A well written birth plan can be the difference between having the labour and birth experience you want or not.

WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?

Birth plans are important because they articulate your clear intentions of what you want for you and baby.  There are many decisions to be made that impact you and baby and the last thing you want is for someone to be asking questions during labour.

A woman must feel safe, in a quiet and undisturbed space, so she can relax and not have to think ‘consciously’ about what might happen. In fact, it is impossible for a birthing woman to make well-informed, clear decisions during labour. Another good reason to have a doula!

WHEN SHOULD YOU WRITE A BIRTH PLAN?

A good birth plan will be a work in progress throughout pregnancy.  From conception to birth is a 40 week journey of new learnings.  With each new piece of information that is aligned with your philosophy about birthing, creates another piece of your birthing puzzle.  By about 36 weeks pregnancy you will have clarity around what you would like for you and your baby and your puzzle will be close to completion.

DO NOT DOWNLOAD A BIRTH PLAN TEMPLATE!

There are many templates online designed for simply ticking boxes.  It is important the way a baby enters the world, and every birth IS different.  Think about how you want your birth to unfold and how you want baby to come into this world – ideally gently and quietly.

BIRTH PLANS SHOULD BE RESPECTED

Obstetricians and midwives often find birth plans frustrating.  Generic templates from a prenatal course or online, mostly do not have any understanding of the hospital system and how it works.  This inevitably is disrespectful to the facility and staff.  So if you want yours to be respected then take the time to use words that will be respected.

WORDS HAVE POWER

• Only use positive language
• DO NOT list what you DON’T WANT but rather what you DO WANT (a list of I DON’T WANT indicates unresolved fears)
• Consider special requests, e.g. religious, cultural and clearly articulate
• If you have an opening sentence “as long as it is safe for me and my baby this is what we would like” This is a powerful statement, which covers all the ‘what if’s’ because the bottom line is safety for Mum and baby.
• Consider the environment, e.g. quiet, undisturbed etc. Trust your doula will set up the room just as you want.
• Consider ‘no directed pushing’, the ideal is to breathe baby out gently and quietly in your own time. Good for baby, good for Mum.
• Consider the environment when baby is entering – no loud noises, soft music (maybe), no talking, no ‘other’ hands on baby only Mum and maybe Dad, no ‘other’ voices, only parents.

It takes a newborn a very long time to adapt to his strange new world.  We must all respect this.  Baby knows Mum from the inside and his meeting on the outside is very important as it sets the pattern for how he comes into contact again and again.  Make sure he is protected in the safe bubble of Mum, Dad & baby.

Your doula is the best person to guide you on constructing a birth plan that is unique.

WE HAVE TWO EARS AND ONE MOUTH, SO WE SHOULD LISTEN MORE THAN WE SAY

The following can be applied to any profession but as a mentor to doulas and educators, this is the most common issue raised in a mentoring session – the ability to LISTEN vs wanting to rescue, give advice, cure, give a personal view, and again rescue!  If you are a doula, educator, therapist or anyone else involved in the ‘helping’ arena, it is a natural default to want to help, often on the practitioner’s own terms, without realising what you are doing.

If you are thinking ‘this is not me, I am a good listener’, then think again because we are all guilty of wanting to give advice and rescue, at some point.

Ask yourself:

• How can I help my client to feel truly heard and understood?
• How can I get through this difficult discussion with my client without saying something insensitive?

And while I don’t have all the answers, here’s the biggest thing I’ve discovered about being a good listener:

BEING A GOOD LISTENER IS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO LESS OF, NOT MORE OF

If you want to be a better listener, identify and eliminate:

1. TRYING TO ‘WIN’ CONVERSATIONS – LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR

Many people struggle to be good listeners because they approach conversations as competitions, with the unconscious goal of winning and feeling good about themselves.  This is never going to lead to effective listening.

Before going into any conversation where you’d like to be a good listener, ask yourself this simple question:

Is this conversation about being helpful and supportive or making myself feel good? 

Many people don’t listen with the intent to understand – they listen with the intent to reply

2. TO BE A BETTER LISTENER, FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM, NOT THE PERSON

Just because someone has a problem doesn’t mean they are a problem.

Much of the time, when someone “wants to talk” they don’t actually want someone to solve their problems. They just want to feel understood.

The best conversations are about connection, not information.

3.  DON’T BE JUDGEMENTAL

This is an easy trap to fall into: When the person sitting next to us is describing how sad, frustrated, anxious, or ashamed they feel, we naturally empathise.

Your job as a good listener is not to pass judgement on how rational someone’s fears or frustrations or any other feelings are;  your job is to validate these feelings.

4.  IF YOU ARE AWARE OF YOUR OWN FEELINGS, YOU WILL BE A GOOD LISTENER

Truly great listeners are selfless in conversation.  But the only way to resist the pull of your own emotions and stay focused on the other person is self-awareness.

Good listeners are compassionate with themselves just as much as they are with others.

REMEMBER:  WE HAVE TWO EARS AND ONE MOUTH,

                     SO WE SHOULD LISTEN MORE THAN WE SAY

https://birthright.com.au/training/doula-mentor-program/

HOW TO MAKE A CONFIDENT PREGNANT/BIRTHING WOMAN

NO EXCUSES! 

