Your Birth Stories

Lulu's Story

I decided that I would like to try hypnobirthing for my first baby. A friend had a good experience with it. I was also advised that considering my situation (without partner) a birthing partner might be good so I searched around for a Doula in my area - not really knowing much about either doulas (birthing partners) or hypnobirthing. I wanted somebody to help talk me through what to expect from labour, how to achieve the labour I wanted and to be a moral support in the birthing room - which I felt was very important.

To my massive good luck and much happiness, I found Pat Wood on the Doula UK website. She was amazing.

I contacted her via email and we arrange to meet over a cuppa at my house. Firstly she explained what hypnobirthing was all about, very clearly and very realistically. She very kindly lent me books so I could read more and also lent me a hypnobirthing CD that she had made AND one from another expert. She visited me at my home at times that suited me and was so knowledgeable, personable and professional that she immediately put me at ease.

I found her very easy to talk to and because she had been a midwife previously for many years i felt she knew her stuff and she did.

But not only was the 'build up' to the birth actually enjoyable with Pat - I felt that she was going to be great as a support at the birth. She was.

My mum came with me to the hospital and we had arranged to meet Pat there. From the moment we arrived my mum 'handed over' arrangements to Pat and we felt comfortable with this. It allowed my mum to take a back seat and not worry about anything and we felt totally relaxed in Pat's care.

During the labour and birth she was present the whole time. I had asked for the midwife to speak to Pat rather than myself and so Pat relayed info to me and it meant i could totally relax and concentrate on instructions from only 1 person. Which was a major plus. She read to me when I wanted her to, she played me relaxing music when I asked and both my mum and I felt we were in the best possible hands.

I had the birth I wanted, following the hypno techniques all the way. It was short, natural, relaxing and beautiful. And I credit that to Pat. She was the reason I was able to achieve this type of birth and I would recommend her a thousand times to anyone.

Lulu.

As birth partner for my daughter I was sceptical about her decision to also allow a complete stranger to be a part of this very personal process.

Now, in retrospect, I am in complete awe of our doula. I received calm advice prior to going to the hospital and once there was able to rely on someone my daughter had grown to trust. I truly believe had we not had our doula my daughter would have ended up with consultant intervention instead of which she was able to follow her hypnobirth plan in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere that involved no medication at all. Thank you for making this a wonderful, calm and relaxed (for me ) experience.

Kind regards

Vanda

Primary Care Quality Development Manager

Nicolas Story

If you ask anyone who knows me and they will confirm how me and pain do not go together. So the thought of giving birth without pain relief I thought would be impossible and filled me with dread. This was until I was recommended to Pat and her hypnobirthing course.

After a 4 week course I felt ready to give birth and was determined to follow all the breathing and relaxation techniques Pat taught during this time. Along with using the Cd's given during the course to go to sleep to at night made me confident to know I was strong enough and had all I needed to give birth.....my breathing. The day came, I was offered paracetamol which I rejected the same with everything else.....I had my husband at my side and even the midwife was supportive of no pain relief and helped me breath through the surges (contractions) they were powerful, but just simply breathing correctly through them really helped and got me through the labour.....without any pain relief what so ever just using the tool we all have......breathing.

Also, playing the hypnobirthing CD from the course really helped to keep me relaxed and calm. When our baby girl was born as well as being elated on her safe arrival I can remember saying out a loud "I did it I really did it" I was so proud of myself. My husband, midwives and nurses were congratulating me for doing such a good job and for my first labour not having any pain relief saying I must have a strong pain thresh hold (not at all....just using what Pat had taught me).

Our little girl was perfect and calm, took to breast feeding straight away and was so content. Our little bundle of joy and still to this day she is content and guzzling away on the breast (nearly 6 weeks old). I would recommend Pat and her hypnobirthing course to all pregnant women, especially if your scared/concerned/worried or just want a natural birth.....as it worked for me it will work for anyone. The courses are fun too and you get to meet other mums and dads to be. But what is also nice is you get to share the sessions with your partner/husband. Thanks so much Pat.

PS: I listened to the hypnobirthing Cd so much during pregnancy and played during labour that it comforts my little girl now to this day....if she is crying we play this and she instantly stops :)

Joshua's Birth

Dearest Pat,

I thought you might like to know that on 11:26 am Tuesday morning, baby Joshua was ready to come and meet us. He arrived 12 days after his EDD, weighing in at 8.5 lbs.

I felt utter relief when the surges started 1am on Monday morning as during the final pregnancy appointment the midwife automatically called the hospital to book me in for a cervical sweep for Tuesday morning and an induction for the Thursday.On realising what was going on, I hastily explained I didn't want any interference at this stage but my opinion seemed dismissed as not even an option. I therefore decided not to attend either appointment (by amazing coincidence, he chose to enter the world just 4 minutes before the first of those scheduled appointments)!

