Real mums' and dads' birth stories

When my waters broke I was two weeks early, so it was totally unexpected. I called my midwife and went to hospital. The contractions and pain got stronger quickly and five hours later, my baby’s head was in sight! I had a powerful urge to push. I was exhausted but my body took over and did it for me. 15 minutes later Ace was born! The pain wasn’t as bad as I expected – and next time I’d like a home birth.

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After five hours of contractions, I went into hospital hoping for the water birth I’d planned. But Jada’s heart rate was too high, so it didn’t happen. The breathing I’d learned at hypnobirthing really helped. And I had lots of support from my husband, Ibrahim, and my mum, so I didn’t need any pain relief. The biggest surprise for me was her weight – 8lbs 3oz!

Find out about having a water birth

Jenna was really strong and kept her cool. I did what I could to help her through labour but I think the hypnobirthing really helped, especially when the baby’s heartbeat was too fast and we thought she might need an emergency caesarean. The best bit was how quickly she was born. Once things got started it took just three pushes and Jada was there!

Read tips for how to involve your partner