The Big Benefits of an Active Birth

On my Hypnobirthing course we cover the importance of being upright, forwards and open (UFO) and how an active birth can assist your birthing body's natural processes. I will also go through a number of birth positions and encourage you to practice them, so that you can find positions that work for you and fell instinctive.

Here are some great reasons as to why active birth is so beneficial:

●Reduced Risk of Medical Interventions. In 2012, a study found that upright positions during the second stage of labour was associated with a significant decrease in the use of interventions. Active birth positions are often instinctive - being in a position that feels right and working with your body, can also play a part in reducing interventions.

●Shorter Labour Time. In 2009, a research review found that giving birth in an upright position was associated with a shorter first stage of labour. The study found that birthers who gave birth in an upright position had first stages that were approximately 1 hour shorter.

●Less Painful Labour. Women/birthers who give birth lying down are more likely to have epidurals, but those labouring in an upright position are more likely to cope with pain sensations. A 2009 study found that labouring in an upright position was associated with lower levels of pain during labour.

●A More Satisfying Labour. A study found that birthers who laboured in an upright position felt more satisfied with their birth experience overall.

●Better Oxygen Flow To The Baby. Being in an upright position allows for a better flow of blood to the baby. Lying down on your back can lead to a reduced flow of blood to the baby. Compressed blood & oxygen supply can cause baby to become distressed, resulting in further interventions.

●Makes The Most Of Gravity. It makes sense to utilise gravity during labour. Pushing/breathing down in an upright position allows gravity to do its job and help the baby travel down through the birth path.

●Birth Partner Are More Involved. During an active labour, a birth partner feels like he or she is actively participating in supporting the birthing person. This creates a rewarding, bonding experience and teamwork.

●May Result In Less Trauma To The Baby. Because an active birth can result in fewer interventions, less likelihood of stress to the baby or a longer than necessary labour.

Do you want to learn more about active birth, your birthing rights, birth positions and birth environment? Would you like to learn a number of tools and skills that can assist you in labour and birth? If the answer is yes, then my Hypnobirthing course is for you! Still time to book on to July's group course, or head to my booking page to grab your place on my September group Hypnobirthing course. I have 2 spaces left for private Hypnobirthing in August.

What does a Hypnobirthing course and a Gym membership have in common?

HYPNOBIRTHING & GOING TO THE GYM!

For those of you that are here who don't follow me on Facebook or Instagram, I thought I'd share this post as a blog here for you to read!

Whether you love working out or you've never stepped foot in a gym in your life - this post is relevant to you. It's a metaphor that we can all relate to! Those of you that follow me know that I'm a regular at KaPow (check them out) & during my time there I've noticed a number of things that remind me of my teaching & why/how people participate in Hypnobirthing classes. So I thought it would be fun to make a post out of it!

1) INVESTMENT - Yes, you could work out at home; you could take yourself off for a run, or watch some YouTube workouts & follow along, but we all know it's not the same! Investing in something you are serious about is important. If it means something to you - Invest! I pay a monthly subscription to my gym - not only does it make me accountable, but it also shows that I am invested in my journey/fitness/self care.

2) COACHING - Following along to an online workout doesn't give me knowledge on positioning, technique or safety. I don't have someone there guiding me though, adjusting the workout to suite me! Don't underestimate the advantages of being coached by a professional - someone who is a specialist in their field & is passionate about what they do.

3) ACCOUNTABILITY - it's soooo much easier to 'opt out' when no one is watching right?! It's hard to motivate yourself to do it on the days you're lacking in motivation/tired/fed up. That's where your gym coach gives you that kick up the butt you need to stay on track! When I've messaged kapow & said 'I'm gonna give today a miss because I've pulled my quad' she'll reply with 'get your butt here & I'll adapt your workout to avoid using it!' Having someone to answer too is vital to achieving your goals!

4) YOU GET BACK WHAT YOU PUT IN - rock up to the gym, do a leisurely 500 metres on the rower, f*ck around with the free weights, chat to your mate and head home drinking your protein shake!! Not gonna lie, I've been that person! But how different does it feel to dig deep, put the effort in, try hard, give it your all - when I have those days I feel so great that I'm working towards my goals & it leaves me with a real buzz!

