Gina's story

Although my son Jacob had been born 3 days after my due date, I was convinced that this baby would arrive sooner as I’d been having so many Braxton Hicks contractions. But, despite a false start a week before, my due date came and went. Everything was pretty much ready for my home birth, but on Wednesday night I decided that we needed to be properly ready and put together a “hospital bag” and checked off the list that our midwives Viv and Andy had given us...

Claire's story

We decided to invest in independent midwives after a difficult labour with our first son, this time we wanted more control and ideally a home birth. And what a good decision it turned out to be! From the pre-birth support (particularly helping understand and come to terms with the first labour), to the calming birth experience and the hours and hours of support while I established breastfeeding; Andy and Marijn's service was wonderful. More importantly, it gave me the positive birth experience I so keenly had hoped for...

Tammy's story:

When we met Marijn and Viv we realised we were asking them to do something a little out of the ordinary - following 5 cycles of IVF I had spent the first five months of our long-for pregnancy in fear. Finally having got pregnant I was terrified that my body would now let me and the baby down. I had no faith in it anymore, nor really in myself as a mother, in my ability to provide a safe place for our baby to grow or a safe passage into the world for our child. So my husband and I made the decision to have our baby in a hospital environment. Full of fear and anxiety, if felt to be the only ‘safe’ place. However I also had a yearning to be surrounded by people who knew me well and knew our situation. We felt the NHS just weren’t in a position to always be able to provide that kind of care. Viv and Marijn looked after us all throughout the remainder of the pregnancy and Marijn was with us all the way through my labour and delivery, and only left our side when we were all settled together as a family...

Netsayi’s story:

Anesu-Grace

A few months ago, when Netsayi first told people that she was pregnant, it soon became apparent that all the mothers we knew had ‘war stories’ of their births and they were determined to share them. There were numerous tales of epic labours, emergency caesareans, agonising inductions, botched epidurals and so on. It wasn’t long, therefore, before Netsayi decided she’d heard enough. When did giving birth become quite such an intolerable and inevitable drama? After all, didn’t everyone come into the world this way? Or perhaps we missed the memo...

Kate's story:

Rose Maud Moon Pepper

First a bum, then 2 little legs appeared and paused, dangling for a moment before they ran in mid air and danced the rest of Rose into the world. Breech.

Gina's story

I’m writing this story of the birth of our little boy, Leo, as a way to remember this most incredible event in my life and as a testimony to the help and support of the wonderful midwives who made my home birth possible.

Tara's story:

Another hospital birth

Despite mixed feelings about my first hospital birth, I was keen to have my second birth in a hospital. There were two main reasons for this: firstly I knew my pain threshold and wanted to have an epidural as soon as possible once I felt I had reached that point and secondly I wanted there to be a paediatrician “to hand” as soon as the baby was born just in case…

Susie's story

This is the story of the birth of our son Kyle. I want to write this down for lots of reasons. First, for us as a family to be able to remember how our beautiful son came into this world. Second, for me to be able to show how much I have valued those who helped this be the story of wonder and joy that it is (and nearly wasn't). And finally, for those who are to have babies to have a birth story to think about when they are considering their choices of how and where to have their baby.

Matt's story

As I write this, Kyle was born a week ago, following an eventful, emotional and stressful three days of labour. I want to write this story though as it is a great story with all the best elements of a classic: initial hopes, unforeseen challenges, wonderful heroes and a happy ending. I want to write it so that we as a family can retain a memory of some of the best days of our lives, share them with Kyle in time, but also share them with others who may find our experience useful in thinking about their own options for birth.

Gary's story:

Keep calm: write it down.

The notes at the back of my black moleskin writing book are carefully printed. Saturday 13^th December 2008. 2.10 – 3.00 am: every 8 minutes, 3.00 am – 3.50 am: every 10-12 minutes. Order imposed on a situation in flux. Because we are moving ladies and gentlemen, at long last we are on our way! In response; Man does what man do. Chart it. Record it. Predict it and in doing so, try to bluff your pale and scared rational self, presently nail biting in a cool corner of your steadily heating mind that maybe, just maybe you can actually control it. (4.00 – 5.15 am: every 12-15 minutes).

Nicola's story

I was 15 days late and really sick of people asking if I was going to get induced so I decided to take things into my own hands by having a long walk, spicy food, raspberry leaf tea and then sitting on my gym ball whilst watching “My fair lady” and bouncing in the hope something would happen..... and it did!!!

Jonathan's story

It’s unfortunate that as a partner, you don’t often get the chance to tell your side of the birth story. Understandably, the woman’s experience is paramount but for me the birth was certainly the most extraordinary experience of my life, intense, emotional, difficult, exhilarating, beautiful and life-affirming. And it is usually those positive adjectives that cut short my story when I tell it to other people. They smile wryly and interrupt to ask if Marianne found it so positive. I feel chastened and shut up. But perhaps the partner’s story is valid also.

Hana's story

Two weeks overdue, a little bit desperate and anxious to meet our baby, we decided, on Tuesday (Jan 8^th), to go to an IMAX cinema to see an evening show of a 3D movie called "Beowulf". I had a sort of idea that, eventually, sound and visual effects of the 3D cinema can help to explain to my baby, it’s time to leave the quiet place of my womb. Perhaps, it had worked. We left the cinema earlier, after about 45 min, because noise agitated my baby, who started to move frantically. Never mind. The movie wasn’t great after all.

Beate's story

My due date was September the 13^th, a Thursday- the evening before should have been pregnancy Yoga at the Angel. I had some contactions during the day which were not Braxton Hicks, I was picturing more contractions on the Northern Line and decided not to go.

Instead we opted for a local curry place, the old traditional curry method!

Stephanie’s story

When I fell pregnant with my first child I found out that I would benefit from the Midwife in the Community (one-to-one) Scheme. I liked the idea of a personal service and felt very lucky when I had my first appointment with Marijn. It was a great start to the adventure and made me feel confident about the future. Throughout the pregnancy I had regular visits during which all examinations and necessary tests were performed, always accompanied with full and extensive information. Marijn had the time and presence to explain things and was always available on the phone if I needed more details (I used to come up with questions after the appointments!)

Paul's story

Our little baby girl Sofia was born in mighty quick time - actually on the bathroom floor in the early morning of 22nd June, before our midwives could be in attendance. We later realised that it was my wife Helen who had delivered her own baby herself !