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YOUR INFERTILITY BLOCK

October 14, 2019 By Susan Ross

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/

Filed Under: Birth Right

SLOWING DOWN THE MOMENT OF BIRTH

September 27, 2019 By Susan Ross

Talk to your baby

 

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.

Silence is Golden

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.

Silence is Golden

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

SLOW DOWN THE MOMENT OF BIRTH
SLOW DOWN 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/

Filed Under: Birth Right

THE DOULA TRAINING THAT DELIVERS – DIFFERENTLY

August 13, 2019 By Susan Ross

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!

A doula must know how to Think outside the box

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?

Empowerment is key to doula work

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

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

All pregnant women deserve a doula

 

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

Filed Under: Birth Right

HOW TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR UNBORN BABY

July 26, 2019 By Susan Ross

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.

Advocate for your unborn baby

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/

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Birth Right

WOMEN EMPOWERING WOMEN

July 19, 2019 By Susan Ross

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.

Filed Under: Birth Right

HOW TO BE AN EDUCATOR

June 22, 2019 By Susan Ross

“I FORGET WHAT I WAS TAUGHT.  I ONLY REMEMBER WHAT I HAVE

 LEARNED”  Patrick White (Nobel Prize Winning Author)

I have a program that teaches, HOW TO BE AN EDUCATOR.

Re-Imagine Birth with
Inside Birth techniques

Is that something you are interested in hearing about?

Ask yourself:

  1. Is your current job providing ultimate satisfaction on all levels?
  2. Do you feel like you are contributing to making the world a better place?

If you are feeling frustrated in your current job but have a passion for really making change happen, then you are the person I am looking for.

Take the next step in your life and become an Educator teaching Inside Birth® techniques for pregnancy, labour, birth and parenting.  Yes, it covers all 4!

In just 4 days of face to face training you will become and Inside Birth® Educator.  This training will take you to places you never imagined possible.  You will go on a journey to your inner mind and discover how beliefs are formed and how to change a negative belief into a positive.  You will discover the role of learning by absorption when gaining practical skills.  It is challenging and fun!

THIS PROGRAM CHANGES LIVES – IT CAN CHANGE YOURS

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.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Inside Birth – the Engaged Educator
  • How to set up your Inside Birth® business, including fee structures
  • Why Inside Birth® is unique!
  • Exploring attitudes and beliefs about pregnancy, birthing and parenting
  • What is hypnosis? And Why Inside Birth® hypnosis techniques work for birthing
  • Understanding how to parent from conception
  • Conscious vs unconscious mind and signs of trance
  • Teaching group hypnosis
  • Discover deep insights into the human mind
  • Access your own unconscious resources (you will be surprised!)
  • You will have the opportunity over 4 days to teach the entire program to your fellow students
  • You will quickly develop confidence
  • You will learn how to eliminate fears and anxieties for pregnant women and empower them to understand and acknowledge the power of their instincts

The best part?  You will receive ongoing mentoring, all materials to teach and join a team of dedicated, passionate advocates for women and their babies.

Our next training is 2nd-5th August at the Blue Labyrinth Bush Retreat – we will be discovering and walking the labyrinth’s.  SAVE on Early Bird and book here:Inside Birth - Delivering Antenatal Classes Differently

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Birth Right

HOW TO NURTURE HUMAN POTENTIAL FROM THE VERY BEGINNING

May 29, 2019 By Susan Ross

It starts from conception, pregnancy, birth and through the first year of life.  This is the time in which vital foundations are established at every level of being:  physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and relational.

FORMING THE CORE BLUEPRINT

Bonding

Experiences during this primary period form the blueprint of our core perceptions, belief structures and ways of being in the world with ourselves and others.  They profoundly shape our being in life-enhancing or life-diminishing directions.

CONTINUING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Optimal foundations for growth, including brain development, emotional intelligence and self-regulation are reliant upon optimal conditions during the period of conception, pregnancy, birth and the first year of life.

Optimal foundations for secure attachment and healthy relationships are reliant upon optimal relationships during the conception period, during pregnancy, the birth experience and the first year of life.

RELATIONSHIPS

Falling in love

From the very beginning, in the womb, baby experiences and internalises what his mother experiences and feels.  Dad’s relationship with Mum and baby are integral to optimising primary foundations for baby. Supportive, loving and healthy relationships are essential for optimising primary foundations for baby.

COMMUNICATION

Babies are continuously communicating and seeking connection, in the womb and on the outside.  Relating and responding honours their need for communication and supports optimal development.

BONDING

Birth and bonding is a key developmental process for Mum, baby and Dad,that form core patterns with life-long implications.

deep connection

The very best baby/mother outcomes occur when Mum feels empowered and supported and when the normal process of birthing is allowed to unfold with no interventions and no interruption in Mum/baby connection and physical contact.  If any separation of baby from Mum occurs, continuity of Dad’s contact and connection with baby is vital.

Baby responds and thrives best when communicated with directly by Mum and Dad only, when left undisturbed with Mum, and when the process of birthing supports baby’s ability to orient and process the series of events.

HEALING

When there are unresolved issues or less than optimal experiences during conception, pregnancy, birth and the first postnatal year, life diminishing patterns often underlie health issues, stress behaviours, difficulty in self-regulation, learning, attachment and other disorders that appear throughout life.

PREGNANCY LEARNING

The very best way to have support and learning throughout this period is to employ a doula and enrol in Inside Birth® prenatal classes, which teaches communication and connection with baby in the womb and beyond.  Learn these techniques for an optimal pregnancy and birthing experience.

https://birthright.com.au/inside-birth-delivering-antenatal-classes-differently/

Filed Under: Birth Right

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MIND TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

May 29, 2019 By Susan Ross

Understanding how your mind works and applying some simple techniques will allow you to achieve lasting transformational change in your life.

DIALOGUE WITH YOUR MIND

The dialogue you have with your mind is very important.  That’s the little voice you hear and feel telling you work is too hard, I’m scared about that exam or test, I’m worried I will fail, It’s too risky, I can’t, I will try but probably won’t succeed, I want to lose weight but can’t stop eating chocolate, I should exercise but can’t be bothered, life is a struggle.  This is negative language which the subconscious mind cannot compute.

Your mind does what it really thinks you want to do and responds to two things only:

  • The words you say to yourself AND
  • The pictures you make in your head

The mind loves familiarity because it is safe and resists what is unfamiliar.

Your mind is always listening and your words and thoughts are powerful.  Every word you say and thought you think becomes a blueprint that your mind and body turns into reality.

YOUR MIND’S JOB

Your mind’s job is to act on the words you tell it.  Your job is to give your mind much more powerful, descriptive and positive words and pictures.

HYPNOTHERAPY

Hypnotherapy

The most powerful potential comes from your mind.  What happens in hypnosis is your mind is more willing to change.  When you understand how and why the mind operates then you can work with it, instead of against it, to get all the changes you want.  Hypnosis excites the imagination which is easily accessed due to the very deep relaxed trance like state you are in.

Hypnotherapy is by far the easiest way to make the changes in your life you really want.

http://susanrosshypnotherapy.com/talk-to-me/

Filed Under: Birth Right

IF MY UNBORN BABY COULD SPEAK…………..

May 19, 2019 By Susan Ross

What is happening for your unborn baby cocooned in a warm bubble, floating gently and listening, listening, listening….absorbing all that is going on in the outside world, particularly with his Mum and immediate family – his Dad, siblings and Grandparents.   What is he hearing?  What is he learning?  What is he understanding?

Debating matters in the womb

It is not that long ago the medical consensus was, the ‘foetus’ was simply in an ongoing state of multiplying and dividing cells, forming organs, blood vessels etc. and at birth was a virtual blank slate, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.  THIS IS NOT TRUE.  He is definitely NOT a blank slate.   There is much research to show that the unborn baby is a cognizant and emotionally aware soul laying down his blueprint for life based on what he hears, feels and learns from his parents during pregnancy.  Babies are conscious while in the womb. They can hear sounds, they are learning, forming memories, and responding to your stress.

