From The Women We Support

Brydee & Baby Hallie

I found out I was pregnant the day after Valentine's Day. I am very much a planner, and I knew this journey was going to ask me to surrender control in ways I wasn't entirely comfortable with. So I prepared. I found our hypnobirthing teacher Mollie, our incredible doula Jen, and together with our midwife team, I worked towards the birth I wanted a totally unmedicated home birth.

At 40 plus 1, my waters broke in the early hours of a Saturday morning. Pete and I spent the day walking the dog, watching TV, eating a very spicy curry, and keeping the oxytocin flowing. By Sunday night, still waiting, we went to bed early. At 11:50pm I woke up knowing. I was in labour.

CONTINUE TO THE FULL STORY

Abby & Baby Francesca

Went into labour at 39+1 after a lovely pregnancy.

Woke up Saturday morning with a bit of back pain but thought nothing of it as I had been to a wedding the day before so thought I had over done it. Had a bath to try and relax my back muscles. Around 11 I realised I hadn’t felt baby moving all morning so called triage and we were invited in for monitoring. 30mins on the monitor and bubba hadn’t moved but everything else looked good, so the midwives got me to move around a bit and sure enough baby started moving, after another half an hour of monitoring we were all satisfied baby was okay and just having a relaxing morning. While I was on the monitors they picked up some tightenings but nothing more than standard Braxton hicks.

CONTINUE TO THE FULL STORY

Emily & Baby Nancy

My pregnancy with my second baby was a really smooth and straightforward journey, something I’m so grateful for. Everything went well throughout, and we were so excited when we found out we were expecting a baby girl.

During my pregnancy, Brydee was always there whenever I needed her — whether it was to talk through my plans, share my thoughts, or ease my worries. She really helped me stay as calm and relaxed as possible during what could have felt like a daunting time, and I’ll always be so thankful for that support.

CONTINUE TO THE FULL STORY

Brydee & Baby Hallie

I found out I was pregnant the day after Valentine's Day. I am very much a planner, and I knew this journey was going to ask me to surrender control in ways I wasn't entirely comfortable with. So I prepared. I found our hypnobirthing teacher Mollie, our incredible doula Jen, and together with our midwife team, I worked towards the birth I wanted a totally unmedicated home birth.

At 40 plus 1, my waters broke in the early hours of a Saturday morning. Pete and I spent the day walking the dog, watching TV, eating a very spicy curry, and keeping the oxytocin flowing. By Sunday night, still waiting, we went to bed early. At 11:50pm I woke up knowing. I was in labour.

I ran a bath and let Pete sleep for a little longer, breathing through each surge quietly in the dark. By 2am they were coming thick and fast. What I thought was every ten minutes was actually every three. Pete called Jen, who immediately said she was on her way. He called the midwife team straight after.

By 2:45am Jen and our midwife Penny had both walked through the door at exactly the same time. There was something so reassuring about that moment. Suddenly the room felt full of the right people. Jen took Pete into the kitchen to fill the pool while Penny checked my vitals. Pete, being completely and utterly Pete, had already put on the light projector, the fairy lights, and my playlist. Walking into that kitchen genuinely took my breath away. It was calm, it was beautiful, and it was exactly what I had imagined.

Getting into the pool was extraordinary. The water took every bit of pressure off my back and I felt myself sink into it completely. No pain relief. No gas and air. Just my breath, the warm water, and Pete’s voice beside me steady, calm, and constant. Every time I felt myself losing hold he brought me back. In for four, out for more. Over and over. I always thought hypnobirthing was something I was doing for myself. Watching Pete that night, I realised it had prepared him just as much as it had prepared me.

For five hours I worked through each surge in that pool, going completely into myself. I barely spoke. I just breathed and trusted my body to do what it knew how to do. And then, after five hours, came the most overwhelming, primal, unstoppable feeling the urge to push. It just took over. I didn’t decide to push. My body simply did it.

