Stories from our community

Posts in Birth Stories

Lean on your supporters

Lean on your supporters

I remembered something Suzanne said in active birth yoga class ‘lean on your supports’ and I think this big group of supporters was exactly what I needed for this birth.

I feel like this confidence definitely came from my yoga classes and listening to Suzanne’s yoga meditations during pregnancy. My midwife and the midwifery student stayed after their shift finished to be there for the birth of my baby Julie, so she arrived in a room full of people smiling and excited to see her (like her own personal cheer squad!)

Active Birth, Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan27 July 2020Induction

I roared & it felt wonderful

I roared & it felt wonderful

My husband was right there with me squeezing my lower back and shimmying my back with a scarf. After a few intense and long contractions, I felt the need to push and I was up on all fours before I knew it. Delivery was super quick and my waters broke dramatically on his way out. I may have roared a few times but it felt wonderful.

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan14 July 2020Early Birth, Natural Birth, Online Learning, Active Birth Skills

A peaceful water birth

A peaceful water birth

Thanks for having us back at your Active Birth Workshop for baby #2. It was so wonderful to just breathe, surrender, and embrace the moment without panic or fear. Two hours of spontaneous drug-free labour, and just 9 minutes of pushing. We were in hospital all of 8 hours in total (the birth centre have such a wonderful discharge policy).

Birth Stories, Active BirthSuzanne Swan26 June 2020Birth Centre, Natural Birth, Waterbirth, Active Birth Skills

A private midwife birth

A private midwife birth

As things were moving along, my partner and I used postures and acupressure points we learned at the Active Birthing workshop. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to really appreciate our birth plan because it all happened so fast, but I am so thankful that we used what we learned. My partner swayed my hips and it was the most grounding thing anyone could have done for me and it really alleviated the pain.

We arrived at the hospital at maybe 9:50am, I was wheeled through the corridors on a bed up to the maternity suite. Our private midwife had organised for the bath to be run in advance and I immersed myself immediately. Within just a few minutes, my son was born!!

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan7 April 2020Natural Birth, Private Midwife, Active Birth Skills

Visualising being "open"

Visualising being "open"

I had my baby Eva on her due date! and the labour went great! I had a natural birth and used the vocalisation and breathing from your Active Birth yoga classes. I had no stitches and she was 3.5kgs (and she’s perfect!).

My water broke and my contractions started soon after, my partner came and picked me up and we went to the hospital (I expected to be sent back home). When we got there and I was checked out the midwife told me I was in active labour! As the contractions got stronger my partner would breathe with me through the pain and when the pain grew stronger I started to make low pitched sounds (like from class) which really helped me with the pain!

Birth Stories, Active BirthSuzanne Swan31 March 2020Natural Birth, Public Hospital, Water Breaking, Active Birth Skills

A calm caesarean birth

A calm caesarean birth

While the delivery didn’t quite go as planned (the active birthing spontaneous vaginal delivery I had pictured in my mind) we did end up having the most perfect birth in the end. We ended up having a c-section and were 41+1 but it was so calm and enjoyable. My obstetrician, midwife, anesthetist, and pediatrician all supported our wishes for an active birth and worked together seamlessly. From a completely pain-free epidural, photos capturing the entire procedure/birth, delayed cord clamping, immediate skin to skin and a pain-free recovery post-c-section, it all went better than I could have ever imagined. I put a lot of it down to the physical and mental preparation that you supported us to develop.

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan24 March 2020C-Section, Private Hospital

Empowering waterbirth

Empowering waterbirth

The Calm Birth course my partner Brandon and I did in August with Suzanne Swan was such an amazing course, it gave us all the tools we needed and was quite honestly the best thing we did to prepare for the birth of our little boy! As luck would have it, on the day my midwife couldn't make it so we were able to use the birth plan we'd written up for our stand-in midwife. I ended up having a beautiful, empowering waterbirth

Pregnancy, Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan25 February 2020Natural Birth, Waterbirth

We are a team

We are a team

One of the things I loved most about my classes at yoga baby is it taught me how to connect with my baby. I am a very visual person, so the fact I couldn't SEE my baby, it was hard for me to feel she's real. In my classes, we do baby body scans and actively connect with baby during sessions. I don't think I would have known how to create that connection on my own. It felt like my baby and I was a team and we were exercising together.

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan18 February 2020Baby, Epidural

Stand up for your birth plan

Stand up for your birth plan

Jake was an amazing birth partner as always and he remembered all his active birth yoga sessions from our previous pregnancy. I asked to birth in a more upright position and the midwife and obstetrician both respected my request for no coached pushing. I was anxious about having another private birthing experience and being at the mercy of the doctor but I felt more empowered this time in sticking to my birth plan. Thank you Suzanne for your support and wisdom.

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan11 February 2020Natural Birth, Private Hospital

Each contraction was a gift

Each contraction was a gift

Tasting embodiment through a contraction was such a gift. I would be embodied one contraction but then not the next; it ebbed and flowed seemingly out of my control. And so a deeper layer of surrender was able to happen, as I realised that birth would happen regardless. My experience was somehow out of my hands so to ride with the 'what is'. But no romanticism-- there were definitely times I wanted OUT or didn’t’ think I could be with it much longer. But knowing that the struggle and fight with what is happening is part of the birth spectrum- helped to get me thru. This is one part of the intense yin/yang that happens. Ultimately I found surrendering to the lack of control of my own experience intensely healing for my previous birth too- as I had been holding on to self-judgment for not having 'done it better'. Somehow, I found the willingness to drop my expectation that it would be a certain way and felt resourced with tools. Birth is HUGE!

