Hello. We are Chelsea and Ben. Chelsea is a teaching assistant, Ben is a project manager and we are parents to Vinnie (4.5 months) and Australian Kelpie Winston. We took the Happy Parents Happy Baby antenatal classes in Leeds.
My pregnancy had a stressful start, they found an ovarian cyst at my 12 week scan which I ended up having surgery to remove at 18 weeks pregnant. It was an emotional build up as there was a chance the baby wouldn’t survive, and the recovery after surgery was brutal. Once the surgery was done and we knew the baby was happy and healthy, it felt like I could really start to enjoy the pregnancy and look forward to being a mum. I was most excited to meet our baby and couldn’t wait to start the next chapter of our lives. HPHB offered a safe space to talk openly about my pregnancy and being around other new parents to feel really supportive. The knowledge we gained throughout each session helped to feel more prepared for our arrival.
Barnsley hospital.
Our baby was born at Barnsley hospital via emergency C-section. The hypnobirthing breathing techniques learned on the course were really helpful.
Breathing techniques: 5/5, gave me a sense of control and gave me something to focus on.
Overwhelmed with happiness, excited to find out we had a son as we didn’t know the gender, relieved that he was safe and healthy.
The first few days were bliss, I would do anything to go back to those days and relive them. It felt like he’d always been here and felt like he completed our lives. The broken sleep surprisingly didn’t bother me, the swaddling technique learnt from the HPHB course was invaluable. Recovery was tough after the major surgery but each day got easier bit by bit. Feeding was relatively easy, we opted to formula feed and the up to date preparation techniques learnt from the HPHB course was helpful knowing we were doing it correctly.
I feel like I’ve adapted to motherhood fairly well, I’m in absolute awe of what my body did to bring this little soul into my life and I still can’t believe he’s mine.
My biggest challenge has been the lack of support from other family members.
My proudest moment was when my son smiled at me for the first time.
I wasn’t expecting to not know my baby’s cry, I’d read online about how mothers know what each cry means and I felt like I had to guess what he needed and why he was crying.
Just having that sense of community and knowing they’re only a message away. Knowing that we’re all in exactly the same boat, in the thick of motherhood together.
Instant camera to capture those perfect first days in the hospital.
Tea and toast in the hospital.
A few people brought food parcels round, meals that could just be thrown in the oven or microwave without having to think about it. I found that really useful in the early days, not having to decide on food or have to physically cook.
Ewan the white noise machine.
Know that you are exactly what your baby needs and you don’t have to listen to unsolicited advice.
Free downloadable resources and weekly guides for your pregnancy.
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