I've Made the Local Press :-)

A NEW Birthing Class based in Burnham has had its first successful home birth weeks of the course starting.

Jo Fellowes started The Daisy Foundation classes in Burnham and new parents Abby and Mike Durrant have nothing but praise for the class after giving birth to their son Jacob a fortnight ago.

"I have two boys, an 11-year-old and a one-year-old," Mrs Fellowes said, "with my eldest, the birth itself was a not a nice experience."

"This time I wanted things to go differently and I found a 12 week birthing class in Weston-Super-Mare. Afterwards I had a home birth in water and I felt much happier about the process."

Mrs Fellowes, who trained as a midwife, thought it would be a good idea to set up similar classes closer to home.

She started up the Daisy Foundation which runs at the Dancefit Studio in Burnham, with Abby Durrant being one of her first students.

"We had a baby boy who we named Jacob John Durrant. He was born on May 9 at 5pm and it is my first child," Mrs Durrant said.

"My labour was 25 hours long from start to finish and was done without pain relief. I wouldn't have been able to do this without Jo and her classes."

"Daisy Birthing doesn't just promote a natural birth, but aims for every mum to be to achieve a very positive birth whether they want pain relief or a C section.

"I decided to do Daisy Birthing as I wanted to have a very natural, pain relief free birth as I could and after having spoken with Jo over the phone, I knew her classes was what I needed to be able to do this."

In the classes soon-to-be mothers learn about different breathing techniques as well as relaxation techniques which can be used during labour, all the different birthing positions and what processes your body goes through to deliver a baby.

"Jo's classes are a great opportunity to meet local mums to be and make friendships before childbirth. Her classes are very relaxed and instantly gives you the confidence about the labour and birth experience, as a first time mum and not knowing what to expect in the labour and birth this was a massive confidence booster for me," Mrs Durrant said.

For more information email jo-fellowes@thedaisyfoundation.com.

http://www.burnhamandhighbridgeweeklynews.co.uk/news/14513527.Success_for_Burnham__39_s_new_birthing_class/?ref=fbshr

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The First Daisy Baby from Burnham on Sea - Birth Announcement from a Daisy Mum - Abby

Congratulations to the first Daisy Baby born from my class in Burnham on Sea...

Hi Jo

I thought I would say a massive thank you for all your support and help in the birthing classes I have recently just done.

I gave birth to gorgeous boy on 9th may at 5 am,  weighing 7lbs14oz.

I had a very natural birth with no pain relief and was an extremely positive experience,  with the help of the breathing it really took my mind of each contraction and riding them with ease.

My husband was absolutely amazing throughout the labour and birth with the help of the partner class you done for us and kept me focused all the way through.

You are an absolute credit to the daisy birthing chain and will definitely be recommending the classes to any mum to be.

www.facebook.com/daisyburnhamonsea/

My midwife has already recommended the classes to local mums to be.

Once again, thank you very much.

The Story of another Daisy Mum...

Yesterday I received an email from a lovely lady who attended Daisy Birthing in Weston but now lives in Burnham on Sea. She asked if I would like to share her Daisy birth story so that other local mums can read about her super positive birthing experience and how Daisy Birthing classes really helped her. 

So thank you very much for sharing x

First time mum

Not having a lot of experience with babies or few friends with young children, I had no expectations of labour or having a baby at all. 
I was actually quite clueless, bar hearing the usual horror stories and watching one born every minute, i knew at this time labour would be awful, it would hurt...a lot, and I was dreading it. 
I needed some knowledge. And knowledge is power. 
I certainly gained the power I needed by attending the daisy classes and learning what my body and mind were capable of.

It was midnight and the day we were finally moving our belongings into the house we'd brought a few weeks ago, of all the days I ideally didn't want to go into labour, my waters went...in bed! My first thought wasn't, let's get to the hospital, how will I cope, it was 'who's going to move and sort out all of our stuff?' Haha. 

I didn't have a step by step birthing plan, but knew some things I did want. 
A relaxed, enjoyable and active labour. If possible the idea of a birthing pool and having my baby in there excited me. 

Our first challenge was getting to the hospital though. Of all the days and hours, the m5 was shut at the Taunton junction and the traffic had backed up. As I was sat in the passenger seat, my husband was driving down the hard shoulder, ringing the police panicking! All whilst I was in 'the zone' breathing each wave of contraction, I barely knew what was happening around me. 

By 4am (and at musgrove) my contractions were strong and close. I was initially in a beautiful relaxed room on the midwife led ward, rotating on a bean bag on the floor with sparkling stars on the ceiling. 

A short while later I got into the birthing pool which helped sooth me. 
However my labour went down a route I hadn't envisaged from here.
At 9am I was in that "transition" phase that The teacher speaks about. Me... Wanting an epidural? No...that wasn't the plan?

I demanded to get out of the birthing pool, having no idea how dilated I was. My husband trying to tell me to stay put and reminding me of what I'd be taught. 
That "transition tunnel vision" as I called it, had over come me though and I was taken to the labour ward after me crying and demanding every form of pain relief.

Once arriving there I was told I was fully dilated, but the risks of having an epidural go wrong were increased highly if I were to have one now. 
All that hard work, rotating, breathing etc, had paid off though, I'd done the hard work, it was now time to meet my little man. 
I didn't need an epidural - high five! 

Even though I ended up on the labour ward (where before hand I didn't want to be!) I ended up squatting, rotating, getting on all fours and finally having my baby with no pain relief apart from a few puffs of gas and air. 

I can vividly remember a senior midwife telling me I had to move up the bed whilst I was on all fours on it, otherwise my baby was going to be born onto the floor, but I just couldn't move, I was so zoned in on my breathing and breathing my babies head out, I wasn't moving for anyone, not even channing Tatum! 
My contractions had slowed down at this point, however I continued to do the relaxation breathing we do in every class, this helped nudge babies head out slowly preventing me from having any tears/cuts. 

Charlie Anthony Jennison was born at 13:07 hrs weighing 8lbs 3oz. 
Unfortunately my placenta wouldn't come away afterwards and I ended up going into theatre to get it removed. This didn't dampen the euphoric feeling of my amazing labour and meeting my beautiful son though. 

My labour was 8 hours, which I truly believe was only because of what I'd been taught at the daisy classes. 
Trust me, it works! www.facebook.com/daisyburnhamonsea/