Womb life is the first interactive environment and the experience is one of a continuous relationship.  Bonding between baby and parents is as essential before birth as after.

WHAT IS LIMBIC IMPRINTING

The limbic system of the brain is responsible for our emotions and feelings.  Research by the pioneers of prenatal psychology, doctors Thomas Verny and David Chamberlain, among others, show that behavioural disorders in adulthood, are the direct result of traumatic gestational (during pregnancy) experiences and interventions during pregnancy and birthing.

Dr. Verny presents evidence that the attitude of the mother toward the pregnancy and the unborn baby, as well as toward her partner have a profound effect on the psychological development of the child and on the birth experience.  The mother’s pattern of feelings and behaviour is the main source of stimuli which shape the unborn baby.

SO IF YOUR UNBORN BABY COULD SPEAK………. WHAT WOULD HE SAY ABOUT?

  • All the poking, prodding, ultrasounding, testing that he also experiences?
  • And what would he say about all the negative stories and conversations that a pregnant women is inevitably exposed to?
  • Everything you experience during pregnancy, physically and emotionally, STOP and take time to think about what your unborn baby would say? What would he be feeling?  Every decision you make about your care, including ultrasounds, testing, is being made on behalf of your unborn baby.

HOW TO CREATE A HAPPY HEALTHY CHILD

Focus on laying down a beautiful imprint by connecting and bonding with singing and dancing and reading and including him in all your conversations and be aware that we all come into this world with an open heart to receive love.  This is the first primal experience that is registered in our nervous system.  Every baby has the right to know and feel love and enjoy a positive emotional imprint in utero and experience a beautiful connected birth feeling welcomed into the outside, being touched and held by his mother only, breastfeeding and seeing the wonderful smile and love on his father’s face.  This simply sets the pattern for the rest of his life.

Learn how to enjoy your pregnancy, labour, birth and baby with Inside Birth® prenatal classes.  Your baby will love these classes!   https://birthright.com.au/inside-birth-delivering-antenatal-classes-differently/

Think creatively with Inside Birth

Filed Under: Birth Right

PREGNANT?  HAVE YOU HAD ‘THE’ CONVERSATION YET?

April 28, 2019 By Susan Ross

Pregnancy brings with it much joy and excitement and then very quickly, feelings of being overwhelmed with all the choices that need to be made – together with the pressure of needing to make them immediately!

WHAT’S IMPORTANT?

Falling in love

Finding a caregiver, place to birth, doula and booking a prenatal class are all important choices that do need to be made early on in the pregnancy.

WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT?

The most important question and conversation a couple must have is:  what role does Dad want to have in the birth?  Obviously there are discussions that must be had about parenting and different roles, given work plans etc. but the immediate conversation about Dad’s role during labour and birth is one that does not generally take place.

It’s not that long ago that it was an accepted fact that men did not enter the birthing room.  When I did midwifery in the early 1970’s, there was the beginning of an awareness around ‘maybe’ men had a place in the birthing room, although we were a long way off appreciating men’s rights!  In fact, men required written permission from their wife’s doctor to be present at the birth!  Imagine! But I can assure you that was correct.  Finally by the early eighties it was taken for granted that men would be in the birthing room AND provide ‘support’ for their partner during labour.

IS THE TIDE TURNING?

deep connection

Fast forward to now and it is a ‘given’ that men will be at the birth. – no questions asked!

Is this a good thing?  Is this right?

Of course, becoming a parent is the most amazing event in a woman and a man’s life.  Many, many women want their partner to share every aspect of pregnancy and birthing but I wonder what would happen if we asked men what they want?

I have observed, more recently, that when men have the opportunity to open up (not in front of their partner) they express a very different view.

Case study:  Tom (not his real name) said he definitely did not want to be in the birthing room.  He did not want to see his wife in labour and felt that it was very much women’s business.  He was looking forward to being a very involved Dad but not at the birth.

Case study:  Daniel had sat through some private prenatal classes and was openly supportive of his partner.  When she went to the bathroom he whispered he could NOT be in the birthing room and didn’t know how to tell her.  Turns out he was very traumatised by a birth video shown to him in a private catholic boys school in yr. 8!

Case study:  It’s not just men voicing their feelings but increasingly some women are adamant they do not want their partner in the birthing room.  Talia wanted a doula – it was her 4th baby and her last.  Her partner had not attended any of the births.  She stated it was women’s business and there was no role for him.  Interestingly he wanted to be there but she had the final say.

There are many, many more examples I could give.

What do you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts especially if you are or about to be a Dad.  I also want to hear from women.  Have you had the discussion with your partner?

A DOULA MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Essential doula support
Essential Doula support

One of the very important roles a doula has, is to facilitate such a discussion.  It is important, for a couple, to acknowledge and respect each other’s views.  Of course, opinions may well change throughout the pregnancy, with good education,

 

BUT LET’S GIVE MEN A VOICE!

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

Filed Under: Birth Right

HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL VBAC

April 16, 2019 By Susan Ross

Vaginal Birth After Caesarean

Key to Success

When your first birth ends in an unplanned caesarean section there is deep disappointment and confusion but most of all there is a lot of grief.  You have a new baby to get to know and there is recovery from major surgery.  It is a lot to deal with, and understandably, the baby’s immediate needs is what comes first, and is all consuming.  As you slowly recover physically and try to come to terms with your birth experience there is a lot of mixed emotions and a lot of unanswered questions.

Why did this happen?  What went wrong?  What could I have done differently?  Why did the hospital staff do this and that???  Understanding all of this is essential for you to have a healthy relationship with your baby, yourself and your partner.  Many women start to think about what will they do next pregnancy?  Some even give up and resign themselves to a repeat caesarean.  BUT there are very few medical reasons for a repeat caesarean.  It is absolutely possible for your next pregnancy and birth to be a beautiful experience for you, your baby and your partner.

4 KEY POINTS TO GUARANTEE A SUCCESSFUL VBAC

Discover Your Inner Power
  1. INVEST IN A BIRTH DEBRIEF AND HEALING, for you and your baby.  This is vital to ensuring you can change your next birth experience.  It is important not to carry the emotions from your first birth into your next. A birth debrief and healing will free you to enjoy your next pregnancy, labour, birth and baby. https://birthright.com.au/services/birth-debriefing/
  2. HIRE A DOULA! There is overwhelming evidence to show that having a doula reduces the need for medical intervention by 70-80%.  A doula not only supports you emotionally and physically during labour and birth, she is your all important advocate!  https://birthright.com.au/doulas/find-a-birth-right-doula/
  3. EDUCATION – book a prenatal class that provides quality education. Here, at our Inside Birth® classes we focus on changing the mindset.  The mind is the most important organ involved in birthing.  These powerful techniques are fun and life changing.  You will learn a deep understanding of just how simple it is for you to change your thinking about birth and turn it into a positive and beautiful experience. https://birthright.com.au/inside-birth-delivering-antenatal-classes-differently/
  4. I RECOMMEND CHANGING CAREGIVER AND PLACE OF BIRTH. A doula will help you shop around for the right caregiver (midwife/doctor) for you and your baby.

Filed Under: Birth Right

HORMONAL BIRTH

March 18, 2019 By Susan Ross

Four of the major hormonal systems are active during labour and birth.

Oxytocin – the love hormone

OXYTOCIN   the hormone of love, and probably the most recognised hormone as it is secreted during love making, male and female orgasm, birth and breastfeeding.  It produces feelings of love and altruism.

ENDORPHINS – hormones of pleasure and transcendence. Like addictive opiates it induces feelings of euphoria.  High levels during labour enable pain to be transmuted so the woman can enter the altered state of consciousness that characterises an undisturbed birth.

