Category: Informed decision-making

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Supporting the Childbirth Process

Supporting the childbirth process

A Guide to Helping Parents Bring New Life into the World

Childbirth is one of the most significant moments in a parent’s life. While it is a natural process, it can also be physically and emotionally challenging. Support during labour and birth plays a crucial role in making the experience more positive and manageable. Whether you are a partner, family member, friend, or birth worker, knowing how to offer the right support can make all the difference.

Understanding the Childbirth Process

Labour typically unfolds in three stages:

  1. First stage – The longest stage, when contractions gradually open the cervix. It includes the latent (early) phase, the active phase and transition.
  2. Second stage – From full dilation until the baby is born, as the birthing parent pushes with their contractions.
  3. Third stage – The placenta is born, and the midwife checks that the birthing parent is well.

Knowing what to expect at each stage helps supporters provide reassurance and encouragement.

Emotional Support: The Power of Reassurance

A calm and confident presence can ease a labouring parent’s stress. Encouraging words, holding hands, and offering gentle reassurance help them feel safe and supported. Simple phrases like “You’re doing amazingly” or “I’m right here with you” can be powerful.

It’s also important to respect their preferences. Some may want quiet, while others benefit from verbal motivation. Being attentive to their needs ensures they feel in control and cared for.

Physical Comfort Measures

There are many ways to provide physical comfort during labour:

  • Massage and Touch – Gentle back rubs, counter-pressure on the lower back, or a warm hand on the shoulder can relieve tension and discomfort.
  • Breathing Techniques – Encouraging slow, deep breaths helps manage pain and anxiety. Practising these beforehand can be helpful.
  • Position Changes – Movement and different positions (such as squatting, standing, or leaning) can ease pain and help labour progress.
  • Hydration and Nutrition – Small sips of water and light snacks (if permitted) help maintain energy levels.

Advocating for the Labouring Parent

In the intensity of labour, communication with medical staff can be overwhelming. A supportive birth partner can help by ensuring the parent’s preferences are respected. This includes reminding healthcare professionals of their birth plan and asking for explanations about medical procedures if needed.

Advocacy does not mean making decisions on their behalf but rather ensuring they feel informed and empowered. Respecting their choices is essential for a positive birth experience.

Managing Pain: Options and Encouragement

Pain relief choices are different for everyone. Some people prefer non-medical methods, while others choose medical pain relief such as gas and air, an opioid injection (pethidine or diamorphine) or an epidural. Supporting their decision, without judgement, is crucial.

If they choose to avoid medication, distraction techniques such as music, dim lighting, warm baths, or hypnobirthing practices can help. If they decide on medical pain relief, encouraging them through the process and reminding them that every birth journey is unique can be reassuring.

Birth workers: if you’d like ready-made activities for your childbirth education sessions, my positions for childbirth flashcards, childbirth massage flashcards and stages of labour board game help parents and birth partners practise these skills.

The Importance of Post-Birth Support

Supporting the childbirth process doesn’t end once the baby is born. The postnatal period is a time of physical recovery and emotional adjustment. Encouraging rest, helping with newborn care, and offering emotional support are just as important after birth as they are during labour.

Small actions, like bringing a meal, holding the baby while the parent naps, or simply listening to their experiences, can make a huge difference. Reassure them that it’s normal to feel a mix of emotions and encourage them to seek support if needed.

Final Thoughts

Supporting someone through childbirth is a privilege and a responsibility. Being informed, compassionate, and adaptable allows you to provide meaningful help. Every birth experience is different, but the right support can make it a more positive and empowering journey for the parent bringing new life into the world.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

What are antenatal classes?

antenatal classes nottinghamshire

Antenatal classes are sessions that prepare expectant parents for birth and early parenthood. They give parents information and practical skills so they can approach this life-changing time with confidence. Formats vary, but classes usually cover pregnancy health, labour and birth, pain relief and self-help techniques, infant feeding, newborn care and sleep, postnatal recovery, postnatal mental health and where to find support.

Who goes to an antenatal class?

Where possible, it helps for both parents to attend. That way both of you understand the birth process and can take an active part in decisions. Learning together and sharing your hopes, worries and expectations can also strengthen your bond.

Classes are usually attended by couples, or by pregnant women and people with their birth partners, but they can be just as valuable for lone parents.

Are antenatal classes suitable for lone or single parents?

