go to the toilet (classic sign!)

At this point it was getting towards 6pm. Tim thought he might need some help if Rosie wanted to get to the bathroom (which was in the room, but even so), and he also thought the baby might be close to coming, so he went to fetch a midwife. K was with someone else so another midwife came in. Rosie managed to get to the toilet, sitting there was quite a relief although really this was a sign the baby was about to be born.

The other midwife went to tell K she thought she needed to get back to us! When K came in she kindly said to Rosie she should come back to the bed “we don’t want this baby to be born on the toilet!” and helped her there. Rosie had her eyes closed throughout at this point and wanted to go back on all fours.

The midwives tried to hear baby’s heart which was a bit challenging, because of Rosie’s position and as the baby had already moved down (they ended up listening briefly via baby’s head).

Now K helped Rosie with her breathing (“remember your hypnobirthing”) and told her how the baby was doing – the head was well on the way to crowning. Rosie could reach down and feel baby at this point and with a few more semi-controlled pushes baby was born at 6:22pm, barely 3 hours after the first mild but definite contractions, and with no pain relief (not even water which we’d used for Wilfrid’s birth). 

The cord was quite short but Tim and K helped Rosie reach down and find out we’d had a baby girl! Rosie was quite surprised as she had for some reason thought it would be a boy. After the cord stopped pulsing Tim cut it with K’s help and we cuddled our perfect baby girl.

Meeting for the first time! 

K stayed with us while the third stage took place (delivery of the placenta) which Rosie did with a few deliberate, guided pushes after about half an hour. During this time baby also latched on for feeding which helped with the third stage. Rosie had a few stitches for a 2nd degree tear and after that we were given quite a lot of time alone with our newborn, and also some tea and toast! We messaged close family and also rang Wilfrid to tell him he had a baby sister!

Rosie had a shower after a bit, and felt remarkably fine (the short labour probably helped!), and we started packing up ready to leave as soon as our notes were done. Baby was checked over and weighed (8lb 4oz, very close actually to the 8lb 6oz predicted by the growth scan). We left the hospital a little after midnight and baby girl was very contemplative in the car seat on the journey home, looking at the lights. It was lovely going to bed at home. We named our baby girl Elisabeth, known as Bess.


Our beautiful baby, just after the birth, thinking

Through all the time we took over decision-making beforehand, our priority was achieving a birth which was smooth and low-stress physically for baby and Rosie; by this measure things could not have been much better. There were some signs that Bess was ready to come out: no vernix, long nails, birth weight on the higher side (but not enormous), placenta which was healthy but slightly ‘gritty’. On the other hand, there was no indication she was not also doing fine inside, and she had not passed any meconium. 

Waiting allowed us to make our own informed decisions over timing and methods, and we also felt that this would give us the best chance of a smooth labour whether spontaneous or induced. Planning for a positive induction was definitely a huge mental challenge, but we did it! 

Rosie found it really helpful to speak to others who’d been through similar experiences and is very happy to be contacted, via Alice.

Writing our own affirmations was also useful (can be used both preparing for induction and when reflecting after):

• I am/was strong for my baby and me during the birth
• I make/made decisions based on my baby’s and my best interests
• We take/took time informing ourselves about different options
• I surround/surrounded myself with well informed and empathetic people
• My birth will be/was a perfect one for my baby and me
• My baby will be/was ready for the birth journey
• My body responds/responded well to the induction process
• We work/worked to create a home from home birth
• Our careful preparations enable/enabled a smooth birth
• We adapt/adapted well to a new scenario
• We will have/had the perfect midwives helping us through our birth
• We work/worked well as a family team before, during and after the birth

(Reproduced with written permission)

Kat in Hertfordshire tells us about her birth 

"I wasn't sure whether hypnobirthing would help me, and I only started a few months before I was due, but your MP3s played a big part in my first birth - particularly the affirmations track, which I basically had on repeat from start to finish.

Hypnobirthing really helped me to get through the early hours of labour when I was just walking around my room breathing and saying "relax, release" to myself, I listened to it on headphones in the car, and then we had it playing in the delivery room.

Practice hypnobirthing for free and help to save the plant!

I've teamed up with Bulb Energy to offer free hypnobirthing classes online... In addition to your £25 saving you also get £50 of free renewable energy (as do I) and Bulb will pay any exit fees from your current provider.

Just sign up to Bulb via my personalised link, and I'll email you with instructions for accessing your full hypnobirthing course, as soon as Bulb let me know you've used my switching link (this is usually pretty quick).

Another fantastic birth story and beautiful photo... I so love getting these! 

"While I’m riding the highs of becoming a mother for the first time, I wanted to take a moment to share my birthing story.

I was introduced to your hypnobirthing course at 35 weeks pregnant. Just in time to embrace all the different resources at the right pace.

Congratulations Chiara in Brussels! Welcome to beautiful Mattia...

"Giving birth was a healing process for me. My pregnancy turned out to be very different from how I had imagined it and I dealt with severe anxiety. I knew that hypnosis worked for me as in the past I had had positive experiences with it, so it didn't sound too exotic to me. I started listening to the tracks when I was around 35 weeks pregnant and liked them and how they made me feel. I downloaded them on both my computer and my phone and I did briefly listen to the birth affirmations during my labour, but the most important part was probably the preparation and the confidence hypnobirthing gave me.

On March 1st at 3 pm I lost my mucous plug, and immediately after my water broke in a spectacular, film-like fashion. We walked to the hospital to get the contractions going, then kept walking through my entire labour. Because apparently every pregnant lady in Brussels had decided to give birth that day the staff was a bit overwhelmed and my husband and I were basically left on our own, which allowed us to have all the space and intimacy that we needed. We laboured alone for about four hours. I had had regular contractions every two minutes since my water had broken, but they became gradually stronger and stronger, more and more painful. I practiced breathing and visualisation and at some point I listened to the affirmations. 'Relax, release and let go of everything you just don't need' is probably the one which had the most impact on me: it triggered an immediate physical reaction and really got me to release the tension in my body. I imagined myself breathing in golden light, which made me feel so strong and positive.

At around 8-9 pm my contractions got so strong I started to consider my options, then remembered that the self-doubt phase was normal and that it was probably indicative of my going into the transition phase. At that point a midwife came in and asked me if I wanted to get checked. I said yes because I needed to know how far along I was, but I was confident and positive that my contractions were effective. And they were! I was already 6 cm dilated. The midwife was very surprised! For a first birth everything was progressing very quickly. I zeroed in and stayed focused, even when they moved us to the delivery room. I was so much in my bubble that I didn't realise that things were progressing so quickly, and I soon found myself wanting to push. Once again, the midwives were surprised. I started pushing and after half an hour our beautiful, perfect baby boy was in my arms. Our son Mattia was born at 11.50 pm, less than 9 hours since my labour started.

I was - and still am, two weeks on - incredulous, so immensely proud, and sore. We weren't offered any pain relief and I didn't even think of asking for it. My confidence level was high going into labour and even higher after it. Giving birth was such a powerful, empowering experience that made me feel so close to the animal world and so connected with all the women in the world.

I wish every mum a powerful, meaningful birth experience. Thank you for helping women create a positive space for themselves."

(Words and photos posted with written permission)

I love how hypnobirthing helps mums stay as calm as possible, especially when medical assistance is involved...

Six months ago Kirsten's baby boy was born poorly following a failed induction and subsequent emergency caesarean. Before her surgery she had time to listen to my 'Positive Caesarean' MP3:-

"I can't tell you how much it helped me. I felt so disappointed in myself for not being able to give birth like I wanted. To this day I have these doubts about my body and my ability, but I am reminded of your words about how I was doing what was best for my baby and I do now feel my birth experience was positive despite everything, because it did mean that I got a healthy happy baby in the end.

Lovely feedback from Amy in Canada!

"Our daughter Winnie Prisha was born on Feb. 28th at 7:37pm weighing 7lbs 7ozs.

I started listening to the tracks about 20 weeks into my pregnancy. They really helped relax me and get me into the mindset of birth being something to embrace instead of fear.

There's a whole tonne of information out there to help you secure your place, but less on the discerning questions you should be asking them...