ADRENALINE AND NORADRENALINE or commonly known as fight or flight  –  hormones in response to anxiety, fright, hunger, cold as well as  excitement, which is appropriate in the animal world where the mother often has to flee to safety.  However, for humans, when the moment of birth is imminent these hormones act in a different way.  The woman experiences a sudden rush of energy, she becomes very ‘present’ and alert, birthing her baby with ease.

PROLACTIN –  the mothering hormone and the main hormone in breastfeeding.  Prolactin is a hormone of surrender, helping a Mum put her baby’s needs first.

These systems are common to all mammals and originate deep in our mammalian or middle brain.

For birth to proceed optimally, this part of the brain must take precedence over the neocortex, or rational brain.  This shift requires an atmosphere of quiet and privacy with dim lighting and little conversation, and no expectation of rationality from the labouring woman.  Under such conditions a woman will intuitively choose the movements, sounds, breathing and positions that will birth her baby most easily.  This is her genetic and hormonal blueprint.

UNDISTURBED BIRTHING

What does this mean?  It is extremely rare in our culture for women to truly experience an undisturbed birth.  The two main factors that disturb birth in all mammals are firstly being in an unfamiliar place and secondly the presence of an observer.  Feelings of safety and privacy, respect and dignity are vital to allow the normal flow of amazing hormones.

All these systems are adversely affected by current birth practices.  Hospital environments, unfamiliar staff, routines and policies are not conducive to the shift in consciousness that giving birth naturally requires.  A woman’s hormonal physiology is further disturbed by practices such as induction, the use of painkillers and epidurals, caesarean section, and separation of mother and baby after birth.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DOULA MAKES

All pregnant women deserve a doula

Most women are choosing to birth in a hospital, probably because it has become a cultural norm.  They are presenting with so many fears, anxieties and trepidation.  Having a doula however can turn these attitudes into happiness, joy, confidence and empowerment.  A doula will hold a protective bubble around you, so you can birth with dignity, privacy, respect and pure joy, even in the hospital environment, and your hormones will flow as your genetic blueprint dictates.

Every pregnant woman deserves a doula!

Check out our wonderful Birth Right doulas here:

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

Filed Under: Birth Right Tagged With: birth hormones, Doula, undisturbed birth

OUR OWN BIRTH AFFECTS THE WAY WE GIVE BIRTH

February 28, 2019 By Susan Ross

CONCEPTION – was it planned?  Were you wanted?  Imprints from conception include your parents’ energy and the kind of relationship they were having.

Connecting with your baby

PRENATAL IMPRINTS – come from the womb environment and your experiences during your time in the womb.  Was the womb a healthy or toxic environment?  Did you experience stressful events, e.g. arguing parents, divorce/separation, losing a twin, death of a family member causing grief, abuse, neglect or an ongoing stressful situation.  Our prenatal experiences affect the way we experience our birth and our birth affects the way we give birth later on as an adult.

Birth can be traumatic, especially with medical intervention in a hospital.  Even if it is not traumatic it is a profound transition from the inside to the outside, which affects us all.  This transition must be understood so both Mum and baby can birth with dignity and respect.

Unresolved womb, birth and other traumas can come up in pregnancy and affect the opening up and letting go necessary to give birth naturally.  Past traumatic imprints can manifest in the present and distort your perception of what is happening in the moment.

Healing before birthing helps clear the way for baby and creates the space for a joyful, positive and empowering birth experience.

ARE YOU PREGNANT?

  1. Experience a healing hypnotherapy session, where you can discover the impact of your own birth, remove all fears and anxieties and create a loving and healthy womb environment  https://birthright.com.au/services/birth-debriefing/
  2. HIRE A DOULA – every pregnant woman deserves a doula to protect, advocate, inform and empower. She will be your rock during pregnancy, labour and birth.   https://birthright.com.au/doulas/find-a-birth-right-doula/
  3. Book an Inside Birth® prenatal class and learn these deep hypnosis techniques for enjoying pregnancy, connect and parent from conception and understand your birthing power  https://birthright.com.au/inside-birth-delivering-antenatal-classes-differently/find-an-inside-birth-educator/

Filed Under: Birth Right Tagged With: birth, Birth Right, hypnosis, pregnancy

HELP! MY BABY HAS WIND!

February 8, 2019 By Susan Ross

When a baby gets upset or stressed they become tense and draw up their knees, arch their back and appear to be straining.

Upright position

This is very stressful for parents who ‘diagnose’ their baby as suffering from wind.

After birth a baby swallows a lot of air which passes to the stomach, and a newborn does not yet have a developed enough gut to trap an air bubble (or a feed), which is why they burp and posset/vomit.

HOW LONG SHOULD I SPEND BURPING MY BABY?

Babies do not need burping.  However a crying baby likes to be held in an upright position and enjoys patting and rocking.  They enjoy this because it is comforting, not to help them burp.

A crying baby swallows even more air, so if you pick them up they may burp but baby is not crying because he needs burping – he’s burping because he’s crying.

It is normal for a baby to reflux, i.e. refluxing the contents of the stomach up into the oesophagus, as often as 20 times/day.  That’s a lot!

The large bowel ferments the lactose to produce a hydrogen gas as a by-product, which fills the lower bowel.  So it is perfectly normal for babies to pass a lot of wind with loose poo’s as often as 20 times/day.  That’s a lot!

All babies are ‘windy’!  Parents seem to suffer but the baby does not.

FOR PARENTS

Know this is normal

Answer your baby’s cry immediately.  This is his only way of communicating and it is your job as a parent to pick him up and let him know you hear him, you love him, you are there for him, and you will do your best to work out what he wants.

Remember your baby has come from the world’s most perfect environment (the womb), and has entered a brand new, very strange environment with different sounds, smells, temperature, air quality.  Baby mainly cries because he has lost his Mum.  After-all he has been attached to his Mum for 40 weeks and now he does not know where she is.  So keep baby very close, so he can hear, see, smell and ‘feel’ you very near to him AND don’t worry about the wind!

Content baby close to Mum

Filed Under: Birth Right

JOIN THE INSIDE BIRTH MOVEMENT

January 2, 2019 By Susan Ross

HOW TO BECOME AN INSIDE BIRTH® EDUCATOR

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 trust.

Teach True Connection

THINK ABOUT THIS:  We do not become a person when we are born, as we have already had a world of experience, and life, before our birth. Our experiences in the womb have a huge impact on both how our birth unfolds and on how we perceive our birth – two different things. There is growing acknowledgement of birth trauma, but think about this – birth only lasts a few hours  – we are in the womb for 9 months! We are absorbing everything around us! We are learning how to survive AND growing our body; learning more about life than at any other time. Everything that happens to us in the womb is imprinted into our body-system at a pre-verbal level and has a profound influence on our lives, and on our ability to connect and have fulfilling relationships.

We are conscious, sentient beings long before birth, and we benefit a great deal from loving, welcoming contact and secure attachment from the very beginning of life. Some people have a connection with their baby before conception, seeing visions of them, or having dreams of their physical characteristics, and receiving communications.

EDUCATING: Inside Birth® Inside Birth - Delivering Antenatal Classes Differently delivering antenatal classes differently

  • There is nothing more important than education.
  • There is nothing more important than prenatal education.
  • There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the profound changes that occur in a couple when teaching Inside Birth® concepts and the powerful deep connection that develops with their unborn baby
  • Imagine how wonderful it is to truly change the often negative concepts of birthing, and turn that around to a wonderful, positive experience for Mum, BABY and Dad.
  • Teaching Inside Birth® changes how babies are grown and enter the world.

Be a part of the Inside Birth® movement NOW and make change happen.

If we want the world to be a happier, healthier place, then we must begin with how our babies are grown, birthed and parented.

