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TELL YOUR BIRTHTALE TUESDAY

We started the feature "Tell your Birthtale Tuesday" via our Instagram feed and Facebook page. It gives us the opportunity to bring to you lots of wonderful inspiring and thought provoking BIRTHTALES. The 3 of us get so excited when we have a new tale to share. Some of them are very personal to us but most importantly they are all unique and beautiful in their own way and we sincerely hope that you can take some time to enjoy them too. 

If you would like us to add your amazing BIRTHTALE to our collection we would love to hear from you, so do get in touch.

July 15, 2019

Hayley's Birthtale is not only a story but also an advert for and infomercial about hypnobirthing. We are grateful for her detail which hopefully will inspire pregnant women to consider the benefits  of homebirth, independant midwives and hypnobirthing.

If you'd like to get in touch with Hayley go to www.gigiandpickle.com

 

Thanks Hayley

July 08, 2019

Staying strong and committed to your birth plan is sometimes really challenging. especially when faced with people who seem to want to de-rail you. It is hard for women to stick to their guns and go against what Drs are advising. The support and nurturing of a great midwife helped Ruth when she found herself in this situation and the outcome is here for you to read.....

 

Thanks Ruth. 

July 01, 2019

Thanks to Zoe who today shares her Birthtale with us. I imagine she must be super chilled out all the time due to the fact that she works as a pregnancy yoga, baby massage, baby & toddler yoga teacher...

Her Birthtale is a lovely read...

June 17, 2019

Holly's 4th baby arrived in the early morning at the end of January. Rita's arrival was a special moment for all her family, especially her partner Anselm's. Being personally involved makes this a Birthtale I have a special fondness for.. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks Holly x

June 10, 2019

Today we have Lucy, a doula from Brighton to thank for what is one of my favourite birthtales. Her description of the second stage of labour and the birth of her daughter is fantastic. A really beautifully written piece.

 

Thank you Lucy.

May 27, 2019

Sarah Tessier is a post natal doula in south London and an NCT teacher. She coined the phrase ‘mothermoon’ which is beautiful way of referring to the self care we all need to apply in the postnatal period.

 

Today we are sharing the birth of her second baby which she hoped would be a restorative experience......Thanks Sarah

May 06, 2019

After a shout out on Instagram we were thrilled to have this Birthtale come to our inbox from Keeley. Her Birthtale is so positive and uplifting. We hope that you enjoy it and maybe feel inspired to share yours with us.

Thanks Keeley

April 22, 2019

Charlotte  Met the lovely Natasha and Kev when they attended her @bumpandbabyclub antenatal classes. Natasha was experiencing what sounded like  sciatica and Charlotte recommended a local osteopath. Things sadly deteriorated quickly for Natasha and she was finally diagnosed with the thankfully very rare pregnancy induced transient osteoporosis.

 

This is Natasha’s very brave and honest account of how this condition effected her body and the impact it had in pregnancy, birth and beyond. Thanks Natasha

April 01, 2019

Harriet's second Birthtale is short, sharp and to the point....Like a lot of second deliveries it surprised her with it's simplicity. 

 

What a shame women still have to face NHS staff who say the wrong thing and leave them feeling horrible just at the moment they should be empowered and made to feel fantastic. I'm sorry.

Thanks for the tale Harriet and for bringing such top girls into the world.

March 26, 2019

We are back with Sooz today and her first Birthtale. This one tells us of Olive's arrival. What a gorgeous thing she looks. 

Thanks Sooz

March 19, 2019

Anna met Ali a few years back when their daughters were at nursery together. Friendship grew to the point where Anna got to use her magic acupuncture needles on Ali's bottom (to the great amusement of her eldest daughter)! 

Towards the end of 42 weeks of pregnancy the team of homebirth midwives (and Tom's) unwavering support meant Ali felt safest and happiest in her pool at home to birth Maisie.

Thank you Ali for this lovely Birthtale.