I've been through three applicant cycles, and attended undergraduate midwifery courses at both King's College London (1st-3rd year) and Plymouth University. I decided that NHS midwifery wasn't for me, but feel I have useful insights to share...

Consider finding out the following info before you make your final decison:-

• Ask how many academic weeks the faculty registrar reports to Student Finance. Some universities report less than the 45 weeks required for the full long course loan element, so some students have up to £1,000 less in their pocket each year than others
  
  
• Ask about track records in the timely provision of placement rotas. The goal is 3-4 weeks advance notice but some wards struggle, particularly if staff don't receive 'protected time' to organise the student 'off-duty'
  
  
• Find out how much 'shop floor' involvement link lecturers have. A teacher's willingness to get stuck in and cement positive relationships with the workforce makes life much easier
  
  
• Midwifery students you talk to on open days are paid ambassadors, so try to glean feedback from a variety of sources
  
  
• Check out the lecturers' specialist interests and published works... Which inspire you most?
  
  
• Does the course offer particularly valuable modules such as examination of the newborn and mentorship?
  
  
• If you'd have a long commute to uni, check whether remote learning might be possible sometimes
  
  
• Enquire about classroom facilities: are lecture rooms pleasant, big, modern and airy with plenty of space for group work? Are clinical skills workshops well stocked with up-to-date teaching equipment?
  
  
• Consider class size, e.g. would you prefer a cohort of 60 or 30?
  
  
• Do students feel listened to, understood and valued? Ask whether feedback is regularly sought (via student reps) and what changes have occurred as a result
  
  
• Up to a quarter of midwifery students leave their course. Ask what the current attrition rate is, and why.
  
  

The best bits of midwifery...

It's a privilege to make a positive difference to women and families at such an important time ~ you always remember your midwife! For me, the best bits included offering inclusive woman-centred support throughout the perinatal period:- building positive rapport, increasing a mother's confidence, empowerment and self-belief, and of course catching babies. The emotional and physical changes that happen during pregnancy, birth and postnatally are fascinating. There are lots of interesting skills to acquire and many different areas to specialise in later, including low-risk, high-risk, homebirths, infant-feeding, bereavement, sonography, screening, midwifery education, management, policy planning and implementation, research, antenatal teaching and independent midwifery.

The worst bits...

Working 13 hour shifts (including nights and weekends) in an underfunded NHS, loads of paperwork, stress, burnout, poor mentorship or a bullying culture in some areas, being involved in tragic cases (do explore the WHELM study)

Personal attributes required...

Midwifery is a wonderful and challenging vocation requiring kindness, compassion, self-awareness, skill, intellect, instinct, mental strength, physical stamina and heaps of self-care. My best tip is to 'find your tribe' and lean on them!

Further help...

For advice on writing your personal statement and having a successful interview I highly recommend Ellie Durant's book

Wishing you the best on your journey x

Big congratulations to Jane and Luke in Cornwall!

"Meet Dorothy Daniels born 6.2.19 weighing 8.1lb. Natural water birth- no medication or intervention.

As a first time mummy I was willing to try anything, my husband was sceptical but we thought anything that helps, even in the smallest way.

I also believed that as a first time mummy it was unrealistic to think that you could birth your baby without tearing- these Youtube videos of mums birthing their babies in the garden are never first time mums..

But within 12 hrs from first contraction we met our little lady!!

Managed to stay at home for 9 hours with Tens machine & breathing, arriving at the birth centre 8 cms dilated, then 3 hrs later Dorothy was born.

Most magical experience and your on line course definitely had a huge impact on all of that process for my body & mind.

Huge thanks xx"



(words and photograph posted with written permission 13/2/19)

Congratulations Amy & family, and welcome to baby Ezra!

"Just wanted to thank you for the course which was such a help during pregnancy and labour. Our little boy Ezra Alan was born yesterday morning at 11.38am, weighing just over 8lbs.

The hypnobirthing course really helped my partner and I to prepare for the birth together and focus on a positive birthing experience.

Congratulations Tania, Jamie and family! Welcome Emrys 

"We would love to finally introduce our little dude, who made it into the world at Helston Birth Unit on Monday 26th November after a rather drawn-out stint of early contractions from 1cm the previous Weds evening! I had a sweep in the midwife office on Thursday, but other than some bloody show appearing over the day and some mild to sharpish contractions, not much happened until late night on Sunday.

Jamie had been at a gig in Truro and had got in about 1.30am to me having pains in my sleep! We went into the unit at about 4.50am (which was only 10 mins down the road) and the midwife met us there. She assessed me and I was 5cm dilated. After the other midwife arrived I managed to get in the pool which was an AMAZING relief. I was probably in there for about an hour or so and had a bit of gas and air towards the very end.

"My baby's growth was found to be tailing off after a scan on the 10th of October and so I was booked to be induced at 37 weeks on the 19th. 

I went in as planned but was actually progressing on my own and beginning to dilate - the midwife was surprised I was already at 2cm. They didn't need to use the pessary and so I was sent home to relax and come back the next day. I had some backache but after a bath (listening to one of the hypnobirthing tracks), good meal and long sleep I felt good.
 
Back in hospital they broke my waters at 7pm on the 20th. I managed to go natural, listening to the affirmation tracks while sat on my birthing ball until the beginning of the second stage and then accepted an epidural. I laboured well but was exhausted at the end and needed a forceps delivery.

My baby girl, Willow Jessica, was born on the 21st October at 01:30 weighing 5lb 15oz / 2.7kg.

I can't believe how perfect she is! Even when I'm so tired and am beginning to doubt myself, I look at her and everything makes sense. 

The hypnobirthing helped my husband and I remain relaxed and calm. It gave him the strength to support me when I was forgetting to breathe to relax. The midwives were thrilled with how well it all went and very impressed with the tracks we used. 

I'd highly recommend your hypnobirthing course to anyone going into pregnancy. Although things went off plan, we were able to face everything was we approached each new hurdle."

Posted with written permission...

"I would definitely recommend this course to anyone! It really helped me focus on the task at hand and calmed me down in the weeks coming up to my birth. I only started this course at week 35 and wish I had listened a lot more to the mp3s, however in the short space of time it still helped me cope very well with labour.

I was due my little girl on the Friday 7th Sept. My waters broke at 2am on Monday 3rd. My contractions became quite strong from 8.30am onwards, I got into the birthing pool at 10am and my baby girl Lilah was born at 11.24am!

I had her at a birthing centre with only two paracetamol and a water birth. She weighed a massive 10lb! This course reassured me that my body could give birth, as my biggest fear was not being able to push baby out. Although it was tough I just remembered my affirmations and that got me through it.

Thank you so much to Alice for this course." - Ingrid, Leicester

Medena's birth story...

"Your hypnobirthing course was INCREDIBLE. I started quite late in my pregnancy at 33 weeks and was looking for something I could do on my own and with my birth partner at home. I listened to the mp3s every day, often multiple sessions, which helped me immensely to relax, visualise, breathe, fear cleanse, and imagine the birth experience. I could almost recite all the affirmations by heart which I found so so helpful, and empowering.

I really wanted a natural birth and to connect with my body and immerse myself in the experience. My birth plan and dream of giving birth at Cambridge Birth Center had to be adapted when I got diagnosed with mild pre-eclampsia the day after my due date, and I accepted an induction of misoprostol oral tablets and a foley balloon.

Nothing happened for 24 hrs and I was just about to start pitocin and had taken a sleeping pill.. then my water broke and I went into immediate active labour for 6.5 hrs (contractions 90 sec and 2 min apart to start!!!) including 2 hrs pushing, and our baby girl Marina was born!

Even as a track runner and triathlete, it was the toughest physical experience I’ve ever gone through but I stayed emotionally strong and focused throughout using the hypnobirthing mp3s on a little speaker on repeat, breathing techniques (ohm-ing to relax and embrace the contractions), visualisation of my body opening like a flower, massage and encouragement help of my amazing birth partner Alex, and riding the waves towards our baby, birthing ball and using the tub for contractions.

Pushing was harder than I expected and chugging apple juice right beforehand helped a lot with sugar!!

2 days monitoring and we are finally home settling in to parenthood!!!

