Hi there all,

Well a beautiful baby girl blessed our family last Monday, 28 April at 325pm after a relatively routine kind of labour. I was thanking god for the pilates classes i took throughout my pregnancy while pushing. So much core and pelvic floor strength was a blessing and meant that instead of the routine hour or so of pushing our little angel was out in 25 minutes! It has also meant a faster and more comfortable post natal recovery for me.

Annabelle Claire is her name and at 8 pounds 11 ounces or 3.94kg she is a healthy and contented little treasure. So far she has been sleeping several hours at a time and even allowing us to get a half decent nights sleep for which we are eternally grateful.

Throughout the labour my husband was by my side. He never left me. This was key to my ability to focus and to continue on when i thought i really couldn’t. I don’t really know how many times I looked at him during the process, but knowing that he was holding my hand, rubbing my back or pushing the hair from my eyes was more comforting than any pain relief drugs ever could have been. His love and support is paramount to my success in every day life, but on this, one of the hardest days of my life it was exceptional. He was there for all of it, the contractions, my water breaking, the crying and despair of transition and the crowning and pushing out of our little princess. He held her against his chest moments after the placenta was delivered and the cord had been cut, their bare skin touching and she entwined her little fingers in his chest hair. It was incredible to see them together. It made me weak at the knees to see it.

A drug free delivery is hard. I won’t tell you that it was a breeze. But I knew that going in to this. It was empowering to know that I was being strong and doing what I believe was best for my baby and for me. I was clear and focussed and our baby came out alert and breathing strongly. Her colour was instant and she took to the breast in less than 30 minutes and didn’t leave for over an hour!!!

It was an amazing day and we are so thankful for the way it all went. The midwives at the Mercy Hospital for Women’s Family Birth centre were so incredible. Encouraging and knowledgeable when we needed them and respecting our privacy when they knew all was well. It was a beautiful and amazing experience - we can’t thank them enough.

After all the waiting and anticipation - it was everything we hoped for just as we focussed on and visualised throughout the pregnancy, and so much more. Life is turned upside down and we couldn’t be happier.

Today I wanted to share with you something we found invaluable. So much fear and anxiety surrounds the experience and process of childbirth and many women are unaware of the best way to empower themselves to deal with the ‘big day’

Having a birth plan which outlines your specific desires and beliefs is a great way to focus your mind prior to the day, align your thoughts with your partner and any other people who you are having present at the birth of your child and to alert staff at the birth centre or hospital that you have chosen. If you are having a homebirth, your midwives who will attend you will be well armed to get you through this experience the way you always thought it should be.

People always say you won’t get it if you don’t ask for it. The same is true with the birthing experience. A little meditation and forethought on the topic to ascertain your ideal outcomes is important. Putting it onto paper – knowing it and sharing it are the only ways to ensure that, barring serious complications of course, you get what is important to you. Whatever that may be. Make room for ‘in the event of’ so that your wishes are known in all events, and also to acknowledge that things don’t always go as planned, as much as we would like them too, open your mind to all possibilities to avoid serious disappointment later.

Here you can find more information and a sample of a birth plan. Make your whatever it needs to be to make you and your partner feel safe and content. This is the object of the activity. Share with all your carers and support team. You won’t regret it.

xx, Anita