Being a lone parent during pregnancy and birth can bring its own challenges and worries. Antenatal classes offer a supportive space to connect with other expectant parents, gain knowledge and resources, build confidence, practise skills and start building a support network.

Lone parents can learn techniques to manage the physical and emotional demands of labour, as well as ways to bond with their baby and prepare a calm, positive environment for their arrival.

Classes often cover newborn care too, such as feeding, nappy changing, bathing and soothing. For parents who may not have family or a partner close by, this practical knowledge can be especially helpful.

Just as importantly, classes are a place to share experiences, concerns and questions. For lone parents, they can be a safe space to meet others in similar circumstances, building a sense of community and reducing isolation.

Who provides antenatal classes?

In the UK, many NHS trusts offer free antenatal classes, so ask your midwife what is available locally. Some family hubs and children’s centres run classes too. Paid options include the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), independent antenatal teachers, hypnobirthing teachers and doulas. You can read more on the NHS page about antenatal and hypnobirthing classes.

Are antenatal classes worth it?

Whichever provider you choose, antenatal classes offer many benefits. As well as knowledge and practical skills, they can ease anxiety, build confidence and give you a supportive community at a special time. They are well worth considering if you want thorough preparation for the journey ahead.

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enroll now
Posted on by — 7 Comments

The BRAIN Acronym for Childbirth

The BRAIN acronym can help you make informed decisions about your birth and beyond. It is a powerful tool for preparing and planning for any event, including pregnancy, birth and parenting.

What does the acronym stand for?

Benefits: What are the possible advantages of this option? Think about the positive outcomes and how they fit with your goals and wishes.

Risks: What are the possible risks and drawbacks? Identify any negative consequences and how they might affect you and your baby.

Alternatives: What other options are there? Consider different approaches that might achieve similar or even better results.

Intuition: What is your gut telling you? How do you feel about each of the options?

Nothing/Now: What happens if we do nothing? How urgent is the decision? Do we need to act now, or is there time to think about it further, or even sleep on it?

Using BRAIN as a decision-making tool helps make sure your decisions are well considered and fit your goals and your individual preferences.

How can I use the BRAIN acronym for childbirth?

Here is one example of how you might use BRAIN for birth planning and decision-making:

Example – Induction of labour

Benefits

  • A way of starting labour when your baby needs to be born sooner because of a risk to them or to you.
  • Your baby can be born at a time when specialist staff and facilities are available, for example a paediatrician for babies who may need extra care.
  • Social reasons: having a little more “control” over the timing of the birth and being able to plan childcare and so on around it. NOTE: induction of labour often takes more than one day!

Risks

  • If your body isn’t ready to give birth yet, progress can be slow. It can take several days for labour to start, and you may need a caesarean birth if the induction doesn’t work.
  • Birth partners are not always allowed to stay for the whole induction process. Often they can only be there during (sometimes extended) visiting hours, so you may be on your own for a while.
  • It can be very uncomfortable for quite some time, and you may need more pain relief than with labour that starts on its own.
  • A higher likelihood of an assisted birth using a ventouse (vacuum) or forceps, partly because epidurals are used more often.
  • Overstimulation of the uterus, which can cause stress to you and your baby.
  • Synthetic oxytocin (the drip) replaces your body’s own natural oxytocin (the hormone of love, labour and lactation). Some research suggests this may affect your natural oxytocin release afterwards and make establishing breastfeeding harder in the first few days, although the evidence is mixed.

Alternatives

  • A membrane sweep, which may help labour start without a full induction.
  • Natural methods some people try, such as nipple stimulation, eating dates, hypnosis or acupuncture (the evidence for most of these is limited).
  • A planned caesarean birth.
  • Extra monitoring of your baby while you wait for labour to start on its own.

Intuition

How does the thought of an induction make you feel? Are you comfortable with this option?

Nothing

What happens if I do nothing and just wait? The risks vary depending on why you are being offered an induction. Ask your midwife or doctor about the specific risks to you and your baby, and find out how much time you have to think about it. Is this an emergency? Can you get a second opinion or sleep on it? Ask the question “What happens if we wait?”

When writing your birth plan or making other decisions, remember to ask questions, and use your BRAIN to make informed choices that are right for you and your birth.

Birth workers: my induction of labour informed consent and decision activity is a ready-made way to practise BRAIN with your clients, and the BRAIN acronym is also explained in my Antenatal Class Journal.

