lucy, surprise homebirth on 29 jan 2017

Firstly, I never thought that I would be sharing a birth story like this and to be honest it hasn't really sunk in as reality just yet... 29th Jan, Sunday afternoon I lay down with our son Zane for a nap and woke an hour later with a 'tummy ache'. He was looking adorable so I laid with him staring at his chubby face for another hour.

By this time it was 3pm and I got another 'tummy ache'. The feeling became more of a cramp at around 3:30pm so I got up to have a drink and something to eat. I told my husband and joked that maybe we might have the baby in the next day or two. I was two days from 'due date' so was very excited, but after enduring two very long labours with our first two children I thought I knew what lay ahead of us and felt mentally prepared for the marathon.

I returned to my room and started to listen to Marie Mongan's Hypnobirthing positive affirmations, lit my candles and relaxed. By 4pm the pains started to feel more like surges and I was finding that I needed to belly breathe much deeper to get through them. I remember thinking- this is stronger than before, I need to centre I need to focus - there's a long way to go!! Then something changed... I could feel a sudden change in my body and screamed out for Michael "I need you".

He called his parents to come and get the kids so he could sit with me in our room. 4:45pm the kiddies were out of the house with Grandma and I was on all fours in our ensuite breathing down. Michael tried to get me to the car but I couldn't move. Again something changed in my body and I told Michael this is happening call the ambulance. 4:50pm he called 000 and had them in his ear all while comforting and reassuring me "breathe... breathe... breathe" 5pm our daughter entered the world delivered and caught by my husband on our ensuite floor!

A few seconds later the ambulance arrived. I will never forget that moment - Michael and I embraced on the floor with our newborn in our arms!!

Thank you Carrie for all of the strength and knowledge you have given me over my last two pregnancies. After a 40 hour, traumatic labour ending in an emergency c-section with our first I wanted to do my best to have a positive experience the second time around! I am so happy that I found you and that we experienced your Hypnobirthing course for our second birth. It was still long (at 20 hours) but it was a calm and beautiful birth with no drugs or intervention. Michael felt more empowered and more involved which was wonderful!

Third time around and I took part in your yoga circles and Michael and I revisited our Hypnobirthing at home. We had all our 'tricks up our sleeve' and were ready for another long labour - we knew we could do it!

Although Lucy didn't quite give us enough time to use our 'tricks' I truely believe that I would not have noticed the changes in my body and what was happening within me without this knowledge. I was calm, Michael was calm and everything turned out perfectly!!

Thank you Carrie for what you do and what you teach.
We are so grateful!!

​Lots of love, Emma, Michael, Sofia, Zane and Lucy xo

Then something changed... I could feel a sudden change in my body and screamed out for Michael "I need you".