• Unplanned caesarean birth
• Planned birth centre, actual hospital birth
• Very positive & reassuring (read if you’re worried about an unplanned caesarean)

I’m always thrilled to receive a positive birth story from a client. Sometimes everything goes to plan and I feel so happy for them. Sometimes, birth unfolds differently from ‘Plan A’ and I read on to find out how this happened and how mum feels about the changes to the plan. In this case, I was so happy to read that Emily felt in control, heard, respected and incredibly positive about a scenario that many pregnant women fear.

I am so impressed with how Emily handled this potentially stressful situation and am so happy for her that she got her positive birth experience! If you’re at all worried about things ‘not going to plan’ then I would highly recommend reading Emily’s story as a reminder that a change of plan can still feel very good. In Emily’s words…

Atlas was born a healthy 8 pound 7 on Mother’s Day…

He ended up delivered by a category 1 emergency C section after 3 and a half days of labour, but I want to say thank you so much Ruth for the hypnobirthing course and how grateful I am that part of the course is making an emergency C section plan! Because of that, despite the unexpected twists and turns, I was able to navigate them confidently and calmly and make informed decision and ultimately still had a wonderful positive birth experience 

Looking back at my labour, we got a lot of the birth plan. I got to go into labour naturally when he was ready, at 42 weeks and 4 days – I didn’t kick him out early, so he got that wonderful chance to develop his brain and fatty tissue stores :]

I got to labour with the birth pool and gas and air which is what I wanted, so when he was delivered I was completely present in the moment and able to enjoy it to the fullest extent. with my mum and sister, my two favourite people, in a calm quiet room on my own with the midwife not a doctor or consultant, where I had my yoga mat and could move freely, dim lights and my own music playlist. I wasn’t trapped on a bed fussed over by doctors and consultants…

I used my hypnobirthing to stay as calm as possible the ENTIRE time! Even in urinary retention and that was nice to be respected by the midwife that she didn’t even suggest pethedine or diamorphine etc. She never once asked if I was in pain. She was so cheerful and talkative with us and quiet when we were quiet, which is also what I wanted.

And in the end I accepted the intermittent fetal monitoring which was in my emergency c section birth plan, and I used the emergency plan to make the right call when it came time meaning at the end I was calm and didnt delay the situation – so I have zero regrets about it. 

My mum still got to receive Atlas and cut the cord after delayed cord clamping

So actually… We got most of what I wanted from my birth plan even if it wasn’t a natural delivery and we definitely still ended up with a positive birthing experience I will never forget 

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Emily! Atlas has got one strong and awesome mama!

If you’d like to prepare for a range of scenarios and feel informed, prepared and excited about giving birth, check out my hypnobirthing courses!

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