Antenatal Sessions

I offer private antenatal sessions (as well as friends antenatal sessions) for you and your partner during which we can discuss what is most important to you, going over any questions or concerns you may have. You may not want to hire a birth doula but still wish to benefit from individual antenatal care that is tailored especially for you and your needs.

 

 

The antenatal session lasts 3 hours in the comfort of your own home (or other suitable location) at times to suit you. It will provide you and your partner with the information, confidence and tools to help you have a wonderful, empowering pregnancy and birth experience, during which you are able to make your own informed choices. I would like you to feel fully prepared, informed (to the extent that you are comfortable with) and knowledgeable about the options available to you, so that you can have the birth that you want by making your own choices and decisions that are right for you whatever the circumstances. This will lead to happy, wonderful memories of your pregnancy, labour and your baby’s birth for both you and your partner, as well as making the transition into the big world easier for your new baby.

We can spend as much or as little time talking about particular topics and subjects as you like and feel you need within your own antenatal session. I can tailor the topics towards your particular requirements, for example depending on where you are giving birth, taking into account any previous births etc.

Unless you request differently, some of the topics covered in the antenatal session are:

  • A debrief of previous births if wanted and need be
  • The options and differences (apart from perhaps the obvious) of homebirths and hospital births
  • The role of the birth partner and providing them with the knowledge and skills of how best to support a woman in labour
  • Massage, rebozo, breathing and coaching techniques which will be supportive to you during labour
  • Pain management/relief both at home and in hospital- benefits and disadvantages
  • Physiology of birth: what helps and what hinders
  • Hormones and the effect of the birth environment on the progress of labour
  • Unbiased information about the options available to you
  • Positions to encourage straightforward labour and birth (Optimal Foetal Positioning)
  • Hospital procedures and communication with health professionals
  • Induction and augmentation
  • The first few hours of your baby’s life, including breastfeeding
  • Pelvic floor exercises and why they are important
  • Practicalities