March 12, 2019

Huge thanks to Sooz for sharing the tale of her 2nd daughter. This Birthtale tells us of the challenges that face some families in the aftermath of birth. The great part is that Iris and her mum pulled through their surgeries, and are fighting fit today. Thank you to the NHS...all in a day's work.

March 05, 2019

Alex was so inspired by her antenatal teacher that as the mother of two small kids she moved away from her career in TV to start the amazing @bumpandbabyclub. This is the tale of her third childs's birth, lets hope she can get round to writing the other two!

Thanks for sharing Alex

February 26, 2019

Anna and Charlotte met Sophia through their antenatal classes for Bump and Baby Club. She also sought them out for the Birthtale drop ins in Peckham...they obviously made an impression. We are thrilled to share this lovely oxytocin fuelled tale. This mum totally nailed the idea that she needed to be flooded with that wonderful love hormone to labour and birth well.

Than you Sophia.

February 19, 2019

Thank you Corinne for sharing this amazing tale of courage that is sometimes required antenatally as well as in labour.

It was a privilege to help you navigate all of this but it was really all down to you. 

February 12, 2019

We all roared with laughter at Jon's account of his first born's birth and he is here again telling all about no. 2 son, the gorgeous Laurie. 

Using the words of Jane Austen...... it is a truth universally acknowledged.....that second birthtales are never as long or full of detail as the first. Those poor younger siblings!!

Thank you Jon

February 05, 2019

This Birthtale is such a great example of what we always  say, we learn so much about labour and birth when we go through it. But we don’t get that much needed practice run!

Charlotte met @corinne_frankiepants at the school gates a little over a year ago. 

They immediately bonded over all things birth. Corinne teaches antenatal yoga @labyrinthyogapilates and was running creative birth workshops at the time. She also completed a Doula course while heavily pregnant and will make a perfect doula!

Thanks Corinne

January 29, 2019

Thanks to Max who has written down his memories of Elsa's birth. This is his second Birthtale (the perk of being married to a Birthtaler) so if you want to be reminded of his first experience you will need to scroll right down to the July 31st edition. Another comparison of Elsa'a birth can be found in Rachel's account of the same delivery, way back in Feb last year.

Cheers Max xx

January 22, 2019

Today, Gemma, a pilates teacher that we at Birthtale work alongside, tells us of the arrival of Erin. She is currently pregnant with number 3 so watch out for some other tales from her in the future. What a positive story it is....

 

Thanks Gemma and good luck!

January 15, 2019

Natalie sent us two Birthtales at once so we decided to run them back to back. It's incredible for women that every birth is SO different and conjures up different emotions when we recall them.

Love for our children is always equal but our relationships with them differ greatly and that all starts from their womb life and their journey Earthside.

Thanks Natalie

January 08, 2019

Welcome back and to 2019! The new year brings a Birthtale all the way from Canada and is the first of a two part story.

Thanks to Natalie for the tale of her daughter's birth.

December 18, 2018

Anna had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Cat towards the end of her pregnancy @levelsix and during their acupuncture sessions. They apparently never stopped talking about birth! 

It’s really special that Cat and Ali’s watery birth of their first born Daughter Maija on Armistice Day closes our unique and beautiful @birthtale Tuesdays for 2018

With gratitude Cat

December 11, 2018

Year 2 of Birthtales....here we go! Thank you to Simone for telling us about Anouk's birth. It is always great to hear about second births and how entirely different they so often are to the first ones. Keep that in mind all those of you waiting for no. 2

Enjoy reading x

December 04, 2018

Thank you to Susan for sharing what is the Birthtale that takes us to a complete year of Birthtales. It is always an honour to read them. I love the way they are all so incredibly different and hope that they continue to inspire you as we move forward.

November 27, 2018

Alison told us about the arrival of Rachel earlier in the year. That was 50 years ago, and now she is back with her very first Birthtale in 1963. Apparently her memories are sketchy but the details she gives are so hard to fathom now, in an age where women are so openly encouraged to have their partners with them every step of the way.

