Chloe and Elliot had one of the biggest transformations I’ve seen during pregnancy, from being so worried about birth that they were booking a planned C-section, to creating a support network around themselves that made them feel so empowered that they planned a home water birth! After a long labour, this couple displayed how the tools and techniques that they learned on my hypnobirthing course, alongside the incredible support and experience of wonderful midwives, worked to help them welcome their beautiful baby boy into the world on Valentine’s Day! What an amazing team they had for this positive experience.
Read more: Baby P (Positive home birth)“My husband and I found out we were pregnant in early June 2024 — on the very same day we had a gynaecology appointment to discuss possible endometriosis and fertility concerns. The timing felt surreal; life has a way of working things out in the most unexpected and magical ways.
In the beginning, I was absolutely terrified of giving birth. With a family history of fourth-degree tears, I was set on having a planned caesarean. My first NHS booking appointment was at 7 weeks, where I was asked about my family’s health history — everything was clear. That was until I stepped on the scale. My BMI placed me in the “obese” category, despite the fact that I was training for two half-marathons and considered myself fit, healthy, and just a little curvy. The midwife made me feel like my only birth options were clinical, restrictive, and definitely not empowering. I left that appointment feeling dismissed — like my body wasn’t capable of doing what women have done for centuries.
Not long after, I came across an independent midwife. We scheduled an interview and the moment I met her, I knew I had found someone special. She introduced me to the world of homebirth, and the idea of birthing in my own space — with just her, my husband, and a second midwife — began to settle into my mind. At first, I couldn’t imagine doing that for my first birth. It sounded too brave, too uncertain. But after hiring her and spending months talking through my fears, she helped me slowly trust my body.
I stepped away from the NHS after my 20-week scan and leaned fully into intuitive care and support from my independent midwife. I also completed the Hypnomums hypnobirthing course with Amy, which completely reframed the way me and my husband viewed labour and birth. I felt informed, in control, and — most importantly — capable.
My due date was 13.02.25. Early labour began on Monday, 10th February, right after a swim. The sensations started off like period cramps. That day, I visited my favourite farm shop and had their incredible farmhouse sandwich — knowing deep down it would be my last solo outing for a while. Monday night, I slept well. On Tuesday, I pottered around, noticing the cramps come and go. I began to lose my mucus plug throughout the day, and at exactly 18:18 — an angel number I hold close — a big piece came away. I kept in touch with my midwife, excited and curious about whether this was the beginning of active labour. The contractions were manageable, and we were secretly thrilled.
I slept that night too. Then on Wednesday, after a lunchtime visit from my midwife, things shifted. As soon as she left, my tightenings intensified. I went for a final solo walk on the beach, picked up my favourite coffee and cake, and quietly said goodbye to that version of myself — the woman who hadn’t yet met her baby. That night, I set up the birth environment I had envisioned for months: soft battery candles, my universe lamp, and our birth pool, glowing and ready. Hypnobirthing helped me breathe through each contraction, though sleep was impossible.
By Thursday morning, I felt like I needed support, so my midwife returned around 10am. Labour had slowed a little — a gift from my body to rest. I napped, ate, and replenished my strength. That evening, we passed our dog to my in-laws. It was my due date, and we thought, maybe — just maybe — we’d be one of those rare families to have a baby right on time.
We laboured gently through the night. I trusted my body, changed positions, and used my TENS machine and acupressure combs to manage the waves. I breathed and flowed with each surge, knowing I was safe, held, and strong.
By 3am on Friday, 14th February — Valentine’s Day — my midwife called in her supporting midwife. Our baby was back-to-back, taking the long way around. I was utterly exhausted, but I still trusted. We moved in and out of the pool, trying different positions to encourage him to rotate. And then, at 12:34pm (yes, another angel number), after a long and powerful journey, our baby boy Donnie was born — in the water, at home, surrounded by love.
With three instinctive pushes, I reached down and was the first person to touch him. I pulled him onto my chest and stared at him — and at myself — in awe. I did it. My body did it. We did it.
25 minutes later, my placenta was born in the pool, naturally and without medication.
I’m endlessly thankful for my body, for the support of my husband and our midwives, and for the breathwork and mindset tools I learned through Amy and Hypnomums. Without those, I truly don’t know if I could have navigated this experience the way I did.
Donnie, our little Valentine, arrived earthside in the most beautiful and empowering way — and I wouldn’t change a single moment of it.