Probably not the usual story of thanks to you as unfortunately for various personal reasons we regretfully didn't get much chance to practice any of the excellent techniques you taught us.As a result I went into labour with my only knowledge being our sessions with you and having listened to yours and Katherine’s Cd's a few times.As soon as I got the first surge I put a three minute track from your CD - "affirmations for late pregnancy and birth" on repeat to help keep me calm! I left this same track on the loop for the entire time whilst labouring at home!

I was 4 cm dilated by the time we got to the hospital at around midnight and as soon as we arrived, I insisted your track went back on repeat for the remaining 10.5 hours - refusing point blank for anyone to change it! The sound of the music, your voice and the sheer logic of your words truly got me through the entire labour. Had it not been for the expertise imparted in your classes and your CD, I would have had a very different and traumatic experience. As it was, I managed to have the natural water birth I'd hoped for, took just paracetamol for pain relief and even managed to get away without stitches - not bad for a first go!

He is a very content and calm baby and I truly believe the way he entered this world has a lot to do with it. I will be forever grateful to you for your massive contribution in the safe arrival of our baby boy.

If you are passing by this way please feel free to pop in to meet him - something tells me he will be very much accustomed to the sound your voice!

Much love,

E, C & Joshua x x x

Emma's Caesarean Section Story

As soon as I received a reply to my email query about hypnobirthing, I knew that Pat was going to be perfect for us.

The lessons we had at home with Pat were friendly, informal but really informative. The techniques we were taught each week made us both look forward to the birth as using these meant that Steve could also play an active role within the birth.

Pat also gave us a lesson on breastfeeding which has been invaluable since the birth of Ella.

The birth didn't go as planned however as I ended up having an emergency Caesarean section. We used all of the techniques that we were taught though which kept both myself and Steve calm throughout the whole birth - even in theatre.

I really believe that hypnobirthing made me remain calm throughout my pregnancy & the birth which in turn has had such a calming effect on Ella as she is such a calm & content baby.

We cannot thank Pat enough and would definitely recommend using hypnobirthing to anyone..

Katy’s story

As single parent I was looking for a supportive birth partner. I meet Pat when she visited my yoga class, and knew from the start that she was the right person for me!

We meet a couple of times during the pregnancy and Pat explained her role and talked about my birth choices, we also discussed some specific worries that I had and worked together on a birth plan.

On “the Day” Pat came with me to the hospital when my waters broke and then stayed with me throughout my labour, at home and in hospital. I could not have done it without her! Her calmness was amazing and made my experience so much better.

The support I had from Pat postnatally was outstanding, she was always at the end of the telephone, and she visited a number of times to help with breastfeeding and even came for an overnight stay to give me some rest. She then put me in touch with a post natal doula who continued to support me.

Pat ensured that I had the best experience possible and I feel that Pat will always be a special friend to me and my daughter.

Tash's Story

I first heard about doulas when I attended an active birth class; I decided that I would like a doula to give me support during my birth.

Before my baby’s birth Pat provided me with security, peace of mind, and I found her very informative. During my labour and birth Pat gave us security and support, her knowledge and experience was invaluable at the most important moments. She also had an amazing wealth of knowledge available which my husband found so helpful.

Pat has given me ongoing support since the birth of my daughter.

I would recommend all women giving birth to have a doula, especially Pat!

Vicky’s Birth Story

I decided to have a doula at my birth because I was unsure who could be with me and I wanted some consistency.

Pat supported me during my pregnancy; she was extremely knowledgeable about the birth process. She offered practical and emotional support. During my labour she was a calm positive person to have around; she helped me with my breathing to manage my contractions, drove me to the hospital and liaised with the midwives.

Pat stayed with me or a few hours after my daughter’s birth, she helped me in the 3rd stage and also explained procedures to me and was very support and helpful.

After the birth Pat visited me to see how I was getting on and she helped me with breast feeding.

I would without doubt recommend having a doula for me it made the whole experience much more positive and I felt so much more prepared and secure.Pat was a wonder influence, before, during and after the birth of my baby girl. I feel very feel very fortunate to have had that level of support.

This is when at times you can feel scared and vulnerable, Pat ensured I didn't’t!

Gemma's Induction of Labour Story

I am a medical doctor and my husband is a specialist nurse and Murray is our first baby.

