With every birth comes a different story, but Brighton mum Corinne Card's is pretty unique! Corinne gave birth in her bath at home during the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic in October 2020. She has coined her birthing experience as "straightforward" and "easy" and speaking exclusively to HELLO!, she has shared advice with other mums.
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Tell us about your earlier than expected birth at home
"Looking back, it was a very strange experience, and I was incredibly lucky that nothing went wrong. It was a straightforward birth and it was easy, too, in the sense that I didn't have to go to hospital and deal with the kinds of procedures and rules I'd gone through with my two other children."
What's your best advice for women going through labour?
"For someone going through labour, if you like water then I would recommend using it to help you feel calm and reduce the labour pains. I'd also recommend having the person or people you love near as this can increase oxytocin, the love chemical, and help your labour along."
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Do you wish your birth story was different?
"I was so lucky during a situation which could have gone horribly wrong, and didn't. So no, I wouldn't change it. But if I were to have another child - which I'm not planning to do, I would try and plan more carefully next time to avoid a similar situation happening again. It would be easier I think to have more help nearby now we're not in a lockdown situation, so I would aim to have more friends and family around."
Corinne shares her advice with other mums
What's your best tip for dealing with a newborn?
"Newborns need so much attention and new parents can find themselves beyond frazzled. My tip is to do your best with your newborn but also to focus on your own mental health. Give yourself treats and time out whenever you can, get sleep whenever you can, but the tip is to make sure you look after yourself and not just the baby."
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Do you use Google for parenting tips?
"Google has two sides when it comes to parenting. It can be incredibly useful or it can make a worrying situation seem absolutely terrifying. My tip for Google is to use it frequently to help you find deals on anything you need for the kids, but to be super careful if you're trying to diagnose some kind of ailment. The most frightening and rare answers often rise to the top!"
The Brighton mum has written a book
Her baby Freddie is now 21 months old, and amid raising her little one, Corinne has found the time to write a book. The birth story is one of many parenting experiences she describes in her new book, titled: Parenting Tips Your Mother Didn't Tell You - An A-Z of Parenting in the Digital Age.
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