A positive ventouse delivery: Ezra’s birth story
The HPHB course helped us prepare for labour by giving practical suggestions around birth preferences - aptly named because having a plan may not always work out! It also gave some amazing tools to use during labour, things your partner can be involved with too, for example massage, positive affirmations, meditation, breathing exercises. We aimed to practice these each night before bed in the run up to my due date which was such a nice bonding experience and helped my partner’s confidence for when I was in labour and how he could be involved.
The HPHB course allowed for a safe space to explore different scenarios that may occur during labour. I perhaps had a different preference to most others as I was keen to have pain relief and an epidural, however my labour progressed quickly and the doctor who provided the epidural was not available which meant I ended up with only gas and air! Looking back, I cannot believe I did it by myself! The course also helped me prepare for the use of a ventouse, the role of the paediatrician in the room and once baby was born and tearing versus an episiotomy; all these situations happened during my labour however I felt informed and calm and instantly flash-backed to the course and felt reassured and confident as they explained what was going to happen next.
When Ezra was born I was in disbelief at how big he was- 9lb 6oz! It was the best moment of my life so far; I couldn’t believe he was finally here and I had done it!
HPHB helped me realise the importance of accepting the situation in the early days and embracing the fourth trimester. It’s helped me be more relaxed and accepting of the unpredictability of a newborn. HPHB was also great and discussing your mental health and the role of your partner in these early days - both so important!
I would 100% recommend the HPHB course. It provides a safe, non-judgemental space to walk through all things associated with labour and having a newborn. I appreciated having different sessions with different experts - especially the paediatricians and Chloe’s session on hypnobirthing. The WhatsApp group with the other mums has also been a great resource for me, we share recommendations, tips advice and also just sanity checks to one another.
Top Tips:
Do not have expectations of your newborn in the beginning in terms of a pattern of behaviours or routine
Follow your baby’s lead.
Stay as calm as possible, pass the baby to your partner when you find yourself getting frustrated (and likewise your partner give you the baby if they need a break)
Accept how new your baby is to the world and how strange it is for them. Being new is hard work and it’s okay for everything to be up in the air! We will work towards more routine and predictability once Ezra is ready for it.
