"I will be forever grateful for him supporting me to birth exactly as I wished"

Welcome to the world Sonny Koa Evans! Born on the 19th January 2021 in water at Truro Birth Centre, 7 days before his EDD and weighing 7lbs 3oz.

This incredible birth journey is written by Sonny's mum, Charlie. As you read it you will see it is packed full of strength, faith, amazing support and the importance of having a well educated and prepared birth partner. Huge congratulations to Charlie and Nate, and thank you so much for sharing your story to inspire others and to break the society cycle of beliefs that birth is a traumatic experience!

"The plan for my birth was to be as natural as possible. I didn’t want any drugs or interventions to disrupt the natural birthing process and prevent me from experiencing EVERYTHING! I asked for pain not to be mentioned and for no one to offer me any pain relief.

We did the most incredible Hypnobirthing course with Cornwall Hypnobirthing, so I had been practicing all the breathing techniques. Both myself and Nate were feeling super confident about everything.

I wanted to stay home as long as possible so I was in my safe space to let the hormones do their thing for optimal birthing.

My first surge came at 11:30pm on Monday the 18th and it lasted about 2 minutes and my first thought was, if this is how bad it’s going to be I’m going to take all the drugs! After that small blip I settled into the surge and was just moving around the room and breathing through the waves. Starkey (our dog) came and sat on the bed next to me and I feel like he knew what was happening. Nate was SO excited!

At 12:30 I was a bit sick.

1pm I called the midwife as my surges were every 4 mins lasting 1 min. They suggested to try rest.

I tried lying down but my surges slowly got further apart and I was like nah I’m not letting this slow down. So I got the exercise ball and started bouncing, continued to breath through surges. I think I bounced on that ball for about 4 hours while Nate was drifting in and out of sleep!

5am I puked so bad. Having surges while being sick is... wild!

6am called the midwife again as surges were about 3 mins apart and lasting 1 min and they said to come to hospital soon. The car journey was hell and I was thinking, I swear to god if I get sent back home I don’t think I can actually get in the car again.

Got to Truro birthing Centre at 7:30am, had an assessment and I was 6cm dilated, waters were bulging but not broken. His head was right down and they thought my waters would go any minute. I was actually over the moon at this point that I had made it that far

8am we were given a room and at 9am I got in the birthing pool. Surges were strong and intense for the next 4 hours but I didn’t feel like much progress was being made. Nate was just hugging me and basically being my number 1 fan the entire time. He was awesome!

After continuing to be so sick for the first few hours while in the birth pool I then managed to drink a litre of coconut water which gave me a little bit more energy. Nate then made me eat a squishy, just one. And I actually projectile vomited all over him!

1pm was my I can’t do this point. My waters STILL hadn’t gone. So the I asked the midwife to manually break my waters to try and help things along. Shortly after that sh!t got real. Having my waters broken did the trick and it was go time. That hour was the hardest hour of my life but I knew I was going to get the best reward at the end.

2pm Sonny arrived after 14 and a half hours of labour.

After a few mins of cuddles and tears Nate cut the cord and then my placenta came out straight after. I had no tearing as well!

The one thing that made this possible for me was having Nate as my birthing partner being so damn solid for me. He was honestly amazing. With him knowing about everything from our Hypnobirthing course it helped so much. He studied all the information Terri gave us so much; he was so on it! He never doubted me for a second and understood the entire process so well that he has the ability to stay calm [even when I was screaming] He showed me so much love, cuddles and support which allows the hormones to do their thing.

I will be forever grateful for him supporting me to birth exactly as I wished."

Charlie and Nate did a private Hypnobirthing course with me in October 2020. They spent time leading up to Sonny's birth practicing the skills they had learnt and getting in the zone, so that they both felt calm, ready and fully prepared for when the day came. I am so grateful to be able to share their story with you.

If you would like to work towards a positive birth experience then sign up to my free taster on the 24th February at 7.30pm, or book on to my next group course which is in March. All the details can be found on my website.