Thank you Alison.

November 20, 2018

Sarah's Birthtale is brilliant...read it! The style of her writing really grabbed me and made the story really engaging, funny and relatable. It is a no nonsense tale that sweeps you along like a whirlwind.

Thanks Sarah 

November 13, 2018

Frances was a colleague and friend to all 3 of us at Birthtale so we are delighted to have her tell the story of Charlie's arrival. Wonder if there's anyone else out there who had Nelson Mandela as a birth partner!

Thanks Frances

November 06, 2018

Six weeks ago we read about how Sara's first daughters birth left her traumatised and feeling utterly unsupported. We finished reading with heavy hearts, hoping that next time around she would be empowered and surrounded with kindness, understanding and respect.

Since then Vera has arrived and a whole new tale has emerged. Does Sara feel healed, and how did the birth pan out?.....read on

Thank you Sara.

 

October 30, 2018

Tammy came to Rachel's first Bump and Baby Club antenatal classes, engaged with Birthtale on Instagram. She had enjoyed reading other Birthtales but was worried that hers was too full on. She was however happy to write about her birth in the hope that it may help to prepare other people in the future. Tammy, Ben and little Dylan certainly had a time of it but they are happy and content now and Dylan is an absolute delight.

 

Thanks Tammy 

October 22, 2018

In celebration of National Adoption week, which has just passed, we have the story of how Anne and Ivy became mother and daughter. It is a particularly moving and special Birthtale for Rachel as Ivy is her God daughter.  Her arrival was long awaited and much celebrated.

 

Anne's words are incredibly moving and beautiful, prepare to have a tear in your eye as you read on.....

Thank you Anne

October 15, 2018

This beautifully written Birthtale comes from Laura, aka the_holistic_doula, who is super positive about all things labour and birth. She was obviously well informed and confident in her innate ability to birth her baby. She made strong and powerful choices and had the birth she wanted as a result. Enjoy reading.

Thanks Laura

October 08, 2018

How lucky are we today, we have not one Birthtale but two!!  Thank you to Camilla for writing the story of both her children’s births. I always feel slightly sad for second children as the Birthtales never seem to be quite so full of detail even though it’s certain that each birth has its own special magic.

October 01, 2018

RacheI and Liz sing in a choir together and can often be found chatting in the back row at their rehearsals! Usually they are finding out about the antics of each others children....well Liz's youngest is 22 so their antics are quite different from Rachel's. Her 3 boys all left home and have now returned which I know she is very happy about.

I have to tell you Liz doesn't look any older now than she did 22 years ago when this picture was taken.

This Birthtale made me chuckle when I read it. What was her husband having for his dinner? And just wait for the ending!

Thanks Liz

September 24, 2018

As you read this Birthtale Sara the protagonist could very well be in labour with her second baby. We have been really moved by this account and are saddened that Sara had an experience first time which left her dealing with such grief. Kindness, understanding and respect which were lacking in this Birthtale shoud be the cornerstone of all care given. 

Lets hope that this time Sara is greeted with all three of these in abundance and that she can have the healing birth she deserves.

Thank you and good luck Sara

September 17, 2018

For those of you reading this who know Ginny you know what a phenomenally courageous, strong and beautiful woman she is. No surprise she applied these qualities to birth.

This is a story highlighting the importance of continuity of care and the joys of staying at home.
It also shows how plans can go off track at any point but the right support and preparation can help to keep you calm.

Three cheers for team Pickles

September 10, 2018

This is a brilliant Birthtale about how an unplanned homebirth can be pretty amazing and maybe something more of us should consider. A planned one not an unplanned one.

 

Prepare to laugh out loud. Thanks Bethan.

September 03, 2018

Today it's all about the boys again, so here is Jon's Birthtale. It is a truly great one and well worth taking the time to read. It is fascinating reading a different version of a tale you already know. Remind yourself about Charlotte's version of Rollo's birth which was on our very first Tell you Birthtale Tuesday.

