In all my years of teaching pregnant women and couples, if there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that knowledge is power. If you are pregnant, you ARE going to give birth. There’s no getting out of it. So learn all you can, not just about the physical and mental experience of pregnancy and labour (because it's as much a mind game as a body one - due to your birth hormones which control everything in labour), but also about your choices, options and rights in the birth room. Here are my five top tips to maximise your chances of a positive birth

Rethinking Pain in Labour & Birth

I wrote a blog post last month all about the Fear-Tension-Pain cycle in labour, and how it’s really important not to fear birth - as that can make your labour more painful and potentially longer too. So I wanted to do a short blog post to follow up to that, and to explain how ‘pain’ in labour is completely different than other types of pain. And how if you can think about it in a different way this can really help you to manage the sensations of labour and birth. So read on:

Comfort Measures For Labour - TENS

A TENS machine is a small handheld device that can help to alleviate the discomfort of labour. TENS stands for ‘Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation’ - so I’ll just call it TENS from now on, its frankly a bit of a mouthful! Some women swear by it, others find it annoying or too fiddly. But it’s something that you can use to ease discomfort that YOU have control over, it has no risks to baby, and if you don’t like it - then you can stop it effects immediately. Here’s an explanation of how it works, how to use it, and what it does.

Breaking the fear-Tension-Pain cycle of labour & birth with hypnobirthing

It’s completely normal and natural when you think about birth, to think of the word pain. It’s a product of our modern society and culture, the media, the dramatic stories we have been told. We sadly rarely hear birth stories that are uplifting, magical, empowering, positive and full of love and joy. But there are many.

But what if you could let go of the fear that you feel about giving birth to your baby? So that would make it less painful. And be genuinely excited about giving birth? Well that’s where hypnobirthing come in. Read on folks.

Happy Feet! Simple foot massage for pregnancy and motherhood

I’ve been doing this simple yet effective foot massage technique in my Pregnancy Yoga classes in York recently. It’s really important to stretch out your feet, ankles and legs in pregnancy (and post natally too). It keeps your feet, legs, pelvis and pelvic floor all functioning optimally - and that’s so important. Grab a tennis ball or spikey massage ball and join me!

PregnancySusan BradleyFebruary 12, 2019pregnancy, pregnancy exercise, foot health, happy feet, foot massage, pelvic floor, pelvic floor exercisesComment

Reducing the chance of a tear during birth

I wanted to chat to you today about something that most women (if not ALL women) fear and worry about in pregnancy. And that is tearing in birth. So anything that you can do to reduce the risk of having a tear, is surely good to know yes? And there are things you CAN do in pregnancy and in labour too, to help to minimize this happening.

So read on to reduce this fear and feel more calm and confident through your pregnancy and in your labour and birth.

Part 4 - Comfort Measures For Labour

Welcome to the final part of my top tips and techniques to ease discomfort and manage the sensations of labour, however they may feel in your body (and remember everyone is different). So in this post you are getting the final 10, which makes a whopping 31 Comfort Measures in total!! Being informed and educated and knowing you have choices is hugely important in having a positive birth experience.

Part 3 - Comfort Measures For Labour

It’s week three of my Summer of tips and techniques to ease discomfort and manage the sensations of labour. Helping you be more knowledgeable, positive and confident about your upcoming labour and birth.

In this post you'll find a range of comfort measures for labour including - Massage, ReFraming, Clary Sage, Epidurals and Hypnobirthing. It's a balanced look at ALL your options.

Part 2 - Comfort Measures For Labour

Welcome to week two of my Summer of tips and techniques to ease discomfort and manage the sensations of labour. By the end the series you are going to feel so much more confident and relaxed I hope about your upcoming labour and birth.

I've been running these each day on my For Modern Mothers Facebook page. In this post you'll find a range of comfort measures for labour including - TENS Machines, Doula's, Heat, Aromatherapy and Opioids. It's a balanced look at ALL your options.

