Birth Preparation
Most antenatal courses cover a wide range of topics – what will happen during birth and all the procedures and protocols of our modern maternity system, pain relief options, breastfeeding, baby care skills, early days as a parent etc.
The MummyYoga Birthing workshop focuses exclusively on what you can do to help yourself have the most positive birth experience, regardless of the type of birth you are planning. It will teach you in depth skills to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally as well as physically for the birth.
- We will understand the importance of your thought processes during labour and birth.
- We will talk about the effect of stress and fear on your labour and how this hinders the birth process.
- I will also show you how to work with your body to help labour progress in a way that leaves you calm and in control, ready to welcome your baby into the world.
- Physiology of the normal breathing and how it affects pregnancy and the birth process.
- Effective breathing and deep relaxation techniques.
- The impact of sounds on your neurobiology and emotions.
- How fear and anxiety can have a negative impact on your body during the birth and learn how to manage it.
- The neuroscience of an empowered birth – rewiring your brain from fear to confidence using breath awareness techniques.
- Skills to overcome fear and increase your confidence and trust in your ability to give birth.
In this workshop we will elevate the role of your birthing partner (be it your husband/boyfriend/ girlfriend/friend/ mother/doula).
I will bring in the clear evidence from neuroscience in understanding how effective communication by your birthing partner can help you concentrate on the physical and emotional elements of childbirth.
Partners of pregnant ladies will be able to pick up key skills in facilitating and supporting the birth and experiencing a true sense of team effort in this wonderful aspect of your birthing journey.
- Birth positions that they can assist with.
- How your emotions change during the labour and signs to look for.
- Practical tools and techniques for your partner to keep you calm, relaxed and ease discomfort during the birth.
- Ways your birth partner can help you achieve a deeply relaxed state. Informed decision making.
- Effective ways to build rapport and work with the midwifery team supporting you. atte
Some of our past attendees have said:
“Thanks so much, we found the workshop really helpful and to be honest far more useful than we were hoping (if that doesn't sound daft!!?)
Your openness and candid explanations really helped me see things differently and after a fairly traumatic birth with our first baby, I feel like its really set me up to be better prepared no matter what happens this time around, actually sitting with my partner for what seemed like a brief few minutes really had a huge effect on us both, time out we've not invested in or thought about previously, how powerful that can be!”
Some frequently asked questions on the workshop:
In essence this workshop provides time to explore how a woman might want to move during childbirth, position herself and breathe, and how her birth partner can make that easier and more comfortable for her. Women and their birth partners will gain additional practical ‘tools’ for childbirth including touch, movement and massage. These valuable tools and skills are portable to any life situation of stress and anxiety.
Continuing the MummyYoga philosophy of only providing well respected research and knowledge about birth we will discuss a range of approaches to meet the intensity of childbirth, using simple equipment available to all, such as birth balls, pillows and chairs.
The workshop is particularly valuable for women and partners planning or considering as straight forward a birth as possible. Many women are worried that they might not be able to cope with the intensity of childbirth and many partners are worried that they will find this very difficult. The aim of the day is to help everyone feel more positive about birth and confident in their abilities to cope with labour.
The workshop, which is designed for women and their birth partners, takes place over a single weekend morning or afternoon. Tea, coffee, water and biscuits will be available throughout the workshop.
Groups are kept to a maximum of six couples, and have a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The workshop is loosely structured, but is kept flexible to ensure there is plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion.
The workshop is for parents who want to be actively involved in decision making and prefer to have an understanding of what choices are available to them for labour and birth. All are welcome. Women come with male and/or female birth partners, mothers, sisters, friends and doulas.
Women and their birth partners are welcome at any stage in their pregnancy but often come between 30-37 weeks of their pregnancies so they have time to think about what they have learned during the workshop.
During the workshop you’ll meet other couples who also want to have an active role in working towards a very positive experience. It gives you and your partner a great opportunity to escape life’s day to day demands and just focus on each other and your baby for an afternoon. You’ll both leave the workshop feeling excited about childbirth hopefully with no (less!) fear and ready for the great adventure of parenting.
