Lauren Hayes gave birth to daughter Thea at her home in Stockton Heath on Sunday, July 22, with husband Andy by her side.

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AUGUST: Born in Warrington 2018

After having an induced pregnancy with now four-year-old first born daughter Grace, Lauren decided she wanted a ‘difference experience’ for her second birth – which is when she came across the One to One Midwives Pregnancy Advice Centre on Sankey Street in the town centre.

She said: “With our next pregnancy, we wanted a different experience as it took me a long time to recover physically and even longer psychologically.

“When I found out I was pregnant I self-referred to One to One midwives, which turned out to be the best decision of my life.

“Everything for me was stripped back and I saw pregnancy and birth as a normal, natural event that in most cases didn’t need interfering with – especially in my case, being classed as low risk.

“I started to explore hypnobirthing, homebirths, water births and ultimately believing in my body and in the natural process of birth.”

Midwife Sheridan Thomas was on hand throughout the pregnancy to offer advice and support in the run up to the birth – with the process beginning in the early hours of the morning, at around 3.30am.

Lauren said: “My amazing midwife Sheridan has been a total dream.

“I felt like she got me from the first time we met – she never pandered to me when I had an irrational worry or was getting fed up being overdue.

“She was the strength I lacked, and centred me every time I needed it in the run-up to labour.

“My due date was July 4 – the weeks went by and our baby really made me practice what I had preached for the past nine months about how I was going to do everything naturally and wait for my baby to come in its own time and to trust my body.

“Me and my husband – who was my absolute rock – spent the day together swaying through the contractions, watching films, eating and drinking and just letting my body do its thing.

“At around 3.30pm I told my husband to ring Sheridan and put the pool up – I just knew it was soon going to be time.

“The rest for me is a blur, like a wonderful out of body experience as I just went within myself and found a strength I didn’t think I had.”

After three hours in the pool Lauren finally had the water birth at 7.29pm, with Thea Millie Hayes born weighing 8lb10.

Lauren added: “I was in the pool in our lovely little home from around 4.30pm and I breathed and roared our beautiful baby girl Thea Millie Hayes into the world at 7.29pm, weighing 8lb10.

“Within 10 minutes, my mum had dropped off Grace to come and meet her new baby sister.

“We were so honoured to be surrounded by such amazing midwives supporting us through it all – I felt totally empowered to birth my baby my way and to trust my body.

“That feeling of pulling my baby up by myself and placing her on my chest was the most exhilarating and life-changing moment of my life, and I am eternally grateful to One to One – and particularly Sheridan – for all you have done for me, and for us as a family.

“The level of care and the experience we have received from the service has been something I could never even have dreamt of.

“I want to shout from the rooftops about One to One, as I’d love every woman to feel empowered with any decision she makers regarding her birth choices like I have been.

“We will never forget what you have done for us, and you will be etched into our family’s story forever.”