There are no excuses for how many pregnant women are mis-treated ‘by the system’.  I have observed, over many years, ‘normally’ confident, intelligent women being bullied and controlled by an ‘often regarded’ higher force – the medical professional.  And the very worst is, lots of women cave in and believe it is in their best interest to go along with ‘the higher force’, without question.

During pregnancy and of course, labour and birthing, a woman is not just considering herself, not just making decisions for herself, there are two people involved – her and her baby.  There are layers of emotions surrounding each decision.

OBSTETRIC VIOLENCE

This is a very strong, evocative and relatively new term but birth violence is not new.  Women over time have been subject to physical and also verbal abuse.  I have a very clear memory of this when studying midwifery in the early 1970’s.  Women were in shared birthing rooms, separated only by a screen.  These women wailed, and were loudly primal, all at different stages of labour.  I was instructed, as a student midwife, to shout at them to ‘shut up’, which is what the midwife in charge would do.  As a student I was always in trouble because the women I was caring for were always the loudest, no doubt because I just couldn’t bring myself to tell labouring women to ‘shut up’!  and women, still today, are subjected to rough handling, unconsented interventions, including episiotomy, forceps, ventouse and even caesarean section.  They are so often disrespected and disempowered.

This week is birth trauma awareness week.

https://www.birthtrauma.org.au/birth-trauma-awareness-week/

CHANGE MUST HAPPEN

HOW DO WE MAKE A CONFIDENT BIRTHING WOMAN?

1.  We must firstly empower her with good education – knowledge is power https://birthright.com.au/training/inside-birth-childbirth-educator-training/

2.  We must show her how to question and what answers she should be getting

3.  We must eliminate all fears (and all those horror birth stories she has been subjected to!)

4.  We must encourage and support her intuitive deep connection with her unborn baby  https://birthright.com.au/training/birth-post-natal-doula-training/

5.  We must empower her to TRUST her instincts

6.  We must show her the importance of parenting from conception

HYPNOTHERAPY

I see way too many women who have been traumatised by their birth experience.  They are often angry, very sad, confused about what happened and why.  Many suffer a disconnect from their baby/child.  Many relationships with partners also become fraught.  There is a very real fear of any future pregnancy/birth, some deciding never to have another baby, based on their previous experience and others desperately wanting to have a more positive experience.

You can and must heal from a traumatic birth experience – whatever definition you have for ‘traumatic’.

You will be amazed at the level of deep healing for you and your baby.  You will not only heal but have a renewed sense of your innate birthing power.  Every pregnant woman must be in control of her pregnant body, her unborn baby, and her birth.    http://susanrosshypnotherapy.com/how-to-heal-from-a-traumatic-birth-experience/

WHAT IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON IN THE WORLD?

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  Nelson Mandela

If education is the most powerful weapon, WHO, then, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TEACHER?

Is it an English teacher?  University teacher? Early childhood?  Primary school?  High School?  Maybe it’s the music, sports, art teacher?  Almost everyone can remember that one teacher who made an impact, the one that changed your direction, who genuinely cared about who you were and where you were headed.  For me, (and it was a long time ago), it was my year 4 teacher, Mr. Vandenburgh at Nth. Albury Primary School.  I was 9 yrs old.  I knew he liked me, believed in me, praised me for good work (and only for work that deserved praise!) and told my parents I was smart and had potential.  So my parents made me an offer (prompted by Mr. Vandenburgh) if I came in the first 3 at end of year exams (I did mention it was a long time ago and this was the system) I would get a bike (something I had desperately wanted for a long time).  So I came 1^st!

There are many stories like mine, and what it showed me at that very young age was the power of belief.  Suddenly I had both parents plus a teacher believing that I could achieve, and so I became excited and believed I could achieve.

WHERE DOES EDUCATION BEGIN?

There is much debate and criticism of parents who place their child into Day Care too early, or too late, or into the ‘wrong’ Day Care, Early childhood program.  There is equal debate and criticism of ‘stay at home Mum’s’, and there is certainly debate about ‘hot-housing’ parents.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hothousing  And all this debate and analysis can be useful (mainly for bureaucrats) to determine funding to various education programs.

What is totally overlooked is the important role of creating a happy, healthy and emotionally secure baby.  Education MUST begin in utero.  In his book Dr. David Chamberlain highlights the transformative journey each one of us must undergo in the womb.  https://www.booktopia.com.au/windows-to-the-womb-david-chamberlain/book/9781583945513.html

AN OPPORTUNITY IS HERE FOR YOU TO TEACH PREGNANT COUPLES

At our Inside Birth® Childbirth Educator training, you will learn how to teach pregnant couples the power of connecting, educating and having fun with their unborn baby – laying down the foundation for a happy, well-adjusted life.  In just 4 days you will graduate as an Inside Birth® Educator.  NOW ACCEPTING ENROLMENTS FOR NOV., 2020 & April, 2021.  Don’t miss out on this Early Bird offer – we even offer payment plans!  https://birthright.com.au/training/inside-birth-childbirth-educator-training/

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived.  It is the difference we have made to the lives of others that determines the significance of the life we lead.

There is always something YOU can do to make a difference.

Ask yourself?  What is it that I want to contribute to this world?  How do I want to serve humanity and make the world a better place?

