My husband and I relocated to Italy and we wanted to do a course together that would educate us better on preparing for the birth of our baby. 

We were recommended Anna by a friend who took her course and had a great delivery. We loved the idea of doing it on Zoom with other English-speaking couples. I had felt a bit skeptical and negative during my pregnancy (which was very unusual for me) but in the end it was the most beautiful and empowering experience I have lived so far. 

Everything Anna shared in the course was interesting, insightful and backed up by data. Thanks to her teachings and the sharing with the other couples in the session, we wrote our 1 page birth plan to bring on the day of the delivery - we were so grateful that the hospital staff in Italy followed every single points in it.

At 41+0 weeks, my contractions started in the morning. I moved through using the fitball, massages we were taught in the course and a warm shower. By 1pm, I was having contractions every 5 minutes for 1 minute. We went to the hospital, did a fetal monitoring and checked the dilatation (4cm) but was advised to return when I had 4 contractions within 10 minutes.

Back at home, my husband timed all my contractions and I changed positions every 10 minutes from all four, side lying, fit ball, walking, showering…

At 11pm, I couldn’t handle the back pain anymore and even if we were at 3 contractions per 10 minutes it felt time to go to the hospital.

The 10 minutes drive to the hospital really kicked off closer contractions.

I got taken in immediately to do a fetal monitoring but my contractions were so close it was useful to be holding the comb in my hand to try and spread the pain. 

The control showed that I was 7 cm dilated and was ready to go to the delivery room.

I had requested an epidural as soon as I had arrived at the hospital (it was also in my birth plan), as soon as I received it, I smiled with all my teeth for the first time in hours and thanked the Anesthesiologist. I had about an hour where my back pain didn’t exist and I could ride the contractions (that I could still feel) lying on the side and rest from the day. I had asked to limit the vaginal examination and the midwife agreed that I would feel when it would be time to push. 

At 3am, my husband asked if he could go take a walk outside, and right at this time the machine rang and I felt like I really needed to go to the bathroom. It was time the midwife announced.

I decided to give birth and push while standing up and squatting holding my husband hands who was across the bed from me and the midwife who was on the floor behind me ready to receive our baby.

Giving birth standing was one of the most empowering feeling I ever felt. I had bought squatty potties at home in my second trimester and the practice of using them helped when it came to push. Vocalisations and deep breathing while remembering to keep my face relaxed also helped me push for longer without tiring myself too much. My water still had not broken and it did as the head of the baby came out. After 39 minutes of pushing, and the Spotify playlist of “classical music for labour” finished, our baby appeared. 4 minutes after he was born, my baby boy was already latching and doing skin-to-skin. We had agreed to not cut the umbilical cord until I had delivered the placenta and that the baby had received all the cord fluids, once it was empty about 30 min later, my husband cut the cord. I ended up with one external point for which I thank my husband who helped with perineal massages daily for 3 weeks up until the birth. 

Nothing replaces real life experience and I saw a woman giving birth on tv the other day and I immediately cried - I think nothing can prepare you for how you will feel and how it will really go in the end but this course definitely prepared us mentally for what to ask, what to choose and why those were the right choice for us.

We were empowered and we would use the same birth plan should we have another birth in the future. Thanks Anna for the knowledge to face our most rewarding day .