Spring is in the air! As I sit here writing this newsletter, the sun is streaming in through the window and outside I can see the beautiful blossoms in the trees and the daffodils just starting to flower. The garden is coming back to life again and there is a sense of renewal and energy that quite uplifts me.
We’ve had a couple of great home birth group meetings since I last posted a newsletter for the group. Our January meeting was the busiest we’ve had for a while and there were several mums and dads there sharing their birth experiences. Margaret has since very kindly written out her birth story to be shared on the website – see ‘Joseph’s Birth Story’ – and it was great also to hear from her husband, Julian, how he felt that coming along to the home birth group meetings (and the HypnoBirthing classes) helped him gain confidence in his ability to support Margaret in her choice to birth at home:
To be completely honest when my wife said she wanted a home birth for our baby I was worried. I was worried because of the perceived health risk factors for my wife and for our unborn child. But it wasn’t until I came along to the group and listened to people’s experiences of homebirth that I began to question where my fears were actually coming from. Friends, family, the media. It is drummed into you from an early age that it is dangerous if you don’t go to hospital to give birth. I quickly realised that it is the most natural thing in the world to have a home birth. Be in a comfortable environment where you feel safe and are around people you love. I found that Margaret was much more relaxed and in control of her labour. And I felt as though I could support her more, having learned some of the hypno-birthing techniques. I could pick up her spirits and support her when she felt a bit low. It was a wonderful experience for both of us to have our child at home. To know I was there for my wife and she was in control of her labour. I am convinced that because of the homebirth and hypno-birthing techniques that Joseph came into the world more calmly and relaxed. It is the environment and the psychologically calming effects of being at home that make the experience so much more natural. It is a memory which I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Also at the meeting along with babies, proud parents and expectant couples, we had Amber Thatcher, Independent Midwife (see her website New Life Midwifery), doulas Jane Clement and Emily Marsh and The Baby Fairy, Samantha Cruikshank (who offers a complete baby planning service). Subsequently, Samantha invited me to shoot a series of short talks or video blogs on a number of different topics. I’m delighted that she choose to launch her new YouTube Channel with the video on home birth (see ‘Are you sitting comfortably?’).
In February we had another busy meeting and more tales of home births and lots of questions from couples considering and planning on birthing at home. It was great to have osteopath Liz Oakham and Tatty Bumpkin class leader Judith Saunders come along and share their home birth experiences.
Now that we are an NCT support group, there is a growing awareness of our meetings. This month we’ve had an article printed in the NCT newsletter which I adapted and updated from a blog post I wrote on the website a while back (see ‘Why People Choose to Birth at Home’), our meetings are now promoted via the Newbury NCT website, twitter and facebook group and we have our own page on the Newbury NCT website (thanks to Sam for setting all this up for us):
http://www.nct.org.uk/branches/newbury-district/newbury-home-birth-group
I hope that this helps normalise home birth for expectant parents and encourages more couples to look into this positive birthing option either by checking out the birth stories and other articles on the website or by coming along to the home birth group meetings to hear first-hand parents’ experiences of home birth and to have their questions answered.
Our meeting this month will be held on Wednesday 14th March 8 – 9.30pm (yes, it is a Wednesday this month rather than our usual Thursday evening as I’m busy training to be a breastfeeding peer supporter with the NCT over the next few Thursday evenings) at The Wellbeing Centre 6 Pound Street, Newbury. All are welcome. A £2 donation per family is kindly requested. Further information about our meetings (including further dates for 2012) is available on our webpage – Local Meetings.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this newsletter. Please do leave a comment below or contact us if you wish to find out more about the group and what we can offer or have any suggestions for us. I look forward to seeing you at the home birth group meeting next Wednesday if you’re able to come along.
Best wishes,
Claire Bushell – Newbury Home Birth Group Coordinator
