We both felt a bit apprehensive. Our first labour went really well, but this pregnancy has seemed harder and we have been worried our “luck” might be changing.
We decided to do a second active birth course with Eleanor. We did our first course 3 years ago when we were pregnant with our daughter, and went on to have a really amazing labour.
Pregnancy has been different this time around – not least because we have a busy toddler to look after! – so we were very keen to try to emulate some of the positive things that happened in our first pregnancy journey, to give us the best chance at another amazing labour.
So we called Eleanor and arranged a private workshop this time.
It was absolutely brilliant – just as the one 3 years ago was – and we went from starting the day feeling really apprehensive about the upcoming birth, to feeling really positive and excited again just like last time.
It’s amazing to learn about the biological processes innately involved in birth, and to remember how prepared our bodies are to go through this process.
Eleanor is such an engaging and passionate teacher, and she is also really open to listening and helping you through some of your darkest thoughts and worries, to emerge into a more positive space.
We both feel more confident. The workshop was the perfect opportunity not just to teach us lots of things but also to give us the head space to really focus on the birth.
I think that is a really important point and possibly one that is overlooked – by actively giving specific time to talk about the birth, it finally allowed us to stop being in panic mode and start focussing on the natural process that it is and thereby feel more confident about what is to come.
And learning about the amazing biological things all feeds into that, as well as reminding ourselves of positive birth environment stuff and also positions for labour etc.
I particularly LOVE learning (yet again) about all the things my body does when it’s time to have the baby. It’s fascinating and awesome and reminds me to be respectful of my amazing body and the things it is capable of, which we all too often forget.
We got so much out of the workshop and both feel so much more prepared and confident about the upcoming birth.