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Sometimes a birth journey takes a turn down an unplanned path; sometimes medical interventions are a wonderful, life saving necessity. This was one of those times. This beautifully written account of Otto's birth so inspiring, and perfect proof that Hypnobirthing is for ALL births, Doula support is for ALL births, and there is no right or wrong way to birth your baby - informed, safe and happy with your decisions are key.

Enjoy this read...


I remember the look on the waiters face that night when we ordered two hot curries. I laughed it off and asked for mine to be extra hot. We left the restaurant, laid the table at home, ate our curries and I climbed the stairs to watch some TV in bed whilst Chris continued to lay the new wooden floor in the sitting room. As I undressed and slipped into my slacks, a wave arrived, rolling through my body from top to toe but mostly wrapping its self round my abdomen. I was at the sink, clutched onto the side and smiled with joy. Then another, by this time I was on all fours, Chris had brought up the silver mixing bowl in case I wanted to be sick. I remember looking at it and it reminding me of my catering days, slightly annoyed that I wasn’t presented with the wooden or china one. He was speaking to the midwife, then he was speaking to Terri our Doula.

My surges were powerful, they were mine and my baby’s, we were talking in waves, out in the ocean on our birth journey. He spoke and I folded. I surrendered. I moved for him, in every direction he needed and wanted. Fast or slow, turning up and down our bodies merged, finally into one. I heated up and cooled down, I urinated in my car and collapsed on cushions to support him.


At the birth centre Terri looked like an angel, waiting for me and my baby. Open armed she took us and gently lay us down on pillows and blankets in the waiting room, humming and stroking my hair. Chris lay with me, obeying to every need. Touch my foot, water, hair, back, hand, hold me, stop holding me. My hind waters broke [merconium], so in the car we drove to the hospital, a bumpy back road of eternity, whilst surges forced though me, howling but still breathing the way we knew would keep us strong and safe. I fell into a wheel chair as the midwives took us all into a small room. I stopped dilating but the surges kept coming. Eventually after many hours I had an epidural, Chris tells me it was the moment he broke down as it took them a while and a few goes to get it right. I was oblivious. Terri held him and they carried on supporting me. I wanted a cheese and mayo sandwich but we only had Soreen. I urinated everywhere, again.

My baby was pushing against my cervix. He was at the wrong angle. His heart rate dropped suddenly and I could feel a little panic in the room from the staff. New surgeons arrived, we spoke of a c section. I asked every question, I prodded them, I drilled them and when I was sure, I then asked for it to happen. Papers were signed. Our little trio set up in theatre. I was numb from toe to just below my breasts. Anaesthetist to my left, Chris and Terri to my right. I shared old stories of my womanhood during strange abdominal sensations. Then there he was, held up in the air, almost tribal, our baby boy. I saw tears in Chris’s eyes as he came and rested his head on my shoulder as our baby lay on my breast. We did it. I did it.


The birth was not my envisaged plan of water and candles but it was mine and my baby’s, the way we moved down our journey, every wave and every calm moment, taking rest and gathering strength together. Our love and spirit engulfed our heart beats and oh when we held each other for the the first time, raw and naked, in our vibrating aura, our voices close to our ears, we sang and whispered all our loving words together.


My birth came with a sudden agony on day three, just when my hormones hit the roof, my c section ruptured whilst in hospital. Surgery again. Separation for my baby. This was a moment that would mark many consequences for his need to catch up to me, to be closer and closer as he developed. We lay together for months, sleeping together, feeding together, talking and playing closely until his little head looked over my shoulder and he asked to move a little. I gave him his space and his arms and legs stretched out and movement dawned on him. Today is his 10-month birthday, it’s 15:40, in an hours time he was birthing.

I want to thank you Otto, my baby boy, for being so brave and spectacular, for never showing fear or doubt, for always telling me what you wanted.


I want to thank you Chris, you gave me everything. Every level of my existence lent on you and you showered me with your unconditional love, positivity and sensitivity.

I want to thank you Terri, for being our angel, you flew in and spread your peace and love and held us all in your protected, safe cocoon.

I want to thank you Midwives and theatre staff, for helping the birth of our boy, for your clarity, transparency, calm and kind demure. And all the tea, toast and understanding in the 10 the days we spent with you in hospital.

Terri reminded Otto, Chris and I that we are humans. That we can breathe. That meditation is powerful. That believing in one’s self is the one and only strength we will ever need. She is right.


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I had the privilege of working with Louise and Tom again in preparation for the birth of their second baby. They were planning a home birth due to the Covid19 restrictions, however on listening to their options and choices when their baby went 14 days over his EDD, plans changed and Louise went on to have a wonderful, positive induction experience at Truro Birth Centre.


"After doing hypnobirthing with Terri for the birth of our first son, as soon as I found out we were expecting again I got in touch with Terri for a refresher course. We did this just before lockdown so we’re able to meet with Terri in person, she went over the whole course again and gave us both the focus we needed. 

When lockdown hit I found myself turning to the hypnobirthing techniques more and more for relaxation and calm, with the ever changing situation that everyone was facing it was a strange time to be pregnant. 

We had planned a homebirth but I ended up going overdue and had several meetings with my midwife and at 12 days I was offered an induction and we spoke about the NHS guidelines with regard to home birth after 42 weeks. In the mean time I had a session with Terri which helped me release any pre existing fear I had and really focused me again and made me so much more relaxed.  I decided that the birth centre was now the best option for us but that I would like to go to 14 days before going down the induction route which would take us to Saturday. I was having tightenings every evening but it would just fizzle out. 