Sources and further reading
Posted on by — Leave a comment

5 Things to look for when choosing your childbirth education

5 things to look for when choosing your childbirth education

Want to feel prepared for the birth of your baby (or babies)? Here are 5 things to look for when choosing your childbirth education.

As the birth of your baby approaches, you may have a lot of questions. What does a contraction wave feel like? How will I know when to call the midwife? What kind of breathing techniques can I use? How do I know when it is time to push?

You may also feel a mix of emotions – excitement, nervousness, stress, even anxiety. The good news is that preparing for the birth can ease your fears and build your confidence. Choosing the right childbirth course for you (and your partner) is key: it should give you practical knowledge about the physiology of birth, and tell you where to find practical and emotional support.

5 Things to look for when choosing your childbirth education

1. Does the course agree with your idea on childbirth?

Whether you’re planning a vaginal birth, caesarean birth, waterbirth, home birth or something else, make sure your chosen course supports your wishes and preferences. How you give birth is up to you.

Knowing the general philosophy of the birth course you are considering is essential. The techniques that you’ll be learning should be something that you can see yourself doing and something that you believe in. The techniques should support you to achieve the birth you are aiming for.

2. Which topics are covered during the course?

If this is your first baby, your course should cover everything you need to know about your options and what to expect. If you’ve given birth before, you may prefer a refresher course – and you may also want to prepare older siblings for the arrival of their little brother or sister. Learning about childbirth can ease anxiety and help you make informed choices, but the wrong type of course can increase anxiety, so choose your course and its leader carefully.

3. Who created the course?

Who created the childbirth preparation course? Are they a medical professional or a teacher? Are they an expert in childbirth education? Check their certifications and experience! You want the person and organisation offering your childbirth preparation course to be established and reputable. Ask them to show you proof of their qualification(s).

4. What format is the course in?

Check the format of the course. You may prefer a course which focuses on the birth only, or one that includes practical baby care. If you are interested in hypnobirthing, does the course include hypnobirthing or maybe you prefer a stand-alone hypnobirthing course.

Can partners come along too, or is the course for birthing parents only? Which format would you prefer?

5. Practical things to consider

  • Where and when is the course held? Are the dates, time and venue convenient for you?
  • What is your budget? What are your options at your budget?
  • For an in-person course
    • is there parking available or is it easily accessible via public transport?
    • Is the venue clean and spacious?
    • What are the chair/seating arrangements like? Do you want/need to bring a birthing ball, cushions etc.?
    • Are refreshments included?
    • Accessibility of the venue (where needed)
  • For an online course
    • are you confident in using the platform the course is being offered on?
    • is it a live course or has live elements or is it fully self-paced? – for live elements: are they recorded? If not can you make all the sessions?
    • Is your internet connection reliable?
    • Have you got a pc or laptop to access the course on? This will make your online course a more positive experience.
    • Have I got a comfortable (seating) setup where I can join the online childbirth preparation course?

What type/style of childbirth preparation course you choose is entirely up to you! Use your B.R.A.I.N. acronym when choosing the right course for you:

Brain acronym

What are the benefits, risks (or repercussion), alternatives (for each option)? Trust your gut, your intuition. And think about how you might feel if you do nothing, i.e. you don’t choose a childbirth preparation course?

If you’d like to prepare at your own pace, my fully self-paced online childbirth preparation course includes hypnobirthing, mp3s and much, much more! You can read more about the BRAIN acronym in The BRAIN Acronym for Childbirth.

Online Birth Preparation Course only £35!

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enrol now

Posted on by — 4 Comments

7 ways to personalise your Caesarean birth

7 ways to personalise your Caesarean birth

Are you having a caesarean birth? Here are 7 ways to personalise it and plan the birth you want and deserve!

1. Hypnobirthing

Yes, you can use hypnobirthing, meditation, mindfulness and relaxation to your advantage before and during a caesarean birth. Practise calm breathing techniques, positive affirmations and bonding with your baby. The calmer you are, the more oxygen reaches your baby (or babies), and the better your recovery is likely to be. Hypnosis also has a positive effect on your mental wellbeing in pregnancy and after the birth.