Book for next available training:   https://birthright.com.au/training/inside-birth-childbirth-educator-training/

Filed Under: Birth Right

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Pregnancy

December 4, 2018 By Susan Ross

CARPAL TUNNEL IN PREGNANCY

About one quarter of women develop some symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome during pregnancy. Whilst the symptoms can appear at any time, they are most common in the second and third trimesters when there may be greater fluid retention. The symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include pain and numbness in the hands and fingers which may occur in one or both hands. It may just manifest in the form of mild hand weakness through to severe pain that disturbs sleep during pregnancy.

Carpal Tunnel in pregnancy

WHAT IS CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome occurs when the median nerve is compressed as it passes through the Carpal Tunnel, a tunnel formed by the carpal wrist bones and a band of connective tissue encircling the wrist, preventing the nerve from functioning properly.
The ‘tunnel’ contains nine tendons as well as the median nerve and so is a narrow place. The swelling and fluid retention of pregnancy can increase the pressure inside the Carpal Tunnel.

Other symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include

  • morning stiffness or cramping of the hands
  • burning sensations in the fingers
  • frequently dropping of objects

PREGNANCY

For pregnant women, the symptoms are most frequent at night or on waking. Shifting sleeping position and propping the arm up with pillows may help. Consult your GP or midwife if the pain and numbness interferes with your sleep or daily routine.

There is a lack of research into self-help treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome so you may need to find out what helps by trial and error. If in doubt, see a physiotherapist who may give you wrist splints, which can help take pressure off the nerves. The splints keep your wrists in a position which maximises the space in the carpal tunnel and has proved useful to many with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic, naturopathy, yoga and massage have also been beneficial to some patients. Please ensure if you are seeking alternative therapies, that your consultant has experience in pregnancy.

THE GOOD NEWS!  symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome disappear after the birth.

If pain persists after baby is born, then consult a Physiotherapist or GP.  Occasionally simple surgery is needed to relieve the pressure on the median nerve, which runs down the arm into the hand.

Filed Under: Birth Right

DON’T GIVE AWAY YOUR POWER

November 21, 2018 By Susan Ross

Pregnancy and birthing are normal events in a woman’s life.  Why then do so many pregnant women hand over their power.

Trust Your Intuition

It is almost universally accepted that a woman needs a ‘person in authority’, to tell them how to be pregnant, how to give birth and how to parent.

GIVING AWAY YOUR POWER

Many women don’t think too much about this until after the baby is born and there is time for reflection, the anger about what went wrong rises to the surface very quickly.  The anger stems not from what actually happened but why didn’t I know I had a choice and why didn’t I speak up.

Many women say they feel ‘stupid’ and strongly resent that all their power was taken away.  Women say things like:

‘my life was in the doctors hands, so there was really nothing I can do’

‘ I just left it up to fate’

‘I didn’t know I was allowed’  (this is a very common statement)

‘They won’t let me……”

‘What’s the use of trying? The odds are clearly stacked against me’

Subconsciously, hospitals are associated with pain, fear, death.  And yet we have an accepted culture of having our babies in a hospital.  There is an immediate disconnect here, given that pregnancy and birth are normal life events. Hospitals are very intimidating places.  They are foreign environments to most couples.  Many women have never been inside a hospital until they are pregnant.

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR POWER

If you choose to birth in a hospital then you must respect the institution, the staff and all the policies and procedures.  BUT understand you are NOT sick and nor is your unborn baby, so it is important to make 4 wise initial decisions:

  • Midwife/doctor to care for you and your unborn baby. Midwives specialise in looking after normal healthy women and their unborn baby.  Doctors have specialised training in looking after and fixing sick people and their problems.
  • Place to Birth – Hospital/Birth Centre/Home – shop around. Organise to visit your local hospital – what are the facilities – Delivery Suite and/or Birth Centre?   Homebirth – interview at least 2 homebirth midwives
  • Choose a doula – shop around and meet at least 2 doulas. Your doula will encourage your questioning and decision making.  She will be your personal guide and advocate, representing only you and you unborn baby.
  • Choose a prenatal class – this can be overwhelming as there are so many choices available and so many inadequate classes. Check out our Inside Birth® classes here where you can attend all the way through pregnancy:

https://birthright.com.au/inside-birth-delivering-antenatal-classes-differently/

Inside Birth - Delivering Antenatal Classes Differently

The only way to make ‘informed’ decisions is to shop around and research your options.  A doula can help with these resources.  Start pregnancy by making confident choices and you will be on the way to maintaining your power.

REMEMBER:

  • EVERY decision you make during pregnancy and birth is being made on behalf of your baby.
  • EACH choice has an impact on your baby, so choose wisely
  • TRUST your gut instinct. Pregnant women are extremely intuitive.  It is the beginning of parenting so TRUST.
  • LISTEN to what your body and baby are telling you
  • QUESTION everything! Why are you doing?……… What results can I expect if?……..How will this impact my baby?…………What if I do nothing?…………..
  • BE O.K. with buying time to do your own research before making a decision
  • KEEP YOUR POWER and let your unborn baby know that you will protect and keep him safe by making the best decisions and never handing over your power.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Birth Right

DO DAD’S NEED BIRTH HEALING?

November 13, 2018 By Susan Ross

YES!

When I studied midwifery in the early 1970’s, men were just being ‘allowed’ in the labour ward.  This was certainly considered to be a progressive move.  They did however, need written permission from their ‘wife’s’ doctor, to be present at the birth (of their baby!)  It seemed to me, as a lowly student at the time, that most senior midwives did not ‘approve’ or like this idea.  Nor did most doctors.  It was thought that Dad would most likely faint, be sick, or just be a nuisance and get in the way.  It was routine for men to gather in the smoke filled (Yes, you are reading correctly), Dad’s waiting room, usually close to the labour ward, and wait for a midwife to announce the arrival and sex of their baby.

SO TIMES HAVE CHANGED…………….BUT

I see many women in my Hypnotherapy practice for a birth debrief and healing.  They are often extremely traumatised.  They are angry, questioning, and have very little understanding of the why, what, how and when.  They often come with their medical records, which can be very helpful in putting some decisions into context – according to the records.  However it is the very deep and painful emotional trauma where hypnosis and Time Line® Therapy works brilliantly and quickly.

WHAT ABOUT DAD

Dad and Baby connection

I am seeing more and more men who recognise how traumatic the birth of their baby has been for them.  All the attention and resources are focused on Mum and baby but men experience the birth in a very different way.  They often have nobody to talk to, or don’t know how to find the words to describe what it was like for them.  Many men are ‘observers’ of birth – even those that are closely involved – but birth is not happening to them.  They worry about the safety of their partner AND their baby.  Through hypnotherapy men can heal and it often only takes 1 session.  I always do separate session with a Mum and Dad.

WHAT ABOUT THE BABY

A couple will learn how important it is to heal the birth experience for their baby and will leave the session with lots of ideas about how they can do this together.  Through hypnosis the ‘blueprint’ of the birth experience for the baby, can be changed.

NOW AND THE FUTURE

This healing gives invaluable insights into what they would do differently for the next pregnancy and empowers them with knowledge in future choices.

It is essential for the future emotional stability and well-being of Mum, Dad and baby to debrief and heal, so all three DO NOT live the trauma for the remainder of their life.  All three must be connected as one.

All three connected

 

 

 

https://birthright.com.au/services/birth-debriefing/

Filed Under: Birth Right

WHAT IS YOUR GUT INSTINCT SAYING ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY?

October 12, 2018 By Susan Ross

WHAT IS GUT INSTINCT?

Follow Your Instincts

The brain uses a combination of logic and emotion when making decisions of any kind. … That specific emotion, innate to us as humans, is intuition. We possess the capacity to feel, and thereby the ability to know things without consciously reasoning. The “gut feeling” is real, and we use it all the time.

PROBLEMS FACED IN PREGNANCY

PROBLEM #1

Pregnant women are bombarded with information, medical advice, non-medical advice and lots of ‘emotional’ advice.  It comes from everywhere and is always overwhelming.