..."this part was the most wonderful feeling" Chloe talks about how she enjoyed giving birth!

Welcome to the world Marley Kenneth Cole, breathed in to the world, born in to water at Truro Birth Centre on 14th December, weighing 6lbs 10oz.

Huge congratulations to Chloe and Olly, who were on my August group Hypnobirthing course - they are first time parents. Chloe outlines her birth journey here for us.

"6am-I began to loose the plug which I was so excited about as until now I hadn’t had any signs!

7pm- Irregular mild surges began, at this stage, bouncing on the fitness ball and using breathing techniques we had learnt really helped. The surges became more regular and intense as the evening went on.

12pm-After speaking with midwives on the phone we decided they were regular enough to head down to Truro Birthing Centre. Upon arrival, the midwives were very welcoming and I was happy to have a vaginal examination to check on progress but unfortunately I was only 1cm so we were told to head back home to try and get some rest. The surges carried on and even got stronger into the night...

7am-Surges completely tailed off to around 1 every 30 minutes and throughout the day slowed even more and they were very irregular.

6pm-More regular surges again, Yay! Ollie made a really lovely space in our snug for me to sit on the ball and lean forward onto a pile of cushions, had the curtains closed and fairy lights and diffuser on while I breathed through the surges. As they were getting more and more intense I used the tens machine to help manage the surges.

10pm- Back down to the birth centre again, and again I agreed to a vaginal examination and was absolutely delighted when the midwife said I was 6cm! She showed us to one of the rooms and checked baby’s heartbeat, absolutely fine which really put me at ease after such a long time at home not knowing how baby was doing. The room was amazing, really made the whole experience for me, as well as the midwives who brought us both drinks and snacks. I used the gas and air and tens machine to manage the surges as they became more intense and Ollie put on some of my favourite music.

1am- At this point I felt ready to get into the birth pool as was feeling a lot of pressure down below now, the midwives sorted this out straight away and put pretty fairy lights around it too. Getting in the pool felt absolutely incredible and really relaxed me. After some time, my body felt an urge to push, so I went with this. My waters broke which relieved a bit of the pressure as well. For me this part was the most wonderful feeling, I could actually feel baby move downwards from my tummy into the birthing canal, I knew I would get to meet him/her soon! Ollie and the midwives were so supportive through this whole stage, I did have moments where I doubted myself but they kept on reassuring me that I was doing brilliantly and that I could do it !

3.15am- Little Marley Kenneth Cole was born in the water, received by Ollie! Exactly as I had wanted ! He passed baby between my legs and told me it was a little boy, an absolutely overwhelming amount of emotion as I saw his little face in the water, we lifted him out and put him straight onto my chest, once the cord had stopped pulsating, Ollie cut it and took him for skin to skin while the midwives helped me birth the placenta and then out of the pool. He latched on almost instantly for his first little feed and we were left to bond as a family of 3. The whole experience was absolutely incredible thanks to the midwives who followed our birth plan exactly as we wanted and couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful, and Terri for the Hypnobirthing knowledge and birth preparation, knowledge is power !"

My Hypnobirthing course will help you to better understand your body and what is happening during the labour and birth process. This knowledge will help you do release your fears and surrender to trusting your birthing instincts. As Chloe says - knowledge is power. Take control of your birth experience, don't just leave it to chance. Book on to my next group Hypnobirthing course in March 2021, or contact me to book a private hypnobirthing course face to face or via Zoom. You are worth it! You deserve the birth of your dreams!

Hypnobirthing Completely Changed Our View on Birth!

Welcome to the World Tommy Ryan Darbourne - born 07:36pm at Penrice Birth Centre, weighing 8lbs 7oz.

Beth and Dean outline for us the birth of Tommy; how they worked together as a team, made decisions that were right for them, how hypnobirthing supported them through their journey and how the amazing midwifes at Penrice provided them with wonderful, person centred care.

"Details of labour

- It all started at 5pm with my Uterine seal (Mucus plug) came away.