2. Skin-to-skin

Immediate skin-to-skin with a parent helps your baby regulate their temperature, spreads good bacteria and much more – it’s beneficial all round! The good news is that most UK hospitals support immediate skin-to-skin between birthing parent and baby after any type of birth, as long as it’s safe. So if you and your baby are well (and the cord is long enough – it usually is!), you can have immediate skin-to-skin.

3. Optimal (delayed) cord clamping

Optimal or delayed cord clamping allows your baby’s blood to flow from the placenta back to them. This can improve their Apgar scores and their immediate and longer-term health. Most UK hospitals support optimal cord clamping for all types of birth, including caesareans.

4. Adapt the environment

Have your partner or doula with you (some hospitals allow two birth partners in theatre) and choose your music. Some birthing parents wear headphones to block out the sounds of surgery, listen to their hypnobirthing tracks, or have their partner repeat their affirmations with them.

5. Stay calm

Use whatever helps you stay calm – your partner, your doula, your relaxations, your music, or a photo of a loved one or pet. Being calm may help reduce blood loss, means more oxygen for your baby, and can improve your recovery.

6. Vaginal seeding and your baby’s microbiome

Vaginal seeding means transferring vaginal fluids – using a sterile gauze or swab placed in the vagina about an hour before the caesarean – to the newborn’s mouth, nose or skin, to pass on the mother’s vaginal flora. Some parents ask about it, but the evidence is still limited and it isn’t routinely recommended in the UK, so discuss it with your care provider. Other ways to support your baby’s microbiome are lots of skin-to-skin and breastfeeding.

7. Ask about a gentle (family-centred) caesarean

Many UK hospitals offer gentle or family-centred caesareans. Rather than the obstetrician pulling the baby out, the baby is born more slowly, helped by the uterus contracting (aided by synthetic oxytocin). It’s usually accompanied by immediate skin-to-skin and optimal cord clamping. Read more in What is a gentle caesarean birth?

Here is an article about a gentle caesarean birth story: The Guardian

And here is a video of a gentle caesarean at one of my local hospitals in Nottinghamshire:

Knowledge is power

Knowing your options and what happens during a caesarean helps you plan the right experience for you. Discuss skin-to-skin, optimal cord clamping and adapting the birth environment with your healthcare provider, and write them into your birth plan.

The video below shows how many people are usually present during a caesarean birth.

These are just 7 ways to personalise your caesarean birth – I’m sure you can think of more! Please share your ideas and experiences in the comments. You might also find Recovery after Caesarean Birth helpful.

Online Birth Preparation Course only £35!

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enrol now

Sources and further reading:

Caesarean Birth and VBAC Information

Ginandes C, Brooks P, Sando W, Jones C, Aker J. Can medical hypnosis accelerate post-surgical wound healing? Results of a clinical trial. Am J Clin Hypn. 2003 Apr;45(4):333-51. doi: 10.1080/00029157.2003.10403546. PMID: 12722936.

Hourigan SK, Dominguez-Bello MG, Mueller NT. Can maternal-child microbial seeding interventions improve the health of infants delivered by Cesarean section? Cell Host Microbe. 2022 May 11;30(5):607-611. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.02.014. PMID: 35550663; PMCID: PMC9237654.

Smith J, Plaat F, Fisk NM. The natural caesarean: a woman-centred technique. BJOG. 2008 Jul;115(8):1037-42; discussion 1042. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2008.01777.x. PMID: 18651885; PMCID: PMC2613254.

Wilson, Brooke C. et al. (2021) Oral administration of maternal vaginal microbes at birth to restore gut microbiome development in infants born by caesarean section: A pilot randomised placebo-controlled trial. eBioMedicine, Volume 69, 103443. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(21)00236-X/fulltext [accessed 3 April 2023]

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Birth Trauma is real!

Your birth trauma is real. Sadly, the UK maternity system is under huge strain. Induction, caesarean and assisted birth rates are rising – and so is the number of parents experiencing birth trauma.

What is birth trauma (postnatal PTSD)?

There are four main symptoms:

  • Avoidance: avoiding anything or anyone that reminds you of the trauma – for example, other parents with babies, or going to (or past) the place where you gave birth.
  • Re-experiencing: reliving the traumatic event through nightmares, flashbacks or intrusive memories that make you feel panicky or distressed.
  • Hypervigilance: feeling constantly on alert, jumpy and irritable, or worried that something bad will happen to your baby.
  • Low mood: feeling low and unhappy, or guilty and blaming yourself for your birth experience. You may also find it hard to remember parts of the birth.

