our courses
A few basics
Our birth courses are designed to give mothers and their birth partners the knowledge, tools and confidence to make their whole birth experience as positive as possible. We want our courses to have benefits that last a lifetime - for mum, for birth partner, for baby, and for other families we’re in a position to help. That’s why we partner with UNICEF and we’re so proud that our community has already donated enough money to safely deliver more than 360 babies. Thank you so much.
We teach private courses for you and your birth partner. I want you both to feel comfortable asking absolutely anything that pops into your head - and we’re going to discuss some parts of this experience in candid detail - so I don’t want you to hold anything back because you’re sat next to someone else’s husband, wife or friend!
In the UK, I normally teach from the comfort of your home so that you and your birth partner can properly relax and absorb in the place where some / lots / all of it will actually happen. But if you’re further afield, we also teach courses via Zoom. We’ve worked with couples from Singapore to Scotland so we can definitely make this work for you!
There’s no ‘right’ time to do a birth course but people normally sign up from 12 weeks onwards. The earlier you sign up, the longer you have to use your knowledge and practice your techniques, however some people take courses right up until weeks before their baby makes its entrance and they still see benefits.
We offer three courses - a full birth preparation course, a course specifically for planned caesarean births and a refresher course for subsequent births. We also offer a consultancy package.
The elephant in the room
We teach birth courses which incorporate hypnobirthing techniques as one element. The term ‘hypnobirthing’ (understandably) raises a few questions though so let’s start by explaining what it means.
At its simplest level, hypnobirthing is a set of tools and techniques which support the process of labour and birth so that, whatever happens on the day (or night) of your baby’s arrival, you know how to work with your body. These tools and techniques are a combination of breath work, guided relaxations, visualisations and positive reinforcements. They all work by replacing tension and adrenaline with endorphins and oxytocin, which has been proven to speed up labour and make it more comfortable.
Hypnobirthing sounds hippy and I raised an eyebrow myself at the start, but it’s all evidence-based and my Diploma in KGHypnobirthing is a course accredited by the Royal College of Midwives. Many of the people I qualified with were midwives working in the NHS themselves, with the NHS funding their qualifications. And it’s been raved about by everyone from Kate Middleton and Giovanna Fletcher to Greg Rutherford and Gisele Bundchen. It makes a difference.
Full birth preparation course
This course is broken down into digestible, and enjoyable, chunks of either 2x 4h or 4x 2h.
We start by laying strong foundations - learning about the physiology and psychology of birth. This helps you to relax through labour because you understand what your body’s doing and why, allaying any (conscious or subconscious) fears.
On top of that we layer evidence-based hypnobirthing techniques, adapting them to you and your situation rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. These help you to support what your body’s naturally doing during labour but are skills you can still reap the benefits of months and years after your baby’s arrival.
We take the time to discuss the role of your birth partner and the NHS maternity pathway. We want you to understand the terminology and your options when it comes to things like induction and pain relief, as well as any implications of those choices, so that you feel empowered to make calm, informed decisions.
We end with a play-by-play of what you might expect at each stage of the big day (or night), including talking about the unforgettable ‘golden hour’ and working through some practical but important things like birth preferences and hospital packing lists.
You’ll walk away with:
Four shorter - or two longer - private sessions, constituting a full birth preparation course.
A take-home pack full of course notes, reminders of tools and techniques, positive affirmations and other important bits to refer back to.
A draft for your birth preferences.
A draft packing list for your hospital bags (worth packing even if you’re planning a home birth).
A link for you to download your favourite scripts as audio files.
Someone you can talk to (me!) right up to your birth.
Course fees are £500 with 10% of every sale being donated to UNICEF UK via Work for Good.
Please email hello@born.london to find out more or to book.
Preparation for a planned caesarean birth
This course is tailored to you and your circumstances and constitutes two sessions of roughly 2h each.
Why would you take a birth preparation course if you were planning to give birth by caesarean section? So that you understand what’s going to happen and who’s going to be present, taking any fear away and filling you with calm and confidence. So that you know how to get the most out of this medical procedure and carry across as many of the known benefits of vaginal birth as possible (you’d be amazed at how much scientific research has gone into this and how many options you have within a caesarean). And so that you have a handful of techniques to help you relax during your pregnancy, birth… or even if you go into labour before your planned caesarean date! With that in mind…
We normally start with some foundations - physiology and psychology that’s relevant to your planned birth so that we can allay those (conscious or subconscious) fears before we start. We’ll go through what your caesarean section will involve, helping you to understand your choices and empowering you to make informed decisions. The first session often ends by discussing the magical ‘golden hour’ after your baby’s grand entrance, ensuring you make the most of every second.
On top of all this, we’ll layer a handful of evidence-based hypnobirthing techniques, adapted to you and your situation. We’ll end with the vital role your birth partner can play in this whole process as well as some practical but important things like birth preferences, hospital packing lists and recovery tips.
You’ll walk away with:
Two private sessions, tailored to your planned caesarean birth.
A take-home pack full of course notes, reminders of tools and techniques, positive affirmations and other important bits to refer back to.
A draft for your birth preferences.
A draft packing list for your hospital bags.
A link for you to download your favourite scripts as audio files.
Someone you can talk to (me!) right up to your birth.
Course fees are £275 with £50 from every sale being donated to UNICEF UK via Work for Good.
Please email hello@born.london to find out more or to book.
Refresher course
This course is totally tailored to you and will be two sessions of roughly 2h each.
If you’ve done a birth course, or a hypnobirthing course, for a previous pregnancy but want a little refresher then this is the one for you. We’ll plan the structure together but it could involve any specific elements you would find it helpful to recap, as well as anything which might have changed since your last birth, e.g. NHS protocol, new options available to you, findings from relevant research studies.
You’ll walk away with:
Two private sessions, pre-planned and tailored to your needs.
A take-home pack full of relevant course notes from our time together, e.g. reminders of tools and techniques, positive affirmations and other important bits to refer back to.
If helpful, a draft for your birth preferences and / or a draft packing list for your hospital bags.
If helpful, a link for you to download your favourite scripts as audio files.
Someone you can talk to (me!) right up to your birth.
Course fees are £275 with £50 from every sale being donated to UNICEF UK via Work for Good.
Please email hello@born.london to find out more or to book.
Consultancy package
This does not replace a birth course but gives us one full hour together on Zoom to talk about specific things.
Maybe you’ve had a change to your birth plans, maybe you want to write your birth preferences together, maybe you just need some extra support in a non-judgemental space or a ‘check in’ before your baby makes their arrival. Whatever you’re after, it’s my role to point you towards sources of evidence-based information so that you feel confident and empowered to make informed decisions for you and your baby.
You’ll walk away with:
One private 1h consultancy session on Zoom, with a pre-planned agenda.
A one page write-up, including a summary of our session and any relevant links to research studies and websites.
Consultation fees are £150/h with 10% of every sale being donated to UNICEF UK via Work for Good.
Please email hello@born.london to find out more or to book.