25/04/2026
✨HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL’S REVIEW OF OUR ANTENATAL COURSE✨
We were blown away by this incredibly special and powerful review, coming from one of our island’s paramedics, and new dad, Nathan. 👇🏼
“As a paramedic, my training around birth has always been rooted in clinical procedure and medical risk. The typical pre‑hospital birth environment supplied by ambulance staff is far from oxytocin‑friendly: at least two strangers in green uniforms and safety boots arriving at someone’s home, Turing on the bright lights, urgency, and the possibility of transporting parents in a cold, wipe‑clean ambulance. It’s no surprise that ambulance involvement rarely supports the physiology of labour. In Jersey especially, we usually only attend when a midwife has already escalated to hospital transfer or when spontaneous labour is progressing faster than expected.
Because of this, many ambulance clinicians naturally lean toward recommending hospital births, we only get involved when things aren’t progressing as quickly or slowly as they should and often speak negatively about home births. Being one of the few paramedics who has always seen the value of home birth as a holistic, patient‑centred option has felt unusual in my field. I believe this stems from a lack of understanding about how we, as pre‑hospital clinicians, can positively support the birthing process.
Having worked with May in previous professional roles, I always knew that when my wife and I were expecting, we would take one of her hypnobirthing courses. What I didn’t expect was how profoundly it would change not only my experience as a birth partner, but also my practice as a paramedic and as a trainer of future clinicians.
The hypnobirthing course gave me a completely new lens through which to view birth. I learned how to advocate for my wife, but I also learned how to advocate for any birthing person I attend in my professional role. Understanding the physiology of oxytocin, the impact of environment, and the importance of calm, uninterrupted space made me reflect deeply on previous births I’ve attended. I now recognise how easily ambulance staff, unintentionally, can disrupt labour simply by entering the room in a clinical manner.
What surprised me most was how practical the course was for my clinical work. We covered:
• Breathing techniques that support relaxation, reduce adrenaline, and help labour progress, tools I can now coach parents through in the moment.
• Positions that encourage comfort and physiological birth, rather than defaulting to the traditional “on the back” approach that often works against gravity and slows progress. Given the nature of the only transportable place is a bed in the back of an ambulance.
• Alternatives to medical pain relief, including movement, massage, water, and mindset tools, all of which are accessible in a pre‑hospital setting.
• The use of TENS machines, which I had previously seen as “optional extras” but now understand as a powerful, non‑pharmacological method of supporting comfort and control during early labour.
These techniques have completely reframed how I approach maternity calls. I now see that supporting oxytocin flow isn’t just “nice to have”, it’s clinically relevant and potentially the most important. It explains why so many births slow down the moment ambulance staff arrive. Our presence, tone, lighting, and approach can either support or interrupt the natural hormonal process.
I found myself thinking back to past callouts and asking:
Why didn’t I dim the lights? Why didn’t I lower my voice? Why didn’t I encourage upright positions or breathing techniques? Why didn’t I offer alternatives before reaching for medical interventions?
Since completing the course, my practice has changed significantly. I now approach pre‑hospital maternity care with a far more holistic mindset. I actively work to maintain oxytocin flow from the moment I arrive, softening my tone, reducing stimulation, adjusting lighting where possible, encouraging movement and upright positions, and supporting parents with breathing techniques. These are small changes, but they make a meaningful difference.
As an educator, I’ve also begun incorporating these principles into the way I teach others to support birth. It’s no longer just about the clinical algorithm; it’s about understanding the physiology, the psychology, and the environment. It’s about recognising that our presence can either support or hinder the natural progression of labour. Teaching students about TENS use, upright positions, and non‑pharmacological comfort measures has already changed the way they approach maternity scenarios.
I would strongly encourage all ambulance staff to explore hypnobirthing principles, not necessarily to teach them, but to understand them. Even something as simple as dimming the lights, encouraging slow breathing, or supporting an upright position can protect the birthing process and reduce unnecessary stress for parents.
This course didn’t just prepare me for my own daughter’s birth. It made me a better paramedic, a better educator, and a better advocate for positive, respectful, physiological birth.”
