Clare's Story

I wanted to write and say thank you for your help with achieving the positive and calm birth experience I had always hoped for. I attended your monda yoga class and the saturday class with my husband. You gave me the confidence to trust and work with my body and not be scared of labour and birth and prepared both my husband and I for the experience and for going with the flow when things didn't go the way we had planned.

My contractions started at 3am on the Sunday night. I managed to cope at home for 17 hours in our spare room which I set up with yoga ball, stall and a chair. I put your cd on straight away and started the breathing and rocking techniques you had taught us. I kept the room in low light and moved between rolling on the ball leaning forward on the back of the chair to rest (which I found most comfortable), sitting on the chair backwards and leaning on the back of the chair standing up. It was great to wake up with contractions and know exactly what to do. I didn't panic or worry, I just got on with what you had taught us.

I had a sweep booked for the Monday anyway, as I was overdue by a week and the midwife came to do it even though I was in labour. She came round about 3pm which was great as I got to find out how far along we were without a trip to the hospital. She did the sweep and told us I was 3cm. The sweep really got things moving and I had a show straight away and the contractions stepped up a gear.

The hospital advised a bath, which was lovely and soon after that my waters broke and we decided to head to Melton. That was 8pm Monday evening and when they examined me at 9pm I was 5cm and they got the pool running, which took an age! They said to my husband they thought I was going to be sent home when they walked in the delivery room to see us, as I was coping too well to be 5cm yet, which he told them was down to the yoga class I had taken and they were very impressed and very encouraging that I should continue with the breathing and get the CD on in the delivery room. Having the CD there helped keep me focused as I waited for the pool and once I was in the pool.

The pool was an amazing pain reliever combined with the breathing (mainly 'blowing soup' breathing throughout worked best for me).

After a couple of hours I was ready to push but when they examined me I was 9cm and that was the hardest part - not pushing when I wanted to. They suggested gas and air but I couldn't concentrate on my breathing so didn't use it and carried on blowing soup and started humming which helped get me through.

After an hour of pushing, sitting and kneeling in the pool and then on a stall, I was transferred to the general in an ambulance. As they called for the ambulance I felt like I had failed and let everyone down, but we took a minute to remember that we needed to go with the flow and I calmed down and got back to my breathing.

At the general it was monitors and bright lights which was a shock after the calmness of Melton and after another hour of pushing the doctor cut me and used a suction cap to help. She had the cord wrapped round her neck and body twice so each time I pushed she was pulled back in! So we were in the right place and pleased she was safe and well.

I feel so positive about the whole thing and that was down to your class, thank you.

Caitlin Isabelle was born on tuesday 10th August 2010 at 5.45am and was 10lb 8. She is beautiful.

Thank you.

Clare