"Mindful birth preparation classes" available in Leiden and Den Haag, The Netherlands.

The course involves the principles of conditioning a woman to achieve peaceful awareness of her mind and body that empower her to birth in a way that minimises discomfort. What you experience during your labour is not about your previous expectations, it is about your experience in the here and now. We guide you in using special breathing, massage and visualisation techniques for use on the day of labour and beyond. We explore some of the birth scenarios you may find yourself in and how to help you remain calm throughout.

Stephanie and Marie have worked as a team for the last two years. Between us we have ten years experience of facilitating courses and have facilitated courses for over 300 couples, people who have gone on to remain calm during their birthings. With Stephanie as a practicing midwife you can be sure that our course provides all you would wish for from a regular birthing class. But by taking Mindful Birth classes you will get the extra dimension of acquiring skills in mindfulness and deep relaxation. Whether you are Dutch looking for a course with a unique difference or an International needing an English course, you have found something really special.

Note that because of the special nature of our classes we suggest you ideally follow a course in your second trimester. Check on course dates here.

Truth:

Birth does not need to be painful.

Birth should rarely be treated as a medical event.

If you would like a natural birth then you could benefit from using proven techniques to help you relax and take control of your birth. The ability to stay truly calm often reduces the time spent in labour since your body is able to work most effectively. Learning to trust your body and relax your mind, the birth has every chance of progressing well and you can have a early bond with your baby.

On our pregnancy course you will learn:
- what do we mean by a mindful birth experience
- the myths and the facts - why birth is painful for some people and not for others
- to condition your mind and body to deeply relax
- special breathing techniques for the different stages of labour
- massage techniques
- how to design your own affirmations
- a summary of birth scenarios and tips on how to cope
- the important role for fathers in the birth process
- mindful breastfeeding
and much more.

Nederlandse informatie
(N.B. zwangerschap cursussen zijn in Engels):
Mindful Birth is een speciale manier om aanstaande ouders voor te bereiden op en te ‘empoweren’ voor een natuurlijke geboorte. De ervaring geeft de vrouw de mogelijkheid om zich op haar natuurlijke instincten te richten en op haar lichaam te vertrouwen. Ze doet dit door een programma van diepe ontspanning waarin ze al haar angsten loslaat, die zich anders zouden manifesteren tijdens de bevalling en zo voor spanning en daarmee pijn zouden hebben gezorgd. Door mogelijke problemen al voor de bevalling aan te pakken, is het voor veel vrouwen mogelijk om een pijnvrije bevalling te ervaren. De cursus geeft de bevallingspartner de mogelijkheid begrip en ervaring te krijgen met de technieken die de vrouw zal gebruiken, om zo haar pleitbezorger te zijn tijdens de bevalling.

Marie is sinds vier jaar een docent voor zwangerschapmensen cursus, vanaf de geboorte van haar tweede kindje. Ze heeft meer dan 100 stellen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk en Nederland geholpen met een kalme, prettige bevalling.