Saturday came and off we went down to Truro for an induction - I decided that this was the right thing for me and my baby at the this time. With Covid restrictions I had to go in on my own and Tom wouldn’t be able to join me until I was 4cm. I was told I had until midnight to get to 4cm and be in established labour to be able to use the birth centre still. I was assessed on arrival and the midwife said that she didn’t think I would labour on just the pessary as the baby was still sat so high up (not what you want to hear when you're trying to remain positive!). I would have to wait 24 hrs for the next stage of the induction, after the promise that I wouldn’t leave the hospital grounds I was allowed to leave the ward and Tom and I sat outside for the day and did laps of the hospital grounds. At 7.30 pm with nothing happening I decided to say goodbye to Tom go back to the ward and get some sleep and focus on the next day now accepting that the birth centre was also now out of the question to. Tom decided he was going to sleep in his car incase anything did develop. 

Thank god he did decide to stay close by, as within an hour I was having surges lasting a minute each and two minutes apart. I fully focused using my calm breathing - a ward with other women and no birth partner is not the ideal scenario but hypnobirthing techniques kept me calm. I called a midwife and she said it could just be pains from the pessary, I assured her it felt like proper contractions and that I was almost feeling like I needed to push. After examining me I was 4cm which was now half nine so I was able to go to the birth centre!! I called Tom and he joined us on route. The walk up to the birth centre and three strong surges on route got me to 10cm. I was really calm and laughing and joking with the midwife on the way up about how I had made it just in the nick of time and against all expectations ! The pool was filled up and I had the most wonderful calm water birth. My baby was out within an hour of being on the birth centre and a total of three hours in labour (so much for being a long way off!). He was born in his waters which was incredible and within minutes of him arriving I naturally delivered the placenta still attached. We were then able to delay clamping which was great. He latched on for a feed straight away and has fed like a trooper since. 


Considering the birth was very different to what we first planned, I couldn’t have wished for a better outcome and I couldn’t have done it without the hypnobirthing techniques I learnt with Terri it really helped me to stay calm and go with all the changes. The other big thing that gave us both extra confidence was having the knowledge to make informed decisions and question the guidance given to us. Luckily I had a very supportive midwife who also helped us come to the best decisions for us as a family."

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The birth story of Elsie Honey, written by first time Mumma Hannah. Elsie was born at Truro Birth Centre in the water, during the Covid19 pandemic. Hannah and Luke did their HypnoBirthing sessions with me via Zoom (virtual teaching/meeting platform) Hannah's wonderful experience is a proof that a cervix opens at it's own pace and that every birthing persons body will work differently and open at a different rate - It's always good to know and remember that the half a centimetre and hour for first time birthers (and 1cm an hour for subsequent birthers) with regard to cervical dilation is only a guideline!


“When we finished our course with Terri she asked me how was I feeling towards birth and I confidently came out with 'I'm going to smash it!' which I couldn't quite believe came out of my mouth as I usually doubt myself with new things and always underestimate instead of overestimate. But I truly felt I had gained so much knowledge and understanding of how your body naturally births a baby that that was what was going to happen. Obviously I was totally aware that things could go slightly off plan, but I felt like I was in the right place if that was to happen and either way I had control and would cope due to the hypnobirthing.

38+6 I woke up early hours of the morning and felt quite sure that this was it, everything we had learnt was happening! From 5am I started to have surges and they were lasting around 40 seconds every 2 minutes. I managed to have a shower and wash my hair, never got to take the gel off my toenails that were hanging off though! We headed up to the birth centre about 7.30am and greeted by loveliest midwife, she did an examination and I was sure I'd be in established labour with my surges being so close together but I was only 2cm, the dreaded words 'go home, have a bath or a walk and come back later' ...I was happy to go home but in the back of my mind I knew we were never going to get there and back with how my labour was progressing. I was told my ketone levels were low and that honey is great for this...We decided to go on the hunt for honey and a walk about 9am and by 10am we headed back, something felt different and the surges were getting more intense. I was happy to be examined again and all I heard was '10cm and let's get the pool running!' I was so happy I was going to get the waterbirth I wanted and even happier that we were going to meet this little babe very soon!!

The relief of the water really helped and so did the continuous support of Luke who was absolutely amazing. I was in the water for 45minutes and by 12.01 Luke received our baby and placed her on my chest, Elsie Honey! It was the most amazing experience and the best feeling in the world that my body birthed this little human safely (but fast!) I couldn't have wished for a better birth. I had total control that whole time, I had no other pain relief other than the water and I couldn't quite believe by 1PM I was there eating that famous tea and toast.

Terri helped us so much and I believe we could have had a very different labour/birth if we didn't hypnobirth. I was so excited to tell her and will always be grateful for her time and the knowledge she gave us.”


If you would like to learn more about the wonders of Hypnobirthing, and want to feel calm, prepared and educated for your baby's arrival get in touch with me! I have a free Hypnobirthing taster session on Sunday 19th July at 11am. You can book your free place via my website. My next group course via Zoom is in August (1st, 8th and 15th from 10am - 1pm) Spaces are limited. , and again, can be booked via my website. for more information email me at info@cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk or find me on Instagram (@cornwallhypnobirthing) or Facebook (Cornwall Hypnobirthing and Hypnotherapy)


I also have Doula availability from September through to December and in to 2021.

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