Thank you Alice! I’d be happy for you to share my birth story, in fact I’d love it. Women should not be fearful of labour, but trust their incredible bodies and know that you CAN DO IT.

My doula raves about how good your mp3s were and loved your voice. I’m so happy I found your course and was empowered to give birth naturally like women have done for 100s of 1000s of years!!"

"I had my beautiful baby girl Florence at 12.54am on Sunday (19/08/18). I was induced with a pessary at Treliske in Cornwall (14 days overdue, decided to induce due to pelvic girlde pain), around 4pm.

By 5.15pm we started counting mild regular contractions. I stood and cuddled my partner through most of these! By 9pm I was monitored and checked at almost 5cm, and I moved upstairs to the new birthing unit a little after 10pm, where I planned to have a water birth.

A recent study of the causes and outcomes of fear of birth published in the Australian College of Midwives' Women & Birth, concluded that:-

"Stress, anxiety, depression and lack of social support are associated with fear during pregnancy. Need for psychiatric care and presence of traumatic stress symptoms are reported outcomes together with prolonged labour, longer labours, use of epidural and obstetric complications.

Nulliparous and parous women have similar levels of fear but for different reasons. Since the strongest predictor for fear in parous women is a previous negative birth experience or operative birth, we suggest it is important to distinguish between fear of childbirth and fear after birth.

Findings demonstrate the need for creating woman-centred birthing environments where women can feel free and secure with low risk of negative or traumatic birth experiences and consequent fear."

This review is really interesting, because hypnobirthing is all about reducing fear during birth... It's so important during pregnancy to foster confidence, relaxation, mental well-being and good support.

Ref: https://www.womenandbirth.org/article/S1871-5192(17)30706-0/fulltext

"I had the most amazing birth on Tuesday, my little Sophie was in a rush to come out. 

I probably didn’t do as much “active hypnobirthing study” as I should, however I listened to it to go to sleep every night and I could hear the music in my head during labour, especially the “positive birthing affirmations with Wah”.

My waters went on Monday afternoon, followed by slowly building tightenings, which thanks to the online course I knew to expect and breathe through - even managed to sleep for a few hours through them!

Then we went to the midwife-led birthing unit and (thanks to the online videos of breathing techniques), I sounded like I was playing a kazoo throughout my labour and it helped wonderfully.

In between each surge I was my normal chatty self, I would then zone out when each surge came. I instinctively knew each phase of my baby's birth and was in tune with my body completely, even my midwife commented on it! 

I had my perfect water birth after 2 hours of labour and 5 minutes of breathing my baby out. 

Thank you for your fantastic course and daily affirmations! I will miss those!"

Congratulations Xenia!

"I enjoyed the daily affirmations email, the weekly story taught me many important things and the info on your website was very helpful. The birth plan was invaluable! Xx 

I listened to the mp3s and also had sessions with a local hypnotherapist for some extra practice. The two went very well together. I planned a home birth after reading the lovely stories on your website.

I had an intense early labour through the night and it took all my concentration to breathe through it. I was so uncomfortable between contractions I didn't feel I could get up. I didn't even ask for the hypnobirthing tracks - big mistake. At 5cm I was ready to throw my birth plan out the window and ask for hospital and epidural.

Later I was helped into the pool and when my husband put on the mp3s the relief I felt hearing that familiar music was instant - I felt so much stronger and calmer. And actually that time from 5cm through to birth was far easier than the first half had been, even pleasurable at times. 

The gas and air arrived so late I didn't bother with it, I had no pain relief other than the pool, head stroking and the hypnosis. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have coped without the hypnobirthing. My baby was born at home, 8lb10, in the presence of my little boy, everything I had wished for. I'm so proud of the gentle start I gave her and she's a contented little thing."

An effective birth partner is 100% confident about birth and hypnobirthing, super organised and ready & willing to support a mother in any way she wants... After a disappointing experience, Isla in Cornwall wants birth partners to create and follow a 'list of jobs'. I've written a sample list below which includes Isla's suggestions.

"After a rather traumatic birth experience with their first child, this couple's birth was filled with moments of love and peace. I loved how they were working together, holding hands while she was circling on a birth ball"


Isabell Steinert Photography from '35 raw birth photos of Dads' Huffington

I'm quite enjoying doing these - a new one every day, emailed to Hypnobirthing Online course subscribers :)

Eleanor from Hayle tells us about her positive birth, transferring in to give birth after a long time at home:-

"Thank you so much for passing on your valuable knowledge and positive birth techniques, helping me to remain calm and relaxed throughout labour and giving birth.

It was a long 36hrs of labour at home before making the decision to go to hospital for extra help as my labour kept stalling.

I did end up having the syntocinon drip and and epidural. I truly believe that having your positive affirmations carried me through each stage of my birth journey with peace and confidence.

I have also found the parenting track really lovely to make a part of my get-ready-for-bed routine and feel your course has played a vital role in our positive parenting journey.

Thank you so very much, a special gift you have."

Congratulations to Emma, Jolyon and Ailla on the arrival of baby Alcea! Emma tells us her birth story...

"At 4am I started to get some strong period pain sensations. I stayed relaxed and tried to mentally tell my baby "you are welcome to arrive this morning", as I'd already had some cramping sensations on previous days that hadn't led to labour.

Within the hour the cramps had moved onto full contractions which I breathed through easily, moving onto my hands and knees, and using visualisations that I had practised with your MP3s. I stayed calm enough that I dozed off between a few of the contractions!

"I got through 17 hours of labour using Alice’s wonderful advice without any drugs.....thank you Alice.

The Truro Birth Centre was mega and the staff were amazing, I floated about in the hot tub for quite a few hours and had to go to the delivery suite in the end for an assisted delivery, which wasn’t what we’d planned, but the result was what we wanted.. e.g. a cute baby!

"Our new addition arrived on Saturday night, a little boy, we had a home birth which was just incredible!

I felt so in control and everything happened very quickly, 3.5 hours in total and only 20 mins of pushing.

My previous labour lasted for 24 hours so quite an improvement. I think this is partially due to the course.

I worried before that perhaps I hadn’t listened to it enough etc but I think even what I did was so worth it. I had the affirmations playing during the birth which was a wonderful gentle reminder to keep going and I could do this.

I was so pleased to get the birth I wanted, as this is our final child and our family is now complete.

We couldn’t afford a course in our area as they’re £250+ so this online version was so much more accessible for me.

Anyway, huge thanks to you, I’ll be recommending it to my other pregnant friends!"

Your imagination is a powerful tool. It can dictate, to some extent, how we perceive sensory information including images, sounds, tastes and feelings, including pain.

Take the laurel / yanny phenomenon... with practise you can teach yourself to hear either word at will. Neuroscientist Gabriella Musacchia says that faced with confusing information, the brain decides within a fraction of a second what it will hear.

“We use statistical probability to make almost all of our perceptual decisions... you hear what you listen for."

Play the video and see what happens when you decide to hear either the words 'brainstorm' or 'green needle'.

So what's this got to do with birth?

Some mums report that they decided to interpret the sensations of birth not as pain, but as 'power', 'warmth', 'surges', 'rushes', 'waves' or a 'strong physical sensation that requires all of my focus'.

This isn't woolly wishful thinking. Evidence suggests that self-hypnosis does indeed seem to significantly alter the perception of pain. 

Practise controlling physical sensations with the 'comfort dial' (in your pregnancy relaxation MP3).

Test your skills by getting someone to give you a good chinese burn, whilst you focus on keeping calm and breathing deeply!

A great addition to my toolkit for teaching breastfeeding to expectant parents in Cornwall  

PAYG Cornwall antenatal classes or full doula packages available

I met Rae (and her beautiful cats) when she was an excited first-time mother in 2014; providing her with birth doula and hypnobirthing support...

"I have practised Alice's hypnobirthing techniques in every pregnancy and birth and I really cannot imagine labouring without them. I am so grateful that her knowledge and skill has helped me have joyous, wonderful births. I feel almost evangelical about spreading the word of hypnobirthing - it gives women back such a mind blowing power and trust in our bodies. 

When I was unexpectedly induced because of pre-eclampsia with our first son, the affirmations helped me to stay grounded, happy and focused despite everything going on around me. 