Not everyone who has a traumatic experience develops PTSD, but it is a common response to trauma. It’s involuntary – you can’t help it, and it can’t be cured by “snapping out of it” or “focusing on the positive”.

Perhaps you’re reading this because your birth trauma is stopping you (and/or your partner) from trying for another baby? Or because people keep telling you to “snap out of it”? Or maybe you can’t sleep, or feel you can’t bond with your baby, because of your birth experience?

You are not alone. Your birth trauma is real. Research shows that around 4–5% of people who give birth develop PTSD – and fathers and partners can develop PTSD after witnessing a traumatic birth, too.

How can you get help with birth trauma?

The Birth Trauma Association (BTA) explains where and how to get help, including their peer support and how to access psychological support. You could talk to professionals such as:

  • your GP
  • your midwife
  • your health visitor
  • a counsellor

Or to people you trust, such as:

There may be families near you who have also experienced birth trauma and would be happy to share their experiences – the BTA can help you find local volunteers and peers.

Another wonderfully supportive option is Sheryl, the Healing Birth Doula, who offers online learning including her Birth Empowerment course.

Pregnant again after birth trauma?

If you’re pregnant again after a traumatic birth, here are some ideas to help you enjoy your pregnancy and start looking forward to meeting your baby.

There’s no quick fix, but there are plenty of options – and it’s important to talk to someone. A trauma-informed doula or hypnobirthing practitioner can work with you on what happened last time, help you find closure, and then help you plan for this new birth. A practitioner trained in the rewind technique (a gentle therapy for processing traumatic memories) may also help you heal.

In short:

  • work through your previous birth (for example, with the rewind technique)
  • acknowledge that it is in the past
  • find closure for your previous birth
  • acknowledge that this is a completely new baby and a new experience
  • start writing down your birth preferences and “what if” ideas
  • start to look forward to your new birth experience

Your steps towards an empowered birth experience are shown in the image below. You may also find my post Pregnant again helpful.

Steps towards an empowered birth experience after birth trauma

My online course to help you prepare for your baby’s birth

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enroll now
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Induction for a big baby?

Induction for a big baby – and what does a hamster have to do with birth?

If you follow Dr Sara Wickham, you may already know this one. The 2016 Cochrane review on suspected big babies (macrosomia) found that the difference in birth weight between babies who were induced early and babies whose labour started on its own was just 178g. That’s about the weight of a hamster 🐹 or a medium-sized pear 🍐 (see Sara Wickham’s book In Your Own Time for more!). That should make your ‘big’ baby seem a little less big and scary.

That said, it’s your body, your baby and your choice! If you feel an induction or caesarean birth is the right choice for you, then that’s what you should choose. A good doula or perinatal educator will support you in making the right decision for you and your baby, and support your choice. But if you’re reading this, chances are you feel that an induction (or caesarean) for a big baby isn’t what you want.

How can you decide whether to have an induction for a big baby?

The aim of inducing labour for a big baby is to reduce the chance of the baby ‘getting stuck’ (shoulder dystocia). In most cases, shoulder dystocia doesn’t cause any long-term problems. Here is a printable summary of the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth findings to help you make the right choice for you and your baby:

induction-for-macrosomia-printableDownload

Reasons you might decline an induction for a big baby

If your baby’s size is the only reason for the recommendation, you may wish to decline the induction.

The main reason induction is recommended is the assumption that big babies are at higher risk of shoulder dystocia. In reality, 7–15% of big babies have some difficulty with the birth of their shoulders, and most of these situations are handled by midwives or obstetricians without any lasting harm to the baby. Permanent nerve injury from shoulder dystocia happens in about 1 in 555 babies weighing between 8lb 13oz and 9lb 15oz, and about 1 in 175 babies weighing 9lb 15oz or more.

Interestingly, people with high blood sugar levels during pregnancy have a higher risk of shoulder dystocia even when their baby isn’t considered big. This is because the baby’s weight can be distributed differently: problems are more likely when the baby’s head is relatively small compared with their shoulders and tummy (Kamana et al., 2015).

But can we really tell how big your baby is?

How accurate are growth scans or feeling the bump (palpation)? In short, both are similarly unreliable at predicting a baby’s size.