PROBLEM #2

There are many decisions that need to be made very early in pregnancy with very little time to research ‘appropriate’ information to make the right choices.

PROBLEM #3

Most decisions are made based on information from friends, family, the media, movies and Google.

PROBLEM #4

Pregnant women feel pushed and pulled, even bullied, into making choices, without any time to consider the consequences for each decision.

Meanwhile you have a new little person growing and developing deep inside your womb, and with phenomenal speed.  Cells dividing, organs forming – it is quite amazing and even magical.

SHOWING RESPECT FOR YOUR INTUITION

We spend our whole lives being taught to override our intuition.  We are taught to examine things in detail, research, think things through, really think about it.  But instincts are not thoughts.  They are grounded in feelings.  And learning how to see through a thought-based reaction, to the instinct beneath it, is a powerful way to guide yourself toward a happy, healthy and connected pregnancy.

HOW TO TRUST YOUR INTUITION

Trust Your Intuition

  • You must quiet all the noise that surrounds you
  • You must quiet the years of social training
  • You must quiet the ‘white noise’ of social media
  • You must quiet the barrage of advice

This is easier said than done.  Trust that no matter how long you have ignored your instincts, they are definitely still there and are never more accurate than they are in pregnancy.

During my years of working with women to heal their traumatic birth experiences, the most repeated comment is “I knew it wasn’t right, I just knew something was wrong, I just knew that was not what was happening, I just knew this was not the best decision – BUT – I felt that “they” knew better than I did, so I said nothing”.  This is the biggest issue for women to resolve, the overwhelming guilt and anger, all because they did not trust their instincts enough, to speak up for what they intuitively knew was right.

Today, it is more challenging than ever, for women to block out all the noise, to sit in quiet stillness and look inward, trusting and respecting their innate feeling.  It is always right.

PREGNANT WOMEN – Always trust your instincts, they are messages from your soul

TRUST and BELIEVE that no-one knows your body and your baby better than you do.  How could they??

Your body is a powerful intuitive communicator

Inside Birth® classes gives you confidence to trust and empower you to block out the noise.

https://birthright.com.au/inside-birth-delivering-antenatal-classes-differently/

 

Filed Under: Birth Right

INTERVENTIONS IN BIRTH – NOT WHAT YOU THINK!

September 24, 2018 By Susan Ross

A LESSON TO BE LEARNED

Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned

In Thailand a traditional midwife apprenticeship and training began in villages and involved her watching the water buffalo birth during several seasons.  The purpose was the following:  if the water buffalo were birthing and having a straightforward labour and birth, which was the norm, and the midwife trainee tried to get close to the water buffalo or ‘help’ the water buffalo during labour, the water buffalo would KICK the trainee.  If a water buffalo was labouring and birthing and was experiencing difficulties, which NEEDED help, which was rare, the water buffalo would ALLOW a human to come into its space.

Amazing learning for the trainee midwife – to know the powers of observation and to read body language during labour and birth – to only get involved when there are clear signs that help is genuinely needed.

MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS

Interventions in human labour and birth are regarded as almost ‘normal’ procedures in many hospitals.  It is often the interventions themselves that cause many complications.  It is commonly referred to as The cascade effect:  epidural can lead to a compromised heart rate for baby, ‘noted’ foetal distress, which in turn can lead to forceps, ventouse or caesarean section – to rescue mother and baby and on it goes….

The medical interventions are now so common they are well known – rupturing membranes, induction of labour, forceps, caesarean section, ventouse, foetal monitoring etc…..

SURPRISING ‘OTHER’ COMMON INTERVENTIONS

BUT there are many other interventions that may not be obvious including anything that might stimulate the neocortex of the brain.  The neocortex is the logical, rational part of the brain and interferes with normal birth physiology.  These include:

  • Bright lights
  • Talking – especially asking direct questions of a labouring woman
  • Loud music
  • Too many people in the birthing room who appear to be ‘observing’
  • Loud noises
  • Not feeling ‘at home’ in your birthing environment
  • Not feeling safe in your birthing environment
  • Imposed restrictions to a woman’s movement
  • Having a midwife/obstetrician who is not respecting your choices
  • Feeling alone
  • Too hot/too cold

This can cause a rise of ‘fight and flight’ hormones and decreases the body’s capacity to produce Oxytocin (the main hormone that facilitates a safe labour and birth)

WHAT IS A NORMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL BIRTH?

‘Birth that is powered by the innate human capacity of the woman and baby.  This birth is more likely to be safe and healthy because there is no unnecessary intervention that disrupts normal physiologic processes.  Supporting the normal physiologic processes of labour and birth – even in the presence of complications – has the potential to enhance best outcomes for mother and infant’

Essential doula support
Essential Doula support

In the animal world – if there is any outside interference with labour, birth or the early postpartum – a common consequence is that the Mother animal will REJECT her baby. This is because the interference disrupts the innate physiologic response that is REQUIRED for optimal labouring, birthing, bonding and attachment. Humans are mammals – in that we produce MILK to feed our young. When there is any INTERFERENCE (intervention) during our labour/ births/ postpartum period, there are consequences – be them large or small.

We must respect a woman’s right to birth uninterrupted, and acknowledge and honour a baby’s right to enter the world quietly and gently into his mother’s arms, without interference.  Hiring a doula is the best way for a woman to feel safe, emotionally supported and be your own true advocate.

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

Filed Under: Birth Right

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Testimonials

My husband Damien , my cousin Tamryn (our support person) and I attended your Birth Right class in September, 2008 and we just wanted to thank you for giving us such insight into childbirth. Our son, Ace Hamilton, was born at RHW Birth Centre after a 9 hr. labour. Lot's of people told us that as this was our first child we would probably not have the drug-free natural birth we were planning but thanks to all the wonderful advice we received at your classes we were lucky to not only have our baby at the Birth Centre, without intervention

...more
Wayan, Damien & Ace   
Wayan, Damien & Ace   

My husband Damien , my cousin Tamryn (our support person) and I attended your Birth Right class in September, 2008 and we just wanted to thank you for giving us such insight into childbirth. Our son, Ace Hamilton, was born at RHW Birth Centre after a 9 hr. labour. Lot's of people told us that as this was our first child we would probably not have the drug-free natural birth we were planning but thanks to all the wonderful advice we received at your classes we were lucky to not only have our baby at the Birth Centre, without intervention or drugs, but our son was born into a beautifully calm, dimly lit room, was able to feed immediately. I didn't require stitches and we were all home safe and healthy within 12 hours of his birth. Being so well informed allowed us to labour confidently and remain focused and combined with superb care from the Midwives, our experience on this day was better than we could have imagined. We recommend your classes to anyone having a baby. Thanks again.

Once I decided I was going to the birth centre I knew I wanted a doula. Susan was an excellent choice for us. She is fantastic. I wish I'd had Susan there for my first birth too! Having someone with the experience and knowledge and sensitivity Susan has, on our side, all the time, through whatever decisions we had to make would have made a HUGE difference to the
slightly early birth of our twins by c-section under a general due to pre-eclampsia.

It definitely made a difference in my totally natural, drug free, in the caul, VBAC. Without Susan's


...more
Rilka   
Rilka   

Once I decided I was going to the birth centre I knew I wanted a doula. Susan was an excellent choice for us. She is fantastic. I wish I'd had Susan there for my first birth too! Having someone with the experience and knowledge and sensitivity Susan has, on our side, all the time, through whatever decisions we had to make would have made a HUGE difference to the
slightly early birth of our twins by c-section under a general due to pre-eclampsia.

It definitely made a difference in my totally natural, drug free, in the caul, VBAC. Without Susan's support it would have been easy to lose trust in myself and listen to the voices of the
midwives offering to break my waters. (I had tested positive to strep B and knew that there was only a problem once my waters had broken so I was in no hurry to have them break. I also wanted as little intervention as possible and saw no need for my waters to be broken). I had placed my trust in Susan and asked her advice when I was unsure. Having her there to remain rational also helped my husband, who hates hospitals, so that he did not have to negotiate on my behalf. He was able to hand over the role of advocate to Susan and she became the advocate for both of us.

