Introduction
This workshop is delivered over two Saturdays or Sundays using interactive and innovative teaching strategies. It will increase your confidence in your ability to birth your baby; and equip you and your partner with labour self-help techniques and partner support strategies that really work and can dramatically enhance your experience of birth. You will also learn how to use decision making tools which enable you to birth your way.
We will combine group activities, games, discussion, practical exercises, role play, videos and written materials to bring you an inspiring and enjoyable learning experience. You will come away from the workshop feeling prepared and confident to meet the challenge of labour and being able to apply your new knowledge and skills to give yourself the best possible birth experience.
The information and skill development provided by these sessions is rarely included in hospital prenatal classes.
We will explore:
- Labour and Birth…
- What normal labour is really like and how you might respond to it.
- Feelings about birth, their impact on labour and how to remove fear.
- The benefits and principles of active birth:
- wonderful self-help techniques which enhance the experience of birth and shorten the length of labour including, breathing, positioning, movement, vocalisation and more.
- How to achieve deep and focused relaxation throughout the birth process, resulting in a shorter, more comfortable labour.
- Powerful partner support strategies which bring you closer together as a couple, increasing feelings of safety and trust and enable you to better work with the pain. including: observation, massage and touch, breathing, heat/cold therapy and more.
- Decision making tools which enable you to partner with your midwife or doctor to better achieve your goals for birth.
- How to reduce the risk of unnecessary interventions during labour and birth including episiotomy.
- How to remain active if interventions and drugs for pain relief become necessary.
- Early Parenting
- The first hour after birth - the euphoria, the significance and your options.
- Birth self-attachment and successful breastfeeding
- What life after birth is really like - including physical, social and lifestyle changes
- Babycare and baby nurturing - settling, sleep and communication
- Looking after YOU - strengthening your relationship, postnatal support plans
This is what participants from previous workshops had to say about their experience:
“Fabulous! We’d done the hospital one so had a bit of knowledge in theory, but this was far more practical.” K & G, First-time parents-to-be
“I loved the relaxed atmosphere and open discussion.”
“I love being part of a group discussing birth. There are things other people offer that do not occur to me. I wish I’d attended before our first birth.” Katie Woods
‘The russian waterbirth video was amazing, she was majestic - it is very inspiring for me to see these possibilities and the reality of it.”
“I found the workshop incredibly informative and empowering. I feel much less anxiety about the birth and have more confidence in my body’s ability to birth naturally and with minimal, if any, intervention.” First-time mum-to-be
“Your wealth of knowledge and positive attitude were fabulous. Very glad we did this!!” Ann-Marie Horsley
“I certainly feel more confident and I really enjoyed the format of the workshop. I think you did well to facilitate discussion of all approaches not just non-interventionist. Thank you.” First-time dad-to-be