Hove Hypnobirthing

06/04/2021

Introducing our latest addition to the family. Baby Ottilie (Ottie), born at 42+5 on 25th March. We are all in love. She was totally worth the very long wait 🥰

23/03/2021

This is very relevant to me at the moment. I was given my “estimated due date” or EDD at my 12 week scan. I had been tracking my cycle as we were actively trying to get pregnant and I believed my actual due date was 4 days later than the scan predicted. Roll on to 40 weeks pregnant and the midwives and doctors start getting twitchy:
Do you want a sweep?
No thanks.
What is the plan now?
Only my baby knows that!
What if you reach 42 weeks?
I reach 42 weeks.
But the stillbirth rate goes up after 42 weeks.
Yes it goes up from c 1.5 in 1000 to 2 in 1000, hardly a material increase.
What if your placenta fails? There’s very little evidence for this and there are early signs, so I’ll just keep an eye on movements and come in for additional monitoring thanks.
All of the above are conversations I’ve had to have in the last couple of weeks and I’ve been pressured to accept many an intervention, all of which I’ve declined. It’s been stressful, and the people pleaser in me has found it hard to push back against the medical professionals. And it all stems from a date that was given to me in early pregnancy. A date I don’t even agree with. According to the NHS, I’m overdue and hence am subject to their concerns (most of which they can’t show the evidence for). According to my dates, I’m still within the normal range
And what if I go over 42 weeks? Just like we all are different heights, shapes and sizes, does it not make sense that we might all need different amounts of time in utero?
I feel thankful that I’m part of the birth community and thus armed with the knowledge, evidence and statistics to know that going over 42 weeks isn’t dangerous. But it makes me angry that lots of women will have accepted interventions based on fear mongering from healthcare practitioners.

22/03/2021

Birthing balls during pregnancy (they are not just for labour)
Here I am, 42 weeks and 2 days pregnant, bouncing away on my birthing ball.
Why am I on the ball?
👶 It helps baby get into the optimal position (if you know you have a back to back baby, it’s a great way to get them to turn)
🩸 it increases blood flow to your uterus and placenta
💃🏻 It helps open up the hips and pelvis
🛋 I personally find it a lot more comfortable than sitting still on a chair or sofa - weight is more evenly distributed.
Tips:
👉🏽 Make sure you get the right size. The first one I bought was too big and I couldn’t get on with it.
👉🏽 Ensure you buy one that is “anti-burst”. The last thing you want is to find yourself rudely dumped on the floor.
👉🏽 don’t just bounce - try rocking back-and-forth, doing figures of eight, and leaning against it on all fours
Happy bouncing mummas!

22/03/2021

Do you find yourself wondering how your body makes space for a baby?
It starts with your bladder getting squished, shortly followed by your intestines, which continue to be forced up towards your stomach as you approach your due date. Your stomach then flips out of the way (cue heartburn) and puts pressure on your lungs and liver. This is why we sometimes feel a bit breathless until the baby “drops”.
Eeesh - no wonder it gets uncomfortable towards the end!
The good news is that post-natally, organs return to their previous position and size. In the meantime, it’s another reason to go easy on yourself - your body is going through a lot.

07/03/2021

05/03/2021

I love how sometimes things in nature can perfectly represent something else. For example, these lovely conkers, which could be seen as the crowning of a baby’s head.
Something so perfect and natural. Baby’s head and mum’s body working together to get that baby born. Some people describe the stinging or burning sensation as the Ring of Fire. But know that once you’ve reached this stage, you’re “over the hill” so there’ll be no more of that frustrating feeling as you sense the baby moving down and then bobbing back up the birth canal. The only way is out at this stage, so take solace in that. Crowning is not to be feared, but to be embraced.
Ring of fire = hello baby!
📸 courtesy of

02/03/2021

I love this affirmation. It does so much to reverse the subconscious damage that is caused by the portrayal of birth in the media. I feel lucky to live in a generation where our eyes are being opened to how birth can be, and in fact was, for many thousands of years.
Our bodies are perfectly designed to birth. If you’ve trusted it to create and nurture your baby during pregnancy, why question it at the 11th hour?
I listen to this affirmation every day and sometimes say it out loud in the run up to my birth. The outcome over time has been that I feel a quiet, calm confidence that all will be well.