So, moral of the story - Your pregnancy & birth journey is IMPORTANT. Invest in a passionate professional, who believes in you, will hold you accountable for your practice, adapt things if needed & who will be with you every step of the way! And before you know it you'll be seeing & feeling all the gaaains! ;)

And remember, it's all about the practice- I will teach you everything you need to know, it's then so so important that you put the effort in to keep going with everything that you've learned! I'll be there, dropping you messages, checking in and keeping you motivated; I'll be there to answer questions, offload, signpost and more.

My next Hypnobirthing group course is on 4th and 11th July - you can book your place on my website or email me info@cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk - I currently have 1 space left for a private Hypnobirthing course in June, and 2 spaces left for July. My Hypnobirthing course really is a game changer - are you ready to invest in your pregnancy and birth experience?

I thought I was going to have a long night ahead of me, then out of nowhere I could feel him coming!

Here we have the wonderful story of Kelly’s Home Birth of her baby boy. Who was born unassisted at home weighing 8lb 7.5oz (as suspected ‘big baby’!) I worked with Kelly and Jim to help prepare them for their first baby nearly 5 years ago using hypnobirthing. Kelly returned for a Hypnobirthing refresher course with me with their second baby.

“It all started on Monday evening. I was hang out on all fours on as he was not settling into a good position and was sitting back to back. (To be honest it was quite a comfortable position to rest in too.) I got up after 15 mins and waters started to leak. Kept leaking on and off all night - had occasional cramps but nothing major. Saw midwife on Tuesday morning- she wanted to check me but was happy with BP and listened to baby. I was lucky with her - she was as opposed to VEs etc as much as I was unless necessary so never felt pressured into any checks. But she did lay on the 24-hour limit and booked me in for induction that evening at 11.30pm if labour hadn't started.

I expressed my concern about going down there unless I really had to - said what if I don't go down until the next morning and she pretty much said risk was only 1/2% more. But I agreed to speak to Treliske later that evening to let them know what I was going to do. I had also moved my last growth scan from that Monday until the following Friday (so it was after my EDD) so I didn't run into another ‘big baby’ concern conversation with consultants.

Anyway, I told myself I wasn't going to Treliske that night - the worry of it didn't help me at all but managed to put that to one side. Had a few more cramps in the car going home and during the next couple of hours whilst sat on my ball listening to Terri’s Hypnobirthing tracks. They were 20 mins plus apart but no real surges and weren't lasting very long. I was getting annoyed it wasn't progressing and by 4pm I got up to pack my daughter a bag to go to mums just in case. Surges started to come out of nowhere - I got in the shower, thought I was going to have a long night ahead of me. Jim (my partner) started to time them and over the next 40 mins they were every 2 or 3 mins but not lasting more than 30 / 40 seconds so I still didn't think I was anywhere near having this baby. Jim rang the midwife and she said she'd be 45 mins. Then pretty much out of nowhere I could feel him coming - told him to ring her back and say he's not going to wait 45 mins.

So a long story short, he arrived before the midwives did whilst I was stood in the shower, with Jim playing midwife!! The Midwife was on the phone whilst Jim was catching him and they arrived about 20 mins later. I was out of my zone without the tracks, so the breathing techniques really got me through. There was no way I was going to Treliske that night. Luckily, we were both fine and didn't need to transfer, had a 1st degree tear but midwife was happy I didn't need stitches. I just didn't have my waterbirth again even though the pool was blown up in my kitchen - we would never have filled it in time. But the shower was actually amazing once I was in there, I wasn't coming out for anything!

It was definitely a bit of a crazy day. He will definitely have a story to tell of how he came into the world! I was the talk of the pre school when my daughter went in and told them all I had him in the shower!

I ought to add to my story above that Ambre the midwife from the Newquay team was really supportive of me having a home birth and using hypnobirthing. It was really lovely to have her for all appointments and then for her to be able to come home once baby arrived, a much better experience than I had 4 years ago with midwife support

I've had 2 amazing intervention free births which I have felt in control of and couldn't have wished for better experiences - even though I didn't manage to get in the pool with either because they were both so quick. I can highly recommend working with Terri, the course gave me the best best labour and birth preparation I could have wished for.."

As you can see by Kelly's story, sometimes babies set their own pace and have their own agenda. This is why it is so important to be prepared and armed with techniques to keep you calm and focused, no matter what birth your baby decides is right for them! My next group Hypnobirthing course starts on July 4th,. You can find out all about me and my course on my free Hypnobirthing taster session on the 9th June at 7.30pm on Zoom. Book your place on my website or email info@cornwallhypnobirthing.co.uk to find out more.