Thank you Jon

August 20, 2018

Debbie’s Birthtale is fantastic in that it shows how things don’t always go to plan but with the right preparation (hugely topical right now!) you can make it easier to cope with the unknown. 

Debbie confesses to have been ‘terrified of birth’ so enlisted help early on...and it worked. Their doula massaged her throughout labour and gave amazing support while Debbie and Anna practiced hypnobirthing techniques.

All this meant baby Patti arrived calmly despite the unexpected changes along the way. 

August 13, 2018

Harriet and Rachel forged a great friendship whilst they were both pregnant. Rachel with her 2nd baby and Harriet her first. The men in their lives were old friends too...

 

We breast fed together, weaned together, went to singing, swimming, baby gym & play groups together. The constant support we gave each other was utterly fantastic. Now those baby girls are going off to high school and are still as thick as theives. We know they will be friends forever which makes us very happy, or as the young people say they are BFF!!!

Here is Olive's birthtale...Thanks Harriet. x

August 06, 2018

Natasha's first birth was not the experience she dreamed of so she made it a priority to prepare her body and mind the second time around. Read her Birthtale to find out how things panned out for her when gorgeous Kalani arrived. Thanks Natasha.

July 30, 2018

Our first Dad has come to the party to tell his side of the story. Max is Rachel's husband and shares his honest account of how he saw the birth of their child Linus. If you want to recap by reading Rachel's Birthtale scroll down. I know for a fact he was very emotional while he was writing this down. It is hard for dads so we salute you all. Thank you Max.

July 23, 2018

Leanne's Birthtale arrived via the Instagram shout out! We are so happy to share her story with you and super thrilled that she feels that we are a positive outlet for her to speak about her experience of childbirth. It sounds as though she was empowered by the birth of her gorgeous son Eliot. What a strong woman you are Leanne. Thanks 

July 16, 2018

Charlotte and Anna met Jenna last year when learning the rewind technique. She was still carrying a great deal of trauma from her experience of giving birth to her first child.

Jenna felt immediate benefits after Rewind the same day and reports big improvements in her anxiety levels since undergoing the Rewind technique again. 

Jenna, we can’t thank you enough for sharing this difficult Birthtale. Through telling your story it is so encouraging to know that you can heal from birth trauma.

July 09, 2018

Charlotte and Jane have known each other for donkeys... they have shared some pretty special times together including this weekends hen party where Charlotte convinced Jane it was time she shared Betsy’s Birthtale 

 

Jane is a professional photographer and was Birthtale's first choice when it came to some shots for the website. 

 

Thanks Jane for the photos and sharing your Birthtale. 

July 02, 2018

Emma 's hypnobirthing techniques were powerful during the birth of her second baby. She obviously had a superb team around to support and nurture her. This is a lovely home BIRTHTALE and from the picture it would seem little Louis was a magical Christmas present! Thanks Emma

June 25, 2018

This is the very first Birthtale that has come to us from someone who has just loved reading all the wonderful tales we have shared so far. Thank you so much to Alex for reaching out to us and making us feel loved!

June 18, 2018

Lydia kindly shared her previous Birthtale with us whist she was pregnant with baby 3. Time flies and her new baby arrived last Saturday, so this tale is hot off the press. She is a hypnobirthing teacher in Honor Oak Park and is super passionate about all things birth.

June 11, 2018

Instagram's Zoe De Pass AKA @dresslikeamum enlisted the services of Charlotte to encapsulate her placenta after her third baby was born. We were so thrilled that she agreed to share her BIRTHTALE with us and you, thanks Zoe

June 04, 2018

We have the lovely Kirstie to thank for today's Birthtale. She is a truly marvellous lady, an inspiring midwife and a strong, dedicated and loving mum. The three of us at Birthtale HQ are blessed to have her as our friend. Her story catalogues so many emotions from the very early, often lonely days of her pregnancy until the time of B's arrival earthside. Bethan has had more than her fair share of hard days but Kirstie has been a rock of a woman throughout it all. Read on ....... 

