"Planned caesarean"

As someone with a needle phobia and OCD tendencies, I felt a lot of fear alongside the excitement of pregnancy. Choosing a planned caesarean felt right for me, and I was so grateful that community midwives and obstetric team supported this decision without any judgment.

I was offered clinical psychology appointments, which led to a referral to the anaesthetic team. Talking through the procedure in detail with them was incredibly reassuring—and for the first time, I felt genuine excitement rather than fear. The EROS class I attended was also very helpful, with different staff explaining the process clearly in advance, which made the build-up and surgery day much less daunting.  

On the day of surgery Juliana, the anaesthetist who presented during the EROS session, was incredibly reassuring throughout the procedure—her calm and compassionate presence made a huge difference to how safe and supported I felt.

After the birth, the care I received on the recovery and labour wards was excellent. I really appreciated that partners were allowed to stay, especially as I needed help with mobility. The only improvement I’d suggest would be to the facilities—space around the bed was very limited, and the bathrooms could use somewhere to place personal items whilst getting dressed or freshened up. 

Overall, the support I received helped turn a potentially overwhelming experience into a positive and empowering one.