What happens when your birth plan changes at the last minute? This positive birth story in Basingstoke, Hampshire follows the emotional journey from planning a home birth to having a calm and empowering planned C-section. After a smooth pregnancy and months of preparing for a home birth, everything shifted at 34 weeks. Letting go of the birth I had imagined wasn’t easy - but with the support of hypnobirthing techniques, I learned to reframe my mindset and embrace a new birth plan.

This is a question that comes up in every antenatal and hypnobirthing course I run: “Will giving birth hurt?” or “What’s the pain like?” and “How can I make it less painful?” From the moment you announce your pregnancy, everyone has a story to tell - friends, family, even neighbours. And often, it’s the negative birth stories that get shared the most! It’s completely normal to feel anxious, especially if you’ve never given birth before and this is your first baby. I remember thinking when I...

When I first fell pregnant in 2019 I had NO idea what to really expect when it came to birth. I mean, most of my views and beliefs came from films, dramatised TV programs and traumatic birth stories I’d heard from other people. Sound familiar?!