I also believe that all the birth preparation (chiropractic, acupuncture, talking to my baby about what I imagined the birth could be, trusting myself and my body) I did at Susan's suggestion helped me be able to deliver my 5kg+ baby. I had a mantra that I would say every time I went to my appointments and any other time it came to mind: I trust my body, I trust my baby. And even though I tore, and even though the student midwife I allowed to be present wouldn't shut up, and even though I ended up with a pph requiring a blood transfusion, I laboured and birthed naturally and my gorgeous and HUGE baby boy was born in the caul approximately 12 hours
after the first contraction.

If there is a next time I will probably labour and birth at home. However, if I ever need doula support in a hospital again I will be calling Susan for sure. If I could change one thing it would be to decline the student midwife. I agreed to her presence because I feel strongly about giving learning opportunities to future midwives and I had liked her during appointments. However, it turned out she was not able to tune into me or the process I was going through and I found her presence and her inappropriate comments throughout the labour inhibiting. I truly hope she learned something but next time I won't be offering up my labour and birth to students. With Susan's support I was able to re-focus on my body and my labour and continue to birth my baby.

Reading Susan's book, Birth Right, was a turning point for me. I realised that if I just trusted my body, I would be well equipped to cope with a natural, drug-free birth. From that point I was guided and encouraged by Susan. Using Susan as our Doula gave me the confidence to embrace the whole birthing process knowing my husband and I would have expert support throughout the experience and indeed afterwards. Thank you Susan.

Angela   
Author Picture

After unsuccessfully trying to have a baby for a number of years through IVF we fell pregnant naturally, which was a welcome shock. I wanted a natural birth and booked into the Birth Centre. I was concerned that having never been through a birth, how would I know what to d, if things were progressing well or if things were going awry?

Friends had an excellent experience with a Doula and we thought it was a good idea to have someone supporting us, who knew how to navigate the medical system and believed wholeheartedly in natural birth.

Birth Right and

...more
Jo & Silas   
Jo & Silas   
Author Picture

After unsuccessfully trying to have a baby for a number of years through IVF we fell pregnant naturally, which was a welcome shock. I wanted a natural birth and booked into the Birth Centre. I was concerned that having never been through a birth, how would I know what to d, if things were progressing well or if things were going awry?

Friends had an excellent experience with a Doula and we thought it was a good idea to have someone supporting us, who knew how to navigate the medical system and believed wholeheartedly in natural birth.

Birth Right and Susan came recommended. After having read Susan's book (Birth Right), which made perfect sense to me, it felt like with Susan we would be in practical, pragmatic capable hands. We met and I was impressed by Susan's approach to supporting couples and in particular felt that she and my partner got on well. I felt very confident as our pregnancy progressed that both Silas and Susan knew what I wanted and would be able to support me through the birth.

We had six nights of pre-labour and Susan was on the end of the phone answering questions and I felt secure knowing that this was a normal set of events. As labour failed to kick in naturally, despite all our efforts, and the time after my waters broke ticked away, Silas, Susan and I made our way to the Birth Centre. Sadly for us, meconium was present and we were transferred to the Delivery Suite.

Having Susan helped to ensure that we had the birth that we wanted. At all points Susan, explained the options as the medical team presented them and helped us to negotiate less intervention, rather than more. Having Silas and Susan there meant that I felt able and confident to get on with breathing through the waves, focusing and enjoying the birth. I knew I could give birth naturally and that is exactly what we did. Matilda was born calmly despite the kerfuffle all around me.

On reflection, it was evident that without a Doula with a clear head and our interests at heart, rather than an eye on the clock and the Dr's wishes, our birth could have gone down the severe medical intervention front. I thank Susan from the bottom of my heart for agreeing to be our Doula and working with us practically and pragmatically all the way through our pregnancy.

Using Susan as our Doula gave us tremendous support. We were able to discuss ideas about the pregnancy, birth and post-natal with Susan in our home. I was given peace of mind that my wife had expert care in order to give our daughter the best start in life without medical intervention. Our daughter definitely benefited from the lack of drugs, she was instantly alert which in turn assisted with breast-feeding attachment. Quite incredible.

Richo   
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Susan provided me with great peace of mind due to her knowledge and experience (which was evident from the first time we met her). Staying at home as long as we did during the labour would have been cause for me to worry but having Susan there took that concern away. At no time did I find Susan overbearing or trying to replace me, she was simply there to lend us her expertise and provide great advice, in particular she guided me through what we should do next as the labour progressed e.g - put her in the bath now;

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Jason Taylor   
Jason Taylor   
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Susan provided me with great peace of mind due to her knowledge and experience (which was evident from the first time we met her). Staying at home as long as we did during the labour would have been cause for me to worry but having Susan there took that concern away. At no time did I find Susan overbearing or trying to replace me, she was simply there to lend us her expertise and provide great advice, in particular she guided me through what we should do next as the labour progressed e.g - put her in the bath now; go to the hospital now etc. Having Susan accompany us to the hospital was also very comforting for me as I didn't have to worry about what the doctors were doing or any of that medical stuff, I knew Susan was on top of it all. I'd have no hesitation in recommending other couples to have Susan attend their birth. I feel things would have been much more difficult if Susan had not been there with us.

Thank you Susan for being a phenomenal educator and mentor. Not only do you have a wealth of experience across fields, you also have a real talent for delivering information and a wonderful demeanour that allows your students to blossom. I was gratefully challenged by the assignments; I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend workshop and I deeply valued your over-the-phone support as I took on my first clients. I researched a lot of Doula education programs and I’m so pleased I chose Birth Right. I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher, truly.

Caitlin   

We found the early weeks of pregnancy to be a confusing time, especially in relation to our options for ante-natal care. It wasn't until we attended a course run by Susan that the fog finally cleared and we felt we could make an informed decision about caregivers and confidently move ahead with our preferred choice. The next most important decision we made during pregnancy was to have Susan as our doula. During the last nervous weeks of the pregnancy Susan provided calming words over the phone. During the actual birth Susan's reassuring presence and advice provided the support and focus

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Vanessa & Brett   
Vanessa & Brett   

We found the early weeks of pregnancy to be a confusing time, especially in relation to our options for ante-natal care. It wasn't until we attended a course run by Susan that the fog finally cleared and we felt we could make an informed decision about caregivers and confidently move ahead with our preferred choice. The next most important decision we made during pregnancy was to have Susan as our doula. During the last nervous weeks of the pregnancy Susan provided calming words over the phone. During the actual birth Susan's reassuring presence and advice provided the support and focus my husband and I needed to get through. Decoding hospital-speak and remaining a constant presence during the many changes of staff, Susan really was an invaluable part of the experience.

Thank goodness for Susan Ross, our wonderful doula! Without her I am sure our experience of Lily's birth would have been far less satisfactory than it eventually was.

I had a normal healthy pregnancy and was excited and happy to be expecting my first baby. At 35 or so weeks, Lily was found to be lying breech. We tried everything under the sun to get her to turn head down, but none of it worked. It looked as though it was going to be difficult to create the kind of natural birth we wanted. Luckily there were voices other than

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Kate Sumner, Naturopath and mother   
Kate Sumner, Naturopath and mother   

Thank goodness for Susan Ross, our wonderful doula! Without her I am sure our experience of Lily's birth would have been far less satisfactory than it eventually was.

I had a normal healthy pregnancy and was excited and happy to be expecting my first baby. At 35 or so weeks, Lily was found to be lying breech. We tried everything under the sun to get her to turn head down, but none of it worked. It looked as though it was going to be difficult to create the kind of natural birth we wanted. Luckily there were voices other than mainstream hospital. I had read Susan's book, and we employed her right at the last minute, when we knew we really needed some help. She encouraged me to read and think for myself about what I wanted, and to ask for it. In full knowledge of the realities and risks, I decided to attempt a vaginal breech delivery instead of accepting the elective caesarean recommended by the hospital.