- Membranes released (Waters) at 2.30am, and irregular surges started immediately. I used the Calm breathing technique at home whilst using a birthing ball to get comfortable whilst watching trash tv!

-6am we started timing surges and they were lasting up to 40 seconds and coming at least every 5 minutes. I started running a bath and played my hypnobirthing affirmations..

8am - we made a call to the triage line, as surges were now lasting 60 seconds. As I was feeling calm and well, we requested a transfer to Penrice Birth Centre (this was a spontaneous decision as our mind had not been made up between there and Truro Birth Centre - Terri had told us how wonderful Penrice was)

9.00am - greeted at Penrice Birth Centre by the loveliest midwife Lizzie. I was happy to accept a vaginal examination to determine active labour. I was 4cm open and Dean was able to then join me in the “snug”. We were offered food and beverages, and offered the use of the units Tens Machine - midwife Lizzie guided Dean how to use for effective pain relief and also suggested various comfortable positions to try. Blends of essential oils recommended by Lizzie, prepared and provided by the unit for Dean to perform massage techniques learnt on the course.

12pm - we decided to move into birthing suite, and the midwives had the pool prepared, dimmed lighting, fairy lights providing a very calm atmosphere. Dean began playing our “Feel good” playlist and we both felt so excited under the realisation we would be welcoming our baby boy in the most calming environment with assistance from outstanding midwifes (community midwife Tamara joined to look after us, I was familiar with her as had met her at maternity appointments in the Bodmin clinic).

2pm - I consented to another routine examination which confirmed I was 8cm open. I was full with overwhelming emotions that I had got to this stage with only the use of hypnobirthing breathing techniques, tens machine, essential oils and the pool. I felt SO in control.

4pm - at this point my Surges changed and they were feeling more and more intense, so I requested gas and air at this point to take the edge off.

6pm ish - this was when my transitioning phase started. I began to feel very tired and doubted myself. I had constant reassurance from Dean and the midwifes. Routine monitoring of baby’s heartbeat accepted, baby remained calm and well all throughout. I decided to get out of pool and asked the midwifes to recommend different positions. I must admit panic mode started to set in as things seemed to slow down and I wanted the help of the midwifes at this point to guide me on how to birth him safe and well, however, both Dean and I stayed very calm as we were fully aware of what my body was going through to birth our baby.

07:36pm our precious baby was born and passed straight to me for immediate skin to skin. We had the delayed cord clamping that we had requested and Dad (Dean) cut his cord. Active management of the placenta was recommend afterwards, this was clearly explained and accepted. Dean remained with our baby and had his precious skin to skin time.

We then all left for an hour of bonding and family time which was so precious - Tommy latched for his first colostrum feed, and we were on our way home as a family of three around 10.30pm.

We will never be able to thank Terri enough for her support, guidance and generosity provided throughout our pregnancy preparing for the birth of our baby. Hypnobirthing completely changed our view on birth, and empowered us to make decisions that were best for us and not based on fear. You cannot put a price on delivering your baby feeling so in control and aware of the physiological process of birth. Every time I think back to our experience I feel so emotional to have been blessed with a tranquil environment at Penrice Birth Centre, a team of amazing compassionate midwifes, the support of my Husband who was able to remain calm throughout and this is all thanks to the decision we made to sign up for Terri’s informative Hypnobirthing course which we will forever recommend."

Huge congratulations and a massive THANK YOU to Dean and Beth for allowing me to share their experience with you.

Beth - you are a true birthing goddess and I'm so pleased that you had such a wonderful birth experience at Penrice. Dean - I always knew you would be the most amazing birth partner (Dean and I have been friends for many years!). Tommy - you are a very lucky boy to have such wonderful parents.

If you are working towards a birth experience like Beth's then you can start your journey by investing in one of my courses. I promise you it will be the perfect investment! My January group Hypnobirthing course has some spaces available, and I'm taking bookings for February onwards for private courses. As I type this I have ONE late minute availability for December for a private course due to a cancellation. Don't delay with making contact if you want to grab it!