A VERY DISTURBING STORY

Elizabeth has a 31 yr old son. It is Saturday night and there are 4 of us out for dinner. Elizabeth told me, with a great deal of pride, that she failed her ante-natal classes, all those years ago, and how she and her husband had been asked to leave and not come back.
“I don’t know anyone else who was evicted from their ante-natal course”! there is much laughter. She wears this statement as a badge of honour. “My husband told the educator all he wanted to know was how to look after baby once it was born. How do I change a nappy? It doesn’t matter how it comes out.” Elizabeth told the educator “all this birthing stuff was a load of nonsense, and I just want to know about baby care”.
Elizabeth, who has worked as a Real Estate Agent and is just about to move to live in New York for an indefinite time, to write a book.
I asked a very normal question about how her children, and 1 baby grandchild, felt about this decision…. And here it was………..
“Oh my son doesn’t speak to me, we don’t get on, I don’t like him much and I don’t think he likes me. The only time we communicate is when his wife is around as she seems to work hard at trying to get us to communicate. I was never interested in having kids and nor was my husband, but then he changed his mind.
We tried to conceive naturally but nothing happened (surprise???) and so we had to do IVF. We had to have a caesarean due to high blood pressure and feeling sick (surprise????) I was always going to have a caesarean so the blood pressure was a good excuse.
My son just lives his own life and I’m not really interested! My husband died of melanoma when our son was 3yrs old. He was brought up by my parents (his grandparents) as I was always planning to continue with my career. I lived a single life and my son grew up thinking of his grandmother as his mother.” Elizabeth said, again quite proudly, she would come home from work, put her feet up with a glass of wine, and her mother did, dinner, bath and bedtime reading. Elizabeth states she was never interested.

WOW!

To all the current Inside Birth® Educators and those of you who are “thinking about this training” – don’t ever underestimate the power you have to initiate profound change in a woman’s thinking. I can only imagine the different outcome for Elizabeth and her son, if she had attended an Inside Birth® course?
It is not just the pregnancy and the birth that is affected, but a relationship that lasts a lifetime. It is so sad there is a 31yr old man who is so damaged and a mother who is oblivious.

Of course, Elizabeth could benefit greatly from a birth de-brief, as could her son and there could be some monumental healing occur, but the really sad bit is I don’t think she cares.
Whilst I enjoyed dinner with friends, these stories stay with me and are most disturbing. It seems the world is full of very damaged relationships, that could have been avoided.
I hope you can all get on board and make this the year of promoting Inside Birth® Education. These stories are reminders that we can make change – long term important change!

https://birthright.com.au/training/inside-birth-childbirth-educator-training/

HOW TO CREATE HAPPIER BABIES

Have you ever wondered how painful experiences in your past are impacting your life?  Do you find yourself numb to certain feelings, or struggling when certain emotions show up?

Early life stress, and unresolved emotional trauma, have a major impact on every aspect of our lives and is the number one risk factor for chronic complex illness today.

The psychological and neurological impact of early life stress and trauma can be reversed and we can heal.

How early can stress and trauma become a problem?  We must go back to the very beginning of life – in the womb.  The unborn baby absorbs  every thought and emotion their Mum is experiencing.  This can show up later, throughout life as physical, emotional and neurological issues.

SO HOW CAN WE CREATE HAPPIER, HEALTHIER BABIES

We must start at the very beginning of life – in utero.

BECOME an Inside Birth® Educator and discover the golden opportunity to teach pregnant couples the importance of laying down a positive, happy imprint for their baby – in the womb.

The power of the mind cannot be underestimated in pregnancy.  It is the most important organ involved, not just in pregnancy, but labour and birthing.

I invite you to join the Inside Birth® movement and let’s create happier babies

INSIDE BIRTH® teaches parenting from conception, conscious awareness of the power of words, thoughts and our relationship to creation and birth.  The Inside Birth® Educator will develop a deep regard for the power of your soul and all that you are capable of influencing by thoughts, action and words.

Do you want to change birthing outcomes for women and their babies?
Do you want to learn how to teach this unique Inside Birth® hypnosis, the powerful tool that can change a woman’s mind/body/baby connection?
Do you want to learn techniques to eliminate all accumulated fears and self-doubts from the sub-conscious mind – all pregnant women have them!
Do you want a career that will give you incredible job satisfaction, knowing this education will make a difference to the future health of our nation?

Over 4 transformative days this cutting edge childbirth educator training will change your thinking about how we enter the world.  This is not teaching HOW a woman SHOULD give birth,  it is learning ABOUT what goes on INSIDE – UNDERSTANDING ‘THE MIND’, COMMUNICATION, CONNECTION and how to THINK outside the box.  You will understand the powerful imprinting for baby –  from conception and how to teach this to pregnant women and their partners.

Next Training 7^th – 10^th August.  We are extending our Early Bird Offer (now expires 31^st July) for August training.

 

Book here:  https://birthright.com.au/product/inside-birth-educator-training/  

1IN 5 PEOPLE THINKING OF A CAREER CHANGE

There have been quite a few ‘positives’ that have come from this crazy virus lockdown stuff and it seems one of the more important ones has been ‘time’.  Having space and time to really consider one’s life, what is really important for you, your family and the community both locally and globally.

According to ING Bank, 28% have considered learning new skills to insulate themselves from future economic upheaval.  But roughly 32% believe it will be difficult to find new opportunities.