After two hours of pushing, Penny noticed the baby’s heartbeat was beginning to rise. She suggested we get out of the pool for an examination to see exactly where the baby was. I won’t lie, getting out of that water was the last thing I wanted to do. But Pete and Jen both felt it was the right call and I trusted them completely.

We moved into the living room and I got up onto the sofa for the examination. And there it was the news we needed. The baby’s head was right there. We were so close. What followed were around fifteen minutes of guided pushing on our sofa, Penny gently encouraging me, Pete’s hand never leaving mine, Jen quietly holding the space around us. And then, in our living room, on our sofa, in our home. Our baby arrived.

The moment Pete looked up at me and announced we had a girl is something I will carry with me forever. Our Hallie. Born at home, on our sofa, completely unmedicated. Not even gas and air.

I consider myself deeply lucky, but I also know that luck had very little to do with it. I trusted my body, I trusted my team, and I trusted the process. Birth doesn’t have to be something you simply endure. With the right preparation and the right people beside you, it can be one of the most empowering, beautiful experiences of your entire life.

It’s exactly why I do what I do.

Emily & Baby Nancy

My pregnancy with my second baby was a really smooth and straightforward journey, something I’m so grateful for. Everything went well throughout, and we were so excited when we found out we were expecting a baby girl.

During my pregnancy, Brydee was always there whenever I needed her — whether it was to talk through my plans, share my thoughts, or ease my worries. She really helped me stay as calm and relaxed as possible during what could have felt like a daunting time, and I’ll always be so thankful for that support.

Towards the end of my pregnancy, some of my later scans showed that she was measuring quite big, right up in the 100th centile. Because of this, I was advised about my options and the possible risks that could come with having a larger baby. I was given the choice of being induced or having a C-section, but I decided I wanted to wait as long as possible to see if our little girl would arrive in her own time.

She was due on the 24th of March, and I had an induction booked for the 21st of March just in case.

Then on the 20th of March, things started to happen on their own. I began having contractions that gradually became stronger and closer together. Me and my partner called triage, and they advised us to come into the maternity ward at Musgrove. When we arrived at around 4pm, everything started moving quite quickly. Within about 20 minutes we were in a labour room, and I was told I was already 5cm dilated.

My contractions were definitely ramping up by this point, but I tried to stay calm and focused on my breathing. I had my favourite music playing in the background and the lights dimmed, which helped create the calmest and most relaxed environment possible.

Labour progressed quite quickly after that. By around 10pm, I was 8cm dilated. I had access to a birthing pool in my labour suite, and I spent some time in there, which really helped ease the contractions and kept me feeling as calm and relaxed as I could.

Around 1am, I was told I had reached 10cm and it was nearly time to push. I used gas and air to manage the pain, which helped me so much through those final stages.

When it was time, I began pushing during my contractions, and after around 27 minutes, at 1:51am on the 21st of March, our beautiful baby girl Nancy arrived.

She weighed a healthy 8lb 14oz, and we were completely in love the moment we saw her. Thankfully she was happy and healthy, and we were both doing well. After a few hours of soaking it all in, we were able to leave the hospital at 10am and head home to Nancy’s older brother to start our family as a four.

It was such a special and empowering experience that I’ll never forget.

Abby & Baby Francesca

Went into labour at 39+1 after a lovely pregnancy.

Woke up Saturday morning with a bit of back pain but thought nothing of it as I had been to a wedding the day before so thought I had over done it. Had a bath to try and relax my back muscles. Around 11 I realised I hadn’t felt baby moving all morning so called triage and we were invited in for monitoring. 30mins on the monitor and bubba hadn’t moved but everything else looked good, so the midwives got me to move around a bit and sure enough baby started moving, after another half an hour of monitoring we were all satisfied baby was okay and just having a relaxing morning. While I was on the monitors they picked up some tightenings but nothing more than standard Braxton hicks.

I was offered an exam after the monitoring which I agreed to and found out I was 1-2cm dilated so accepted a sweep at the same time. Midwives advised me to go home and get some rest and expect things to start happening in the next 24/36hrs.