We were recommended hypnobirthing by a friend who lent us a Hypnobirthing book. We decided to look for some classes too at 34 weeks, to ensure that we practiced the breathing and relaxation techniques. We chose Pat because of her midwifery experience and her competitive price. Pat came to our house and pitched her sessions perfectly for us. All I wanted to do was practice relaxation techniques repeatedly, but Pat encouraged us to watch a couple of hypnobirths on DVD. At the time I was sceptical about how useful this would be, but my husband found it helpful as it made him worry less about complications and I found it gave me the confidence to defend why I was aiming to use hypnobirthing techniques and not drugs. Also, the competitive side of me thought; if those women can do it, so can I. We began to realise how negatively healthcare professionals and the media portray pregnancy and birth and replaced those thoughts with the positive affirmations on the CD Pat gave us, which we listened to almost every night. This made us both really relaxed during the pregnancy.

We talked with Pat about hypnobirths she attended that were not straight forward and how her clients had still used hypnobirthing techniques, instead of, or with drugs, despite the less than ideal environment. Again, at the time I did not value these discussions as much as I should have, because I assumed I would never be in that situation, having planned a natural birth on a midwife-led unit.

However, at 42 weeks pregnant I had an ultrasound scan that showed that Murray's tummy had not grown any bigger since a scan he had had one month before and that there was virtually no amniotic fluid left, suggesting my placenta couldn't support him anymore. We had to stay on the doctor-led ward for monitoring and then an induction, when a delivery bed was available 2 days later. We were very upset that our natural birth had suddenly become medicalised with the monitoring, medication to dilate my cervix more and the breaking of my waters, but by following what Pat had told us, we consciously took control of the birth back by moving the medical equipment in the room, dimming the lights and putting on the affirmations CD. Repeating the affirmations in my head with the CD and using the breathing techniques we slept between surges, despite the monitoring, for the 4 hours of established surges, through to when my body started to push. As Pat had described, breathing down, kneeling and rocking my pelvis ensured Murray was never distressed and was born after 1 hour of breathing down, alert and weighing 7lb 12oz (3.2kg), with no exposure to drugs, or any further interventions.

We think everyone should have the chance to think of birth in the positive hypnobirthing way, be taught its techniques and have a Pat to give them the confidence to embrace a natural pregnancy and birth. it.

Miranda's Birth

I love hypnobirthing! Had my little boy at 2.31am, after getting to the hospital at 1.30am! Had left it a little too late as the contractions were so manageable I thought I couldn't be in established labour. I had him in the water and was sent home by 6.30am.

Your 10sec breathing technique really helped, I knew 3 would get me through and I used the pain dial visualisation turning it down each time. I had no drugs and breathed him out at the end. Can't recommend hypnobirthing enough, my husband is also a big fan now!

Thank you so much x

Sharon Kelvin and Oscar

It has been a couple of weeks since what has been one of the most empowering experiences of my life, the birth of our son, Oscar.

With your help and guidance I was able to birth my baby in way I had only fantasised to be possible for me. From my routine consultations, the medical staff I encountered seemed to push me for a second C section, even though there was no medical indication for it.

It was a relief when I first met you and you showed your support backed by the many years that you have as a midwife. I immediately began to feel positive about my upcoming birth experience.

You knew the right people to contact and so rightly advised me to get a written care plan approved by the senior consultant midwife. This was one of the important steps we took and it worked on the day. The care plan did the talking and was able to get access to the pool.

I was able to birth in the water and could move freely as I wished. I had minimal disturbances and dim lights in the room. It was a calm atmosphere which enabled my body to labour quickly. This was a complete contrast to the birth I had had before where I had been restricted to the bed and my labour didn't progress.

With your guidance I avoided induction and possibly a second c section. I felt empowered as I went into labour. I looked forward to it as opposed to being terrified by the experience. What's more my husband was very involved in this birth and he cut our son's cord.

We are very grateful for your support and we know that it would have been a totally different experience if we didn't have you by our side.

.

Thank you and we need to head down the waffle house soon as this is certainly a cause for celebration.

Sharon & Kelvin

Dear Pat,

I need to thank you twice; once for being a wonderful hypnobirthing teacher - not only where your lessons informative but they were also lots of fun. We learned techniques which not only assisted us during labour but which we continue to utilise in everyday life - I even sleep better at night now thanks to your relaxation techniques!

The second thank you is for being an amazing doula. During labour your experience as a midwife gave both my husband and I lots of reassurance and your solid advice, when things didn't quite go to plan, ensured we remained calm and relaxed throughout. Thanks to you, I look back on my labour as having been a very positive experience.

You were our rock throughout our pregnancy and during the birth of our beautiful daughter Evie. We are eternally grateful for all your help and wise words.

