Rebecca's water birth

After moving to the UK for work, Rebecca and her partner Diego were thrilled to discover they were expecting their first child. They decided to have their baby at The Portland Hospital under the care of Dr Maryam Parisaei and Dr Penny Law.

As Rebecca's pregnancy progressed, she found that she felt most comfortable when swimming. That's when she began considering a water birth. 'Everything I read about the subject made complete sense to me. When I found out that The Portland Hospital is fully supportive of water births, I knew that was what I wanted to do,' she says. Rebecca knew that if she decided on a water birth, she wouldn't have the option of an epidural during labour. Instead, she looked into alternative pain relief methods, including hypnobirthing. Hypnobirthing refers to the use of hypnosis during labour to achieve a positive, calm and gentle birthing experience. Hypnobirthing can result in a shorter labour, less use of medication and less intervention.

When Rebecca went into labour, she gave the couple's birth plan to the midwifery team. Diego was able to play a key role in proceedings, just as the the couple had hoped. 'Diego had been very involved throughout the pregnancy and we both wanted him to be able to make decisions during the birth,' says Rebecca. Using hypnobirthing techniques, Rebecca remembers her labour as a relaxed and serene time. 'The birth itself was so peaceful and I felt really comfortable in the water.' Dr Law safely delivered baby Kai in the birthing pool. The name holds special meaning for the couple, meaning 'ocean' in Japanese and Hawaiian. 'It felt like the perfect name for our little water baby,' says Rebecca.

She looks back fondly on her experience at The Portland Hospital. 'It sounds funny but I really missed the doctors after I went home. As a newcomer to London, with my family on the other side of the world, their care and attention meant that I never felt alone. In fact, quite the opposite – I felt completely supported and nurtured.’