I had my first baby almost 7 years ago & although relatively straight forward, my birth was long & my contractions slowed & then stopped, which was really disheartening. I also needed stitches which meant a slightly longer recovery after. This time, I did 10 weeks of Yoga with Tessa, Hypnobirthing & read ALL the books. I already felt much more empowered & knowledgeable about the birth I wanted, how to prepare physically & mentally but also that the mechanics of labour come second to how I felt about the process.
At 38 weeks baby was breech so we opted for an ECV, which was successful. At 41 weeks my midwife suggested I book an induction. Although not what I wanted, I understood why & it still gave me time to labour spontaneously. At 41+2 my waters broke, 3 days before my planned induction. My contractions started within an hour & I rang the birth centre at Burnley & they were happy for me to stay home & self monitor. I had a bath & a nap then headed over a few hours later with contractions 3 minutes apart. I had my playlist on, I was active, using breathing techniques & positions I learned from Tessa. I also took full advantage of Burnley hospitality & enjoyed all the toast!
I got in the pool at 6cm & felt really in control, breathing through every surge & needing no pain relief. Around an hour before baby arrived, I started to tire. My birth partner recognised this from my previous pregnancy & got me out of the pool & rocking on all fours. That did the trick & before we knew it, we had a baby girl. No stitches & only in established labour for around 7 hours. My birth partner was amazing, we’d written our preferences together so he knew what I wanted & reminded/supported me throughout, being my rock.
When Sienna was born she was wrapped in her umbilical cord & I lost a lot of blood. Despite this, I feel my birth was really positive. These were things completely out of my control but we felt safe & cared for. A night in hospital & prescription strength iron tablets later & we were allowed home, happy & healthy - our family now complete.
Thank you so much💛
“Tessa Clemson Yoga - your yoga studio in Great Harwood, serving Hyndburn, Blackburn with Darwen, Ribble Valley & Burnley”
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