Firstly, can I say, with the birth trauma inquiry across so much of the media right now, "Pregnant Mums, please do not fret" - the media right now will not serve you, factual or not, immersing yourself into these stories, or having people sharing this information with you, is not going to be beneficial, please distance yourself from it. Do not read it, do not open the links and ask well meaning friends and family to talk to you about it AFTER your birth.

With the current press, media and news covering the inquiry, it is only natural for this to worry you, so please give yourself permission to take a step back.

While on one hand this inquiry is great news, to know that things are being recognised and looked into, right now, for those of you pregnant, reading the articles, the birth stories, hearing the debates, none of this will serve you well 😕

The best thing you can do is focus on the positive, realistic things that you can you do instead...

👍🏽 Firstly, find a great antenatal class to prepare for birth - my Top Tip here is to look for a class which supports you in understanding your rights and choices in pregnancy, birth and postnatally. Gone are the days for just focusing on the class to meet friends, don't get me wrong, this is also super important as you embarc on your pregnancy journey, but can be achieved in baby classes, yoga, at the park & in so many other places. Right now, what you want to look for is the class that is going to give you a well rounded education - empowering you and your birth partner to advocate for yourself and providing you with knowledge on what to expect, your choices, your rights and realistic information on how birth can unfold and what to expect. 

👍🏽 Ask questions in your midwife appointment. Using an akronym like BRAIN (Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Instinct, Nothing) can help you to gather lots of information from your midwife so you know all about your options going into birth. It's also great to get familiar with the NICE and AIMS guidelines for your birth choices - these are guidelines that your hospitals will be following and can support you when it comes to making or advocating for your choices when it comes to place of birth, pain relief, induction and c section and many other areas of birth. 

👍🏽Gather information on tools to support you in birth - this is where a great antenatal class can help, providing you with holistic and medical tools to support you in labour. Top Tip- Make sure your birth partner is part of your birth preparation and education - so they can advocate for you and know your choices ahead of birth!

👍🏽 Surround yourself with positive realistic birth stories - your brain has a huge part to play in birth meaning that the more positive birth you expose yourself to, the more your brain will believe this is possible. Which in turn means avoiding the medias depiction of birth as this is often negative and not the birth that anyone strives and hopes for. 

👍🏽AND focus on getting excited for the arrival of your baby - the more we reframe going towards birth, feeling prepared, excited, ready, full of knowledge, this will pay off. Imagine how you feel on New Years Eve, time flies when you are having fun right? yet when you dread something, time really drags. The day your baby enters the world will be their birthday every year from now on, so be excited, welcome it with open arms and get ready to welcome them into the world. It is there birthday after all ⭐

If you want to know more about how preparing with Hypnobirthing can help navigate the current maternity system or have questions on any of the above? My inbox and WhatsApp is always open 💌 [email protected] / 07825253319