My dream home birth in leeds

This week’s blog post is a positive birth story and it’s a special one because it’s my littlest boy’s birth story. He was born at home in Leeds in September 2023. He turned one last month and I’ve loved reminiscing about his birth. This is the birth that made me decide to become a hypnobirthing teacher. I hope you enjoy reading it. If you want to study hypnobirthing, have a look at my courses or get in touch to discuss your needs.

I had my first son at home in the middle of the pandemic and despite everything going on in the world, it was an amazing birth. I used the tools I’d learnt in hypnobirthing throughout so even when things didn’t go to plan, I felt calm and in control. When I became pregnant again in 2023, I knew I wanted another home birth.

I woke up at around 4am feeling unmistakable surges. They were fairly regular but not very close together. My birth partner and I set up our living room as we’d planned to. This included LED candles, my birth playlist, low lighting and happy photos playing on the TV in a slideshow.

Creating your 'birth nest' is one of the parts of the hypnobirthing toolkit. Feeling safe and cosy is a great way to boost oxytocin - the hormone that fuels labour.

At around 6am, my toddler woke up and I felt my surges slow down. I no longer felt as comfortable (I didn’t want to scare him) and I could feel my body slowing down. Our bodies pick up on such subtle signals. My father-in-law collected him at around 7am and I instantly felt more relaxed again and surges began to increase in frequency.

Surges quickly became intense and I felt the urge to rock my body throughout them. I listened to my body and did this. I decided to have a bath, which helped for a while, and then continued to move through the surges, using my hypnobirthing breathing techniques all the time.

My birth partner called the midwives to tell them I was in labour. They didn’t come out yet but told us to ring again if anything changed.

By 10am, surges were incredibly intense and their duration was increasing. I started to feel increasingly uncomfortable and was breathing deeper and requiring more and more energy to focus on my affirmations.

I was ‘wobbling’. My birth partner continued to reassure me, rub my back, offer me water and stayed by my side reminding me that I was so close to me. looking back, I was in transition. I’m so glad we had done hypnobirthing together as he knew this too and was able to keep calm and bring me back to my calmness.

I asked for the midwives to be called again. They said someone was on their way.

I got back in the bath. Very quickly, I felt the urge to push and shouted to my birth partner, who rang the midwives again. The midwife was on her way but hadn’t made it yet.

I could feel the baby moving down the birth canal. The midwives advised my birth partner call 999, which he did. He ran downstairs and opened the door so the midwife could come in when she arrived.

I felt the stinging sensation of my baby’s head as he crowned. I felt so powerful. My birth partner was on the phone to the ambulance service, who were advising him to put his hands under me so baby didn’t come out too quickly but before he could, our son had entered the world and I had caught him.

I didn't know my husband had taken this picture until months after my birth. I am so glad he snapped it. I've never felt as powerful as I did in this moment. 

Within seconds, the midwife was in the house.

“We’re in the bathroom upstairs. he’s here,” was my exclamation. I was honestly on such a high.

2 ambulances arrived, but only one crew stayed once they knew we were both healthy. The midwife and the paramedics stayed and did all the checks on me and baby. I needed stitches, which they did while baby and I enjoyed skin to skin for our golden hour. They also put the towels in the wash for us and made cups of tea!

Baby boy's first feed in my bed while the medical staff did all the checks. It was so comfy to be at home.

By 3pm, I was showered and on the sofa with a take away cuddling my newborn.

Home birth gives you a real chance to rest. It's so lovely to be in your own space after giving birth. You can really soak up all those cuddles in privacy and peace.

If anyone had have asked me whether birthing with no midwife was something I’d have wanted, it would have been a hard ‘no’! But, with the trust I had in my body as well as the strength of mind hypnobirthing had given me, it was the most empowering experience of my life. I hope you enjoyed reading this birth story. If you want to study hypnobirthing, have a look at my courses or get in touch to discuss your needs.