Jenni’s positive birth story

I’ve always loved yoga and have practised on and off for over 10 years, so once the morning sickness passed, I was keen to find a pregnancy yoga class.

I’m so glad I found Lianna. Her classes were such a highlight of my week. I loved how we began by sharing and connecting with the other women before moving into the practice. The music, gentle movements and calm, intimate atmosphere made it feel really special. It was a magical way to spend an evening, slowing down, bonding with my baby and preparing mentally for birth.

I truly believe the breathing and relaxation techniques I learned in those classes helped me during labour. When things intensified, I found myself naturally going back to the breathing and calm focus we practised each week, which helped me stay relaxed and work with the contractions.

My contractions started at 4am on Saturday and were immediately regular. After calling the birth centre, we stayed home for a while, and although we briefly went into hospital that morning, we were sent home again as it was still early.

Back home, things progressed quickly, and I laboured in the bath. By midday, I was in active labour, and when I started feeling the urge to push, we headed back to Maidstone.

We arrived just after 2pm and were shown into a room as the unit was unusually busy. Within minutes, it was clear the baby was coming. My waters broke and after just seven minutes of pushing on all fours, our baby boy arrived at 2:20pm, before the gas and air even made it to the room!

I really feel the yoga helped me stay calm and trust my body during the whole experience, and I’m so grateful I found these classes during my pregnancy.