I thought my second birth was pretty amazing but when our beautiful third child, our second daughter, arrived everything was even more instinctive and relaxed. 

Early and then active labour was at home in our bedroom... chatting as our 3 year old watched Thomas the Tank Engine and our shoe-obsessed 1 year old bossed me around trying to get me to put on leopard print wedges (!), while the cat got into the wardrobe and noisily insisted that I joined her and made a nest to deliver my kittens (!!) I smile so much when I think of it and I was also smiling lots at the time.

As my contractions intensified I used Alice's breathing techniques and continued to listen to the affirmation tracks downloaded to my phone. I felt calm and in control throughout and in a very short space of time (my labour was 4 hours from the first contraction to holding our daughter, something I attribute to hypnobirthing and letting my body take over completely), I was standing and breathing my daughter out... Something I had heard of but not experienced before in my other two births.

It's hard to put the memory I have of it into words, but my body knew exactly what to do and the hypnobirthing helped me be in the perfect mind space to let it. It was incredibly intense, with every inch of my body involved, but not in any way frightening, painful or even an effort really.

I felt the strongest I have ever felt in my life and very in-tune with my daughter too. We were working together for her to be born in the most beautiful way.  

Lots of people also commented on how content my little ones seemed in their first few weeks and I'm sure that's down to the peacefulness that hypnobirthing gave me and them through labour.

Thank you Alice. A hundred times over. I am so, so grateful to have first met you and been able to use hynobirthing to bring my three babies into the world xx"

I'm loving all of my postnatal survey feedback! Here's Charlotte in France giving us her recent experience giving birth to her baby girl Alba...

"After being told it wasn't medically advised to have an epidural I started looking for natural ways to cope with the labour.

I felt the course helped me focus my mind and be calm throughout, thereby making labour more effective.

I only started the course 3 weeks prior but the midwife commented it was the most 'zen' labour she had ever been at... she said she would never forget it- so something must have worked!"

Lauren in Illinois tells us about her hypnobirthing experience:

"My first two children were both induced a week late, and with the second one, it was an intense and painful experience. I was really wanting to avoid that again.

My third birth experience using hypno-birthing was pleasant and satisfying. Hypno-birthing really helped me remain calm, relaxed, and positive. I listened to your mp3s and the calming background music throughout the entire experience. When my labor kept stopping and going, it was frustrating, but I just listened to and repeated the affirmations that I had been practicing and it made me feel calm and empowered.

"Our very heartfelt thanks to you for an excellent course. We really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. We feel closer on our journey to having our baby. We felt that your delivery was professional, yet personal and from the heart" Katy Bryce & Adam Weismann, Manaccan


Due to popular demand, I'm excited to announce my new hypnobirthing classes in Norwich and Norfolk!

Private home hypnobirthing workshops enable you and your birth partner(s) to explore hypnobirthing together in the comfort and convenience of your home, in an in-depth personalised way. Face-to-face sessions may also increase motivation and actively engage birth partners.

My hypnobirthing classes in Norfolk may be taken over one 4hr intensive or two separate 2+hr sessions. As it's a private class the content is straight to the point ~ we skip the fluff involved in group classes. 

Everything you need is provided, including your full program of hypnobirthing MP3s, ongoing birth consultation, support and my online hypnobirthing guide.

The cost of hypnobirthing in Norwich or Norfolk is £275 including expenses. All areas are covered from Thetford to Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth.

To find out more and send your booking enquiry, jump to: hypnobirthing classes

Isn't it cool what our eggs turn into!

Image credit Second Street Photography, North Carolina

No, this is an outdated idea. Evidence finds that hypnosis is a state of deep focus. You can be in hypnosis without feeling relaxed (watching a horror film) and you can be relaxed without being in hypnosis.

Relaxation is often used to help quieten your mind and enter hypnosis (it's super useful for much of the birth journey) but during transition and 2nd stage you might feel more energised than relaxed...

Photo Credit: Hailey Sanders Photography

Midwife: Mother To Mother Midwifery, San Diego

Truro Birth Centre
View the gallery below, watch the online tour, and also check out the video tour of delivery suite and other areas of maternity

Facilities are also available on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly

See you there!

You're doing great   Happy Mother's Day x

Congratulations to Alexandra in Jersey...

"I ended up having an unplanned home birth after being sent away from the hospital. The midwife on duty said I was too relaxed to be in labour.

I gave birth within 3 hours of leaving the hospital and think the hypnobirthing training got me through labour safely.

Since then, I have had an apology from the maternity ward who are going to review their processes for hypnobirthing patients." 

Congratulations Catie and Richard!   Love your affirmation...

"I didn't do the course completely properly but I took on board the positivity and the science behind relaxing, which I had failed to fully absorb from doing NCT with my first baby.

I did go into labour with a completely different attitude to last time (when I was just terrified). I tried to do my own version of positive thinking and mentally telling my uterus it was doing a ‘good job’ on each contraction. This time was less painful and much faster. I felt much more connected to my body this time, like we were on the same team.

Seasons greetings and best wishes to you all! We've kicked off the festive season by getting married, as you do! 

I'm available for hypnobirthing support and bookings throughout Christmas, but wish everyone a happy holidays and wonderful new year... 

Well done Rose! 

"Thanks so much for your great resources, my birth went as well as I could have hoped, and really was an amazing experience: a six hour, calm home birth 

I had lots going on during my pregnancy including the serious illness of a family member, and had been worried that I hadn't been able to focus enough on my birth preparation for it to make a difference, but I'm convinced that the amount that I did manage practice really helped. 

I had your birth affirmations playing throughout my labour, and found it invaluable in keeping me focused and relaxed ('accepting the sensations', 'handing control over to my body', keeping my body as 'floppy as a ragdoll'!) The midwives even commented on how relaxed I had been: they didn't examine me until I was already 10cms dilated, and the baby arrived about 20 minutes later - I gave one push and then just kept breathing and out he came in a few minutes! 

I feel completely empowered by the whole experience, and I think about it often in my day to day life with a smile. I really think I will draw on the mental and physical resources I now know I have to get me through other challenges in my life in the future. My little boy, Rio, is also a very tranquil little soul and he's already sleeping through the night (at 11 weeks!) which might have something to do with his gentle arrival, who knows?!"

Nicky writes...

"Hi Alice, I am happy to report I had a fantastic labour. It progressed quickly - in the car I was in active labour - thankfully I learned your visualisation techniques and other coping mechanisms so I put these into place. Had I not done this I don’t think I would have coped as well and labour would not have been as smooth/quick.

I was able to manage the contractions with ease. I arrived at the hospital and gave birth 15 minutes later with a few pushes and a little gas and air.

Recent feedback reveals that parents want to know more about induction - the benefits, risks and alternatives, what it involves and how it can cause different, very painful sensations compared to spontaneous birth.

The first hypnobirthing training course I attended in 2006 contained a meme which said: "induction is the quickest way to have a painful, complicated birth." I thought this was a little defeatist! Not all induced mothers have a horrible time, but it's true that induction is more likely to lead to birth plans being thrown out of the window...

Key points:

1. The choice is yours - you may accept or decline induction
   
   
2. Relax. Birth won't begin or progress well if mums are stressed or anxious
   
   
3. If mums choose an epidural they haven't 'failed'. Induction is a medical intervention that frequently requires medical pain relief (even if you're the best hypnobirther in the world!) 80% of my induced hypnobirthing mums choose an epidural (vs 10% of my non-induced moms)
   
   
4. Hypnobirthing helps you stay calm and focused, no matter what!

"Epidural was not where I saw myself going but I was exhausted having had no sleep for days, and it gave me the rest I needed"

20% of births are induced in the UK, why?

Induction is offered if there's any chance that it might be safer for the baby to be born. Reasons can include a poorly mum or baby, but the most common reasons are pregnancy beyond 41+ weeks, or her waters have broken for a while without contractions starting yet.

I'm healthy, low-risk and 41+ weeks - should I accept induction?

It's up to you. If mothers await spontaneous birth after 41+ weeks the risk of a baby dying during pregnancy, birth or shortly afterwards is thought to be around 0.16% (between 1-2 in 1000). With inducing birth at 41+ weeks the risk may be reduced to 0.07% (around 1 in 1000) (if you are over 40 years of age the risks may be at a similar level after 40+ weeks). This NHS leaflet is excellent at explaining the research and options.