01/03/2021

As women, we are likely to have been raised to be “good girls”. We are taught to bow to authority and do as we are told. We are social creatures and don’t like to be seen as being difficult. I am guilty of this, as are many of my girlfriends, and it is something I’m working on.
This bleeds over into the world of birth, where I constantly hear stories of women agreeing to things they specifically stated that they did not want. From vaginal examinations, to giving birth on a labour ward, inductions, Caesareans and more. We can be made to feel guilty, even though we’ve done our research and are making an informed decision. The seed of doubt and fear is planted and we find ourselves agreeing to whatever it is the professional suggests.
I encourage my clients to remind themselves of their conditioning and not to take the professionals’ opinions as more valid than their own - after all, they have their own biases and are often led by fear themselves.
One of the perks of living in this country is that we legally have autonomy over our birth. So take control. Do your research. And go with your gut.
Image courtesy of

28/02/2021

This is my second and potentially last pregnancy. My back is sore, I’ve got restless legs, my sleep is broken, I can’t climb a flight of stairs without losing my breath.
I’m really looking forward to sleeping on my back, eating sushi, getting back into my running, and having a glass or two of wine. But at the same time I know I’m going to miss being pregnant. Like I did with my first. As soon as he was born I felt sad that we’d never be as physically connected as we were when he was still inside.
Just some of the things I love about being pregnant:
❤️ feeling those kicks, rolls and hiccups
🧡 daily foot rubs from the husband
💙 an excuse to rest
💜 the kindness of strangers
💚 knowing my baby is safe at all times
💛 the extra guilt-free calories!
What are you going to miss or do you miss about being pregnant?

27/02/2021

I set up the pool this week for a practice run and couldn’t resist getting in to try it out. With a week left until my due date, I feel more and more excited for our home birth. I know a lot of women get a bit frustrated towards the end, wanting things to start up, but for me, I’m enjoying our last days as a family of three and taking all the rest I can, knowing that baby will come when baby is ready.

27/11/2020

Since becoming involved in the birth community, I’ve witnessed a lot of women asking questions around what they’re “allowed” when it comes to the birth. Sometimes, when relaying their birth story or antenatal journey, they talk about what they WEREN’T allowed. Examples include:
🙄 I wasn’t allowed to birth in water because of XYZ
🤦🏽‍♀️ I wasn’t allowed a home birth
🤔 My partner wasn’t allowed to catch the baby
👎 I was told I had to transfer to hospital because there were no homebirth midwives available
Guess what? They might have been told that, but it’s not true!
The fact is that (at least in the UK) you have a right to receive maternity care and you are free to make choices about your pregnancy and childbirth, even if your caregivers do not agree.
So don’t bow down to authority and accept whatever it is they’re offering. Question it. Because they aren’t always suggesting or “disallowing” something because it’s in your best interests, even if they think they are.
Here’s some suggestions:
🤓 Ask for the research that backs up what they’re suggesting and then go and do your own.
👭 Talk to people that are good listeners. There are some very supportive birth groups here on social media. There will always be someone who’s been in the same situation.
⏳ Take your time. It’s rare that a decision needs to be made urgently. Resist agreeing to anything on the spot. Or agree and then know you can change your mind later.
🧘‍♀️ Breathe. Keep calm.
❤️ Listen to your intuition. Does this feel right to you?
And if after that you’re still feeling overwhelmed, Contact AIMS, Birthrights or PALS. They can give invaluable assistance and have an excellent track record at helping people get the birth they desire.

22/11/2020

Oh my, look at that head moulding!
My midwife told me this is the reason you’re told to bring baby hats to the hospital! Not sure how true it is but it made me laugh.
This is a beautiful example of how baby helps mum birth, he can transform his head into a conical shape to pass down the birth canal more easily. Not always, but it’s pretty common. Babies’ skulls are relatively soft when they’re born, with little gaps between the plates (this is why babies have a soft spot on top of their heads that take a while to close up).
It may look a little unusual, but give it a couple of days and that clever little skull will have morphed back into a round shape.
📸 courtesy of the talented 🙏