BIRTH PREPARATION
There isn’t a « one size fits all » when it comes to pregnancy and birth experiences. Sophie’s Birth Preparation sessions offer time and space for pregnant mothers and couples to really feel listened to and their specific birth preferences addressed to create sessions to best help them prepare for the positive birth experience they deserve.
Sophie is an Active Birth antenatal teacher, trained doula, prenatal yoga teacher and hypnobirthing practitioner. Based on more than 16 years of experience working with pregnant couples, you’ll receive true guidance from someone who is passionate about helping women positively transition into motherhood.
The Birth Preparation sessions currently offered are:
- Birth Preparation sessions for Couples
- Hypnobirthing Birth Preparation
- Birth Preference Guidance
- Prenatal Doula support
- Yoga for Pregnancy & Birth
Contact Sophie for more details about the sessions.
Birth Preparation for Couples
(This is a one-to-one class part of our offerings of birth preparation sessions)
This 2 hours session is specifically designed for couples to prepare together for labour and birth. Partners learn how they can be closely involved and become an essential source of physical and emotional support, learning practical massage and breathing techniques, and other comfort measures to ensure they approach the birth of their baby(ies), as a team, in a confident and positive way.
We do lots of practical work, exploring and practicing the most favorable positions, movements and breathing patterns inspired by yoga and instinctively used by many birthing women. These will encourage an effective progression of labour and a more comfortable and empowering birthing experience. Partners learn how to provide physical support to ensure the mother is comfortable, and acquire many other tools to guide the mother and respond to her needs in labour.
The session is best attended in the last trimester of pregnancy.
Read more details about this 2 hours session here.
Hypnobirthing
How do you prepare for birth with hypnosis?
For labour and birth, hypnosis makes it easier for women to access the roots of their thoughts, beliefs and emotions (which they are sometimes not even aware of), and positively impact on how they approach and experience birth.
One of the main benefits of hypnosis is to remove the fear/anxiety barrier which is known to have a negative physiological impact on the experience by creating unwanted physical and mental tensions. Hormonal changes during pregnancy and birth make women naturally more receptive to hypnosis.
You can attend this preparation on your own, but involving your partner might be a plus. It is best to have completed the preparation before week 34 of the pregnancy so you have plenty of time to practice before the birth.
Read more information here, or contact Sophie for additional details.
Antenatal doula guidance
What an antenatal doula guidance session with Sophie usually includes:
- Time to listen to you! Our sessions offer you a safe and compassionate time and space for you to talk about your experience of pregnancy, any worries or questions around labour and birth and the time beyond. (If there has been previous birth experiences, we will talk about this too and ‘debrief’ the experience(s)).
- Discussion on your birth preferences: Sophie will give you some pointers so that you can reflect on elements of a birth plan which would best suit your needs, such as choice of birth environment, pain management techniques, interventions, etc. This will also help you ask the right questions to your (medical) care providers when you see them. In the process, you’ll learn a lot to empower yourself into a positive pregnancy and birth experience.
- Depending on your needs and other birth preparation sessions you may be attending, we will take time to practice together some important relaxation tools such as specific breathing techniques.
Read more information here, or contact Sophie for additional details.
« I used the techniques from your class and without them plus the amazing midwives, kine, doctor and my husband, I never would have done it. »
Aideen and baby Fred