Hello. We are Kate & Russell and live in Hove. Kate works in Marketing and Russell in Finance. We became parents to our daughter Orla in September and have never known a love like it! We took the Happy Parents Happy Baby antenatal classes in Hove.
I was really lucky to have a straightforward pregnancy with very few symptoms. For us, I think trying to mentally prepare for the incoming change was the hardest part. We signed up to HPHB to both learn the basics of baby care but also to meet a new group of people about to embark on the same adventure as us! HPHB proved invaluable on both fronts. The content covered is just the right level to make you feel confident and equipped but also not so much that you feel overwhelmed. The friendships we’ve made have also made the transition to parenthood an amazing one!
Our daughter was born in the hospital and we had a really positive experience. The midwives were absolute angels from start to finish and put so much focus on my birth preferences and how they could provide the calm atmosphere I really wanted. The HPHB information about the stages of labour & delivery and also hypnobirthing I found extremely helpful, and made me feel really empowered going into my own birth. I feel really lucky to have had such a positive birth, despite not all going totally “to plan”. My waters broke at 38+4 weeks but my contractions didn’t begin immediately so I was recommended to have an induction.
However, thanks to HPHB, I felt empowered to make an informed decision after getting the all clear on my blood tests & baby monitoring and trusted my body would begin contracting on its own, which thankfully it did the following day. I had wanted a water birth but unfortunately due to my waters having been broken for a prolonged period, I wasn’t able to. However, aside from not being able to use the pool, my birth was still the calm, natural experience I had wanted. The biggest challenge for me was definitely energy! By the time I needed to push I had been labouring for 2 days so was exhausted and needed an oxytocin drip for the final stage when my contractions had pretty much stopped. I’d definitely recommend any parents-to-be to eat as much high energy food as possible during labour to get you through!
Breathing techniques 5/5 – this was my main coping technique and I focused on it through every stage of labour.
TENS machine 4/5 – loved it during early labour but stopped being as effective the further I got into active labour.
Water 3/5 – I wasn’t able to use the birth pool/the bath but having the shower pointed at my lower back really helped.
Gas & Air 1/5 – I had 2 puffs and decided it wasn’t for me! It made me feel really light headed which I didn’t like.
Being active 5/5 – I kept moving throughout my labour using various positions and just listening to my body on what felt right.
Stunned! I really struggled to picture a baby at the end of the pregnancy, despite my growing belly and feeling her move! But the moment she was lifted onto my chest was the most incredible feeling of my life!
I felt like I understood the principles of breastfeeding from HPHB which helped in the first few hours & days. Luckily my baby latched straight away and my milk came in quickly so we’ve been exclusively breastfeeding ever since.
Luckily for us, Orla has always been a really calm baby and good sleeper. We found having a very different atmosphere for night time vs day time has helped her with a good sleep routine.
My recovery after birth has also been uncomplicated but as a very active person, I have had to remind myself not to walk too far or do too much too soon to really let my body recover.
Either birthing without any pain relief or breastfeeding! For whatever reason, I really didn’t think breastfeeding would be for me but I have absolutely loved it and it has been such a lovely bonding experience for Orla and I.
Getting organised to go out! Planning ahead with feeds, changes, packing a bag etc takes forever to be able to leave the house – no more just get up and go!
When Orla was weighed on day 5 and hadn’t lost any weight, I felt really accomplished and proud of myself for how feeding was going. And when we got the first smile – that just makes everything worth it and really makes you feel like a good parent!!
How noisy sleepers babies are! They make so many funny noises in their sleep but it’s totally normal.
The WhatsApp group is amazing for advice! There’s always someone that’s going through the same phase as you or awake at the same hour of the night as you! The mums also meet up at least every week and we’ve done so many lovely things together with the babies.
A water bottle with a straw was absolutely essential, and my own pillow from home.
Cheese! We had a glass of fizz and some cheese when we got home from the hospital and it was amazing.
COOK vouchers or frozen meals!
Muslins, you can never have enough!!
For birth, I would say trust your body, it’s a powerful thing. And when the baby is here, just enjoy every single moment – it really does go by so fast. For us as well, getting out and about makes a big difference – just a quick walk and coffee with the baby in the carrier makes all the difference to both of our days.
Free downloadable resources and weekly guides for your pregnancy.
Enter your postcode to find your nearest Happy Parents Happy Baby antenatal classes