On the 20min journey home I was in a bit of discomfort but put that down to the sweep and just being a bit uncomfortable in the car (Marcus’ dodgy driving!). Once we got home I couldn’t get comfy and the pain had stepped up a bit so after observing for 30/45 mins we made the decision to call triage and head back in.

I managed to walk up to the lift and get back up to triage with Marcus’ help where we were told baby was on her way and wasn’t hanging around and they would try to get us up to delivery ward between contractions. We made it to the delivery ward where I made use of the gas and air and had an injection of pethidine. Ideally I wanted a water birth but the pool was in use so that wasn’t an option.

At this point I had another exam where they confirmed I was 9 cm dilated and soon enough it was time to start pushing. Baby arrived with not long after and I was lucky enough to only receive some grazing and no tears. My total labour and delivery time, including placenta was 3.5hrs, not bad for a first time!

I was lucky to have a very straightforward pregnancy, delivery and recovery and have to thank Brydee for her support and guidance along the way! Let’s hope it goes as smoothly second time around!

You're Not Alone

Radiant Bloom

Menu

Terms and
Conditions

IMPORTANT! YOUR ACCESS TO THIS WEBSITE IS SUBJECT TO LEGALLY BINDING TERMS AND CONDITIONS. CAREFULLY READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS. ACCESSING THIS WEBSITE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF YOUR SIGNATURE AND INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND THAT YOU INTEND TO BE LEGALLY BOUND BY THEM. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PLEASE LEAVE THE SITE IMMEDIATELY.

This is an agreement between you (“You”) and May Green Marketing (the “Company”). “We” and “Us” means both You and the Company. The effective date of this Agreement is when You accept this Agreement in accordance with the procedure set out above.

You hereby consent to the exchange of information and documents between Us electronically over the Internet or by e-mail, and that this electronic Agreement shall be the equivalent of a written paper agreement between Us.

OWNERSHIP AND COPYRIGHT
You acknowledge that any and all information, content, reports, data, databases, graphics, interfaces, web pages, text, files, software, product names, company names, trade-marks, logos and trade names contained on this website (collectively the “Content”) including the manner in which the Content is presented or appears and all information relating thereto, are the property of their respective owners as indicated, the Company or its licensors, as the case may be.

PERMITTED USE
The Company hereby grants to You a personal, non-transferable and non-exclusive license to access, read and download one copy of the Content.

RESTRICTIONS ON USE
You agree that You will not:

  1. distribute the Content for any purpose including without limitation compiling an internal database, redistributing or reproduction of the Content by the press or media or through any commercial network, cable or satellite system; or
  2. create derivative works of, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, adapt, translate, transmit, arrange, modify, copy, bundle, sell, sub-license, export, merge, transfer, adapt, loan, rent, lease, assign, share, outsource, host, publish, make available to any person or otherwise use, either directly or indirectly, the Content in whole or in part, in any form or by any means whatsoever, be they physical, electronic or otherwise. You shall not permit, allow or do anything that would infringe or otherwise prejudice the proprietary rights of the Company or its licensors or allow any third-party to access the Content. The restrictions set out in this Agreement shall not apply to the limited extent the restrictions are prohibited by applicable law.

LICENSE TO USE YOUR INFORMATION
With the exception of personal information, You hereby grant to the Company the perpetual, unlimited, royalty-free, worldwide, nonexclusive, irrevocable, transferable license to run, display, copy, reproduce, publish, bundle, distribute, market, create derivative works of, adapt, translate, transmit, arrange, modify, sub-license, export, merge, transfer, loan, rent, lease, assign, share, outsource, host, make available to any person or otherwise use, any information or other content You provide on or through this web site or which is sent to the Company by e-mail or other correspondence, including without limitation, any ideas, concepts, inventions, know-how, techniques or any intellectual property contained therein, for any purpose whatsoever. The Company shall not be subject to any obligations of confidentiality regarding any such information unless specifically agreed by the Company in writing or required by law. You represent and warrant that you have the right to grant the license set out above.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
The Company may from time to time, but is not obligated to, monitor your use of the web site and collect, store and use personal information about You for providing service you may of requested and You hereby consent to such collection, storage, use and disclosure and waive any right of privacy You may have.

