Farnham, Surrey  & Aldershot, Hampshire           

Cathy Welch's profile       

Contact details

email: Cathywelchnh@gmail.com 
mobile: 07960 330131 (please leave a message if I do not answer as I may be teaching)website: www.holisticbirthprep.com 

Why I became a practitioner

I have a passionate belief in women’s ability to birth their babies in their own way and a desire to help and empower them to do that. Through my work as a childbirth educator, yoga for pregnancy teacher and homoeopath I work holistically with women and their partners to support them to have the birth that is right for them.

Too many women approach labour in a fearful way but in recent years I was working more and more with women who were using Natal Hypnotherapy to help reduce those fears and I was amazed by their experiences. They spoke so positively and were filled with self-belief. I observed the way they approached labour and birth...and I wanted that for all women.

And so my journey into becoming a Natal Hypnotherapy practitioner began...

My core beliefs surrounding pregnancy and birth

I believe that women need to feel free to work with their bodies throughout their journey towards birth. Women are designed to give birth and if they have confidence in their abilities and are able to trust their instinctive birthing behaviours then they can approach labour & birth free from fear and feeling empowered.

I am equally aware that there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration. The position of a baby, the role of the birth supporter, the attitude of health professionals and the nature of the birth environment can all impact on the woman’s experiences and her birth outcomes. For some women their choices are affected by these factors but that does not mean that they can’t still approach the arrival of their baby with a positive and confident frame of mind.

Women need to be supported through knowledge and self belief to dismiss negative social pressures and media images, thus enabling them to find the way to labour which works for them. 

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

I have been an NCT antenatal teacher since 1995 and an NCT Yoga for Pregnancy teacher since 2006, running weekly classes in the Farnham & Aldershot area. Many women I work with use Natal Hypnotherapy and the feedback is extremely positive.

What women can gain from attending my courses

Attending my workshops gives women and their birth partners the opportunity to explore the emotional and physical journey of labour and birth. As a group you will learn from each other, sharing hopes and fears and finding new ways to re-frame those into a more confident and positive outlook. The women will discover ways to work with their bodies in an instinctive way to birth your baby, whatever the environment you are in. Birth partners will learn practical techniques to support the birthing woman and will gain confidence in their important role as birth supporter. Couples learn relaxation, self-hypnosis and breathing techniques to use to help you both stay calm and focused during labour. Sharing time with other people who wish to approach labour and birth in the same way as you do will give you greater confidence and self-belief, as well as an opportunity to spend time withlike-minded individuals.