Antenatal Refresher Course

Session 1

Welcome

After each session you will be sent a link and password to a new page just like this. Here you will find useful links to read more on the topics we discussed in the the session as well as an audio guided relaxation practice which will help embed all of the post hypnotic suggestions and affirmations we used in this weeks hypnobirthing practice. Try and listen to it a few more times this week, as it will help instill a sense of calm and confidence around your upcoming labour and birth.

This session we talk about the Uterus as a muscle and its role in early labour to start to efface your cervix (thin it out). We talked about positions to aid early labour and other things you can do the help get contractions coming more frequently and progressing your labour in a relaxed environment.

We also discussed the fear-tension-pain cycle and how your route out of this is concious slowly rhythmical breathing, so below are some reminders to keep you practicing that all important breath of calm.

For more information about the power of breath-work in labour, there is a good summary of recent research and evidence here. This week we introduced the first two of three breathing techniques. Although different hypnobirthing and antenatal courses teach different breaths, they are all similar- so my advice is to try not to get yourself confused by reading into other just yet and stick with the ones I will teach you. They will be all you need, I promise.

If you’d like to start your journey into understanding the cultural challenges we face in western society around the biological norms of labour and birth then dive into Sarah Wickham’s bottomless pit of research which I will be signposting to in many other emails. But for now, her article ‘Three things I wish every woman knew about pregnancy and birth knowledge’ is a great place to start empowering yourself with confidence.

In the next session we will be talking more about the cervix as well as the hormones involved in driving labour, we’ll discuss the period of transition where you cervix dilates those final few centimetres before the descent and birth of your baby and placenta and introduce the final breath- the Down Breath.

Any questions or worries in the mean time, just drop me an email (link below).
Take Care,

Nicola