Mums to be in Andover can now book to attend a free workshop aimed at helping them develop relaxation skills and psychological techniques to remain calm and in control during their labour.
The Confident Birthing workshops are being run by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with expert Confident Birthing practitioners. The workshops are partly funded by a grant from the Big Lottery Fund.
Hampshire Hospitals’ Associate Director of Midwifery and Women’s Health, Caroline Brunt, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer these workshops which will complement routine antenatal classes. During the sessions, the practitioners will help women understand the importance of their thought processes during labour and birth.”
“They will explain how feelings of stress and fear can affect labour and help women to work with their body in a way that leaves them calm and in control, ready to welcome their baby into the world.”
“The skills learned in the workshop will be useful in many life situations and we hope that women will be able to return to the techniques again and again. We have had excellent feedback from the workshops we have run already, and we are looking forward to welcoming more ladies and their partners to the sessions.”
Attendees at the workshops will be able to download resources to help them to practise the techniques they are taught. Partners are welcome to attend the workshops, and it is recommended that women book to attend between 28 and 32 weeks of their pregnancy to allow them time to practise the techniques learnt before their labour.
To book on a course, visit www.hampshirehospitals.nhs.uk/confidentbirthing, complete the booking form and choose which location you would like to attend. Alternatively, telephone 01420 543365.
The workshops will also be run in Alton, Basingstoke, Eastleigh and Winchester.