Part 1 - A Month Of Comfort Measures For Labour

Welcome to August, and my whole month of tips and techniques to ease discomfort and manage the sensations of labour. By the end of the month you are going to feel so much more confident and relaxed I hope about your upcoming labour and birth. I've been running these each day on my For Modern Mothers Facebook page, and thought I'd put them together here as a series of blog posts for easy reading.

Tell Me About... Breastfeeding Support, with Treasure Chest York

This is such an important blog post and video! It's all about local breast feeding support here in York by a wonderful organisation called Treasure Chest. They are an amazing resource that aims to promote, support and encourage breastfeeding in the York area. They have amazing FREE breast feeding workshops you can attend when you are pregnant, and they offer brilliant support once baby arrives and for as long as you'd like or try to breastfeed (in person and on their Facebook group too). And support is SO important when you are trying to breastfeed. It is often not an easy journey, but having support and knowing where to turn is REALLY important.

Managing food cravings & aversions in pregnancy

Often food cravings and/or aversions are often one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. You know when you start to feel weirdly nauseous at the thought of a morning cuppa, or you *really* need to eat salt and vinegar crisps for breakfast (cornflakes no longer cut it!)

While pregnancy is not the time to be watching your weight, you do need to be mindful about what you are eating and keep a really good supply of nutrients, vitamins and minerals both for you and your baby too. Here's some great tips on how to manage them and have a more positive pregnancy and food experience.

A wonderful VBAC Hypnobirthing Birth Story

Here is a wonderful positive hypnobirthing birth story from a mother having a vaginal birth after a caesarean birth (called a VBAC). So inspiring and lovely to hear a positive birth story. Do contact me if you'd like more - I have lots I'd be delighted to share with you from hypnobirthing mums. Hearing all about positive birth when we are pregnant is so important (and please stop people telling you their negative birth stories, it really doesn't help you prepare for your birth in a positive way).

What Is A Placenta? 10 Amazing Placenta Facts

Every mother is likely aware that a placenta goes hand in hand with pregnancy. Even if you don't know much about what a placenta does, you likely understand that a placenta plays a pretty important role for the baby, since it's right there in the womb with your developing baby.

But do you know what a placenta really is or how amazing they are? Well read on and find out more about the amazing placenta.

Here are 10 amazing facts about the placenta:

Ten Mindful Steps to an Empowered and Positive Pregnancy & Birth Experience

Here are ten steps you can take during your pregnancy to prepare your body and mind for the experience of a lifetime and a birth you will remember with joy.

Practicing Loving Kindness - for pregnancy and motherhood

Loving Kindness for Pregnancy & Motherhood

"In modern life we have become so busy with our daily affairs and thoughts, that we have forgotten this essential art of taking time to converse with our hearts….If we are still, and listen deeply, for even a moment, we will know if we are following a path with heart… " Jack Kornfield, A Path with Heart

Exercise during pregnancy - a guide

Exercises during pregnancy can feel like a bit of a minefield. Whether you are a yoga geek, a gym bunny or a couch potato (or anywhere in between), once you find yourself pregnant it can be hard to know what kind of exercise you should, and shouldn't be doing. Some stuff is great - pregnancy yoga, swimming. Some not advised - contact martial arts, skiiing. Here's a guide for you...

How to love your amazing pregnant body

It’s natural to feel a little apprehensive about the massive changes that are about to happen not only in your day-to-day routine but also to your body when you are pregnant. I know many (if not all) of the women that I teach in my hypnobirthing and pregnancy yoga classes feel this way. I know I certainly did.

However, any negative thoughts or frustrations that you may have about your changing body shouldn’t be allowed to take away from your enjoyment during this incredible time in your life. You are after all growing a new human being - and that is truly and utterly amazing.

So this blog post is to show you 5 simple ways to help you feel confident, powerful and feminine throughout your pregnancy...

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