yoga for birth

Many women approach birth with anxiety and fear. These Birth Workshops give you effective tools to cope with the intensity of labour, and to transform your birth experience into an empowering, even enjoyable experience.

exploring the ways to make your birth experience easier

 

These workshops are  a day for you and your birth partner. Birth partners are best able to help when they have an understanding of giving birth. This practical workshop helps both of you know what to expect, what you can do to help, and what to avoid… for your birth, your relationship, and your baby.

 

 

topics we can cover

  • Understand how your baby is born
  • How helping birth hormones can make your labour easier
  • Get your baby into the best position for an uncomplicated birth
  • Find out how to know when is too early to go to hospital, and when it’s too late
  • How to speed labour up/slow it down: helping your labour find a good rhythm
  • Choose if, and how, to write a birth plan to get the support you need
  • Practise special pain relieving massage for labour
  • Find which positions suit you, your partner… and work with gravity
  • Learn how to breath for a better birth
  • Explore the benefits of waterbirth
  • What to expect and tips for when your baby has arrived

 

It is ideal to do a birth preparation class between 1 and 2 months before your estimated due date. The workshops are designed to compliment your antenatal hospital or other antenatal classes.

 

qualifications

Susannah has completed the ‘Couples Birth Preparation’ Module with YogaBirth, as well as the YogaBirth teacher training. This gives her an indeptth understanding of pregnancy and birth. She has been teaching these courses since 2009.

What mothers-to-be say

What fathers-to-be say

we finally feel excited about having our baby

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the couples workshop at the weekend. We got far more out of it than we ever imagined and finally feel quite excited about having our baby. I’ll be recommending it to everyone I know. Nice relaxed environment, good pace and style of learning, good opportunities to reflect and ask questions, food excellent, good materials used in learning, would recommend course to friends. This course was a great time with my husband, it was useful for both of us to have this opportunity… it was especially good for my partner to “Try some breathing… [to] help me during the labour. I am sure we are better prepared”
L.S.

it's given us both confidence

It is very useful to have had the time and opportunity to practice and learn things that Ive read in books with supervision and advice, and to learn new things. I found everything useful, the content and pace of the course was good. I think it’s given us both confidence and reassured us. The NHS classes we have attended together have been very much focused on me. It was nice to have the opportunity to practice breathing techniques with my husband rather than by myself.
E.H.

the bit I enjoyed most was the practise contractions

It has given my partner a focus to help me during labour and birth, The bit I enjoyed most was practice contractions, breathing techniques and the hands-on approach.
J.L.

it gives empowerment

I feel emotional and satisfied that we have a good plan and are working together. I enjoyed putting the massage and positions together, working together. I have greater confidence in how to cope with contractions and what to write in a birth plan. Its great to do something as a couple because its usually all about the woman. It gives empowerment.
A.H.

I felt a real bond with my partner

I feel more confident about the birth now my partner is involved. I enjoyed the postures and massage for labour, I felt a real bond with my partner. I realised labour doesn’t have to be scary. It has given me a more positive outlook on the birth of my baby. It has made me excited : )
S.S.

my body is designed to give birth

I learnt about how a body is designed to give birth to a baby, and heard about things no one else has ever raised. So that inspires a bit more confidence in the process! I, therefore, feel more prepared for labour and delivery physically. This is the most useful thing we’ve done together in terms of preparation and research
C.T.

calm,methodical and took the drama away

I feel better informed, calmer and more aware of stages of labour and positions. I enjoyed the birth positions massage and getting my questions answered, it was all excellent. It was calm and methodical and took the drama away
L.G.

relaxed atmosphere to ask questions

I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the ability to ask questions. I feel that I have spent valuable time with my partner preparing us as a couple to deal with the labour and birth of our baby
S.M.

reassured and ready for birth

I feel reassured and ready for labour. I enjoyed the practical aspects most; breathing, massage and positioning, and putting them all together
J.R.

preparation and relaxation was brilliant

Big thanks to Susannah for all your help and guidance during the birth yoga classes – the preparation and relaxation time you gave us was brilliant
S.H.

it helped me make informed and instinctive choices

I’m much more aware of the choices and rights I have as a mum-to-be… it will help me make more informed choices and instinctive choices.

the visual elements were very valuable

All the visual elements of the course were very valuable to me to help me understand. I thought the whole course was very informative and useful, also broken up into sections which retained attention throughout.

there's a lot we can do together

I feel reassured and happy. I feel more ‘in control’ or ‘prepared’ for what is coming… {I enjoyed most} working together with my partner finding and exploring positions and ways/techniques and massage.. and when to use them… me and my partner realized there is a lot we can do together

I loved the massage and the workbook

I loved the massage tutorial… Gave me lots of information and clarification on things, answered many question, workbook will be very useful.

we were able to arrive at a decision quickly

The confidence we gained from the classes made us (value ) all medical intervention (we) needed… and we both felt comfortable doing this and were able to arrive at a decision quickly, knowing that we had done all we could.

singing of the same hymn sheet

I feel we are singing of the same hymn sheet.

everything was easy to understand

The workshop was satisfying, everything went as expected. I liked all the information given. I enjoyed the practical part as well. Everything was easy to understand.

very good, professional and productive course

I found this an extremely valuable tool. Overall very good, professional and productive course.
D.M.

