Real gentlebirth stories! Short accounts.

I invested in the gentlebirth cds there lately. I have listened to them a few times already and they really do relax me but would love to hear some REAL birth stories after using them. Did they help? (esp on a first birth)

Why not try the search function or even post in Mothers and kids.

There are lots of gentlebirth stories in the Gentlebirth sticky up the top of the page. I am using CDs as well, feeling quite relaxed about the birth at this stage so hopefully they are working!!

I used the gentle birth cds from about week 15 in my pregnancy, only really listened to track 3 on cd1. I only listened to it every so often at first but from about week 32 I really tried to listen to it every day. I went into labour (first pregnancy) on tuesday night/wed morning, and my entire labour lasted only 5 hours and I definitely think some of it had to be down to the gentle birthing cds. My water broke at 4.15 am as I was getting up to go to the toilet, I then had a contraction at 4.30 and after that they came every 3 minutes but I didn't panic at all. Myself and DH got up, rang the hoapital, they said come in. So we pottered around the house, I had to finish packing my bag (I was 3 weeks early) and I did a few jobs too, just stopping to breath through each contraction. We left for the hospital at about 5.45, my contractions were 1-2 minutes apart at this stage, but still there was no panic. The car journey was a bit uncomforatble but I just kept breathing through the pain. We arrived at the hospital at 6 and I was checked and to my utter shock and amazement I was 8-9 cms dilated and was wisked off to the labour ward, still not really believing I was in fully established labour! In the delivery ward I got gas and air and sat on a ball, and was ready to push at 7.30. At this stage I panicked a little bit as it was all happening so fast but the midwives were fantastic, I was pushing for nearly 2 hours but baby's heart rate stayed fine the whole time so they let me continue, she was born at 9.29 using just gas and air and I only had a small tear, the midwife said it was more like a graze though!! I have no doubt that listening to the gentle birth cds helped me so much, and it was the reason I had such a quick labour! HTH, love2Bamum

Hey, great story. I havent really gotten into listening to it every day. I still have loads of time but hoping i get the motivation to actually stop cleaning the house and sit down and listen to the feckin things. Just a quick question though, did you not have time to get an epidural?

I used hypnobirthing (not Gentlebirth but same kind of thing) on both my pregnancies, 1st time I went through active labour in about 45 minutes, and DD's head was crowning when I got to hospital, second time I had a homebirth and it was a similar length of time for active labor. I did get contractions before active labour kicked in (every 3 minutes from the start) so I had a bit of warning, it wasn't just 45 minutes from first twinge to baby! No drugs at all on either. Both very relaxed, great experiences and I completely attribute that to the hypno.

Don't think I would have had time for an epidural but I didn't want one anyway so it wasn't discussed.