Pregnancy during Covid-19 has been interesting, stressful and uncertain for many parents-to-be with changes to appointments, partners not being able to attend scans and then restrictions for birth partners when women are in labour. However, Simply Natal has still been able to provide antenatal education to women and their birth partners, albeit virtually, during this period giving confidence and knowledge to those attending.
If you don’t already know I’m nearing the end of my second trimester with Bump Mumbler! Even before I became pregnant, I always knew I wanted to further my knowledge and preparation for the birth of our second baby and hypnobirthing was something I was really interested to explore further! And then the pandemic hit, and I thought my plans had been thrown out of the window!!
But first I’m going to tell you a bit about my first birth … 5 years ago (more or less to the day!) I felt ready physically and mentally to birth my baby naturally and was waiting for my 36 week appointment so I could speak to my consultant to remove the ‘high risk’ tag from my notes as I wanted to birth at Pontefract MLU (this was before there was a midwife led unit at Pinderfields).
That appointment was the start of 3 weeks of emotional turmoil for me as I found out that my baby was breech. It was a very hard period but through some very supportive ladies in Wakefield, I knew I had choices and that there were a few different options instead of just signing for a C-Section at 39 weeks. I tried everything to turn my baby (acupuncture, moxibustion and an ECV) but he was snug as a bug and I finally decided that the best thing for me and my mental health was to have a planned, gentle C-Section. 39 weeks pregnant came and my birth was amazing. Everything in my birth plan was respected and I felt in complete control! However, it took 18 months for me to admit and accept that I needed help to overcome those 3 weeks between finding out my baby was breech and him being born.
So why is this so relevant to our second pregnancy … because control and choice are SO important to me!!
I knew that a full hypnobirthing course was now not going to be possible for us as we didn’t have the childcare due to lockdown, but Sheryl from Simply Natal also offers a Pregnancy Relaxation class. This is an hour every week for 6 weeks so I got a Saturday morning to myself and my bump (Pregnancy Yoga followed by Pregnancy Relaxation!!) whilst my husband looked after our little boy.
Each week there is a different topic that you have an approx. 40 minute conversation about, have some virtual group work to do and then end the class with mindset preparation in the form of a meditation reading and relaxation.
The topics were Challenging Perceptions, Choice, Control, Calm, Comfortable and Confident.
We finished the course with a true or false statement session and we were all given gold stars. The statements were about things that you may have heard happen during other women’s pregnancy but the answer to all but one was that they were all false statements. They can be offered by health care professionals but it is up to you to make an informed decision on whether you accept or decline.
I have read lots of birth stories since becoming pregnant and the phrase that always stands out to me is ‘I was allowed’ and it took a good conversation with Sheryl for me to accept and become confident in my birth choices, that no-one is allowing me to do anything, but I will make informed decisions in how I birth my baby. I will use BRAINS for anything that happens (my choices) so I feel in control of the situation! The course has definitely grown my confidence and I am really excited about my birth!!
Sheryl reminded me that this was my body, my baby, my choice and has empowered me to trust my body and my birth choices!!
If you would like to learn more about your birth and the choices that you have during your pregnancy, I definitely recommend that you speak to Sheryl on the options available to enhance your antenatal journey!
Simply Natal runs full hypnobirthing courses for pregnant women and their birth partners as well as Pregnancy Relaxation classes just for pregnant ladies. Sheryl is also a trained doula and offers doula services before, during and after your birth.
The next full course starts Sunday 14th June, and Pregnancy Relaxation starts Saturday 13th June as a FREE taster session. Both courses run each month.
For further details, contact Simply Natal:
07342 646143
sheryl@simplynatal.co.uk
simplynatal.co.uk
Virtual Pregnancy Relaxation Group
Disclaimer: I received the Pregnancy Relaxation Course in return for a personal, honest review of the course. I have grown in confidence from the course and this is testament to Simply Natal’s brilliant antenatal education.