What about the waters breaking at full term?

For nearly 1 in 10 women, waters break before their contractions start. They usually commence naturally within a day or two and unless there are any further concerns, the offer of induction should be delayed for up to 24 hours. Induction is offered because the risk of a baby being born with a serious infection might be increased to appox 1% (from a background figure of 0.5%)


What if I decline induction?

The UK national clinical guidelines state:

"If a woman chooses not to have induction of labour, her decision should be respected. Healthcare professionals should discuss the woman's care with her from then on."

'Expectant management' means awaiting spontaneous birth. Increased monitoring is offered including ultrasound scans and CTG monitoring a few times a week. 

What does induction involve?

The aim is to encourage the natural physiological birth process as much as possible...

1. Pre-induction: a cervical sweep is typically offered at a mum's routine 41 week appointment. If the cervix has shortened and is stretchy enough, the careprovider can insert two gloved fingers into the vagina, up through the opening of the cervix and sweep their fingers around in a circular motion, to separate the bag of waters from the neck of the womb.

Benefits = for 1 in 8 women it might reduce the chance of further induction methods

Risks = invasive, discomfort, bleeding, irregular contractions, disappointment
 
Alternatives = awaiting spontaneous birth


2. Prostaglandin drug: a mother is admitted to the antenatal ward at hospital. If her cervix is closed and hasn't thinned much, a dose of artificial prostaglandin (a tablet, gel or plastic tampon) will be inserted high up in the vagina. The aim is to 'ripen' the cervix to trigger natural contractions to start, or at least enough so that the bag of waters can be broken the following day (amniotomy). Women are encouraged to leave the ward and go for a walk, or in some areas may be able to go home and return later. Prostaglandin treatment can take up to a couple of days.  

Benefits = around 30% of women give birth naturally without further intervention

Risks = vaginal / cervical soreness, hypertonic uterus, fetal distress syndrome, abnormal labour affecting the baby (between 1:10 - 1:100), nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea (between 1:100 - 1:1000), disappointment, boredom, lack of sleep, birth partner sent home at night

Alternatives = await spontaneous birth, ask about balloon catheter dilation or caesarean 


3. Amniotomy / breaking the waters: On delivery ward, if the cervix has thinned and opened enough, a long crochet hook-like device is passed through the vagina and cervix to rupture the amniotic sac. This is done to encourage prostaglandin release / physiological birth to begin, or before the commencement of artificial oxytocin infusion to trigger contractions.

Benefits = Some research suggests quicker progress with less intervention following amniotomy

Risks = scratching the baby, maternal discomfort, introducing infection, small risk of cord prolapse or accidentally puncturing a major blood vessel

Alternatives = await spontaneous birth, ask about more prostaglandin ripening / balloon catheter dilation or caesarean

"Although nothing seemed to have gone to plan I remained very calm throughout the whole experience and what was 3 days seemed like 1 with the most important thing in the end a healthy & happy baby!"

4. Intravenous artificial oxytocin drip: On delivery ward, a synthetic hormone (Pitocin / Syntocinon) is infused to initiate and strengthen contractions to dilate the cervix and aid the baby's passage through the pelvis. Continuous monitoring is required to observe the rate of contractions and the baby's heartrate.

Benefits = can dilate the cervix and birth the baby without the need for caesarean



Risks = Common: abnormal pain requiring epidural, uterine hyperstimulation with fetal distress, headache, nausea, vomiting, slow, fast or irregular heartbeat (mum), failed induction leading to caesarean

Other potential things to note include reduced mobility, and CTG may also increase the risk of caesarean. Epidural also increases the chance of having an assisted delivery (forceps / ventouse)

Alternatives = await spontaneous birth, or ask for a caesarean


"My contractions escalated extremely fast and I only managed to use breathing techniques for about one hour till the pain got unbearable and I asked for an epidural at 5 cm dilated. The relief was instant!"


... Induction is what it is really! With effective preparation and pain relief (be that hypnobirthing or epidural) parents can have a wonderful birth... Read a collection of hypnobirthing induction stories to see how we got on!

(This guide is provided for information only, it is not medical advice. Parents should do their own research and consult with their local care providers)

Well done Harriet and welcome baby Emily!

"Hi Alice :)

Just wanted to email and let you know that yesterday (30:11:2016) I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy, baby girl at Helston Birth Unit; I was lucky enough to deliver in the pool as planned.

It was the most incredible experience of my life and this is mainly due to the Hypnobirthing course I did with you. I cannot recommend you and your work enough!

Labour was 12 hours from my waters breaking naturally, to baby being born and I did it all with absolutely no pain relief! I am beyond proud of what we achieved! And I can safely say before meeting you it's something I never thought possible.

Baby and I are both doing so well.

Thanks again Alice. I couldn't have done it without you!"

Thank you Simone... I love my job!

"Alice has given me so much confidence to feel relaxed about giving birth. I am currently 36 weeks and planning to have a natural birth in a midwife led birthing unit. The hypnobirthing sessions led by Alice created an opportunity for my partner and I to talk out loud and explore our feelings, reservations, to someone totally neutral. 

After our lengthly discussions I felt my partner and I fully understood our birth plan and how we can support each other. Not only with the hypnobirthing guidance but useful tips for my partner to assist me in breathing and helping me to feel grounded and comfortable. Alice gave us her undivided attention and never seemed in a rush. I am a yoga teacher so was extremely interested in the benefits of hypnobirthing. I am yet to see if I can tune in to that mindset, positive thought process and breathing technique but for now as soon as I create space to listen to the soundtracks at home I feel profoundly different. I feel deeply connected to my body, my breath and our baby. 

I would highly recommend Alice to anyone. She is professional, so welcoming and natural and has helped me immensely. 

Thank you Alice - Simone Pantling, Okehampton

What a lovely message to receive from Ali in Virginia (USA) this morning! <3

"Hi Alice, like many others before me I wanted to let you know how successful my birth was using your program.

I delivered my beautiful baby boy, 8 pounds 10 ounces (22 inches) completely naturally in 6 hours. It was the most rewarding experience of my life and I felt fully prepared thanks to your course.

Another positive hypnobirthing story despite things not going quite to plan! Well done Vicki & Andy, welcome Rowan :)

"So here is how hypnobirthing helped me... Due to high blood pressure I was not allowed to have the water birth I wanted, and I was getting worried that I would be convinced to get induced. So on my due date I relaxed and asked my baby to come.

During some bedtime fun with my partner at around 11pm I got my first contraction! I decided to try and sleep but unfortunately the surges came thick and fast and I started to be quite sick. I was very thirsty but with every bit of water I took in it came back out! Despite this I remained really calm and relaxed and tried to breathe through each surge. I must admit I found this quite difficult due to the tightening around my tummy but I continued to do so.

We rang the midwife in the morning and she suggested we went straight to Treliske (due to my blood pressure and signs of pre-eclampsia). The car journey was tough but I remained calm and listened to my relaxing music whilst laying on the back seat. We stopped a few times so I could be sick and took our time - my partner driving carefully over any bumps!

When we got to the hospital (at around midday) the midwife thought I looked very pale so took us to a room. A urine test revealed I was very dehydrated so was put on a drip straight away.

We put on my music, I smelt the lovely frankincense oil which had a very hypnotic effect, and carried on relaxing and breathing. My partner was amazing - during pretty much every surge he pressed points on my lower back which made them bearable, and tried feeding me bits of food (I still couldn't keep anything down).

The midwives popped in every so often and always said how lovely it smelt and how well we were doing. The surges were coming every 5-10 minutes and in hindsight I wish I had walked around a bit more but I just wanted to be still on the bed.

There were some amazing moments of bonding between my partner and myself, and I had a lovely deep hot bath at around 8pm which was amazingly relaxing and really helped me to get on top of things. One affirmation I kept on repeating in my head was "its not pain its power" which really helped me get through it.

At around 11pm a midwife checked me and was surprised to find I was 8 cm dilated! She commented that there were not that many women having their first baby who got that far with only a paracetamol and very little fuss! I felt quite proud of myself and decided to have some gas and air as I thought it wouldn't be too long until baby arrived.

