An Inspirational Water Birth Story with Hypnobirthing; Pain Relief Free and Completely Physiological

I met Charley when she was 13 weeks pregnant and began Pregnancy Yoga classes with me. She has an energy about her that grabbed my attention right from the start. Some women come to classes to relax, some to have a good stretch, some for the community and connection with mums, I think Charley was there for all of that, but also, it felt like she was there to really learn about birth, and explore how she would approach it. She was already a Yogi (and a surfer) when we met, and I picked up a gentle power in her energy, I could tell she was very in tune with her body and I felt instinctively that this woman already knew what she was doing when it came to trusting her body and tuning inwards.

I see my role of Pregnancy Yoga and Hypnobirthing teacher, as someone who opens doorways to the ability women already hold within them; to step into their birthing power, and ride the waves of their babies birth from a place of confidence, trust and awe.

The awe of childbirth is clear for anyone who has experienced or witnessed birth where the mother is in control, empowered, respected and given space and to birth her baby in her own way. Our natural physiology taking over to bring our babies out of the womb is awe-inspiring.

For International Women's Day 2025 I asked Charley to share her birth story - It's an inspiring story, all in her own words and one I'm so grateful to be able to add to the collection of stories to share into the world. I hope this story inspires women to believe in the power of our bodies to birth. Thank you Charley!

Charleys Birth Story

I lost my mucus plug gradually on the morning of 39+3 days, which made me very excited that hopefully things would start happening soon for me. Nothing did that day, but I continued to stay mindful and excited for the journey ahead, ensuring I was well rested.

At 4am the next day I then woke up to what felt like mild period cramps, these continued through the day and came sort of anywhere from 10 minutes apart to about 45 minutes. I sat on my yoga ball most of the day doing hip circles and figures of 8, went on a long walk and hoped things would progress as I’d predicted my baby would arrive on this date! I was quite sad when around 5pm that day these small cramps completely stopped, and I really thought then that nothing would happen for a while.

Then 4am on the dot the following day I woke to a sensation that was much stronger, I could feel it in my lower belly and also my back and I knew that this was a proper contraction. I got onto all 4’s and rocked back and forth during each wave (this was helpful to me to visualise as a surfer!) I woke up my husband to let him know that these were more painful now and to stay up with me, we were both very excited at this point! I timed each wave on a Hypnobirthing app which helped me breathe in for the count of 4 and exhale for the count of 8. This “up” breathing was something I remembered from our Hypnobirthing class, and it worked incredibly well for me to keep me grounded and ride through each wave.

We phoned triage when they were 3 within 10 minutes lasting a minute each, so they agreed we could go in. We arrived at hospital around 9am, and I was examined and was quite disheartened to learn I was 2cm dilated. The midwife said, you’ll know, but come back when the waves are longer and stronger.

So we went home and I laboured at home from around 9:30am-1pm. This was the most difficult part, as I struggled to get comfy at home. I changed up my positions from standing and leaning over the back of the sofa, on my knees leaning over the sofa, leaning over my yoga ball and resting in child’s pose. I also tried to take a bath, but it was too shallow and narrow to get comfy, and I really was uncomfortable lying on my back.

At this point I'd taken no pain relief and wanted to continue that way, but felt now that I was too uncomfortable and wanted desperately to be in a birthing pool, so we headed back in to hospital. At this point, my husband said I’d changed from just breathing and counting through each surge, to making a sort of moo or chant on the exhale. When I was examined this second time, I was very excited to learn I was now 5cm, and they would get us straight into Meadow birth suite.

I stepped into the birthing pool at 2pm and felt immediate relief! The lighting was dimmed, there were twinkling lights on the ceiling, it smelt like a spa, and I had my pregnancy yoga playlist on. It was bliss! The water came right up to my shoulders, so my whole body was lovely and warm and relaxed.

I got straight into an all 4’s position for each wave, then rocked back into child’s pose to rest in between, and moved like this for a few hours. I remember just being so in my body and in the zone with my breathing, I kept my eyes closed for most of the time, really feeling into “labour land” and almost on another planet. Only really opening them when my husband offered me a sip of water or a Percy Pig to keep my energy levels up!

At some point the midwife’s advised me that it had been 4 hours since I’d had a wee and that maybe my bladder was getting in the way of baby coming out, they also said they’d recommend I get examined to see how dilated I was. Both of these meant getting out of the pool, so I managed to move to the top step but had a strong surge and immediately told them “nope” and I got back in. They trusted my instinct's and let me carry on in the pool.  

There were definitely times where it felt like one really long wave, or just little to no break in between them. My husband Ben said during these I’d changed from a chanting primal sound to more of a growl and my voice would break, so he knew we were close and that the pain was getting more intense. I was offered the gas and air, but honestly I felt so in control and calm, and working with my breathing, that I didn’t want to try anything new.

I’m not sure what point it was, but I felt the sensation of my waters breaking in the pool, like a water balloon popping inside me! And as the waves got closer together I started to feel the sensation that I wanted to poo, there was a lot of pressure lower down and I could start to feel my baby move further down.

Once this feeling came over me, I moved to the side of the pool to be more upright, on my knees facing my husband, I could lean and rest on the side and I had him super close to coach me through the final stages. As the waves got a lot stronger, and I could feel my uterus pushing down from under my breasts I knew that we were very close to meeting our baby and that I needed to stay calm for them and for me, and to keep breathing, mooing, and trusted my body would do what it needs to get my baby here.

At this point the pressure was very intense and baby was almost here, I could feel the famous “ring of fire” as his head started to crown. I remember opening my eyes to my husband and telling him I can’t do this, I can’t do this! He was so reassuring and comforting and told me I could, and that our baby was so close, I’d done all the hard work, and they’d be here soon. An affirmation that helped me through each wave, that I would repeat in my head was “each contraction brings me closer to my baby” “they are not stronger than me, because they are me”.

At 5:37pm, so only 3.5 hours after getting into the pool! He came up in front of me in the water, I instinctively lay backwards in the pool and the midwives lay him on my chest. My husband rushed around to my side of the pool behind me and was crying, elated, saying “it’s a boy!”. The sense of relief once he was out was incredible, no more pain, no pressure, it just all melted away as he lay on my chest.

We had delayed cord clamping and spent such a lovely long time in the pool just looking at his little features and drinking him in! Once the cord was cut he went to Ben for some skin to skin as I tried to deliver the placenta in the pool, but I wasn’t getting any contractions or anything, so the midwives advised we try me on the toilet and push a little from there. And just 40 minutes after I birthed our baby boy, I birthed the placenta naturally too.

My birth was everything I had hoped for and more, I am amazed looking back now at what my body was capable of. But I know that so much of it was mindset, being able to stay calm when sort of in that “higher place” of labour land. And to remain calm when the pain got more intense. All of this would not have been possible without doing pregnancy yoga from 13 weeks, and Zoe’s Hypnobirthing course. I really understood my body, my womb space and honestly had the most magical, memorable birth I could have wished for.