Contact details

email: info@birthingwithconfidence.co.uk
mobile: 07905 658 386 (I can't answer if with a client so please text if no reply and I'll call you back)

website: http://www.birthingwithconfidence.co.uk

Why I became a practitioner

I have been teaching antenatal classes for many years but have often felt concerned that perhaps my classes aren’t making enough difference to the way women and their partners approach and deal with labour and birth. I have been aware of Natal Hypnotherapy for several years and it was always in the back of my mind as something I thought could actually make a difference in labour. I hear so many women saying that they’d like to avoid an epidural, but they don’t seem to have the tools to enable themselves to do anything else. I think Natal Hypnotherapy has more potential than other methods to support women to cope in a way they’d prefer during labour. I also like the fact that it makes no promises of a pain-free birth; it’s about understanding, accepting and calmly managing the sensations and emotions of labour, not getting rid of them.

My core beliefs surrounding pregnancy and birth

I firmly believe that the way a woman gives birth is hugely influenced by what is in her head. Women are mammals but with very clever brains. The down-side to this is that we have the capacity to build up, over many generations, all sorts of fears, anxieties and “baggage” about birth. The hormone products produced by fears are counter-productive to the hormones produced in a straightforward labour. So if a woman and her partner have the opportunity to release their concerns and re-picture what birth really is then they are more likely to have a happy, manageable experience. After all, women do really know what to do. It’s happening all over the world, all the time, and the human race is doing pretty well. We just need to unearth our birthing instincts!

My experience of working with pregnant women and my personal experience of Natal Hypnotherapy

I began training to be an antenatal teacher following the birth of my second child, back in the 1990s and have been a qualified antenatal teacher since 1998. I have had 100s of couples through my classes over the years. Natal Hypnotherapy hadn’t been thought of when I had my children but I was aware of the importance of relaxation and breathing, particularly when I had my second baby. Using these techniques I felt able to remain calm and in control throughout my labour which felt in complete contrast to my first birth. Having discovered this difference for myself I felt spurred to try and do something to help other parents to understand how being relaxed helps in labour. I’m not one for doing something unless I really understand the point, so this has been my starting position for others. I remain passionate and driven in doing what I can to help women approach birth feeling positive and looking forward to the experience.

What women can gain from attending my courses

I want women to feel supported, to feel that I truly am interested in working with them to help them achieve the birth experience that they hope for. They will gain understanding and a fresh perspective on birth as well as learning useful skills to keep labour calm and manageable. Birth partners have a defined role and all the skills and tools can be tailored to suit each woman perfectly. Women and their partners will feel more confident and empowered to have a positive birth experience.

Related Qualifications & Associations

Dip HE Antenatal Education
NCT Licence to Practise
Dip HE Counselling (Gestalt)

I’m an Associate Member of AHPP (Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners)