Monday 19th March 2012
Where to start? Not easy as there are SO MANY amazing blogs out there which are really thought-provoking and inspiring. However I am going to begin by introducing myself and tell you also a little bit about my family.
Nick and I have been married for over 32 years and we have two sons, Tom, 23, and David, soon to be 16. Before becoming pregnant the world of parenting seemed very remote and throughout the weeks and months leading up to Tom’s arrival there were moments of doubt, in that we both probably felt quite clueless. We attended NCT antenatal classes and I was also going to yoga – the most enjoyable bit was of course the relaxation at the end and I have no doubt that the ability to relax and let go was the key to a very positive birth experience. More of that at a later date.
A spell back in Hospital with Tom at 3 weeks old as he was losing weight, eventually put down to tongue-tie and back then (although we tried with the help of an NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor) no-one would agree to snip it, left us feeling that if we could cope with that then we could cope with anything and I have no doubt that that was what led to an increase in our confidence, in that we knew what was best for our baby.
David arrived 8 years later and he is keen to remind us all that I did say at the time it WAS the happiest day of my life as not only was I having our second child but that we were all there to witness his arrival – his Dad and his brother too. By this time I had been teaching NCT classes for a while and I recall chatting to our lovely midwife Jenny, how helpful it would be for my teaching, in that I would be able to recall and describe what contractions really felt like, but of course I just never could. This so demonstrates the power of that “ecstatic cocktail of hormones” as described by Sarah Buckley in her excellent book, “Gentle birth, gentle mothering: a doctor’s guide to natural childbirth and gentle early parenting choices”. There will definitely be many references to hormones on these pages.
This blog however is not intended to be just about me but I hope to share some real experiences with you, drawing on what I hear, see and read in my work as a Natal Hypnotherapy practitioner and NCT antenatal teacher.
Any thoughts most welcome.
BirthConfidence 