My labour was long and irregular, with lots of stops and starts, and Lily was slightly distressed right from the start. It was nothing like what I had imagined! Susan valiantly came and went from the hospital as we needed her, encouraged me, held my hand, massaged me, gave Andrew much-needed breaks, talked it through and helped us to make decisions about the labour. Most importantly, she helped me to understand that I had choices and to act on them for the sake and safety of my baby and myself - particularly once it became obvious that we needed an emergency caesarean. Although I was frightened and dependent on the hospital staff, I never truly felt like I had lost control of the labour, of my baby's wellbeing, of my story, my body and my self. And for that reason, when I look back at Lily's birth, I feel entirely satisfied with our decisions and the outcomes.

Thank you Susan for helping us to deliver our beautiful, bright, healthy baby girl, and for facilitating a difficult birth in such a practical, empowered and spiritually satisfying way.

We didn't have a doula for the birth of our first child, and while the labour started out well, I ended up with an emergency caesarean, due to an awkwardly positioned baby. This was very disappointing. In hindsight, we felt that with the right advice the surgical intervention could have possibly been avoided. This time around the labour went more smoothly and ended with a beautiful drug-free waterbirth. Susan met us at the Birth Centre and worked with the Midwife to guide, reassure and support me. Susan knew, just by watching, what I needed and exactly what to say. She

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Magda & Tim   
Magda & Tim   

We didn't have a doula for the birth of our first child, and while the labour started out well, I ended up with an emergency caesarean, due to an awkwardly positioned baby. This was very disappointing. In hindsight, we felt that with the right advice the surgical intervention could have possibly been avoided. This time around the labour went more smoothly and ended with a beautiful drug-free waterbirth. Susan met us at the Birth Centre and worked with the Midwife to guide, reassure and support me. Susan knew, just by watching, what I needed and exactly what to say. She stayed for a while after the birth to make sure the first breastfeed was going well and that we were settling in with the new baby. We found her help in providing comfort and encouragement to be invaluable and would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone else and we'll definitely use her again in the event that we decide that having another child is a good idea.

“Training to be a Doula with Susan at Birth Right is easily the best decision I have ever made. The course was brilliant in both structure and content and immediately I knew that I had found my calling.
One of the main reasons I chose Birth Right (and continue to work with Susan as my mentor) was because of Susan’s extensive medical and woman-centered experience and knowledge which enabled a holistic approach to the training. This is something that I am continually thankful for as it has been a huge benefit in the relationships and rapport that I have been

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Marika   
Marika   

“Training to be a Doula with Susan at Birth Right is easily the best decision I have ever made. The course was brilliant in both structure and content and immediately I knew that I had found my calling.
One of the main reasons I chose Birth Right (and continue to work with Susan as my mentor) was because of Susan’s extensive medical and woman-centered experience and knowledge which enabled a holistic approach to the training. This is something that I am continually thankful for as it has been a huge benefit in the relationships and rapport that I have been able to build with medical professionals and caregivers, which in turn has allowed me to provide the best possible support with the best possible outcomes to the wonderful families that I am lucky enough to support on this incredible journey.
I can not recommend Susan and Birth Right highly enough.” Marika

1 week before my baby was due to be born my OB struck fear into me by telling me that things weren't progressing 'normally' because my baby's head had not engaged and she was lying in the posterior position. He said these were not good signs for a 'smooth labour' and that he would recommend an induction or perhaps a c-section if the baby was not born by 41 wks. I was devastated by this news as I was desperate to experience the wonderful journey of a natural birth. 1 day before my baby was due I phoned Susan Ross

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Lana Taylor   
Lana Taylor   

1 week before my baby was due to be born my OB struck fear into me by telling me that things weren't progressing 'normally' because my baby's head had not engaged and she was lying in the posterior position. He said these were not good signs for a 'smooth labour' and that he would recommend an induction or perhaps a c-section if the baby was not born by 41 wks. I was devastated by this news as I was desperate to experience the wonderful journey of a natural birth. 1 day before my baby was due I phoned Susan Ross and asked her to be my doula. After speaking with Susan I regained my confidence that I would be able to have a natural birth.

On the night I went into labour, Susan came to our house at 3am and helped me through every contraction. At times I almost lost control but Susan helped calm me down and assured me that things were progressing well. By having her with me I was able to labour at home for as long as possible and only go to the hospital at the last minute to deliver the baby. I arrived at the hospital 10cm dilated and gave birth to a beautiful girl just 1.5 hrs later. No drugs, all natural, just as I had wished for. I truly believe that if it wasn't for Susan, my birthing experience would have been very different.... and perhaps very distressing if there was unnecessary medical intervention. One of the best decisions my husband and I ever made was to ask Susan to be our doula, she ensured our darling girl entered the world in the best possible way.

I would just like to thank Susan Ross for her beautiful book, which became my bible during my 4th pregnancy. After 2 inductions, epidurals, forceps, episiotomies, drips, drugs and stitches spread over my first 3 births, I felt that this was my last chance to have the kind of birth I have always dreamed of. Well let me tell you I barely put the book down. It seemed to be with me nearly everywhere I went. I am thrilled to tell you I had a beautiful experience birthing my 4kg. posterior baby boy, because I knew that I could. I

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Ann   
Ann   

I would just like to thank Susan Ross for her beautiful book, which became my bible during my 4th pregnancy. After 2 inductions, epidurals, forceps, episiotomies, drips, drugs and stitches spread over my first 3 births, I felt that this was my last chance to have the kind of birth I have always dreamed of. Well let me tell you I barely put the book down. It seemed to be with me nearly everywhere I went. I am thrilled to tell you I had a beautiful experience birthing my 4kg. posterior baby boy, because I knew that I could. I had faith in my body, and all the positive affirmation throughout the pregnancy worked. I delivered my son myself, with 2 Midwives watching, lights dim, and music playing. After 5 months, I still feel on that hormonal high. I have never contacted any author before, but this time I had to. Also, after all these years of being passionate about childbirth and pregnancy I plan to become a doula. So thank you again for touching my life in such a beautiful way.

We had Susan for our ante-natal classes. We found her to be above and beyond what any new parents could ask for. We thought that all the information provided was more than informative and with her sense of humour, it made the day go by much quicker. I would recommend her with a 5 star rating and give her 100%. We were absolutely pleased and we loved her nature, honesty and her theory.

Dimitra & Nicholas   

The most important thing in finding a doula trainer was being able to engage face-to-face. Birth Right was fantastic in the sense I could approach the theory content at my own pace and then bring this together using Susan’s rich wisdom on a two day workshop. This is where I got the most value, and this I feel is a very important part of Doula training. Susan is a great mentor and frames a positive approach to birth, postpartum and a Doulas role within that.

Aly Kranz   

We would like to thank you for empowering and educating Glen and I with regards to our rights about being entitled to the birth of our choice at any hospital. We can't thank you enough for the information you gave us. I am thoroughly enjoying reading your book and had a good giggle as we sounded just like many other couples described in the early chapters, of not having a choice.

You could easily have brushed us off as you've heard it ALL so many times before, except you listened.

You gave us a voice to speak up, and for

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Glen & Monique   
Glen & Monique   

We would like to thank you for empowering and educating Glen and I with regards to our rights about being entitled to the birth of our choice at any hospital. We can't thank you enough for the information you gave us. I am thoroughly enjoying reading your book and had a good giggle as we sounded just like many other couples described in the early chapters, of not having a choice.

You could easily have brushed us off as you've heard it ALL so many times before, except you listened.

You gave us a voice to speak up, and for that we cannot thank you enough.