Enforced lockdown, as extraordinary as it has been, has provided an opportunity, for many (not all) to reconsider exactly where they are headed in work and life.  Is what I am doing challenging? is it interesting? and is it going to make the world a better and more compassionate place?  Am I just a little bit frustrated, complacent, bored?  Do I hate the endless meetings, the work politics, the ‘not so great’ work conditions, the unfair expectations of bosses?  Do you sometimes find yourself thinking ‘I know there is something else I want to do but I just don’t know what, I haven’t found it yet?

A basic human need is to feel happy, challenged, engaged, enjoying extraordinary satisfaction and rewards in what you do.

NEW OPPORTUNITY AWAITS

I am in the business of making better quality humans. Yes, I know, that is quite a statement!  I have been in this business for at least 4 decades and never before has there been a better time for you join me and the Birth Right team in making change happen at the very beginning of life, a new human, preparing to enter the world.

Mental Health is a prominent agenda for politicians and the media.  The Covid virus has seen an increase in suicide, domestic violence, depression, anxiety and much more and whilst there are services available for help and support, I am interested in prevention.

SUPPORT AND EDUCATION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

We must start at the very beginning if we want to create emotionally connected and physically healthy humans.  The blueprint for life is laid down in utero.  Showing women the power of being in control of their unborn baby’s education, emotional and psychological well-being, and obvious physical health is the role you can have as an Inside Birth® Educator, Birth & Post-natal doula.  Imagine being able to support a woman throughout her pregnancy, labour, birth and post-natally – it is the perfect continuity of care.

GRAB THIS OPPORTUNITY – book our COMBINED TRAINING and set up your own business with ‘guaranteed’ clients! Women are not going to stop having babies.  Payment plans offered.  I would love to chat with you directly and answer any other questions you may have.

https://birthright.com.au/training/combined-training/

Book here:   https://birthright.com.au/product/combined-training/

DO YOU EVER WONDER HOW WE BECOME WHO WE ARE?

What helps us integrate our experiences from our early beginnings?

We are the story of what has happened to us up until right now, from conception through labour, birth and to the present moment.  This story is laid down emotionally, physically and psychologically in our connective tissue, in the fluids of our body and in our bones.

In utero, your baby is conscious, aware, very sensitive, intelligent, building neural connections and laying down memory.

Connecting with your baby – from conception is vital to produce a happy, healthy and emotionally connected little person, who enters the world gently, quietly with mother and baby deeply in-tune.

You are the architect of your baby’s brain and nervous system and the baby forms, according to whatever you are feeling/experiencing.  Your baby responds to what is happening in your nervous system.

OXYTOCIN BREAK

If you are stressed at work, home or wherever then taking an Oxytocin moment is invaluable.  Oxytocin is released when you do anything that is pleasurable.  This is especially important during pregnancy and early infancy as the release of oxytocin helps baby’s brain become wired with a calm temperament and the capacity to self-regulate emotional states, meaning their system gets hardwired to go from stress to relaxation, easily and effortlessly.  If their environment (their mother) does this, then their body learns how to do this too.  Oxytocin is what heals the body.

What is your Oxytocin moment?  Walk in nature, swimming, music, reading, day dreaming (which is meditation) – whatever –  Do this during pregnancy to establish a common, well-recognised habit so that you will have the capacity to return to it after the birth.  It is a great skill to tap into for your health and to be in tune with your baby.

Birth is a big experience for both mother and baby.  Adults have an understanding that the baby is coming from inside to outside but the baby may not know this.  After birth, your baby may not know he is out, that he made it.  This is why it is so important to create an environment of quiet, and for baby to only hear Mum/Dad’s voice, and to only feel the touch of Mum’s hands scooping him into her arms.

Did you know our Inside Birth® Educator Training teaches Inside-Outside.

https://birthright.com.au/training/inside-birth-childbirth-educator-training/

 

WHY INSIDE BIRTH® EDUCATOR TRAINING IS DIFFERENT

Popular cultural views are that unborn babies are not having their own experience and therefore don’t need parenting until we have them in our arms at birth.  Inside Birth® teaches that from conception onwards, we are laying down our foundational imprinting for life.

 “I’m especially aware of the need to create babies that are mentally and physically healthy, in order to have a world that is healthy and peaceful.”

~ Dr. David Chamberlain  Psychologist, author of ‘the mind of the newborn baby’, ‘windows to the womb’ and many others

The core philosophy of Inside Birth® is that we are conscious and aware from conception on. From the very beginning, we are having our own experiences, in utero, and, therefore, need parenting and support much earlier than was previously thought.

Inside Birth® is cutting edge education that changes how we perceive and support Mum and baby during pregnancy and birth.  Understanding earliest relationships from the baby’s point of view and how those experiences set in motion life patterns is vital to achieve healing and connection.

You will learn how to liberate the mind from fear and anxiety using Inside Birth® hypnotic techniques.

As an Inside Birth® Childbirth Educator and birthing professional you will be educating parents about pre-natal consciousness and treating unborn babies as conscious. You have the potential to positively influence and transform both your professional life and the lives of the couples that you educate and support in their journey through early parenthood – i.e. during pregnancy, birth and beyond.  You are well placed to make a huge difference to unborn babies, their experience in the womb, and how they enter the world.

