When we got pregnant I was so excited. We were very fortunate to fall pregnant quickly. However, I began to have a reoccurrence of my anxiety due to previous negative experience as a student midwife. I felt anxious at antenatal appointments and my heart rate would go through the roof. 

This is where Shelley came in. We wanted to explore hypnobirthing to help ease my anxiety, due to experiences on placement and to give my husband the tools to help support me during our pregnancy journey and ensure he didn’t feel like a “spare part.”

From the beginning Shelley made us feel confident and supported us to make informed decisions, whilst the scrips allowed me to relax. 

As an epileptic, the current NICE guidelines and hospital protocols recommend that a pool birth, may not be appropriate, due to the associated risks that come with epilepsy. In my case seizures are brought on by lack of sleep, lack of food and stress. Due to hypnobirthing with Shelley I felt prepared by the knowledge of the pain fear cycle and power of breathing to avoid adrenaline taking over. 

Shelley also went away and got information from current midwives on up to date practices in regards to pool births in a obstetric unit. 

I was getting regular scans and reviews, due to my anti epileptic drugs. During one if my reviews, I took the information Shelley had supported me with to the consultant and felt empowered to discuss my birth preferences because of my informed knowledge and approach to addressing my preferences, I got my wishes confirmed - It was written in my maternity notes, my preference to have a water birth was confirmed in writing. I was thrilled. 

This is where my pregnancy takes a turn. On my growth scans my baby was measuring large for gestational age. They looked at his placental function and blood to his brain to check all was okay. Luckily all seemed fine, my placenta was just doing a good job of growing him. My growth scans went from 3 weekly to biweekly. He continued to grow and was estimated to be 9lbs 4oz at 39 weeks.

It’s true to say this is the place I start with a lot of people, and I say people because that's anyone I come into contact with who asks what I do, pregnant or not. 

Hypnobirthing sadly, gets a bad wrap, but the reason why is really astounding, because of the name! Not because of peoples experience, not because of a high volume of people not championing its success, but because of the name!!! 

How many other things do you get put off by the name? I mean really put off, make a judgement and don’t want to try and learn more? - I tell you, it’s a struggle to think of many, so it really sucks that Hypnobirthing has this reaction and if it was up to me, I’d love to call it something else, because between me and you the ‘hypno’ bit is really the equivalent of about 30 minutes of the course, that's 30 mins of an 8 hour course! Have I got your attention now?