After having false labour just a week and a half before I wasn't too sure I was in labour. I'd been having irregular contractions on the day of the 2nd of August and at 1.30am I woke up to a strong one, thought nothing of it and went back to sleep. At 4.30 yuri got up for work and I told him I'd been having contractions through the night but I'd let him know if they were regular and he went to work. I couldn't get back to sleep and realised I was having them every 10 minutes and they were 30 seconds long.

The benefits of being upright include a reduction in the length of pushing time as gravity can help bring the baby, there is better supply of oxygen to the baby, the baby can get in a better position and less pressure on the pelvic floor.  In the active birth classes we practice the positions that widen your pelvis.

It was great to teach the Pre/Postnatal yoga teacher training to the teachers at Yogafusion in August.  They will be at the Belly Baby & Beyond Parenting Fair at the Wayville Showgrounds 13th and 14th November promoting their Pregnancy yoga classes that will start in October.

Yogababy Kids yoga is a fun, interactive class involving movement & yoga postures, breathing & relaxation.  Kids learn how to be strong and calm, bringing their attention to the qualities of joy, safety and connection.  Suitable for kids aged 5 - 12 years.

During labour, listen to, be patient and trust, your body will let you know what to do.  I have found that while women draw heavily on the birthing skills we learn in the Active birth yoga classes, the one’s that cope well usually do more than what they have learned in class. They discover their own ways of adapting spontaneously to the increase of physical demand that active labour brings.

In August Suzanne travelled to Adelaide to teach an Active Birth skills workshop to Midwives, Physiotherapists and Yoga teachers.  During the day we looked at the benefits of movement during labour, use of resting positions to aid relaxation and up right positions for progressing labour.  The pregnant body is amazing in its capacity to know exactly what to do if we are able to manage our mind’s responses.   Exploring the key concepts of mindfulness and pain management was an enjoyable part of the workshop.

Your own postural awareness and habits in your last trimester can potentially encourage your baby to lie with his or her back to your left front/side (occipito anterior) so that the baby's head engages in the pelvic brim in this position. This will increase the potential for a normal and straightforward birth.

I initially attended yogababy active birth classes during my first pregnancy.  Whilst my partner and I were the first of our family and friends to have a baby, I was a graduate midwife who felt like I knew a lot about birth and the early days of parenthood.  Then I attended yogababy classes.  I felt like I had not learnt anything about birth!  Suzanne guided us through a yoga practice that included explorations into pelvic awareness, the stages of labour, the fourth trimester, self care and massage. 

Over the past few months, I have been working with Jessica & Anna from Baroona Physio to help Hayley, a Yogababy student who has been experiencing pain during her pregnancy.  Combining Physiotherapy & Yoga has helped her to find more freedom in movement and pleasure in her pregnancy. Here is her story.

Join us in our yoga classes to learn the art of relaxation! When the mind quiets down, the body follows suit and this is a particularly useful practice during pregnancy and at birth. It is thought that the the nervous system of an unborn child can be healed when the mother herself progressively relaxes her body and mind.

Suzanne has just returned from the National CAPEA (Childbirth & Parenting Education Australia) Conference in Melbourne where she presented Active Birth Skills to Midwives from across Australia. 

By attending your course I felt empowered and motivated to safely deliver my baby into this world with my own womanly (and motherly) strength.  

Suzanne was interviewed recently by ABC News, following a study in The Lancet Medical Journal about obesity and nutrition in women during pregnancy, and why changes need to be made during pre-conception.