We are Hannah and Alex and we are the parents of Hallie. Both of us are musicians and also classroom teachers .We took the Happy Parents Happy Baby antenatal classes in Sevenoaks.
We were looking forward to a water birth in a calm delivery room with minimal people around but being realistic of any and all changes to our birth plan (Tip: expect change and roll with them). We were nervous about the actual birthing but were completely set at ease by the midwives and the HPHB classes we took.
We had Hallie at Maidstone birthing centre. We loved it! A smaller setting and both myself and especially Hannah felt apart of the whole birthing and for the guys, this was an important factor for us.
Our birth was relatively straight forward but as time went on and energy levels dipped it did become a lot harder. Stay hydrated and eat snacks throughout would be a big tip from me. Hallie did get stuck towards the end but it was the midwife team and the knowledge learnt at HPHB that really got us through. Hallie is our first child and what we learnt at HPHB, knowing the steps of labour and what to expect afterwards, helped keep us stay mentally sane during the chaos. It is a lot to go through. Helpful tips on pain management and what to expect directly afterwards was vital to be as calm during and after.
1) Breathing techniques, learn many different variations of these as possible they will help in different parts of labour and different positions you may be put in.
2) Stay hydrated and snacked up!! Energy dips and contractions aren’t fun, especially after 20 hours where you have no energy left.
3) Stay positive, even if it’s fake positivity, it’ll keep help to stay calm and keep oxytocin levels up.
4) For the partners: honestly there isn’t a ton to do and you will feel helpless. Stay positive, talkative and 100% supportive! Also hydrate and snack too.
I burst into tears the moment Hallie was born! It is another level of love and pride, you will never understand this level until your own kid is born.
I found the first couple of days relatively straight forward, and this is mostly because of HPHB I felt confident applying what I learnt and once you see the baby react as expected it is a big peace of mind. Bear in mind, all kids are different if one way doesn’t work, try another. These are guides and not a one size fits all.
Simply a happy healthy baby.
Sleep deprivation is a real thing so get ready for that.
My partner going through everything. Watching her nail pregnancy and being a great mum has made me very proud!
I wasn’t expecting how hard it can be when you know baby is hungry but they won’t feed, sometimes they get fickle but trust the process.
Having our WhatsApp group has really helped. We were the last in our group to give birth which, in a sneaky way helped because we got to hear everyone else’s stories and a variety of experiences. It was another way to keep us calm throughout.
For us it was a big muslin. A big muslin can be used as a clean up rag, a swaddle, a privacy towel. But I would say bring different size nappy/clothes as you never really know how big kiddo will be.
Smoked salmon!
The most useful gift we received would be a rectangle changing mat. It’s a travel one that holds a couple of nappies and wipes. We use it on the bed at night, we take it with us for hospital trips or short walks. It’s been very handy.
Erm a pacifier has been a great sleeping tool for us. Give to baby after the night feed and it works for Hallie to soothe her for the night.
Take each step as it comes. Stay positive even in the tough hours, snack little and often, talk to each other throughout the process.
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