Lots of love and hugs

Ruth and Flemming (Kaia and 3month old Evie)

Megan and Owen

I had HypnoBirthing with my 2nd baby. I chose this as I have a medical condition that means that I cannot have an epidural, even if I wanted one! So I felt that I wanted to give myself every chance of an easier birth this time round. and the confidence to know that I could cope with any situation, even with limited pain relief.

Although i was a little sceptical at first, I practised the relaxations and found that I grew in confidence. When it was time for my baby to be born the labour was much quicker and much less distressing than the first time. I gave birth within an hour of arriving at the hospital.

Thank you Pat, for all of your help

Megan

Ekta’s Birth Story

Having had a traumatic birth experience with my first born, my husband and I decided to have a doula during my second pregnancy to help particularly during labour.

We had done the hypnobirthing course and therefore wanted someone who would support us with that. Pat was ideal as she knew all about hypnobirthing (conducts classes herself) and the fact that she was a midwife with years of experience was an added bonus.

Pat was very helpful. She wrote a personalised script for us to practice during labour and also provided calming and relaxing Cd's as well as posters to support relaxation during labour.

Practising the various scripts during pregnancy boosted our confidence and empowerment that we had lost after the last labour/delivery.

Pat was very good at encouraging me to remain calm during labour. This enabled me to remain at home for most of my labour. As we had planned a hospital birth, we only went there when the surges/contractions were very close together.

I did not want any interventions at the hospital and Pat supported me through this. Having had the knowledge of different stages in labour, I was able to give birth the natural and calm way as we had visualised, again with support from Pat.

Pat also helped me with breast feeding, showed me how to bathe the baby etc.

My husband and I are very grateful to Pat in helping us to achieve a totally different birthing experience from the previous one.

I can't recommend Pat enough and would encourage anyone to consider hypnobirthing and having a doula for a totally unique birthing experience.

Ekta

Faye’s Story

After a traumatic first birth ending in an emergency c section I was determined that the next time would be different.

I first met Pat at a GentleBirthing class at Lister Hospital and was taken with her calm and confident approach to childbirth. After chatting at the class and discovering she also offered herself as a doula I knew this was something that could help me.

She took time to talk in detail with me about my first birthing experience and helped me to feel determined that next time would be different. The knowledge that Pat was also an ex midwife helped reassure me that the decisions I was making were also the best for my baby.

After a few hypnobirthing breathing sessions I felt relaxed and confident in my body’s ability to cope with the imminent birth.

Pats presence at the hospital was invaluable to both me and my husband, she helped me remain calm and maintain control throughout the whole experience.

After a 6 hour labour (and a bit of gas and air) our son Henry was born.

I would highly recommend her to anyone needing that little bit of extra support.

Thanks pat! X.

Nastassia and Pavels Birth Story

Pavel

" Thank you Pat, HypnoBirthing was definitely worthwhile!

We played your music all the way through and Nastassia was breathing properly throughout! One midwife said she had never seen such a calm birthing as Nastassia had managed."

Nastassia

" The classes we had with you really made a big difference, I felt calm and confident and had the birthing experience that I wanted, one which I'll happily remember and treasure rather than wanting to forget it as a nightmare! I think other mums-to-be deserve to know how great HypnoBirthing and you are! Thank you for your help.X"

Nancy's Story

Deciding to contact Pat Wood, to enquire about HypnoBirthing during my pregnancy was one of the best decisions I ever made. I felt my confidence grow with each session and was surprised at how I was able to relax so well and rationalise any concerns I had.

I was expecting my third baby and was keen to have a home birth. The births of my other two children in hospital were relatively straight forward, but I remember feeling really quite anxious and powerless throughout.

As I discovered HypnoBirthing fairly late in my pregnancy it was too late to sign up for a group class. After an initial chat with Pat I decided to go ahead with private classes.

I found Pat to be an excellent teacher and I also found it reassuring that she had the experience of being a midwife.

Pat has the perfect voice for reading the scripts and everything was conducted at a calm pace, with lots of time to talk thing through.

The HypnoBirthing course with Pat not only helped me with the labour, it also gave me the confidence to make difficult decisions and trust my instincts despite the growing pressures of deserve protocol.

After much research,I decided to decline induction and went into labour naturally ( after reflexology) twelve days after my due date. I found the visualisations and breathing techniques gave me a completely different experience of labour. I used them throughout and did feel the need for gas and air until the very end of labour. Having a greater understanding of what was happening, and why, gave me the confidence and empowerment I lacked in my previous labours, ans enabled me to have the calm home birth I wanted.

I am so happy that I invested in Hypnobirthing classes. It may seem a lot of money to pay out when you have so many other things to buy, but I feel its excellent value for the quality of service you service and proved to be worth every penny.