Our aim is to teach deep connection between Mum and baby and Dad and to appreciate the amazing power a woman has to create a happy, calm, intelligent new human who enters the world peacefully and with love.

We have limited spaces available in our 4 day face to face training to enhance optimal learning.

Training dates:  2-5 August, 2020 and 6-9 Nov., 2020

Early Bird Available.

Book here:  https://birthright.com.au/product/inside-birth-educator-training/

 

IMPORTANT TRAITS

Being a doula is a very specialised role and here at Birth Right Training Academy I have high expectations of our trainees. It is not about academic qualifications but more about who you are as a person. We offer pregnant women and their partners a unique specialised service, and I want our graduate doulas to proudly advertise they are a graduate of Birth Right. Women respect our reputation and so attracting the ‘right’ trainee is essential.

THE POWER OF BEING GOOD AT LISTENING

I want trainees who are skilled at listening. This can be surprisingly difficult for many people. When you are empowered with wonderful knowledge, it is a natural instinct to let everyone know. We have all met these people. The ones who are quick to tell you what you should do and what you must do and what you should NOT do!

At Birth Right training you will learn how to share your knowledge – appropriately And how to use the power of suggestion

RESPECT

I want trainees who are respectful. Pregnant women come with their own information from a variety of sources – some good, some confusing, and some incorrect.

At Birth Right training you will learn how to respect the knowledge a woman presents with and how to artfully guide her thinking to make sure she has the best outcomes for her and her baby.

CHOICE

I want trainees who understand the meaning of CHOICE. There is nothing more rewarding in this work than to open a woman’s eyes to the many options available for her and her baby. Knowing what questions to ask, and what answers she should be getting.

At Birth Right training you will learn how to empower a woman to find her voice on behalf of her baby, and how to accept HER choices.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT NOT EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED

I want trainees who can provide strong emotional support for pregnant women, without emotional involvement.

At Birth Right training you will learn how to separate – emotionally. This is essential for the doula to provide professional support.

ADVOCACY

I want trainees who believe in the importance of advocacy for women and their unborn baby.

At Birth Right training you will learn the art of skilful and respectful advocacy.

THE SYSTEM
The hospital system, and the people who work in the system, can be incredibly intimidating. It is especially confronting for pregnant women because they are NOT sick! And therefore do not need to be ‘cured’.
We want all babies to enter the world in a gentle, nurturing environment. This is naturally a challenge in a hospital environment. Becoming a doula, the right doula, definitely changes outcomes for women and their babies.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A DOULA?

More info. here:  https://birthright.com.au/training/birth-post-natal-doula-training/

Payment plans available.

All babies in utero change position frequently.  An IDEAL position for baby to enter the world is head down, and sometimes baby finds himself in a breech position, quite comfortably nestled with head up and bottom down.

IS THIS AN ISSUE?

Only around 3-5% of babies are breech at term (end of pregnancy).  Unfortunately it has become an issue as many obstetricians are not skilled or experienced at managing a breech birth, so the ‘easy’ option is to do a caesarean section.  20 or 30 years ago it was much more common for breech babies to be born vaginally, and was never considered a ‘big deal’!  BUT a caesarean is always a big deal for mother and baby, so best to avoid if possible.

EMOTIONAL DECLINE

Sometimes, at a routine prenatal visit with midwife/doctor, a casual ‘announcement’ is made that baby is breech.  It is mainly irrelevant, especially if prior to 36 weeks, as it is normal for baby to move around – a lot.  Often this is not explained to women, and so begins the cascade of emotional decline which looks like this:

 

ANXIETY

FEELING HELPLESS

FEAR OF CAESAREAN

ANGER

SADNESS

GUILT

WHAT HAPPENS FOR BABY? WHY IS MY MUM SO WORRIED? WHAT IS ALL THIS ANXIETY ABOUT? WHY IS MY MUM SO UPSET? WHY DOES MY ENVIRONMENT FEEL TIGHT AND TENSE? WHY DOES MY MUM FEEL SO SAD?

A mothers emotional responses have a direct impact on the unborn baby.

A baby is unlikely to turn when there is increased fear and anxiety.

WE KNOW THAT A BABY IN UTERO DOES NOT LIKE TO BE TOUCHED, PUSHED, MANOEUVRED, SEE BRIGHT LIGHT, OR PROBED.

THE GOOD NEWS

Hypnotherapy works.  Hypnosis is a natural state of focused awareness.

You have, deep within, the ability to change the stress, anxiety, disappointment and fear and turn it into a wonderful positive, just by using the power of your own mind.  I have seen, in my practice, many babies turn easily and effortlessly – simply by utilising the power of the mind.  Using hypnosis to turn breech babies was supported in the following study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8000559

Hypnosis is deeply relaxing for Mum and baby, releasing fears and anxiety and allowing baby the space and time to wriggle into a more favourable position for birth.

                                                                                                            Women report feeling a deep connection with their baby                                                                                                               and empowered.  Never underestimate the power of the                                                                                                                mind.  Know this is safe for you and your baby.

https://birthright.com.au/about/about-susan-ross/

http://susanrosshypnotherapy.com/

The Roots of Love – Brain science and child development studies confirm that what we experience at the very beginning of life, deeply shapes our health, the way we live, and our life choices.