YOU MAY ACCESS, CORRECT AND DELETE YOUR OWN PERSONAL INFORMATION STORED BY COMPANY BY CONTACTING US IN WRITING.

LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY AND DISCLAIMERS
THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT PERSONAL INFORMATION AND TRANSACTIONS ON THIS WEB SITE OR ON THE INTERNET WILL BE MAINTAINED CONFIDENTIAL AND SECURE. THE USE OF THIS WEB SITE AND THE CONTENT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK AND THE COMPANY ASSUMES NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY PERTAINING TO THE CONTENT, YOUR USE OF THE WEB SITE OR THE RECEIPT, STORAGE, TRANSMISSION OR OTHER USE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION.

This website and its Content are not to be construed as a form of promotion. This website may contain links to other sites. The Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or appropriateness of the information, data, opinions, advice, or statements contained at such sites, and when You access such sites, You are doing so at Your own risk. In providing links to the other sites, the Company is in no way acting as a publisher or disseminator of the material contained on those other sites and does not seek to monitor or control such sites. A link to another site should not be construed to mean that the Company is affiliated or associated with same. THE COMPANY DOES NOT RECOMMEND OR ENDORSE ANY OF THE CONTENT, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY HYPER-LINKS TO OR CONTENT FOUND, ON OTHER WEBSITES. The mention of another party or its product or service on this website should not be construed as an endorsement of that party or its product or service. The Company will not be responsible for any damages You or any third-party may suffer as a result of the transmission, storage or receipt of confidential or proprietary information that You make or that You expressly or implicitly authorize the Company to make, or for any errors or any changes made to any transmitted, stored or received information. You are solely responsible for the retrieval and use of the Content. You should apply Your own judgment in making any use of any Content, including, without limitation, the use of the information as the basis for any conclusions.

THE CONTENT MAY NOT BE ACCURATE, UP TO DATE, COMPLETE OR UNTAMPERED, AND IS NOT TO BE RELIED UPON. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS A RECOMMENDATION FOR ANY SPECIFIC PRODUCT OR SERVICE, USE OR COURSE OF ACTION. THE CONTENT ON THIS WEB SITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE OF ANY KIND FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. IT IS YOUR DUTY TO OBTAIN PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FROM A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR TO MEET YOUR NEEDS. YOU SHOULD NOT ACT OR RELY ON ANY OF THE CONTENT WITHOUT SEEKING ADVICE OF A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN THIS AGREEMENT, THIS WEBSITE AND ALL CONTENT, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND SOFTWARE ON THIS WEBSITE OR MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES OR CONDITIONS, OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES AS TO UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE OPERATION, AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, CURRENTNESS, RELIABILITY, TIMELINESS, LEGALITY, SUITABILITY, PRIVACY, SECURITY, MERCHANTABILITY, QUALITY, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR THOSE ARISING OUT OF A COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE.IN NO EVENT WILL THE COMPANY, ITS AFFILIATES, AGENTS, LICENSORS, SUPPLIERS, OR THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS OR EMPLOYEES BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, AGGRAVATED, ECONOMIC OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, HOWSOEVER CAUSED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, LOST PROFITS OR LOST SAVINGS, EVEN IF THE COMPANY OR ANY OF ITS LAWFUL AGENTS OR EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIM. IN NO EVENT WILL COMPANY, ITS AFFILIATES, AGENTS, LICENSORS, SUPPLIERS, OR THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS OR EMPLOYEES, BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OR LOSSES RESULTING FROM: VIRUSES, DATA CORRUPTION, FAILED MESSAGES, TRANSMISSION ERRORS OR PROBLEMS; TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PROVIDERS; LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES; THE INTERNET BACKBONE; PERSONAL INJURY; THIRD-PARTY CONTENT, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES; DAMAGES OR LOSSES CAUSED BY YOU, OR YOUR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR SUB-CONTRACTORS; LOSS OF USE OR LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF FACILITIES INCLUDING COMPUTER RESOURCES, ROUTERS AND STORED DATA; THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS WEBSITE OR THE CONTENT; ANY OTHER WEB SITE ACCESSED TO OR FROM THIS WEBSITE; OR EVENTS BEYOND THE REASONABLE CONTROL OF THE COMPANY, EVEN IF THE COMPANY OR ANY OF ITS LAWFUL AGENTS, OR EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIM. IN NO CASE WILL THE COMPANY’S, ITS AFFILIATES’, AGENTS’, LICENSORS’, SUPPLIERS’, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS’ AND EMPLOYEES’ CUMULATIVE TOTAL LIABILITY ARISING UNDER ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, GROSS NEGLIGENCE, OR OTHERWISE) BE FOR MORE THAN THE AMOUNT, IF ANY, PAID BY YOU UNDER THIS AGREEMENT TO ACCESS THIS WEBSITE, IN THE YEAR IN WHICH THE CLAIM AROSE.