They took me up to delivery suite where I think the change of scene made me go a bit off-track and I started to get quite tired. I still kept up the breathing and relaxing. I had another whole night of it, and by the next morning I was still only 8cm! With my blood pressure rising and ketones in my urine it was gently suggested that I could go for an epidural and augmentation. We decided this would be the best option as I was so tired and still could not eat much. So our beautiful boy Rowan came into the world around 1pm two days past his due date, after an hour and a half of pushing. He was 8lb15 and a quarter and it was noted how calm he remained throughout the whole labour.

Although I did not have the water birth I wanted I feel Alice's hypnobirthing course and MP3's really helped me in the few months before having Rowan. I felt calm, informed and prepared.

Although the birth was tough going, there were some really lovely moments that I just don't think would have happened if I was scared or panicking.

I would recommend to anyone who is going to have a baby to do the course. Alice has a lovely calm and gentle manner which instilled a sense of ancient womanly wisdom to me that I knew was there - it just needed a little coaxing out !

Thank you Alice

Love from Vicki, Andy and baby Rowan xx

Welcome Frankie and well done Mona!

"I undertook Alice's hypnobirthing course for my first baby, a beautiful little girl who came into the world in July 2016.

Watching the videos really helped me visualise how I wanted my birth to be - which was really important to me to help me prepare.

When anyone asked me if i was nervous about the birth I would say 'No, the birth will be in the water, it will be beautiful and my baby will just pop out' - which I probably wouldn't have said if I hadn't done the hypnobirthing course!

I found the first stage of labour fine, the second was more painful but I was hugely helped by the visualisations and affirmations, and Alice was on the ipod in the background! The third stage was also manageable.

I will say that vocalising very loudly and mooing like a cow helped me (unlike the very serene women I saw in the vids), but whatever helps you is fine I guess.

My labour was far from pain free, however, without the hypno course I am unsure how I would have handled it / coped.

After the birth I realised that in fact I had delivered my first baby with no pain relief, no intervention, and without any tearing which is pretty much a miracle. And I'm certain that the course was the major factor in helping that little miracle happen.

We left the hospital the same day and I was driving and walking about the next day perfectly healthy.

Frankie, my baby, is an extremely content, happy little girl - and I firmly believe she is a product of a calm and healthy mother - one I might not be if i hadn't practised hypnobirthing.

I have already recommended the course to my friends."

Is there any part of the birth process that YOU would like to explore a bit more? Post your questions in the comments, or message me if you prefer :)

Caroline tells us about her positive hypnobirthing experience with her beautiful baby Noah last month... Congratulations and well done!

... To give some background... If mums are over 40 yrs, OBs typically offer induction around the baby's due date, because the risk of stillbirth might be increased (to 0.2%). However, other research suggests that if a mother has given birth before, there may actually be less increased risk (Hilder et al 2007)... As ever... the choice is always a mother's :)

"I was medically induced at 41 weeks due to being over 40; my consultant had wanted to induce labour at 39 weeks but I refused.

I was waiting for the induction to take effect for 24 hours, and was having gentle surges towards the end of this time.

Although in the couple of times I was distracted during a surge (like when there was someone fixing the TV next to me) and I didn't drop into a hypnotic state I could really feel the difference. If I wasn't practising hypnobirthing I can imagine those "gentle" surges would feel a lot more uncomfortable.

My waters were broken and things moved very fast and I gave birth in a standing position just 56 minutes later. The speed of the labour took all of us by surprise, the midwife hadn't even got a birth pack ready yet!

I definitely believe the ease of this birth is down to being so relaxed from using hypnobirthing; it was a joyful experience, not the traumatic experience people are led to believe. Many thanks for providing such a wonderful service."

Check out Lucy's fab affirmation pebbles! She's patiently awaiting her baby's birth here in west Cornwall :)

"My first two children were both induced a week late, and with the second one, it was an intense and painful experience. I was really wanting to avoid that again. 

My third birth experience using hypno-birhing was pleasant and satisfying. Hypno-birthing really helped me remain calm, relaxed, and positive. I listened to your MP3s and the calming background music throughout the entire experience. 

When my labor kept stopping and going, it was frustrating, but I just listened to and repeated the affirmations that I had been practising and it made me feel calm and empowered. I did end up having pitocin and eventually an epidural, but the MP3s really helped me remain positive. Thank you for helping me have this wonderful experience! 

This program is also perfect for parents that already have children. All the classes I found in my area were not only very expensive but were not conducive to parents that would have to find childcare one night a week for multiple months. This program is affordable and nice because you can go through it at your own pace. 

I made a collage of all the affirmations and put it on my wall where I saw it every morning when I woke up. 

The only problem I had was staying awake through the hypno-birthing tracks. I tried it at different times of the day and in different places, it didn't matter, I woke up about 20 minutes after the track ended almost every time. I think it is because being pregnant with two kids is exhausting :) It also takes up a lot of your spare time, however I feel it was totally worth it. 

I only started this in my third trimester, I may have gone even further without an epidural if I had started this at the beginning of my pregnancy. It helped me keep a positive outlook during my pregnancy and during labor, I would recommend hypno-birthing to any new mom-to-be.

... Thank you so much for your wonderful tracks and class. They made my whole birth experience more relaxing and positive. It also made me have a positive attitude during my pregnancy. Thank you for helping me give birth to a beautiful baby girl named Rose :)"

Considering some interesting research today on whether already having a baby influences the safety of awaiting natural birth...

Hilder et al (2007) conducted a retrospective analysis of 145,695 singleton births in London, and found that the incidence of perinatal mortality for babies born to first time mums at 42 weeks was 0.3%, compared to just 0.1% if mums had already given birth before...

Mothers should be supported in making their own informed choices; based on evidence, instinct and preference.

Reference link

A home-from-home birth environment helps mothers to relax, get in the zone and release her baby...

Here are our birth locations in Cornwall... Have a think about what birth partners could bring in with them to create a familiar nest-like space. Consider all of your senses.

It's especially important that homebirth parents make these back-up plans too ;)

Be open to whatever path your birth journey takes... Well done Stephanie, who gave birth to beautiful Noah last month ♥

"Hi Alice,

Just thought I'd let you know our baby boy arrived yesterday. 
I was so confident and looking forward to birth thanks to hypnobirthing. Although we didn't manage to make it to Penrice and ended up having an unexpected home birth, it was a lovely experience. Breathing techniques helped and it felt like my body took over and pushed him out for me!

A little thing (not even worth recounting) happened on the school run this morning, that got me to thinking about how - unless we're mindful of this - other people's 'stuff' can affect us.

When I was a 19 year old psychology & counselling student, we were doing some sort of group exercise in class. In response to something long forgotten, my teacher - a formidable woman - said to me:-

Birth is a journey, with different rhythms at different times.

Transition is that point where your body prepares to push your baby down the birth canal. Adrenaline-type hormones are suddenly released to bring on increasingly expulsive contractions.

If you've gone over your 40 week 'estimated due date', take heart  ♥

The majority of mums do so. Your baby is on time, your body is working perfectly. There is nothing you need to do now, except focus on relaxation.

Natural induction methods don't work. Don't stress yourself out trying. Honestly. Birth will most likely begin when you're feeling calm and happy.

When your body and baby are both 100% ready, AND you're feeling calm, happy and positive - it'll happen.

You are in control. Build a calm bubble around yourself.

If you'd like info on your choices and statistics approaching 42 weeks, visit my 'What If?' guide to going over your due date

I hope you all have a beautiful day... If you're expecting, it's a great day to listen to your bonding track :)

The parts of our brain and nervous system in control of the birth process are primitive, instinctive and automatic. Our bodies usually know how to get our babies out, all by themselves.

During birth, our cervix ripens, our uterus muscles gather up rhythmically and the neck of the womb begins to open. Our babies inch down and down as the muscle fibres in the womb shorten, then the powerful muscles of the uterus begin to actively push babies down the birth canal - a powerful expulsive reflex that does not require a mother's conscious assistance from the muscles of her abdomen (although she may feel very much like going with those strong urges!)