Many chronic conditions and mental health issues we face as children, teenagers or adults can be traced to faulty patterns in our brain and nervous system, including a distorted sense of self and an inability to trust the world around us.  These patterns are physiological and rooted in the experiences we had at conception, during life in the womb, during birth, and the first few hours post birth.

Our first home is the womb, when our mother’s body and psyche are our world.  We are immersed in the sea of her thoughts, emotions and perceptions.   Not only do we develop from her nutrients and love hormones but also the toxins she takes in, all via that pulsing umbilical cord.  These are the components from which we compose our tissues and organs, especially our brain.

Immediately after birth, and before anyone else has spoken or touched baby, our mother’s face, voice and body language is the mirror in which we see ourselves.  Therefore how our mother experiences life, how she is treated – with joy and respect or neglect and abuse – profoundly influence how we grow up to treat ourselves, everyone, and everything we encounter.

We know how important it is to embrace and empower pregnant women, to support, educate and nurture them so they can focus on preparing their unborn baby for the outside world.

Join us in 2020 for a very powerful training

Inside Birth® Educator Training provides 4 days of all face to face training.  You will learn how to empower, support and educate pregnant women in the art of true connection with their unborn baby.

After successfully completing the 4 days you will graduate as an Inside Birth® Educator and have the skills to set up your own business.  We provide a lifetime of mentoring!  Next training 3rd-6th April in the beautiful Blue Mountains, NSW.

Want to make a difference in 2020 and learn how to deliver ante-natal classes differently? then give me a ring for a chat OR read more info. here:

https://birthright.com.au/training/inside-birth-childbirth-educator-training/

 

 

 

Check this out and please share, share, share!

http://www.learningtobirth.com/doula

Do not miss out on our birth doula training.  Workshop dates are on our website for next year.

Online, face to face, full mentoring and lots of new learnings and fun.

 

Many consider a doctor (obstetrician) to be the ultimate expert in all things pregnancy and birth.  Many others consider a midwife to be the ultimate expert in all things pregnancy and birth.  Many others consider a doula to be the ultimate expert, albeit a different type of expert, in all things pregnancy and birth.

It is true that all of the above have a different role to play, and each have limited areas of expertise.

Here at the Birth Right Training Academy I want our doulas to know and understand the power of who is truly THE EXPERT – and that, of course is the Mum.

Pregnant women today are bombarded with information and feel so much pressure to conform to a pre-ordained set of rules and policies which health facilities impose.  Most pregnant women say they feel overwhelmed about what to do, where to go, who to see, what is the ‘right’ thing to do?  They have lost sight (understandably) of connection – connection to what they innately feel is the best choice for them and their baby.

BIRTH RIGHT DOULA TRAINING

Our doula training will show you the power of the mind, and how to look, listen and feel.  You cannot do this online, on the phone, by text, or on social media, especially when a woman is in labour.  This must be done face to face.  I am passionate about teaching connection, how NOT to talk, give advice or direction but to look deep inside a woman’s mind and to understand how to ‘read’ her.  A doula must develop her own intuition and trust this, not just during pregnancy but most importantly during labour and birth, because this is when women CANNOT talk or communicate so you must learn to be a mind-reader, tune in, and act appropriately.  It is a unique skill.  It is a skill that our Birth Right trained doulas learn and develop throughout our training.  It is the most important sensitivity a doula can have.

Doula is ‘with woman’ truly and honestly and continuously.  A unique service.  Doula represents her wishes and works collaboratively with other professionals who may be involved in caring for Mum and baby.

If you want to learn about intuition, and be able to connect a woman with her own innate power, learning how to understand her unborn baby and what he/she wants, then this doula training is right for you.  Below is the link for more info. and to book BUT I invite you to give me a call and let’s have a chat.

https://birthright.com.au/training/birth-post-natal-doula-training/

It is diagnosed as ‘unexplained infertility’!  Just that – unexplained, and is no comfort for couples who desperately want a baby.  Understanding how the mind influences a conception and releasing negative blocks and limiting beliefs can change everything.

Hormones released in the brain are directly influenced by a woman’s thoughts and emotions – this is the cycle that makes a pregnancy possible – and it starts in the brain.

Your body responds to your thoughts and with the right images in your mind, you can stimulate and enhance your fertility.

There are many ways to naturally increase your fertility with vitamins, chiropractic, acupuncture, diet and whilst these can all help, the most important tool for conceiving your baby is your MIND.  The MIND is the most powerful healer, there are no pharmaceuticals that can match the mind power!

You can use the power of your mind to influence not only the quality of your eggs but to understand the blocks that have prevented you from having a baby.

FEARS AND BELIEFS

We have both conscious and unconscious fears about pregnancy, birth, becoming a parent, financial, career and many more.  These can block a conception from occurring.  Hypnosis is a way of finding out where your beliefs have come from and asking ‘why am I choosing to believe this’?  and ‘where has this belief come from?’

Hypnosis can show you how to take control of your thinking and discover and change any limiting beliefs you have about conceiving.  Conception happens when you see it in your mind, you see the pictures in your imagination and you believe a baby is on its way to you.  Wishing, hoping or trying is not good enough, you must believe.  This explains why couples in the process of adoption often conceive and why many conceive naturally after a successful IVF baby because they see and accept themselves as parents in every way.  They buy things for the baby they KNOW is on its way, rather than the baby they hope or wish would be on its way.

