2nd baby,  labour ward (induction of labour/physiological birth)

Francesca’s perspective

Having struggled through a long and very painful labour first time round, I was keen to find ways to cope better both during the pregnancy and when the time came to meet our new baby.

As a GP, through my previous experiences, I had a very medical view of labour however I did some research and became interested in natal hypnotherapy and was recommended Gemma.

As soon as we met Gemma, both my husband and I felt we could really relate to everything she said in terms of explaining the physiology occurring during labour and the effect our emotions have on this. From Gemma, we learned not only the theory but methods to employ during labour to help cope better & to encourage things to progress.

Thank you Gemma once again for all your compassion & advice. It truly was a wonderfully positive and unforgettable experience.

In the end, our experience this time round was so much more positive and incredibly special. Despite requiring augmentation due to my waters rupturing but no associated contractions, we remained calm and happy to accept whatever was required. Once my contractions began, they did get very painful but I felt empowered to cope much better and my husband, who was an active participant in the preparation antenatally, was a huge support and undoubtedly kept me going through the self doubt. Our daughter was born normally which was one of the proudest and most unforgettable moments of my life and I absolutely think that the work we did with Gemma made this possible.

 We are hugely grateful to Gemma and would have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone considering ways to make their labour or delivery experience more positive.

Michael’s perspective

Our first experience of child birth was a traumatic one for both of us that lasted nearly 72 hours and resulted in a difficult forceps delivery. We were looking for some help second time round and found exactly that with Gemma. I didn’t know it was possible to prepare for a labour and was fairly sceptical before the course. I now realise that there is more than just anecdotal evidence to support natal hypnotherapy and I would encourage everyone to invest the time in trying it out as it really helped us. I felt much more relaxed and was able to be an active birth partner rather than anxious bystander. Gemma really took a lot of the fear out of childbirth for both of us. Thank you Gemma once again for all your compassion & advice. It truly was a wonderfully positive and unforgettable experience.!