When our neocortex is quietened (that part of our brain that analyses, overthinks and worries), our innate instincts take over, our bodies simply flow through the birth process, rather than forcing or indeed fighting it. People call this optimal mental state the 'birth zone'.

All (non-comatose) mammals require certain conditions to be met in order for this primitive physiology to kick in... that is - feeling relaxed before birth commences, and having a very quiet, warm, safe space where we feel loved, supported and free to do what feels good from one contraction to the next.

"One cannot actively 'help' a woman to give birth naturally. The goal is to avoid disturbing her unnecessarily" Michel Odent, surgeon & childbirth expert

Examples of women giving birth in a comatose state are a stark reminder of how birth is essentially an automatic physical process, requiring little or no conscious input, even when the body is in crisis. Thankfully all of the following birth stories have happy endings, with the mothers waking up...

Emma, UK...

Emma fell into a coma after contracting pneumonia at 27 weeks of pregnancy. She went into labour prematurely two weeks later, and gave birth to a healthy daughter named Amy (3lbs 5oz). Nurses only noticed that Amy was on her way when her head emerged! Emma regained consciousness a further two weeks later, and was well enough to be discharged home after another two weeks. She says of her birth:

"It seemed incredible to think that I had given birth naturally whilst I was still in a coma. I hadn’t consciously pushed or experienced a single contraction, yet my little girl was here and she was healthy. It just seemed like a miracle. It’s amazing to think how Amy came into the world. Even when I was unconscious, my body knew what to do. I’d love to be able to remember giving birth to her, but I’m just grateful that we are both alive and healthy now."

Chastity, USA...

Chastity became comatose after a car accident in 2001. It was discovered upon admission that she was just two weeks pregnant. She carried her baby to full term whilst in a semi-conscious state. Chastity could sometimes look at people when they spoke to her, but could not move or speak. Her doctors decided to induce her, so as to ensure close monitoring of the process. Chastity gave birth vaginally to Alexis Michelle (7lbs, 7oz) in just four hours. Dr Baha Sibai, chief of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at University Hospital in Cincinnati, said Mrs. Cooper "surprised everybody" with a quick delivery and the obstacles she overcame. Her husband believes that she smiled at her baby daughter following her birth, and Chastity's amazing recovery continued over the subsequent years, regaining her cognitive functions, movement and speech. Her son Aaron said in 2013 "She is now doing great... we just hope her next move is getting out of her wheelchair..."

Abby, USA...

Abby was put into an induced coma after fainting on New Year's Eve. She had been fighting the H1N1 virus which had developed into pneumonia. Abby went into labour naturally at 34 weeks of pregnancy. Doctors reported how she had progressed through the natural stages of birth and, her Grandmother says, her body "actually pushed". Waking up several days later, Abby descibes her son Douglas' birth as a 'miracle', exclaiming "How many people give birth when they're in a coma?!"

Becky, USA...

Becky was also put into a medically induced coma after contracting H1N1. Her doctor Dr. Asad Sheikh said "She was actually on the ventilator. So really the labor process itself was one that, by and large, occurred with her body responding going into labor on its own." Chase was born and did well in the NICU. Becky was brought out of her coma five weeks later, to meet her son. Becky said "I always thought it was the next day.. I didn't know it was weeks later so it was like - 'Oh, well what happened?"

My full set of rainbow hypnobirthing affirmations are now available to download or print (via step 10 of the online hypnobirthing course)

Absorbing positive affirmations regularly can help you feel more positive about your upcoming birth.

If you're writing your own, make sure they are worded in the present tense, and positively.

e.g. "I relax and release with each surge, I cope with the natural sensations" is better than "I will release tension".

Display your positive hypnobirthing affirmations in places you will see them regularly, or perhaps as your mobile / laptop wallpaper.

I'm really pleased about how successful my online hypnobirthing course has been. Subscriptions have been rising month on month since it launched in September 2013, and I'm now able to donate £1 from each purchase to the charity Birthrights.

Most people seem to be based in the UK and America, with some accessing it from Canada, Australia and a smattering of other countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. It's available pretty much anywhere with a wifi connection!

I think that everyone who wants to access hypnobirthing should be able to do so easily and quickly. Folks can often begin their practice within mere minutes of purchase, even from thousands of miles away.

When I first trained in birth hypnosis, hypnobirthing was only available as part of face-to-face antenatal classes. What I love about delivering my hypnobirthing course online via distance learning, is that I can reach a much bigger audience - both geographically, and also financially... For many, £30 is a lot more affordable than £200.

In terms of outcomes, they're pretty good too. My recent postnatal mini survey showed that there was only one emergency caesarean birth out of almost 70 spontaneous births, 90% of mums birthing naturally do so with no medical pain relief, and most babies are born within 6 hours of the first stage. My survey is ongoing and I hope to bring more data to you soon...

Hypnobirthing home study / distance learning can be a great way to prepare for your baby's birth during pregnancy. I'm always on hand to answer your queries too.

For more information and to sign up visit my hypnobirthing online course page :)

"I just wanted to drop you line to let you know that our gorgeous daughter Amara Elizabeth was born on the 24th Nov (only 2 days overdue) and weighed in at 7lb 3oz. I went to Treliske at 1pm for a labour assessment as I was having contractions, but not sure if they were real or practice. I had been suffering with a harsh cough and my coughing bouts also bought on contractions (or so it seemed to me) so we wanted to be clear if this was it. They confirmed that I was indeed in labour and 3cm dilated, but as I had practiced hypnobirthing, they said best for me to go home and put into practice what I had learnt and to come back in the evening when contractions would be closer together 1 min on, 1 min off!

However, we were not at home for long and by 4pm, we were back at Treliske as contractions much more frequent and powerful. They examined me and I was 8cm dilated and transferred straight to a delivery room. Amara was born just before 7pm with the assistance of gas and air only and in her waters - amazing!!

The midwife commented on how relaxed and calm I was throughout and that no doubt contributed to the quick and straightforward delivery. This of course is all down to the hypnobirthing techniques. We had the music playing, lights dimmed and throughout the whole thing I kept thinking of relaxing, releasing, breathing through each sensation and ultimately listening to my body. As you mentioned during the course, I did avoid watching any films/TV programmes of people giving birth as I didn't want any preconceptions about how I should act/how it should be and I think this really worked. I found my primal instincts just took over and I went with what they were telling me!

Thanks so much for introducing us to hypnobirthing, I do strongly feel this contributed greatly to our straightforward, quick and easy birth, so I cannot thank you enough for that!"

A lovely doula testimonial, just in today! Well done to Lian, Paul and little Sebastian - have a safe trip back to Zimbabwe :)

"We came home from Zimbabwe to have our first child as we wanted to be somewhere we felt safe and supported. Our hope, should all go well, was to have a water birth at home but whatever happened we decided we wanted to have the support of a doula to either facilitate the most natural birth possible or to help us navigate 'the system' should anything go awry.

From day one (week 35 for us!) Alice was reassuring and supportive, she provided the hypnobirthing course as part of her doula services and this really helped with our relaxation and mindset especially in the weeks to come!

As our due-date came and went and the days ticked by there was a creeping realisation that we may not be getting the homebirth we were hoping for. At term + 12 we were asked to consider an induction... Alice came straight to our house when we called and helped us discuss our options - we really felt that there was no judgement but having her there as a knowledgeable and impartial facilitator enabled us to be happy with our decision to go in for monitoring but not automatically agree to an induction at that point.

Unfortunately a scan at term +15 indicated that fluid levels were very low and so with this added risk factor we agreed to an induction. Alice agreed to attend us in hospital as the syntocinon drip was set up and at this point it was wonderful to have a familiar face amidst a sea of strangers (I have to note that the care we received at Treliske from the antenatal and delivery teams was nothing but wonderful).

Sebastian was born, happy and healthy, but with a rather large accompaniment of meconium on the 30th May at term + 18!

In the hospital environment, in what became a highly medicalised birth, we felt that Alice's continued presence during labour was not necessary, although we were able to use the hypnobirthing techniques she had taught us to help remain calm and positive about what was happening.