May 28, 2018

Kat is one of Charlotte oldest and bestest👌
They’ve randomly ended up living just round the corner from each other and their children all go to school together (or will do eventually). And they share a childminder.  From hand me down school uniforms to afternoon birthday party’s that roll on in the evening it’s fab having you there Kat.

Read Kat and Mae’s Birthtale to find out more about the power of preparation and hypnobirthing. Kat describes her labour as pain free and empowering. Even with a little PPH thrown in for good measure.

May 21, 2018

Alison, who is an old school friend of Charlotte's is part of a small group of women who suffer tocophobia. A significant fear or phobia of vaginal birth. Some studies suggest this effects up to 14% if women and a lot of those will opt for an elective Caesarean birth.

Alison did not, and this is her account of her labour.  Unfortunately she had a difficult labour and birth and went on to suffer birth trauma. She talks about this and her tocophobia in an article published in The Guardian in 2010. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/04/i-have-phobia-of-pregnancy

 

We wish we’d been here for you then Alison and are so grateful for all you have done for Birthtale .

May 14, 2018

There is a lot more to Lisa's Birthtale than just her birth! In fact considering she is an amazing twin mama she doesn't talk much about her natural delivery of two incredible humans! Read on. We salute her and thank her for sharing her emotions from that time back in Australia...I (Rachel) am just glad she is in London now or the last 8 years would have been a lot less fun and definitely less sober!

May 07, 2018

Rachel knew Katia was pregnant from very early on and they shared lots of happy long days working together at St Thomas’ and thinking about the exciting times she had ahead of her...yes she’s another midwife!

She was so easy going in her pregnancy, just  took it all in her stride. There were no complaints, just joy. It seems from reading her Birthtale that she had the same attitude to her birth which is great. Now as Ari’s Mum she is just as relaxed and content which is fantastic news. Happy Mum, happy baby 👶 

April 30, 2018

Lisi was the very first person to enquire about Birthtale services when the website went live last autumn. We were so chuffed when that email came to our inbox. Rachel saw Lisi and Rich antenatally and we are thrilled that she has come back to share her awesome Birthtale with us. She is a strong and powerful woman who was born to birth. Thanks Lisi.

April 23, 2018

It’s a lovely Birthtale today, that of Anna's friend Shellani, who shed a few tears writing it. She is a Mother of three beautiful daughters . She struggled during her pregnancy 🤰 to decide what was best for her and her family when it came to how she would give birth.

 

She finally chose an elective caesarean birth to welcome Avani. Anna remembers visiting after all her three births and when Avani arrived she was truly ecstatic! The fear and worry about birth replaced by pure happiness. She felt supported in her choice, it was the right decision for her and a healing, powerful birthing experience. Thanks Shellani

April 16, 2018

This month is Global Caesarean Awareness Month and today my beautiful friend Sophie tells her Birthtale of the long awaited birth of her Son, Woody.

 

I had the privilege of meeting Sophie when our firstborns were toddlers. She was funny, gregarious, dynamic and a breath of fresh air when I had not met any Mum friends. Enjoy Sophie’s Birthtale an upbeat, joyful beginning of life with her son.... in a cupboard?! 

 

April 09, 2018

This week we travel back 50 years to celebrate the birthday of our very own Rachel. Her wonderful mum Alison tells her Birthtale in what could almost be an episode of Call The Midwife, apart from the fact she was in NW London not East!

Thanks to Alison for sharing her memories.

April 02, 2018

Meet Beccy, midwife, mum of 2 and general wonder woman... She cropped up in a previous Birthtale as midwife to Rachel & Elsa!

This is her tale and what a story it is. Hold on to your hats and brace yourselves for a read you won't forget. I laughed out loud even though I knew the details before she sent it over to Birthtale HQ.

