Birth Bits is here!
What is Birth Bits?
It is a series of monthly live online workshops to help you prepare for birth!
I know that there is SO MUCH INFORMATION out there.
And that while knowledge is power, obtaining that knowledge can be OVERWHELMING!
So I’m breaking it down into bits.
In these sessions I will provide you with clear, practical, evidence-based information that will get you feeling confident about your knowledge, your power, and about birth!
The sessions are held on Zoom, they are approximately one hour but the time will depend on the topic and on questions, each session is $33.00, and if you can’t make it live you will be able to pre-submit questions and you will get the replay.
I also want these sessions to be a bit of fun!
I will keep it light, focused on exactly what you need to know, and I promise I’m actually pretty funny and know some good birth jokes!
If you want to be in the know and hear about upcoming Birth Bits sessions, please join the mailing list (this list will only ever be used to send you information about Birth Bits).
UPCOMING LIVE WORKSHOPS:
BIRTH PLANNING – BOOK NOW
Monday 8 January, 7:00pm Brisbane time, Zoom
All birth preferences are NOT created equal.
I am NOT a fan of tick and flick birth preferences.
I always think that while the document you create is obviously important, the real value of birth preferences lies in engaging in the process of creating that document.
Thinking about what you want.
Asking questions.
Understanding how interventions might change your initial preferences.
Let’s take vaginal exams for example.
Just ticking a box on pre-printed birth preferences that says no vaginal exams is not helpful.
Do you know why care providers want to do routine vaginal exams?
Do you know the hospital policy around vaginal exams?
Sure, in a physiological birth you can absolutely have no vaginal exams.
But if you say yes to an induction or yes to an epidural, your care providers become more reliant on vaginal exams to assess labour progress and so it becomes a lot harder to say no to them.
Also have you thought beyond the physical aspect of vaginal exams and considered the emotional impact of them? How will you feel if you have been in labour for 16 hours and are told you are only 5 centimetres dilated?
Effective birth preferences go beyond a simple yes or no, they communicate the nuances.
It is so important to go into birth with a full understanding of what you want, what you don’t want, and how those preferences might change based on other decisions that you are making.
By the end of this session, you will have comprehensive birth preferences that are meaningful for you and you will know how to communicate those to your care provider.
We will cover:
- what to include in your birth plan
- what NOT to include in your birth plan
- interventions
- your options around interventions
- how interventions might change your preferences
- considering criteria
- the stoplight approach to birth preferences
- your rights and your birth plan as an expression of your consent / refusal
- how to communicate your preferences to your care provider
PRERECORDED WORKSHOPS:
TOOLS FOR BIRTH PARTNERS – BOOK NOW
While it is obviously important that you are prepared for birth, your partner needs to be as prepared as you are!
Birth is something that you are doing TOGETHER!
We will cover:
- why a supportive partner is so important
- how to be a supportive partner
- creating home and hospital environments that are conducive to labour
- body work techniques like massage, acupressure, rebozo
- the stages of labour and what to do when (including when to go to hospital)
- birth preferences
- decision making and advocacy
- ensuring that birth partners are supported too
PLUS you will get a birth partner “run sheet” that covers priorities, how to set up your birth environment, what tools to use throughout the stages of labour, and lots of other prompts and tips.