For scan accuracy, see table 3 in this article (copied below). It shows how accurate ultrasound weight estimates were for scans done within three days before birth, preterm (before 37 weeks) and at term (37+ weeks).

Proportion of estimates within±10%±15%±20%
Gestational age at scan:
<37 weeks69.6%85.6%91.9%
≥37 weeks72.8%89.6%95.9%

To read more about induction for big babies, I recommend:

Online Birth Preparation Course only £35!

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enrol now
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Free Pregnancy Checklist

You’re pregnant – congratulations! Now’s the time to get organised. This pregnancy checklist is a gentle reminder of your options, recommendations and appointments in the UK.

WhatWhen
Start taking folic acid and vitamin D supplements, as recommended by the NHSAs soon as you find out you’re pregnant (ideally before)
Register with your community midwife – ask your GP surgery how to do thisBefore 7 weeks
Booking appointment (your first appointment) with your community midwifeBetween 8 and 12 weeks
Get and sign your maternity exemption certificate (free prescriptions and NHS dental care)At your booking appointment
Ask your midwife about Healthy Start and check whether you’re eligibleAt your booking appointment
First ultrasound scan offered (dating scan)Around 12 weeks
Second ultrasound scan offered (20-week screening scan)Around 20 weeks
Book your antenatal classesBetween 12 and 22 weeks
Get your MAT B1 certificate from your community midwifeFrom 20 weeks
If you’re employed: tell your employer about your maternity leave plans in writing, including your MAT B1. If you’re unemployed or self-employed: check whether you’re eligible for Maternity AllowanceAt least 15 weeks before your due date (around 22–25 weeks)
Check whether you’re eligible for a Sure Start Maternity Grant (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)From 29 weeks
Find out about your local maternity services – can you book a visit or take a virtual tour?Around 30 weeks
Start writing your birth preferences (birth plan), including some “what if…” optionsAround 30 weeks
Start packing your birth bagsFrom 30 weeks
Practise your hypnobirthing techniques at least once a dayFrom 30 weeks
Arrange care for pets, older siblings and any other commitmentsFrom 30 weeks
Create your list of important contacts and how they’d like to be contacted, and share it with your birth partner or doulaFrom 32 weeks
Create your birth playlistFrom 34 weeks
Create your birth vision boardFrom 34 weeks
Create your birth affirmationsFrom 34 weeks

Contact your midwife or maternity unit if you:

  • think your contractions have started
  • think your waters have broken
  • have any bleeding in pregnancy
  • notice a change in your baby’s usual movements
  • want reassurance about anything in your pregnancy

Download your free printable pregnancy checklist

My-pregnancy-checklist-1Download

Online Birth Preparation Course only £35!

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enrol now
Posted on by — 2 Comments

Informed decision-making for birth

Why is informed decision-making for birth so important?

Pregnancy is often a woman’s or pregnant person’s first significant experience of the healthcare system. Suddenly, you have to make all sorts of decisions for yourself, your baby and your family, and some of those choices about your care during pregnancy and birth can be difficult. You’ll be influenced by healthcare professionals, family and friends, the media, social media, books, memories and more – all claiming to know what’s best for you and your baby, and often leaving you feeling torn…

Whatever choices you’re considering, you can help yourself make informed decisions that you’ll be happy with and feel empowered by.

One acronym often used in childbirth education and hypnobirthing classes is BRAIN (sometimes BRAINS or BRIAN). It’s a simple way to gather all the information you need to make informed decisions about your own and your baby’s care:

Benefits:
What are the benefits of the treatment or procedure? Is this what is usually done? How do the usual benefits apply to your own individual care?

Risks:
Are there any risks with the treatment or procedure? How do they apply to your own individual care?

Alternatives:
What are the alternatives? Where can you get a second (or third) opinion?

Intuition:
How do you feel about what’s being offered? What does your gut tell you?

Nothing:
What would happen if you did nothing? Is it an emergency? How much time do you have to think about it? Do you need to decide now?

With this simple, memorable acronym, you can make informed decisions without having to memorise all the statistics and research. You’re likely to feel more in control and empowered, and happier with your birth experience – and that’s why informed decision-making for childbirth is so important.

Read more in my post The BRAIN Acronym for Childbirth. If you’d like to prepare at your own pace, my self-paced online childbirth preparation course includes all my antenatal mp3 recordings, the scripts and a 20-page printable workbook.