Scientists are just beginning to understand the extraordinary capabilities of the mind/body and one of their findings is that when the mind is stimulated by positive thoughts and images it sets off chemical changes in the body.

Hypnotherapy will eliminate the negative thoughts and blocks you may have – unconsciously about wanting a baby and replace this with a belief that you will make it happen.

Activate your healing power within:        http://susanrosshypnotherapy.com/talk-to-me/

 

Babies are conscious and aware in utero.  Babies remember birth.  There is undeniable research to support this, including the writings of the eminent Dr. David Chamberlain, author of ‘Windows to the womb’ and many other publications.  It is important therefore for a labour and birth not to be rushed so mother and baby can work together, in their own time and space, allowing for a quiet, gentle entry into the world for the baby.

THE REALITY OF TIME FRAMES

Unfortunately hospitals do impose time frames for a labour and birth.  They do this for a number of reasons:-

• The bottom line is a hospital is a business, especially in the private sector. It is about turnover! – getting them in and out quickly!
• Safety reasons – obviously a birth can go on for way too long, compromising both mother and baby
• Different doctors/hospitals have different expectations on how long is reasonable, based on a personal agenda, fear of being sued, a personal bias toward medical intervention and a lack of understanding about the importance of normal birth for mother and baby.

All pregnant women learn very quickly about the time frames hospitals impose.  It is a source of great stress and anxiety for most women.  They are worried about going in to hospital too early and being put ‘on the clock’.

HOW BIRTH SHOULD UNFOLD

Birth, ideally should take place in a space where a woman feels safe, comfortable and empowered in her ability to labour and birth, exactly how she chooses.  Labour will unfold differently for each woman, depending on her prenatal education her beliefs about birth and the ‘support’ she has.  It should never be rushed and a woman should never feel pressured to ‘perform’ to an imposed time frame.

How a woman labours and births should be spontaneous, intuitive and in a space of stillness and respect.

The unborn baby absorbs all of his mother’s emotions, including stress, anxiety but also responds favourably when she is calm and happy.  When a woman feels safe, connected with her unborn baby, is looking forward to meeting baby on the outside, then birthing will flow smoothly and without the need for intervention.

THE MOMENT OF BIRTH

This should NOT be rushed.

There should be NO instructions given on ‘how to birth’

A baby does NOT need to be ‘delivered’!

A woman will birth her baby – without interference

There should be peace and quiet and total respect shown

No noise, no voices, no harsh lights

Allow Mum to ease baby down and out gently and quietly in her own time – this process should be slow

AND most importantly, when baby does emerge:  NO noise, NO voices (only Mum & Dad’s), NO harsh lights and give Mum space and time to scoop baby into her arms when she is ready.  A woman needs time to look, touch, listen and absorb this new little person she has created.

WHAT WILL HELP A WOMAN ACHIEVE HER DESIRED BIRTH?

It’s this simple:

1. HEAL your mind of all negativity attached to birthing – hypnosis sessions available  http://susanrosshypnotherapy.com/talk-to-me/
2. EMPLOY A DOULA – she will create a peaceful energy for birthing       https://birthright.com.au/doulas/find-a-birth-right-doula/
3. ATTEND an Inside Birth® prenatal class                                                                   https://birthright.com.au/inside-birth-delivering-antenatal-classes-differently/

My aim here at Birth Right is to offer training for doulas to think outside the box.  Becoming a doula is so much more than ‘supporting’ a woman physically during labour and birth.  In fact, rarely is physical support needed!

You may have heard, seen, read about doulas learning massage techniques, aromatherapy oils, different positions for labour and birthing, massage temples to relieve stress, apply hot packs to lower back, cold compress to forehead and the list goes on and on.

You may also have heard about the importance of empowering a pregnant/birthing woman but what does that mean and is there a danger of doing the opposite and rescuing?

WHAT IS A RESCUER

A rescuer is a person who saves someone from a dangerous or difficult situation.

WHAT IS A SAVIOUR COMPLEX?

This is a state of mind in which an individual holds a belief that they are destined to become a saviour.  The term can also refer to a state of mind in which an individual believes that she is responsible for saving or assisting others.

WOMEN ARE GOOD AT RESCUING

Many women gravitate to the teaching, nursing, healing professions, where there is a large component of ‘rescuing’.  Those who are mothers and grandmothers know all too well how easy it is to slip into the rescuing model of parenting.  No sooner has your child said “help me”! than the ‘mother’ call for ‘rescuer’ steps up.  It arouses all of the stress hormones combined with a strong need to connect.  That overwhelming deep, deep love for our children just seems to get in the way sometimes of stopping the rescue and taking a step back to truly empower.  It is no different for a doula – a simple definition being “mothering the mother” but ‘rescuing’ a pregnant/birthing woman is never going to empower her.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO EMPOWER SOMEONE?

To make someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.

The word ‘empower’ may feel like an overused 21^st century word but it’s been around since the 17^th century.

Empower means ‘give power or authority to’.

Empowering pregnant/birthing women is to educate them so they can make wise choices for themselves and their babies, instead of laying down ‘methods’ and providing ‘props’ for birthing.

To be self-empowered is for a woman to take control of her own pregnancy, setting intentions and making positive choices.  This must come with an understanding of one’s own strengths and a powerful self-belief.

