active birth workshop 

At yogababy we are committed to couples having positive birth experiences. This childbirth education workshop explores practical ways to assist the labouring woman at birth. It is acknowledged that the birth experience can be greatly enhanced if the partner understands the rhythm of labour.  

It covers techniques not taught in other antenatal education classes. You will learn how to create a calm and reassuring atmosphere, to provide effective physical support and emotional comfort as needed.   It focuses on an undisturbed physiological birth and describes the benefits of an Active Birth. 

 "I'd like to say thank you for all your guidance during the classes and at the active birth class for dads and support people.  Both Sus and I credit her easy and fast labour with all the preparation she did with the Yoga Baby classes and the Active Birth workshop.  In addition to the physical benefits and preparation she undertook, Sus was very calm and mentally prepared as much as she could be for the labour. We were both able to fully enjoy and experience the birth without drugs or intervention. I have no doubt that the lack of anxiety about the labour, as a result of your classes, was a huge contributor"

- Simon

To increase the potential of achieving an Active Birth it is recommended that the pregnant mother attend the Active Birth Yoga classes towards the end of her pregnancy to practice the Birth Skills presented in this workshop.

We have been doing this work for ten years, what we have noticed time and time again is that when the partner is fully involved in the birth, working as a team with his partner, she falls in love with him all over again, consolidating the family triad. 

"We wanted to thank you for a really wonderful active birth workshop. We both got a lot out of it and were impressed by how practical and user-friendly the information was. Our birth preparations feel much more like a team effort after spending the day together in the active birth workshop and we're really excited about what lays ahead."

- Rod and Lauren

Birthing is both an internal and a learned experience. Women benefit greatly in birth with this self-knowledge and with a support team who help her work with her body. When a woman experiences the love, attention and touch of her partner during labour she will pass on these feelings to the baby.

"Active Birth is nothing new. Strong intention, relaxed body and an open mind are the main ingredients for an Active Birth." - Janet Balaskas (founder of Active Birth Movement)

 "Our midwife commented on how in-sync myself and my husband were, and how much strength I drew from him.  Thank you for giving him the confidence to support me using a variety of different methods" 

  During the day long workshop we practice:

• Active Birth positioning 
• Massage techniques to enhance labour
• Use of movement to reduce the effect of stress
• Use of the breath to relax and release inner tension
• Use of sound to connect with a woman's strength and power
• Relaxation skills to enhance the natural hormones of labour
• Natural forms of pain relief 
• Releasing fears 
• Decision making model for dealing with the unexpected
• Baby self attachment

 
The focus is on the partner's participation during the labour and how the birth itself is as much a team effort as the conception. This workshop complements hospital or other classes, and is also an excellent refresher for parents.

What workshop participants say:

" Your workshop was inspiring, empowering, informative and full of heart, it gave me the confidence to completely trust my body and the process of life"

- Jesse and Kim

"We wanted to pass on our heartfelt thanks for hosting such a wonderful workshop on the weekend. We both benefited greatly - and my husband told me afterwards it was the first time he had been made to feel a valued and important part of our pregnancy and birthing journey. Thank you again so much for enriching this experience for us."

- Karen

"The Active Birth Workshop was a very complementary day to the ante-natal classes at hospital.  I feel much more prepared for the pre-labour and birth now.  Ante-natal classes were five x 2.5 hour sessions which highlighted what could go wrong with birth but offered very little in practical advice.  The workshop has given me much more confidence and a greater understanding of my role and how to be more effective in the role.  Thank you very much!"  

- father to be

"I just wanted to say thank you for the yoga classes and the active birth workshop. Both of these helped give me and my husband the information, tools and confidence to have the kind of birthing experience I really wanted - natural, drug free, exhilarating, thoroughly satisfying. My girl was born with waters still intact, after an 8 hour labour, most of which we spent at home. She was born in hospital in the shower, where I was kneeling with my elbows on a swiss ball, my arms straight and hands holding onto a grab bar on the wall. In all, I spent 20 mins of the labour on the bed. The whole experience just blew me away, and the recovery has gone extremely well. Your classes played an important part in making us feel empowered to be clear and firm about what we wanted, which the hospital staff respected. In fact, they seemed to quite enjoy the experience!"

"Your workshop gave me complete confidence in my ability to achieve a natural, active birth."

Skills mothers learnt from the workshop:

* comforting methods
* understanding more about your choices at hospital
* more confidence to stay positive and trusting your instincts
* breathing and relaxation techniques
* practicing upright positions for labour with partner
* trust in self and partner - communicating on the same level

Skills birth partners learnt from the workshop:

* to remind her of movement techniques and options
* better understanding of the process of the birth and her needs
* how to create a suitable environment, emotionally and physically
* massage, breathing and focus techniques
* understanding of some of the techniques to aid in the birth process and help achieve a non-intervention birth

Sunday 9.30am - 5pm 

2012 Dates: 12th February, 11th Mar, 15th Apr, 13th May, 17th June

Cost: $295 per couple (inc GST)

Venue: Vitalelife Centre, 83 Latrobe St, Paddington

Facilitator: Suzanne Swan (BA, Post Grad Dip of Psychology, Dip of Yoga for Pregnancy and Active Birth Education, Certified Childbirth Educator, Birth Attendant and Aware Parenting Instructor)

"Thank you for all your support during my pregnancy, you really put your heart and soul into what you do."

Registration Details: Advanced registration is required. Enrolment is limited, please register early to secure a space.

For information about the difference between our Active Birth Workshop/practical, please click here.