Birthing Better
Birth Preparation Courses
The birth preparation course that I recommend is one I personally used in 2016 by Birthing Better; a not-for-profit charitable trust in New Zealand, previously known as the Pink Kit. The course is so comprehensive and covers the physiology of birth, coping skills, coaching skills and more for every type of birth and includes videos too. During the birth of my third daughter, I actively used the skills I learnt on this course and I know how effective they are.
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What I love about Birthing Better is that it was originally set up by a group of mums and dads in the US in the 1970's who wanted to share common knowledge of childbirth, to help others to self-learn skills to birth their babies. What they have created is a universal set of effective birthing and coaching skills for all types of birth that will help you to birth more effectively, reduce risks and recover faster. They are practical and easy to learn and you can spend a short time each or every other day reading or watching the videos and practising the skills.
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*Please note this is an affiliate link which means that a special tracking code is used and I make a small commission on the sale if you purchase through the link. The price is the same for you if you use the link or not. Using this affiliate link helps to support my business and my family and I would recommend Birthing Better even if they didn’t have an affiliate scheme!
Childbirth should be a satisfying and positive experience for all women, yet too many women walk away from birth feeling disempowered or traumatised. With the right preparation, common knowledge of birth, appropriate set of skills, rest and relaxation, I believe that the chances of having a positive birth experience are greatly enhanced.
Birth is always an unknown, you cannot predict the outcome, but I do believe you can increase your chances of having a positive experience by developing self-trust and reconnecting to your innate birthing wisdom. This journey back to your divine wisdom can involve much more; unpacking cultural narratives, personal beliefs, experiences, systems and stories you will no doubt have been told. So much of the narrative around birth is negative and fear-based which takes away your power and ability to tap into your bodily wisdom. My personal approach back to self-trust involved a number of things:
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Gathering knowledge of the physiology of birth.
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Learning coping skills for labour and actively and consistently practising them from 24 weeks pregnant. This allowed me to truly embody the skills and use them when needed.
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Developing the mind-body connection - pregnancy yoga.
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Hypnobirthing to reduce fear and to help me embody what I now understood about birth.
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Understanding the maternity system so I was clear on my rights when making decisions about my maternity care and birth.
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Thinking about where I would feel safest to birth and who I wanted to be present/support me.