THE COMPANY ASSUMES NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THE CONTENT ON THIS SITE. THE CONTENT ON THIS SITE MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE TO YOU. THE COMPANY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CONTENT OR INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY FIND UNDESIRABLE OR OBJECTIONABLE. THE COMPANY DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY FOR UNAUTHORIZED USE OR REPRODUCTION OF ANY PORTION OF THE WEBSITE. ACCESSING THE CONTENT FROM TERRITORIES WHERE IT MAY BE ILLEGAL IS PROHIBITED.

TERMINATION
This Agreement is effective until terminated by the Company, with or without cause, in the Company’s sole and unfettered discretion. The Company may terminate this Agreement without notice to You if You fail to comply with any of its terms. Any such termination by the Company shall be in addition to and without prejudice to such rights and remedies as may be available to the Company, including injunction and other equitable remedies. The disclaimers, limitations on liability, ownership, termination, interpretation, Your license to the Company, Your warranty and the indemnity provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination or expiry of this Agreement.

INDEMNITY
You agree at all times to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, its agents, suppliers, affiliates and their respective directors and employees against all actions, proceedings, costs, claims, damages, demands, liabilities and expenses whatsoever (including legal and other fees and disbursements) sustained, incurred or paid by the Company directly or indirectly in respect of:

  1. any information or other content You provide on or through this website or which is sent to the Company by e-mail or other correspondence; or
  2. Your use or misuse of the Content or this website, including without limitation infringement claims.

GOVERNING LAW
The Company, this web site and the Content (excluding linked websites or content) are physically located within The United Kingdom. This Agreement will be governed by the laws of The United Kingdom.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION
In the event of a dispute, We agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the British courts.

INTERPRETATION
The division of this Agreement into sections and the insertion of headings are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement. In this Agreement, words importing the singular number include the plural and vice versa, words importing gender include all genders; and words importing persons include individuals, sole proprietors, partnerships, corporations, trusts and unincorporated associations. All references to money amounts in this Agreement, unless otherwise specified, are in GBP

ENTIRE AGREEMENT
These terms and conditions and any and all legal notices on this website constitute the entire agreement between You and the Company with respect to the use of this website and the Content. No supplement, modification or amendment to this Agreement and no waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be binding on the Company unless executed by the Company in writing. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provision (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver unless otherwise expressly provided.

SEVERABILITY
Any provision of this Agreement which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to that jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability and shall otherwise be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law, all without affecting the remaining provisions of this Agreement or affecting the validity or enforceability of such provision in any other jurisdiction.

ENUREMENT
This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each of Us and our respective successors and permitted assigns. You acknowledge having read this Agreement before accepting it, having the authority to accept this Agreement and having received a copy of this Agreement.