A Birth Right doula will learn how thoughts, words and setting the ‘energy’ for birthing, will elevate you to a deeper understanding and take you to greater heights.  Knowing how to empower a woman is to give her the means to achieve what she wants.  The aim is to make her stronger and more confident, and to take control and advocate for her and her baby.

An empowered woman is someone who knows her strengths and isn’t afraid to embrace them.

The truth is that being empowered as a woman, especially when pregnant, is one of the most important things that can happen in our society right now, because women are carriers of the culture and predominantly the primary caregivers.  How we give birth and teach our babies and children, is reflected in the society in which we exist.

At Birth Right a doula will learn how to be an articulate communicator.

She will learn how to create an environment in which the pregnant and birthing woman can relax and appreciate the quiet stillness in her mind and body, with confidence and trust to allow her baby to enter the world undisturbed.    This requires a unique skill set to learn how to just be without interference.

If you want to learn how to be a hands-off doula and truly empower, then click the link below.

Nothing beats 40+ years of experience which I will share with you.

 

https://birthright.com.au/product/total-birth-doula-training-modules-1-2/

There is nothing more important than advocating on behalf of your unborn baby.  Parenting begins at conception and never ends, which is one of the many exciting things about becoming a parent.  There is no other time in your life when more personal growth occurs, than parenting.

BUT ARE YOU A CROWD FOLLOWER?

Many subscribe to ‘tribal’ thinking or following the crowd, or the thinking of the masses, and this is very evident in pregnancy.  There seems to be never ending rules and policies and opinions about HOW to be pregnant and give birth.  It can be very difficult to break from this type of thinking or rather non-thinking.  It is a huge barrier to many as they believe what social, political, religious and other authority figures have told them is ‘true’.

Most people don’t know HOW to think because they have been told WHAT to think for so long, they no longer know HOW to think.

To experience true freedom you must learn HOW to think for yourself.

To achieve this you must be capable of critical thinking, which the ‘masses’ cannot do.  Most importantly you must learn to question.

We are FED so much authoritarian political correctness in all areas of life with SALES messages that are deliberately targeting the brain to believe in a mass mentality, without question.

PREGNANCY FOCUS

All the focus is on the pregnancy, often without any consideration for the unborn baby and his rights.  From conception the focus must be on what is right for the unborn baby, how and what, would he like to experience in the womb, what would he like to know and how would he like to enter the world.  Everything that happens to a woman during pregnancy, all her emotions and feelings and experiences, impacts on her unborn baby.  So every time a decision is to be made regarding the myriad of testing ‘on offer’, priority must be given to the impact on the baby.  Your parenting role and responsibility is to question, question and question – on behalf of your baby.  Learn to think outside the box to get the very best results for your baby.  It is called parenting and it begins from conception and never ends.

A pregnant woman deserves quality unbiased information and education.  She must feel safe and well protected and be encouraged to ‘listen’ to what she knows is best for her baby.

If you would like more information on how to question – everything and everyone during pregnancy so you can make the very best decisions on behalf of your baby then employ one of our Birth Right trained doulas, who will walk you through the political maze of pregnancy and birthing, supporting you to connect and parent your unborn baby.

https://birthright.com.au/doulas/find-a-birth-right-doula/

 

 

 

 

WOMEN EMPOWERING WOMEN is what every pregnant woman deserves.  And they need this, ideally from the very beginning of their pregnancy.  What is available and how to source the best care during pregnancy and birthing is an absolute minefield to navigate and with no previous experience, professional guidance with unbiased support is essential.

I had a pregnant woman say to me recently that she was horrified to learn there was a male midwife working in the birthing suite of the hospital she had booked.  She stated she only wanted a woman to look after her, a female midwife – and yet – she had a male obstetrician!??  When I pointed this out she was quite confused!

Of course there are mainly women who are midwives, mainly men who are obstetricians, and 99.9% of doulas who are women.

No matter which hospital, public or private, it is the luck of the draw as to who looks after you during labour.  Yes there are continuity models of midwifery care (case-loading) but still no guarantee on the day.

DOULAS

A doula guarantees that woman you will be there throughout her pregnancy and birthing journey.

You are providing information, teaching about the hospital system, her rights and choices and most importantly you are providing all important advocacy.

BIRTH RIGHT DOULA TRAINING

I am passionate about making sure our doulas understand the hospital system, understand how obstetricians and midwives think, and you will learn how to negotiate in a very respectful way, whilst making sure that woman and her baby have the experience they want and deserve.  These advocacy skills you will learn are unique to Birth Right training.

THE TRAINING

Let’s start with a telephone conversation so we can connect and make sure this is the right training for you.

• 2 theory modules online (they are lots of fun and challenging) – you have 6 mths in which to complete
• followed by a face to face weekend workshop, bringing all the theory together
• full mentoring provided throughout your training
• 2 trainee births – fully mentored
• copy of both my books (to get you started) 

This training is only for women who are passionate about empowering pregnant and birthing women.  An opportunity to change the way babies enter the world, by making women feel safe, supported and treated with dignity and respect.

More info. here:  https://birthright.com.au/training/birth-post-natal-doula-training/

To book:  https://birthright.com.au/product/total-birth-doula-training-modules-1-2/

Payment plan option available.