For many men, the fear of watching their partners going through childbirth is real; feeling unable to help and having no control of the situation. This is one situation where where many men feel helpless and inadequate, especially given the standard education in the hospital antenatal classes, where the couples are told how much pain is involved leaving them feeling fearful about what lies ahead. Bringing a new life into the world is an intense and powerful experience for both the mother - and the father.What if Dads were given the support and education to prepare THEM for birth?
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It was three years ago in June 2014 that I attended my first birth. My doula studies and paperwork complete - I was ready for the hands on experience of birth support. That month of June 2014 brought a couple who trusted me to assist them in their journey after a traumatic first birth.
On 1 May 2012 I taught my very first HypnoBirthing couple, Michelle and Daniel. Since then I've had the pleasure of teaching hundreds more!! Each couple I teach are prepared and excited for the birth of their baby and have their own unique experience and story to tell. I am a collector of stories and use many of them in my classes. This whole website actually started off from Michelle's birth story!
People often think HypnoBirthing is only used for natural, vaginal births, but what happens when that natural, vaginal birth doesn't go as planned - can it help with a c-section birth as well?
The answer is: YES!! Being a mother is a time of immense change; adjusting to life with not much sleep, hormonal and relationship changes, changes in body shape and image - on top of learning how to care for a tiny new person who doesn't come with a manual and whose main communication method in the beginning is to cry, sometimes lots.
Your role in life now is to provide and protect; to give and to nurture - more than you ever thought you were capable of. As mothers, we are expected to go beyond the normal realms of tiredness, and it’s important we look after our own health too by making time for quietness and rest. HypnoBirthing is a 5 week childbirth education course, based on the belief that for a healthy woman having a healthy baby, birth is a normal, natural bodily function. Based on physiological and medical evidence, it is taught in hospitals throughout the UK, and is starting to be taught in Australian hospitals too.
Many antenatal classes teach women about birth and there is a huge amount of information available on line. However, birth is an event that we need to train for, physically and mentally. HypnoBirthing gives you so much more than a traditional hospital antenatal class. When I first meet couples on their journey to birth, I always emphasise that every experience is unique and there is no template for this ancient and very delicate process. We know birth is unpredictable and is different for each woman.
While I do spend time teaching you breathing techniques that will help you to relax to the point where you can quiet your mind, I do not attempt to teach you how to use your mind to keep your birthing on target. Just the opposite is true. I teach you how to keep your mind out of the way while birth happens to you. Births don't always go to plan and even nature needs assistance sometimes. This is when the support and assistance from the medical team is crucial. Having the right balance between trusting the natural birthing process and having assistance when needed was exactly what Chloe and Michael needed to birth baby Harvey safely. When couples prepare well and stay calm and confident, their skills can be especially essential for decision making when birth doesn't go according to plan. Welcome earthside baby Harvey - I'm immensely proud of your parents and the way they worked together at your birth. And thanks to Sam @laine_tribes for capturing Chloe and her natural beauty. What an awesome community we have here on the Sunshine Coast! Coast Life Midwifery officially opened their doors today - an outstanding service of continuity of care through pregnancy, birth and postnatal period with a team of experienced midwives who really do care ❤ One lucky mamma received a 5 wk Pregnancy Yoga course from ME and lots of other goodies as the birthing community came together to celebrate.
Coast Life Midwives offer: * Continuity of care from a Midwife you know and trust * Antenatal care and classes * Services for both mums and bubs * Birth choices and Midwives with hospital access rights * Collaborative arrangements for shared care with private Obstetricians * On-call post-birth care until your baby is six weeks old. * Medicare rebates available
Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation
by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa "In this very ancient tradition in which I live, we have a special celebration during pregnancy to honour the soul who arrives on the one hundred and twentieth day after conception, which corresponds to the fourth month of pregnancy, about a month into your second trimester. Before the end of the first trimester, the fetus that supports the soul hasn't been completely fortified, and this is when the majority of miscarriages happen. Before that date, the entering soul is still unaffected by worldly influences, existing only in radiance. When the soul enters the body, a baby's subconscious mind begins to develop and absorb a multitude of messages, the way a dry sponge soaks up water. Usually morning sickness has subsided and we are getting our bearings on life, the waters become more calm. In our homes, the father of the arriving soul, friends and family of the mother organise the celebration so we don't have to do anything. They prepare delicious food, arrange flowers and light candles. They call together members of the community who bring gifts to honour the mother. Singing, poems, and scriptures can be read - whatever they feel the new mother would love - along with plenty of good food served. Everyone prays for her physical, mental and spiritual well-being so she is strong and able to pass those qualities through herself to the baby. At this stage you can connect mentally to your child. With your partner, enjoy this meditation to open the heart chakra, the centre of compassion: Sit in a comfortable cross legged pose. Press your palms together in prayer pose with your elbows lifted and tips of your middle fingers level with your eyebrows. Focus at your Third Eye point, eyes closed. Breathe deeply and evenly, start at 3 minutes and work up to 11 minutes. To end, stretch your body lightly and gently for 2 minutes in whatever way feels comfortable." ingredients2 1/2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup chopped almonds 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped 1/4 cup 85% dark chocolate chopped methodHeat oven to 180 degrees.
Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminium foil. Then lightly oil. Add oats and almonds to a small baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, stir and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl. Combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until butter melts and the sugar dissolves completely. Pour butter mixture into a bowl and mix in the toasted oats and almonds. Let cool for about 5 minutes then add apricots and a 1/4 cup of the chopped chocolate. Stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the lined pan and firmly press the mixture into the pan. Cover then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove the block of granola mixture from pan then peel away the aluminium foil. Cut into bars. Store bars in an airtight container - if not eaten instantly! |
AuthorCarrie Jeff Archives
July 2019
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