March 26, 2018

Lydia became interested in hypnobirthing when pregnant with Bax, following a difficult first birth. Using the techniques she learnt she managed to have a completely different experience second time round and was so convinced by it she decided to have complete career change! She is now teaching hypnobirthing. What a gorgeous image. Thanks Lydia.

March 20, 2018

Meet Reuben, who is a great friend of Rachel's daughter. He is the most engaging and hilarious boy, who brings enormous joy to those who know him. This is Sharon's Birthtale and is brought to you on the eve of World Down Syndrome Day. She is honest and open about the experience she and her husband Nick had when Reuben was born and they discovered that their precious boy had Down's, read on.....

March 13, 2018

Today we have a Birthtale from a school playground in NW London. Karen, a friend of Rachel's has agreed to tell the story of Stan's birth. It's not been an easy one for her to share, so we applaud her for "going there". Emotions can remain raw for many years  which can make the act of recall difficult. Respect to Karen.

March 06, 2018

Leading on from Alexis' Birthtale last week, today we welcome Beccy Hands who is the other half of The Motherbox. Beccy is a doula and pregnancy masseuse. How perfectly named is she! We hear her massages might just be worth having another baby for...

February 27, 2018

I met Alexis AKA candid midwife through our teaching for Bump and Baby Club. As well as teaching for Bump and Baby she teaches hypno-birthing, runs the hugely successful Mother Box with Beccy Hands and is also a mum of three. There is also rumour of a book...... how does she do it all?

What we as midwives always say about not being able to plan these things, certainly rings true!

Thanks Alexis!

February 20, 2018

The gorgeous human being that is Anna has written her second Birthtale for us today. I know we talk a lot on Instagram about the beauty that is in Anna but that's because she is a true gem. We thank Anna for her honesty which helps to fuel a dialogue around the difficult issue of antenatal anxiety and depression.

February 13, 2018

If you read Rachel's 1st Birthtale then you will remember how she struggled with a pretty heavy duty emergency caesarean section and more than her fair share of postnatal complications. Remember though, no two births are the same and there is always the chance that second time around things will be different....

February 06, 2018

It is Charlotte's turn to tell you her 2nd Birthtale today. She has been incredibly honest when posting stuff about her pregnancy, the difficulties she had with antenatal depression and  her deep rooted anxiety about birth the second time around. We are really proud of how she has opened up about this personal stuff in order to raise awareness of these often unspoken troubles...you are amazing Charlotte. 

January 30, 2018

Rachel was my son's teacher in year 6, but from the beginning of the year it was obvious to me that she wouldn't be with the class all year!! I saw her pregnancy develop on a daily basis so it was wonderful to be there for her on D day, a real privilege. Thanks for sharing this with us Rachel.

January 23, 2018

One of the best bits of antenatal teaching is meeting so many parents to be at this special time in their lives. Charlotte met Alice and Mark last year. Today Alice tells her home Birthtale and the arrival of little Alma Bloom. And it’s a beauty. Particularly relevant for anyone considering hypnobirthing. Over to Alice.....

January 16, 2018

Here we have two tales for the price of one. Cat is wonderfully up front and really honest in her writing. Thanks for sharing Cat.

January 09, 2018

Thank you to the lovely Helen from Fix London for sharing her story so soon after her birth. 

January 02, 2018

A tale particularly close to Charlotte's heart as she was privileged enough to be present. After years of friendship, support and love she was honoured to give something back.

December 26, 2017

Emma's labour started unexpectedly in the early hours of Christmas Day 2015, but amazingly they were all back home with baby Max in time for Christmas dinner and presents!

December 19, 2017

This week we have Anna with the wonderful story of Gaia's birth. A truly beautiful tale.

December 12, 2017

This week it's Rachel who dispels the myth that beauty only lies in a waterbirth in a darkened room with her account of her emergency caesarean section.

December 05, 2017

Charlotte tells her first BIRTHTALE in the first episode of "Tell your Birthtale Tuesday"

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