This ones a bit of a throw back to lock down- remember all that in 2020- the uncertainty, the rules, the COVID. Well it didn't stop Emily having a lovely calm birth in the midwifery led unit in Fort William.
Just over a week into the first lockdown we welcomed our first baby into the world. I had done hypnobirthing sessions with Louise and we were both feeling quite "calm and relaxed" until lockdown and not knowing what that would mean for our plans!
My surges started at about 1am and I had a reasonably peaceful night on the sofa listening to my mp3s, podcasts and pacing my way through them. In the end I had to wake my husband up at about 8 to say I thought we should call the midwives and see what was happening! We had hoped to be able to deliver in our "local" (1 hour away) maternity ward but didn't know if that was still an option with lockdown, thankfully it was.
The hypnobirthing breathing techniques helped massively on the drive to the hospital along single track roads and over a ferry and once we arrived the midwives didn't realise how far along I was as I was so calm. We had to be met and let into the eerily empty hospital and I then spent most of the afternoon in the pool, very spaced out and calm with the help of the hypnobirthing and some gas and air.
As the day went on the midwives asked if I would get out so they could see what was happening and see if they needed to transfer me to the hospital a few hours away. My husband thought I hadn't heard them mention the transfer as I stayed so calm but I just kept focused on breathing. I was so close that they didn't need to transfer us and we moved into the next stage. There were a few more discussions about transferring as it went on but in the end our little girl was born healthy and well in the maternity ward as we had hoped! It was lovely to be mostly left alone for the process to happen and I was so grateful my husband was able to be there. We both felt really supported the whole time and as though our choices were respected. Getting to meet our little Hazel was the most wonderful moment, she came out shouting almost before she was
fully delivered and wriggled and snuggled herself in for a feed like a pro (we had some feeding struggles in the first few days but that first moment was pretty amazing to see how we could work together so soon).
We were able to head home together as a little family that same evening and it was so lovely, if a little overwhelming, to be home all together as a family of three for the first time, in the middle of a world which felt like it had gone totally wild!
Fancy giving it a go? Join in my next course!
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