Rachel's story:

I was extremely anxious about giving birth and kept hearing everyones wonderful horror stories which didn't help! I had heard about Hypnobirthing previously as a friend of a friend had used the method and was surfing the net one evening looking for Yoga classes when I came across the website and luckily classes were just about to start.

I am really glad I decided to go to the classes as my feelings went from fear to excitement!

Anyway to the birth, my waters broke in the early hours of the 11th March 2008, we rang the hospital who informed me to come in at 9am so they could check all was ok. I went in and got checked over, my contractions were about 9-10 minutes apart. All was fine so I was told to go home and come back when I was ready to 'kill' my husband and my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart. I went home and the contractions came on quite quickly from then on and I remember there being towels all over the house as my waters seemed to keep coming! Although it was my first baby I felt relaxed and the breathing and relaxation techniques I had practised religiously really helped with the contractions.

I went in to City Hospital at 4pm as my contractions were 3 minutes apart. I was put in a room and was seen straight away by a trainee midwife who I was lovely and was the only midwife to actually see the whole thing through!

I didn't find the contractions too bad and I remember the midwives saying how impressed they were with my breathing techniques and my husbands relaxion methods...he made a new one up during the labour which worked brilliantly!

The pushing was the strangest sensation and not what I expected, I found this the hardest part and because I was pushing for 2 hours I was really exhausted by the end of it. The nurses & my husband were really good at this point, with their words of encouragement and telling me they could see him, this really strived me on even though I was completely exhausted. The nurses did say they had to inform the doctors because I had been pushing for so long and that they may need to intervene if things didn't progress, I think this made me find some energy from somewhere as I really didn't want this to happen, and it didn't.....Isaac William Griffiths was born at 9.03pm weighing in at 8lb 11oz, completely healthy with a head of dark hair. He didn't cry when he was born was very chilled out and has been ever since. He was placed on me straight away skin to skin and James cut the umbilical cord. We were left as a family for about 40 minutes before the midwives did all Isaacs checks which was wonderful.

I didn't have to have any stitches and didn't have any drugs during the labour, the only thing I did use was the hospital tens machine.

Because everything was ok James and I were offered a room in the hospital hotel which was great as we could spend our first night together as a family.

Isaac is now coming up to 6 months and I can't believe how quick the time has gone. He is a very happy baby and is in a good routine and has slept through the night since he was 4 months which has been great for us! He is a big boy (approx 21lbs!)& is now rolling over and can almost sit up unaided.

I would recommend Hypnobirthing to anyone who is fearful of giving birth, I wasn't anywhere near as focused or quiet as the women I saw in the videos but I remained calm throughout and the breathing techniques really helped me and instead of dreading the birth I really looked forward to meeting my son.

Sarah's story:

Hypnobirthing gave me the perfect preperation for my daughters birth. I felt calm, relaxed and excited about the birth. My midwife visited me when I was 1 week overdue and couldn't belief how chilled out I was and told me that most mothers she visits are anxious and stressed out leading up to their birth.

I had a hospital birth and my birth was reletively quick. My surges started at 8.30pm and were completely painless. I decided to go to bed and get some sleep. My waters broke at 11.15pm and my surges became stronger and were only 1 minute apart so my husband grabbed my hospital bag and we left for the hospital. I stayed on my feet and walked around all the time. At 12.15 I arrived at the hospital, on arriving I had an overwelming urge to go to thetoilet and push. I stayed on my feet and walked around the whole time The midwife came to examine me and wanted to put a monitor on me to trace my baby's heartbeat but I didn't want to lie on the bed, I just wanted to keep walking around the room. Eventually I propped myself on the side of the bed and the midwife put the monitor on, at this point I started using Gas & Air during my surges. When the midwife eventually examined me I was told I was fully dilated and ready to push - felt like saying 'I know!' as my body had felt ready since I'd arrived at the hospital.

I spent most of my second stage of labour on my knees leaning against the headboard. I stopped using the Gas & Air as I felt it was getting in my way. I didn't use any other form of pain relief. I had my Comfort Zone music on throughout although I have to admit the whole thing felt quite hectic and fast rather then calm and peaceful but I think that was down to my fast labour.

The midwife stayed in the corner of the room out of the way for most of my labour and left my husband and I to it. My husband told me afterwards that she kept looking over and giving him the 'thumbs-up' as she thought we were doing really well.

Two midwifes came over for the actual delivery and gave me a tip as to which position to get into. I moved onto my bum with my knees drawn up to my chest for the delivery. I used the Gas & Air for the crowning but with two surges my daughter was born at 2.49am. I didn't have any tears or need stitches, which I think is thanks to the birth preparations tips I got on the hynobirthing course.