My husband and I attended your one day course in West Bridgeford at the end of September. I just want to let you know our happy news and also let you know how useful we found the course. Baby Maggie arrived on the 3/12/12 at Qmc after being induced a week early due to low amniotic fluid levels and reduced foetal movements. I have to say this pregnancy had been very difficult and at times traumatic from the outset and as things began to look quite bleak in the second trimester I had planned to cancel our place but I’m so glad I didn’t. On the day of induction I felt that all the skills I had learnt had gone out of the window and I just wanted the hospital to take control and get baby out. I was given a prostaglandin pessary at 12 pm and began contracting almost immediately (apparently my body responds to induction very well!). After an hour I was rushed to the labour suite and the pessary removed due to hyper stimulation. Things began to slow down and I was told I would be taken back to the ward soon to decide plan B. It was at this point that I decided to try and take back some control and thankfully within an hour of bouncing on the birth ball and using your visualisation techniques the real labour began in earnest. We didn’t get chance to whip out the mp3 player but I found I didn’t need it as the whole thing must be hard wired in my brain and I’m sure I must have been word for word perfect as I ran through it! At 5.30 pm just 5 and a half hours after the pessary Maggie came into the world with no need for pain relief and a very calm mummy. The midwives were absolutely lovely and very surprised at the turn of events. I had no internal examination after removal of the pessary (at which point I had been 1cm dilated). Luckily i had very quiet calm midwives who completely left me to it (I think they decided it best after ten minutes of trying to chase me around the room with the CTG monitor). Not only have the techniques allowed me to have the birth I hoped for against the odds but I have used them to beat insomnia in the third trimester, manage my emotions during difficult antenatal appointments and I’m pretty sure my road rage has also improved. Sorry for the long email but there is something very cathartic about writing it down. Thank you again for all your help, keep up the good work!
Lucy & Maggie