The Birth of Charlie

Charlie James arrived on Wednesday, December 5 at 7.40am weighing 8lb 12oz. It wasn’t quite the birth we’d imagined but our hypnobirthing definitely helped!

It seems Charlie was in such a rush to come into the world that all plans had to go out the window and he was born at home just a few hours after my surges started. I ended up delivering him myself in our bedroom while Richie was on the phone to the ambulance service in the hall! 

I used my breathing to help during the earlier surges and was able to stay calm, have a shower, blow dry my hair (at 6.30am – an hour before he was born!) but I admit I was struggling to get a hold of my breaths when all of a sudden they were coming thick and fast from about 7.20am. Richie helped me with the breathing and lit candles in the bedroom where I had holed myself up on the bed.

We were both stunned when I suddenly yelled ‘the baby’s coming!’ at about 7.35am. I just felt this immense pressure and told Richie to take my trousers off and phone an ambulance.

I did no pushing – my body just did it. First was waters, next was head, next was body. Crazy!

Luckily baby cried straight away which was a relief and Richie returned to the bedroom to find me just sitting there holding the baby, stunned!

When I realised what was happening, I think I just went calm – because of all I’d learned in hypnobirthing about the process, and all the positive birth stories I’d read and watched. I remember whispering between ‘pushes’ ‘come on baby, we can do this’. And we did. Women’s bodies are just amazing.

The ambulance crew arrived about ten minutes later and took us to the hospital where we were sorted out (no stitches!) and sent home later that day – in time to see Henry return from nursery and meet his new little brother. It might not have been the water birth in the birth centre that we’d planned but Charlie obviously had other ideas and thankfully it all worked out well!

Can’t thank you enough for all you taught both me and Richie. All of it seriously helped us stay (reasonably!) calm in what could have been a very panicked situation…!

Jo and Richard, Tingley