Image credit :: Naomi Giatas
We caught up with our beautiful friend, Kate from My Private Midwife to get the low down on three workshops every new parent (and even some repeat parents) MUST attend. Their new classes will make your transition into parenting as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Here’s what she had to say…
Every pregnant woman spends nine months focusing on the day of her baby’s birth. She’s often fearful and maybe anxious about the delivery. Why are we so afraid? Usually its because well-meaning family members or friends have shared their stories and created fear in our mind about birth. These classes can help!
Image credit :: Naomi Giatas
1. Hypnobirthing
It’s not a new concept, but hypnobirthing is gaining momentum amongst motivated, health conscious couples who want to reduce their need for interventions, while also being well prepared to adapt to the unexpected. Research says that hypnobirthing can have a significant impact on how positive the parents feel about the birthing experience, as well as potentially reducing the use of epidurals and other interventions. You can read more, here.
Hypnobirthing provides parents with tools such as hypnosis, breathing techniques, acupressure points, positioning, and the advantage of a calm environment during birth. It also educates parents on the sometimes unnecessary interventions available (while also acknowledging what might be required for the mum or baby’s wellbeing).
The aim of private classes, such as Hypnobirthing Australia™ is to make parents feel confident enough to ask questions — you learn that you have the right to more information, the right to ask for a second opinion and the right to decline if the mum and baby are not in jeopardy.
Parents who attend hypnobirthing classes report that they learn so much more about the hormones involved in birth and how we can enhance the release of the hormones which relieve pain naturally, by creating a very calm and nurturing environment. It often increases their confidence and leaves them feeling excited and well prepared for the birth, leading to a more relaxed pregnancy. There is also research showing that this can mean a more relaxed baby, as they haven’t been exposed to high cortisol levels of a scared and stressed mum. You can learn more about this side of hypnobirthing here.
Finally, support people can be more confident in their role and know that they can advocate for mum and baby, while also having the confidence to provide for the physical and emotional needs of the birthing mother.
Image credit :: Naomi Giatas
2. Preparing For Parenting
Flash forward to a few weeks down the track, once you’ve settled in at home with the baby, parents often realise that the birth was just one day. Often they’ll say, “no one told us how hard it would be with a newborn”.
In the same way that hypnobirthing can help parents feel more relaxed, I’ve developed additional workshops using the same philosophy of preparing for a positive birth to preparing for their parenting journey. Once you understand what’s going on with your baby and each other, it’s easier to accept the challenges, support one other through the tough times, and feel reassured that it will get easier.
During this one night workshop, we look at how a newborn’s behaviour changes in the first few weeks and why the concept of a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ baby is outdated and unhelpful. I also touch on the difficult subject of emotional wellbeing for both parents in the postpartum period.
Image credit :: Naomi Giatas
3. Master Breastfeeding Class
Every week, I see couples who have left hospital and feel that they needed to know all the dirty little secrets about breastfeeding and how to master this skill. This class tackles the reasons many women find it overwhelming — some have heard scary stories about sore nipples, Dolly Parton boobs and milk leaking all over the brand new lounge. Some mums even have doubts about their ability to feed because their mum, sister or aunty struggled. What you need to know is that breastfeeding is a new skill and we often don’t see the challenges our friends have gone through to feed that bouncing bundle of joy on their Instagram and Facebook feeds. There are ways you can prepare for a better feeding journey — so remember that many people have challenges… starting with one of these classes is a great place to begin.
Please get in touch any time to learn more about the classes I offer. It’s my pleasure to help you make this incredible part of life the most relaxed and enjoyable it can be!
Love from Kate (My Private Midwife) xx
