Better Birth Blog
Information on hypnobirthing, pregnancy and birth
How To Avoid Going To Hospital Too Early In Labour - My Top Tips
When should you be transferring to hospital or when should you be calling your home birth team to come and support you?
6 Things You Need To Know Before Induction Of Labor
Just because your friend, Aunt, work colleague or random person online chose induction - doesn’t mean that it will be the best choice for you or that you have to!
The UK Birth Trauma Inquiry
When the fish rots from the head down how can you fix things for the end user? How do we remind the entire service that birth is a normal physiological event and the more you try to make it work like a machine the more damage you will incur.
THOUGHTS ON ULTRA-RUNNING AND BIRTH
Knowledge. Training. Self-belief. Kindness. Encouragement. Can do.
Cheering teams and ‘not long now’.
GIFTS FROM THE BABY :)
There basically needs to be a trade-off. A gift. A toy. Something special to make this new, rather dull person worthwhile.
IT'S NOT YOUR JOB TO DEFEND YOUR BIRTH DECISIONS
You can choose to do whatever you wish to do without having to create a powerpoint presentation, without arriving with the latest research or without beating them over the head with your Dr Sara Wickham book.
THE COME DOWN⠀
Do you remember those days in January… when it’s cold and wet and the Christmas chocolates are finished and the sparkly lights all turned off?
Membrane sweeping - What is a stretch and sweep?
A stretch and sweep is a form of Induction of Labour, therefore it is offered to stimulate the uterus and bring on labour earlier than it might otherwise spontaneously start.
To push or not to push. Do you really have to push in labour?
We as mammals require exactly what every other mammal requires to give birth. Calm, dim lighting, no distractions, no unwanted observers and no questions.
They’ve told me I’m having a ‘Big Baby’. Is a ‘Big Baby’ a problem?
There will be big babies…there will be small babies. Just as there are big adults and there are small adults. And there always will be. It’s how we respond to this that matters.
How Will I know I’m In Labour? How Does It Feel To Give Birth?
Clearly what you feel can depend upon the type of birth that you are having, the support that surrounds you, the knowledge that you have and how you are feeling. Physiological labour will feel very different to induced labour.
Does Hypnobirthing Work?
The most important thing to know about hypnobirthing is that you cannot actually fail at it.
What Are Antenatal Classes? What Are Hypnobirthing Classes?
Antenatal classes are classes that the mother and her birth partner attend to learn all about pregnancy, labour and birth. Hypnobirthing classes are a full antenatal class but with the addition of skills and drills to enable you to remain positive and calm in the lead up to and during your labour and birth.
Antenatal Hypnobirthing Classes and The Cost of Living Crisis.
Times are hard right now. Interest rates are up, wages are down, prices are high.
It might feel like a stressful time to be having a new baby or starting a family. But we have made it a little easier on your pocket at least.
Choice.
Choice is something that you will always have and it isn’t something that anyone can take away from you. To learn about birth with an antenatal hypnobirthing course gives you choices over where and how you will birth.
We Have A Birth Problem And It Is This…
Why are we teaching physiological birth when hospitals and birth centres are not actually offering normal physiological birth? There is a chasm occurring between antenatal classes and birth reality. When we change birth, birth changes.
She is kept in the dark so she may dream..
'When a woman withdraws to give birth the sun may be shining but the shutters of her room are closed so she can make her own weather…’
Top 5 Tips for Summer Babywearing
Guest Post! The wonderful Ergobaby have created the ultimate guide to baby wearing during the Summer.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
You are all different heights. You have different shoe sizes. You have had differing numbers of children and birth experiences. Your mothers gave birth to you all at different weeks. Spontaneous labour will start at different times.
You have differing physical and emotional needs.
Listening To Traumatic Birth Stories
At 41 weeks and two sweeps later, her kind midwife booked her induction in.⠀
She told her it was the safest thing to do. Her body obviously just couldn’t go into labour, it would just be a nudge...