But in the days that followed, including a somewhat stressful time on the postnatal ward (we felt rather 'bullied' and then neglected by the staff there, with the exception of a wonderful maternity support worker), we relied very heavily on her continued support. She was available to us on the phone at all times and visited us twice once we returned home. To 'de-brief' with her was invaluable and I think, alongside the wonderful support of our family, was responsible for such an easy time adjusting to life with a newborn - 3 weeks in and we seem to have escaped the 'baby blues' completely!

We already know that all being well we'd like another member of our family quite soon - we would definitely return to Cornwall to have another baby and would be calling on Alice yet again! It would be wonderful if no.2 comes of their own accord and we get the natural home birth we would like, but nothing in this world can really be planned and especially not labour - being well supported by Alice through the journey made coming to terms with a change of plan so much easier."

It's been a busy few weeks of doula appointments and teaching hypnobirthing home workshops here in Cornwall...

I was also asked by a new mummy to encapsulate her baby's placenta for consumption!

Here's the finished product after being steamed, dehydrated, ground and popped into vegetarian capsules. Around 80-150 pills are normally yielded. This placenta was quite wee, but there's 62 capsules in there - enough for at least 10 days postpartum.

There's a lack of clinical research controlling for the placebo effect, but anecdotally many mums swear by this... Believing the pills to increase milk supply and keep them balanced and upbeat. Mum says:

"My milk's going really good after 5 days and baby being 8 weeks early. I really feel its helping yay! 😊"

I've just checked out if I have any reviews for my 'Positive Birth Preparation' MP3 on Amazon. Since they started selling it in September last year I've had 63 sales and three reviews... All five star!


"This is a Great track to take you through labour from start to finish . I would recommend it to any woman preparing for labour."

"Great track and for a small price under a pound! Can't really go wrong with the relaxation techniques. Yet to use it through actual birthing, only on prep so far."

"My friend recommended this to me as she said it always helped her to sleep and she was always asleep before it had finished. She was right. I have real trouble sleeping and obviously with pregnancy this is exacerbated. I find this really helps. Made me a little emotional at first if I'm honest but really does do the trick and I'm very glad I got it and for the price, well it's amazing."

After a birth I attended recently where a well-meaning midwife exclaimed to my mum:

"You did so well, you didn't need a doula!"

I felt compelled to add the following to my doula page...

"It's a challenge to exactly conceptualise a doula's role... and just like you, we're all different! Some believe in 'mothering the mother', others believe in teaching and empowering parents to 'do it themselves'. But wherever a doula finds herself along that continuum (and she's adaptable depending on your needs), she offers neutral information, guidance and non-judgemental support to the whole family, at all times, no matter how your baby is born.

I like to work with you and your chosen birth partner extensively during the antenatal period. I offer highly regarded hypnobirthing tuition and resources, and we fully explore the birth process, your rights, choices, how to communicate effectively with care-providers, early baby care and more. I've been described by parents as their 'go-to person'.

Subsequently, by the time of the birth my families are very well prepared, relaxed, confident and require little (if any) intensive 'hand-holding'. I work alongside your birth partner in maintaining an optimal space and ensuring that your care remains woman-centred. If you're coping well my presence is simply familiar, reassuring, quietly encouraging and low-key.

"The guide is self-effacing and scanty of words. When her task is accomplished and things have been completed, the people say "We ourselves have achieved it!"

(Tao Teh Ching)

Nobody really knows the origin or meaning behind Sheela-Na-Gig figures. They've been discovered all over Europe, usually in places like churches and castles.

There's a theory that some may have been used as 'birthing stones' by women in labour... Perhaps for visualisation and affirmation!

Maybe I could make some...

For the next twenty years the seaside town of Ilfracombe will play host to 'Verity', Damien Hirst's 70 foot statue of a pregnant woman brandishing a sword. Half her torso is presented in an anatomical style revealing her sleeping baby within. Verity, meaning 'truth' in Italian, represents a  “modern allegory of truth and justice."






The local council has received 100 plus complaints from local residents, brandishing the statue outrageous, immoral, bizarre, obscene, offensive, disgusting, distasteful, embarrassing, grotesque, disrespectful, insensitive, inappropriate, a monstrosity, tasteless, ugly, vulgar and not in good taste.

How divorced are we as a society from the realities of being human?! My favourite comment on Verity, on a Facebook thread, simply says:

"She is a fertility Goddess. Oh we forgot about her. We thought cars were more important. She is awesome."

Verity reminds me of something written in a Guardian article I was sent by a friend and former client yesterday. Frances Harrison, on the relationship between being a mother and war correspondant, contemplates how:

"As a mother, I found it harder to fathom the extraordinary cruelty otherwise gentle people are capable of in wars. At night in Sri Lanka, I would sit under the ceiling fan and rock my tiny baby to sleep in my arms, haunted by the stories I reported by day: tales of torture, mass graves and the agony of the missing fighters' mothers who never received a corpse to mourn. Both sides reeled out casualty statistics like cricket scores, forgetting the people they talked about were once someone's baby, loved and protected. It made it hard to get excited about the military hardware side of war – it didn't matter much if it was a T56 or AK-47 that did the killing. In the male-dominated world of foreign reporting I never admitted it, but motherhood did bring a new perspective to the story."


Verity also reminds me that as childbearing women we are powerful, amazing and strong. How striking is the contrast between this and the mainstream perception of pregnant women as delicate, vulnerable and stupid? Similar to Marianne Williamson's poem:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?..."

In the year 2009/2010, 8.3% of women giving birth at Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske) had an elective caesarean section (NHS Information Centre).

The reasons for choosing a caesarean are varied. For those experiencing a 'low risk' pregnancy and labour, intervention-free, vaginal birth is normally the most advantageous way for a baby to be born (Enkin 2000).

For those who require help - for either physical or unresolved psychological reasons, scheduled caesarean birth from 39 weeks can also be a low risk option, according to Dr Anthony Falconer, Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology President:

"Recent advances in medical science have made the procedure much safer and for most women the complications of this operation are low" (press statement 2011).

Pregnant women should be offered evidence-based information and support to enable them to make informed decisions about childbirth.

Recently updated NICE guidelines state that women who haven't had any problems in their pregnancy, having a first, planned caesarean birth, may be at an increased risk of experiencing the following, compared to if they had a planned vaginal birth:


  - baby admitted to neonatal intensive care: 13.9% vs 6.3%
  - hysterectomy caused by postpartum haemorrhage: 0.03% vs 0.01%
  - cardiac arrest: 0.19% vs 0.03%
  - longer hospital stay: 3.96 days vs 2.56 days


(Nice clinical guideline 132, published November 2011)

*A normal birth is one that avoids the following, according to the Maternity Care Working Party:

• induction of labour (with prostaglandins, oxytocics or ARM)
• epidural or spinal
• general anaesthetic
• forceps or ventouse
• caesarean section
• episiotomy

The table doesn't cover local data on the intervention rates (induction, instrumental delivery, caesarean etc) of births that transferred into hospital from a midwifery-led setting. However, recent data from all NHS trusts in England found that women planning a birth in a freestanding MLU experienced a 17% intervention rate, and women planning a homebirth experienced a 10% intervention rate (compared to those who planned a hospital birth, who experienced an average 40% intervention rate).

2011 data provided by Birth Choice UK, Dr Foster Health and the Birthplace in England study

A large study published in 2011 compared death and injury rates for the babies of 64,538 low risk women giving birth in a variety of settings in England between April 2008 and April 2010.

The women planned births either at home or in midwifery-led birth units (like Penrice / Helston) or in consultant-led hospitals (like Treliske).

• Birth was found to be very safe with over 99% of babies having good outcomes wherever their mothers planned to give birth
  
  
• For women not expecting their first baby, there was no difference in outcomes wherever they planned to give birth
  
  
• For first time mothers, births planned at hospital were safe for babies 99.57% of the time, and births planned at home were safe for babies 99.07% of the time. The authors state this small difference is unexplained, but asserted that homebirth is still safe for first time mothers
  
  
• It's also interesting to note that women planning a hospital birth experienced a 40% medical intervention rate (e.g caesarean, forceps, ventouse) compared to those who planned births at a freestanding midwifery-led unit (17%) and those who planned a homebirth (10%)
  

Research link:

Perinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth for healthy women with low risk pregnancies: the Birthplace in England national prospective cohort study BMJ 2011;343:d7400