I just wanted to thank you for creating this amazing 4 day workshop called Inside Birth. I knew when I did the course to become an Educator that it would change lives. I never truly could comprehend the impact this course would have on the people who attend the workshop, it is nothing short of amazing. This is one of the single most amazing courses I have ever had the privilege to teach and I can’t wait to change more couples and babies lives as I impart your knowledge to them and prepare them for the most special experience of

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Anna Travers   
Anna Travers   

I just wanted to thank you for creating this amazing 4 day workshop called Inside Birth. I knew when I did the course to become an Educator that it would change lives. I never truly could comprehend the impact this course would have on the people who attend the workshop, it is nothing short of amazing. This is one of the single most amazing courses I have ever had the privilege to teach and I can’t wait to change more couples and babies lives as I impart your knowledge to them and prepare them for the most special experience of their lives. This course you have developed is simple yet so very powerful and empowering. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is ready to change the way woman and their partners feel about and experience birth, this is the first step to a more positive relaxed birthing experience.
Thanks again Susan!

Eva's birth happened exactly the way I hoped it would, and having Susan as a doula was an important ingredient in that. I had complete trust in Susan's experience, her approach to childbirth, and her good sense and humour, and that helped give me the confidence to enjoy my pregnancy and then focus in my own way on the hard but beautiful work of labour. I know her calm and knowledgeable presence during the birth also reassured my husband, allowing him to freely give the kind of support I needed. I also believe that if medical intervention in Eva's birth

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Sarah   
Sarah   

Eva's birth happened exactly the way I hoped it would, and having Susan as a doula was an important ingredient in that. I had complete trust in Susan's experience, her approach to childbirth, and her good sense and humour, and that helped give me the confidence to enjoy my pregnancy and then focus in my own way on the hard but beautiful work of labour. I know her calm and knowledgeable presence during the birth also reassured my husband, allowing him to freely give the kind of support I needed. I also believe that if medical intervention in Eva's birth had been necessary, Susan would have been an invaluable support and guide. Having such a positive birth experience was not only wonderful in itself, but also incredibly valuable in leaving me emotionally and physically able to embrace the whirlwind of new motherhood.

Susan and Birth Right are definitely operating with an integrity and genuine desire to support women.
I loved everything I learned from you and the hypnosis is something I keep coming back to so I’ll always be grateful for that opportunity with you.

Lily   

Susan's classes were tremendous as they provided immediate information and answers to all our questions in the privacy of our home. As a practising midwife, Susan was able to explain and teach in a practical and interesting manner. I found her classes enjoyable and they allowed me not to need group classes or read numerous books. Susan is the complete pre-birth encyclopaedia that delivers everything in two classes.

Michael   
Author Picture

You know, on our particular night, on the night that beautiful Eva was born, having a doula didn't seem to make a difference. We laboured alone in our house until about 3 am - this was an extraordinary and scary and beautiful and momentous period - and then I made the call to her. Susan drove over to our place and then shortly after, we went independently into the birth centre. Sarah continued to labour there until 11 am when Eva was born in the bath.

Things went well, we were in control. This is probably the key to what

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Nigel   
Nigel   
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You know, on our particular night, on the night that beautiful Eva was born, having a doula didn't seem to make a difference. We laboured alone in our house until about 3 am - this was an extraordinary and scary and beautiful and momentous period - and then I made the call to her. Susan drove over to our place and then shortly after, we went independently into the birth centre. Sarah continued to labour there until 11 am when Eva was born in the bath.

Things went well, we were in control. This is probably the key to what made Susan such a great doula - she was present without being a presence. In the lead up, she made an enormous difference - she (and her book) asked us to ask good questions, she is clear without being prescriptive and she possesses great integrity around the pregnancy and birthing process, her knowledge of hospital and midwifery structures is superlative.

She also took some beautiful pictures.

My wife and I were excitedly expecting our first baby and didn't know where to start. After hearing all of the different advice offered by family and friends we were somewhat overwhelmed - Susan was a fantastic help, with her wealth of experience in childbirth she helped us understand the options for childbirth and their impact on Mum and baby, dispelling old myths and reassuring us that this was an event where we could decide on how things were going to happen.

Tony & Tracy   

Dear Susan, I am writing to say thank you for your book. It changed my outlook on my pregnancy. Everything that happened at the birth that was good happened because I followed your book. I did it drug free, with a doula and had a perfect labour, attachment and early breastfeeding experience. So, thank you for your wisdom and courage. I hope every pregnant couple gets to read your book.

Katarina   

Both Paul and I read your book 'Birth Right', early in our pregnancy. It made us realise that we didn't have to be passive in our birth experience. From that point, we were determined to have the birth we wanted. Through our meetings with you and your advice at each stage, we moved along the path toward welcoming our baby into this world in a beautiful and natural way. We were so happy with our birth experience. We felt in complete control which was extremely important to us. Ben was not the smallest of babies (4.5kg. at birth with a

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Sarah, Paul & Ben   
Sarah, Paul & Ben   

Both Paul and I read your book 'Birth Right', early in our pregnancy. It made us realise that we didn't have to be passive in our birth experience. From that point, we were determined to have the birth we wanted. Through our meetings with you and your advice at each stage, we moved along the path toward welcoming our baby into this world in a beautiful and natural way. We were so happy with our birth experience. We felt in complete control which was extremely important to us. Ben was not the smallest of babies (4.5kg. at birth with a 38cm. head plus fist!) and we're sure that we would not have had such a wonderful, natural birth experience without your advice and assistance. Ben is now 8mths. old and is such a happy and healthy little boy. We're sure that this is in no small part due to the way in which he was brought into this world. We can't thank you enough!

I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for the Birth Right session last Sunday (25th March), myself, Chad & Julie (my mother) found it very worthwhile and left us all with a much more positive feeling toward labour and birth. This has not been easy to find!

Sarah   
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Friends and family tend to hold me up as an example of having a low pain threshold and following a very long and difficult labour culminating in an epidural for my first birth, I was very unsure whether I had it in me to achieve the drug free labour and waterbirth I really longed to have for my second child. I contacted Susan very late in the pregnancy after months of dithering and angst, and it was the best thing I could possibly have done.

It is difficult to explain the power of having someone so strong and centered and

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Jacqui   
Jacqui   
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Friends and family tend to hold me up as an example of having a low pain threshold and following a very long and difficult labour culminating in an epidural for my first birth, I was very unsure whether I had it in me to achieve the drug free labour and waterbirth I really longed to have for my second child. I contacted Susan very late in the pregnancy after months of dithering and angst, and it was the best thing I could possibly have done.

It is difficult to explain the power of having someone so strong and centered and experienced lending balance and authority during the extremes of labour supporting your decisions, suggesting techniques to help ease the pain, and reminding you of your own strength and capability. Susan met with me several times before the birth and we worked through my lack of confidence and fear, resulting from my difficult first birth. She was reassuring and empathetic but also very straightforward and no-nonsense.

After another long pre-labour at home, during which we spoke regularly to Susan, my husband and I met her at the Birth Centre. I was very discouraged to realise we had come in prematurely, and that I was not particularly dilated. Susan was soothing and encouraging. Her help in getting past this initial blow to my confidence was very important, since my husband was similarly traumatised by the first birth and just as in need of encouragement.

She noticed that being in the bath relaxed me and helped the labour progress. After about 7 hours in the Birth Centre, with lots of encouragement and gentle reminders to breathe and focus and relax from Susan, Rosalie emerged strong, calm, alert and breastfed immediately. Her alertness seemed truly miraculous, in sharp contrast to the relative limpness of my first baby after pethidine and an epidural.

I am immensely proud of myself for giving birth to my second daughter naturally. Attaining your own goals for an ideal birth for you and your child, with the maximum of considered control over your own labour, is indescribably gratifying. For me, this natural waterbirth was a huge achievement that will remain an important factor in my self-regard all my life. But I really don't think I would have had the focus to endure without Susan's help. I am eternally grateful to her and I wish I had contacted her much earlier, so I could have benefited from the many classes she also offers.


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