All posts filed under: Conversations

Tonight’s antenatal classes – strategies and options…

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In my antenatal course I always include a session which pulls together everything the parents have looked at in previous sessions – early labour, established labour and birth – to catch any questions, to talk through any concerns, to focus on labour and birth again after learning information and thinking about what they may need. This is a challenging session because parents do open up about their fears and concerns – tonight’s were dealing with pain, what if they need to be assertive, what if labour is long, what if they panic? This session is about talking through all of this and taking the time to do it. It is also about straight-talking: labour and birth can be so varied, have some kind of plan for what you might need, say what you need and communicate this as often as you want to. I do think it is important to always refer to: what do I need? This is ever changing throughout labour – it can be physical needs such as warmth, food, water or …

Tonight’s antenatal session – the importance of knowing how to breathe

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I just can’t stress this enough – being able to use your breathing in labour and birth really could be the difference between panic and calm, the difference between working with your body and battling with it. Labour and birth is largely about contractions and energy, it is about listening to your body, about responding to it and going with it. As long as you and your baby are ok – labour will take as long as it needs. Knowing how to use your breathing is a skill you can use when you need it – for contractions, for rest, for headspace, if you feel overwhelmed, if you are tired… It means you are equipped with a strong, effective and adaptable skill to control and use if your labour is straightforward or if it becomes more complicated with more monitoring and interventions. Using your breathing is about keeping you calm and that is a powerful skill to possess. If you know more about what your body and your baby need to do in labour, you …

Antenatal Class: topics and questions

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During last night’s antenatal class we talked about: pain relief – TENS, using gas & air, diamorphine, epidurals and birthing pools birth – the individuality of pushing and birth, being guided by your body, using positions, the benefits of gravity, working with your body and doing what feels right for you. It’s all about having realistic expectations which may differ from the images we see on television – women rarely need to be on the bed to give birth and you don’t need to be told what to do with pushing. caesareans – why they can become necessary, who is in the room, what it involves, skin-to-skin with your baby, options and recovery. your placenta and delayed cord clamping – your options, gathering information and questions to ask. meeting your baby – what babies can look like, newborn baby checks, the benefits of skin-to-skin, your options and gathering the support you need As an antenatal teacher I constantly go on about… using gravity going with what feels right and comfortable saying what you need for …