Preparation for your birth
This is different to a birth plan. A rigid ‘plan’ for birth can be dangerous as if birth takes a different direction, due to many different factors, you can feel like birth has gone “wrong”. Understanding your birth choices and preferences is very important though.
Good preparation for your birth can help to displace fear around birth. Fears that we’ve built up over the years which come flooding to the front of our minds when we are pregnant. Fear of the unknown. Feeling informed on the role your body and mind play during birth, understanding different types of birth, choices you have, discussing preferences with your birthing partner are all really positive ways to remove fear and prepare positively for birth. Surrounding yourself with positive birth stories, of which there are many, has a much more positive impact on your brain and body than the negative ones we are fed through society, the media, and even our own friends and family.
You wouldn’t set off for a marathon or turn up to an important event for work without the necessary preparation so it figures that preparation for birth is also needed. By learning about birth and also learning relaxation techniques you can practice in the run up to birth and during birth you can feel positive, confident, and empowered. In turn you can regain some sense of control, reduce stress and anxiety and actually feel excited for birth.
This all builds towards the likelihood of a more positive birth experience and birthing memory.
Hypnobirthing
I run a workshop which use hypnobirthing techniques to prepare parents-to-be for birth and baby. Hypnobirthing is about gathering knowledge and learning practical techniques to prepare for a positive birth experience. You’ll learn about your brain, birth hormones, fear and pain and how to dissolve them, you’ll learn breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, positive birthing positions and more.
Preparation for Birth and Baby Workshop
An antenatal session for mum-to-be and birthing partner to attend together to prepare positively for birth and baby, going beyond your typical antenatal class.
This is about helping YOU gather information, understand what choices YOU have, offering a variety of tools YOU may like to use, ultimately helping YOU to prepare for YOUR birth and YOUR baby.
We recommend gathering information to help you make informed choices for your birth and the care of your baby. Knowledge is power and this is empowerment.
This is a great opportunity to meet other local parents-to-be expecting babies at a similar time to you, become part of a community and have access to a support network.
The workshop includes:
- Understanding the brain, body & birth hormones
- Understanding birth fear & how to remove it
- Hypnobirthing, relaxation & breathing techniques
- Birth environment & choices including active birthing
- Your body, breastfeeding and the benefits
- Understanding baby cues & learn how to position & latch your baby successfully
- Colostrum benefits & how to hand express
- Pace bottle feed, combi-feeding and expressing
- Normal infant sleeping and safe sleeping info
- Key information about early postpartum you
- Food and refreshments
- A mum-to-be gift bag & FREE audio tracks you can use
This 3.5 hour workshop is hosted in County Durham approximately every 1-2 months. To find out when the next workshop is please email info@bumptobabyyoga.co.uk
What parents who’ve attended the Preparation for Birth Workshop have said?
“I attended the preparation for birth class with Jill and I would recommend it. The class was great, I had attended the hospital antenatal classes but due to the times my husband was not able to attend with me. The class was the perfect amount of information for us both and gave us the tools to prepare for birth together.
The PACE bottle feeding information was great and has resulted in a well fed happy baby!
I ended up with a c-section but the tips in the hypnobirthing session on the day gave me the tools to stay calm during the procedure and enjoy the experience.
Thank you! Kay, Graeme and Theo”
“Prior to going on the preparation for birth session I was very nervous/scared about the prospect of giving birth. After attending I felt much more knowledgeable and a lot more confident and dare I say it excited. Although we didn’t have the birth we planned for (induced rather than spontaneous water birth) I used all the techniques learned at the session which in the end definitely helped me feel more relaxed.
Also learning about breastfeeding and safe co-sleeping was amazing, we couldn’t get on a NCT course prior to my little one’s arrival so learning this on the session has absolutely helped on our journey and I’m now exclusively breastfeeding.
We also loved how it got our partners involved as sometimes the men don’t know what to do in that sort of situation but it certainly opened up my partners perspective on it and gave him some guidance and confidence.
I’d highly recommend for anyone and their partner”
