Meghan Markle Strange Decision and Reason as She Quietly Erases Her First Names from Son Archie’s Birth Certificate – “Because I Don’t Want…” See More

No sooner had those two little blue lines appeared, than my mind raced forward through 10 months of pregnancy and arrived at the birth.

A birth – as I’d been led to believe by dramatised TV series, intimidating government statistics and many of my friends’ own experiences – that would undoubtedly be a bloodbath of pain, fear and possibly even worse.

In fact, my imagined birth story was so visceral that I questioned whether I really wanted children via this traditional route at all.

All this had pushed me toward the belief that an elective C-section was the sole way to stay in control and, crucially, stay alive.

to be precise – better known as a world-renowned childbirth pioneer and holistic obstetrician – that I learnt how empowering birth can be. Scary? Yes. Unpredictable? Definitely.

But those two things didn’t mean I was destined to endure suffering, fear and unbearable anxiety.

There is another way. In fact, by the end of my journey with her – an extensive (and all-encompassing) pregnancy