Active Birth Workshop

Friday saw Dave and I go to an Active Birth Workshop, run by my yoga teacher who's trained with the Active Birth Centre in London. It was a really good few hours and we learned a lot - with an obvious bias on the natural birth process, but that's good because that's what we want. I think Dave got some confidence about positions, massage etc. and how he can help - he knows to get me to relax jaw, hands and shoulders between contractions, and has been told to make sure I go to the loo and eat enough during labour! We got chance to try out different positions that may be helpful, and bought a birthing ball which hopefully will get plenty of use. It's also left us with things to think about as well - ides of what we need to get hold of for possible use during labour (water spray, small fan, plenty of cushions and pillows and some plastic sheeting) and decisions to make (active or physiological management of third stage, birth plan).

There were only two other couples at the workshop, and it was good to talk to people who obviously have the same sort of ideas as us about it. Some comments we've had - particularly about the issue of home v hospital - have not been particularly helpful: "You're so brave", "It's a lot to take on", "What happens if something goes wrong?".  So it was good to talk to people who are positive about the whole thing. And it's made us more confident about it all, so hopefully the midwife appointment on Tuesday should be easier to handle - I'm ready to ask for a referral to another midwife if I still feel she's being unsupportive of our wishes. But that another blog entry altogether, and it can wait until after the appointment.