I completely recommend Suzanne’s private session wholeheartedly. It honestly is a must for anyone going into the birth experience. It is the biggest gift I could have given to myself for such a huge rite of passage.

Birth Stories, Active BirthSuzanne Swan4 February 2020Natural Birth, Yoga, Active Birth Skills

Drug free natural labour

Drug free natural labour

I couldn't believe it in three contractions - my daughter was born with a pain relief free natural labour. It wasn't a walk in the park and possibly the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but she was safe, healthy and perfect. In my eyes, everything happened exactly how it was meant too. I truly believe this was made possible by the practice and knowledge learned in the active birth yoga classes - as I used many of the mantas, breathing techniques, positioning and pain relief methods from the classes. Thank you so much Suzanne for making this possibe

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan28 January 2020Children at Birth, Natural Birth, Yoga

Use of the Tens machine

Use of the Tens machine

Got through labour with the use of a TENS machine, shower, movement and the pressure points you taught us in the active birth workshop . And no pharmaceutical pain relief! I could not have done it without my husband Bruce being as active as I was. We managed to have a successful vaginal birth and a very healthy baby at over 3.8kg. The active birth workshop and active birth yoga classes were excellent preparation for us for labour and birth. Thank you!

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan21 January 2020Birth Centre, Natural Birth, Active Birth Skills

Intervention free waterbirth

Intervention free waterbirth

Thank you so much for all your knowledge and guidance through your active birth classes. Once again, I was able to use the skills that you taught me and take on the positive mindset which enabled me to have a calm, natural and intervention-free birth.

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan14 January 2020Natural Birth, Waterbirth, Yoga

Birthing on Christmas Day

Birthing on Christmas Day

After 60 hours of labour, Ezrael has finally arrived! We went into labour on the 22nd but didn't get to meet him until Christmas day. During the (long!) early phase, my husband and I used a lot of the things we learned in Private Session with Suzanne Swan, and also all the pregnancy & active birth yoga classes I had been to. Lots of breathing, vocalising, different positions and movements; it was surprising how things worked at some points and then we needed to change, so it was great to have so many ideas in our toolbox.

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan11 January 2020C-Section, Private Session, Active Birth Skills

LIz's natural birth

LIz's natural birth

I didn't think I'd make it in the last minutes. The midwife was amazing. My partner was constantly reminding me to sway and move in the positions as I kept forgetting and also he helped my noises to be low as they kept creeping up to those higher tones. Thank you so much for your classes. It really helped me understand what to expect and how to go about confidently birthing my baby.

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan7 January 2020Natural Birth, Water Breaking, Active Birth Skills

Naomi & Matt's third yogababy!

Naomi & Matt's third yogababy!

We wanted to share with you the birth of our third little love, our son Rumi Leo. He was born over 42 weeks in a birth that almost mirrored River’s birth a year prior. It was amazing having all the knowledge we had learnt from our private session with you and watching it play out in almost an out of body experience, watching the birthing process take over. Thank you so much again, we are so grateful to you. So true, experiencing surrender first hand is transformative and powerful. He is such an angel, adored by all 4 of us (hard to believe we are now 5 in total!)

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan16 October 2019Induction, Overdue, Water Breaking, Waterbirth

Meet Baby Max

Meet Baby Max

I had been going to the Yogababy pregnancy yoga classes ever since I was 20 weeks and had been loving them. It was such a beautiful way to spend a Saturday morning with some quiet stretching and meditation. I found that the stretches of the yoga kept my muscles flexible and supple throughout my pregnancy and I was able to avoid any significant back and hip pain.

Birth Stories, PregnancySuzanne Swan13 September 2019Workshop, Active Birth Skills

Charlotte's calm birth

Charlotte's calm birth

The skills you taught us, the education you gave us, the sense of humour you instilled in us, and the wisdom of readiness to accept whatever came our way - we just can't thank you enough. Your gift to the world is just incredible. Thank you. Those breathing techniques have come in handy during some major screaming baby moments too! xo

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan31 July 2019Active Birth Skills

Meet baby Kira

Meet baby Kira

Our son Kira arrived on 30th March, 2019. The labour was 22 hours with the last 5 hours in the Birth Centre. Straightforward, smooth and positive birth. I credit the Active Birth classes for an empowered birth experience. The sound work, positions and finding rhythm were directly impactful on pain management and endurance. Damien was phenomenal and I couldn’t have done it without him, he was with me for every step of the hospital stages. Our private session was an awesome foundation - thank you!

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan18 July 2019Birth Centre, Private Session, Active Birth Skills

Successful VBAC

Successful VBAC

So glad I did the active birth classes! Whilst I knew the theory, actually doing the practice was more beneficial than I realised... And so good to connect with myself and the baby (& give myself the time to enjoy the journey!). I was focusing on my breath and using rhythmic motions with my hands to keep my mind in the moment... and amazingly my daughter has been doing lots of rhythmic hand movements since being born. It’s like we really were dancing together as she was being born. So special!

Birth StoriesSuzanne Swan11 June 2019VBAC, Induction, Water Breaking