Feel calm and have a positive birth experience
Is this for me?
Suzanne’s hypnobirthing and birth preparation courses are for any pregnant woman and birth partner looking to prepare for what's probably the most important event of their lives.
This is for you if:
you're feeling anxious or uncertain about labour and birth
you'd like more in-depth birth preparation
you've had a negative birth experience in the past
you're seeking a positive, joyful birthing experience that benefits both baby and you as parents
you're looking to learn techniques to stay calm and centred during labour, no matter the challenges
you want practical, science-based training and advice - not hazy or mystical reassurances
Learn a midwife-led, science-based approach to staying calm and preparing yourself for a positive birth experience.
You will learn:
how hypnosis works and how to use it during labour
how hormones function, and using them to your advantage
how to create a positive birth environment anywhere
practical ways your birth partner can support you
birth physiology and improving your chance of a natural birth
how best to work with the birthing staff
What will I learn?
How do we get started?
Book your bespoke 1-to-1 sessions
Working with Suzanne
This training will help you feel more positive about the upcoming birth, and feel calm and in control during labour. You will learn how to communicate with birthing staff so that you are more in control of both your environment and decisions made. You will be prepared in many practical and useful ways for your labour and birth so you'll know what to expect.
Giving birth is a transformative experience, but it can be unpredictable. Whatever course your labour takes, the practical techniques you'll learn will help you harness the hormones that promote relaxation and progress in labour and manage those that produce stress, so you have a calmer, happier birth experience. And so does your baby.
Benefits of learning Hypnobirthing / Birth Preparation
Less trauma
Minimise the risk of difficulties after birth
The course gives you practical hypnobirthing tools to stay calm even if your birth goes off track from your plan. Your birth partner learns how best to support you and communicate with staff, increasing your feelings of control and trust. Research has proven that these birth preparation techniques also lead to decreased levels of postnatal depression and birth trauma.
Increased bonding
Closer to your baby from the start
Clinical research has shown that hypnobirthing decreases the need for pharmaceutical pain relief during labour. This means that without interference, your body produces the optimal level of oxytocin for you and your baby. Oxytocin - also known as the love hormone - also enhances bonding, giving you and your baby an overwhelming sense of wellness and bliss after birth.
Easier breastfeeding
Greater confidence in your body and yourself
When a woman is able to relax during labour, this increases oxygen and lowers stress hormones in the baby. Studies have shown higher APGAR scores following hypnobirthing. This means both mother and baby are in a stronger position to begin breastfeeding, and those strong feelings of wellbeing from high oxytocin levels help breastfeeding get established.
FAQs on Hypnobirthing/Birth Preparation training
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Small group workshops are taught over one day (0930-1730) at Fairbairn House, Haddington in the centre of East Lothian. There is one hour off for lunch and there are many lovely lunch venues just around the corner.
This is followed up by a 45 minute Zoom session closer to your birth date in order to review the information and ensure you are able to prepare as best you can in your individual circumstances. If anything has changed in your pregnancy - for example you think you may be advised to have an induction or caesarean section - we can alter your preparation so that you feel ready and in control.
Private workshops are taught over two, 2.5 hour sessions in person or over Zoom at a time that suits you.
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Yes, your birth partner is an intrinsic part of your birth experience, and an important part of the workshop training focuses on what your partner can do to support you to keep the calm, centred approach going. It is also vital for your birth partner to really understand the birth physiology so that they are able to recognise what is happening and best support you. Your birth partner is a very important part of the experience.
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As with most things in life, practice makes things easier. So the earlier you begin to practice the hypnobirthing techniques, the better. The best window is likely 22-34 weeks, but it is still recommended to come at 36 weeks or beyond if you are prepared to really commit to the training. It will still make a big difference to your experience.
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There are a lot of ways to learn hypnobirthing these days, and some of them are cheap and online. Self study means that you do not have a professional to interact with - to ask questions or to go more deeply into a subject. In my course you will be able to access my decades of experience of attending all types of births as a midwife, my many years of teaching antenatal classes and my extensive knowledge of birth physiology. My classes are small so that you can easily ask me questions throughout and we can dive deeper into any area you wish to.
I know birth. And I know the maternity system. I have had the privilege of attending over a thousand births as a midwife and will be able to give you the best advice and preparation for your birth.
In my course we also spend a fair bit of time considering each person's individual fears and anxieties so that we can address them specifically and flip them to an affirmation, which is very powerful and effective when hypnobirthing.
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The hypnobirthing and birth preparation workshop costs £249, which includes:
• a whole day of training in hypnotherapy and birth physiology and preparation
• 4 downloadable hypnosis tracks to use to prepare for the birth
• a follow-up 1-2-1 45 min Zoom call closer to the birth to ensure you are on the right track and are able to adjust to any changes that may have occurred since the workshop.
If you attend MotherHeal pregnancy yoga classes you get 20% off my hypnobirthing/birth preparation workshop.