I liked seeing my partner more content and confident

I feel more confident and knowledgable about the process and better placed to help. I liked most seeing [my partner] more content and confident.
D.G.

outstanding, greatly valued the day

Outstanding – Ive read many books on birth. In this course I found out things I’d never heard of before. Greatly valued the day, mostly liked the descriptions of links between things: stages of labour, hormones, and things to look out for. Practical positions for birthing will be practised (honest – and the massage has already been used. Good tools and knowledge, thanks.
H.M.

I feel confident about birth

I feel confident about birth, I valued the reminder of birth stages and massage techniques. An excellent refresher course about the whole birth process with many useful massage positions, breathing techniques.
R.H.

I understand the support I can offer my wife during the birth

I feel more informed on all aspects of the forthcoming birth. I thought the course was well balanced, relaxed and enjoyable. I understand more about the whole process and support I can offer to my wife during the birth.
R.H.

I feel better prepared and less anxious

I feel relaxed and reassured about the labour process. I feel better prepared and less anxious about the whole run up to labour, and labour itself.
M.R.

I enjoyed helping my partner relax with massage of the pelvis and lower back

I feel more confident for birth with positions and massage. I enjoyed breathing, relaxation, and helping my partner relax with massage of the pelvis and lower back. It allows me to be more involved in the labour.
J.S.

gained knowledge on how to deal with different situations

Gained knowledge on what to expect during labour and ideas on how to deal with different situations.
J.H.

it was not just about the woman, but also included my role

A relaxed an easy environment made it easy to discuss birth topics my wife and I had not spoken about… it was not just about the woman, but also included my role in all of this, and what I needed to think about, and how I could help my wife be more comfortable. 

calm, relaxed and knowledgable teacher

It was great having such a calm relaxed and knowledgeable teacher.

it was an incredible experience for us all

It was an incredible experience for us all – [baby] included! We went with the flow and let it take its own course. As [my wife] will tell you, it wasn’t the birth plan…. but it was so good to have all the preparation we had that allowed us to still feel in control, so thank you ever so much for all your time and advice at the workshop. It really really helped me and I know all [my wife’s] work at the classes was being put into practice…. Our wee girl is a star.

thankyou for helping our birth go smoothly

Thank you very much for helping our birth go very smoothly. Your classes made [my wife] feel very much at home and comfortable having a baby…. Thankyou very much for your kindness.

Im much more at ease helping out during labour, fantastic!

I enjoyed the whole course. I found it very relaxed, informative and am much more at ease with helping out during labour. Fantastic!

I'm in a better place to be calm and supportive

The course has given me confidence in being able to support [my wife] to make labour and birth as comfortable and calm as it can be. I feel that I am better placed to understand what is going on during labour and birth and remain calm and supportive [for her].

I enjoyed the physical stuff that you don't get on other courses

I feel more confident about how I can help during birth. The bit I enjoyed most was positions, and how to support [my partner]… the physical stuff which you don’t get on other courses.

easy to understand

Everything was perfect for me. It was easy to understand.

I learnt a lot about what womens bodies go through - fantastic experience

Nice relaxed atmosphere. More personal parts of the morning were helped by the relaxed atmosphere. Learnt a lot about what womens bodies go through. Fantastic experience.

I would recommend the course to friends

Nice relaxed environment, good pace and style of learning, good opportunities to reflect and ask questions, food excellent, good materials used in learning, would recommend course to friends.

birth advice proved really insightful - I have taken all positives from today

Im more prepared in expectations for the upcoming birth, and feel more confident going into it. [I enjoyed most] the different positions for support for the partner while they were having contractions and the breathing techniques. Information sheets detailing after birth advice proved really insightful. I have taken all positives from today.

a very enjoyable experience

I am more prepared for ensuring a natural birth: breathing, birth positions… [I valued most] giving the massage and how it affects the body and the birth process. Very good value for money – a very enjoyable experience.

I feel more prepared

I feel more prepared, clear on what to expect. I enjoyed practicing putting together the massage, positions and breathing.
A.R.

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