Birth Options Workshop

This isn’t about the ‘plan’. It’s about the valuable knowledge that sits behind it.

“I think every bit of information I wanted to be reminded of was there plus a whole lot more! The facts and statistics were incredibly useful!”
— Natalie

Do I need a birth plan?

Let’s not beat about the bush here: birth is unpredictable. Surely it’s better to go with the flow than be disappointed when your ‘plan’ doesn’t happen?

No-one wants to be disappointed, and neither should they be - especially when it comes to the birth of their baby; that’s EXACTLY why I recommend planning your birth.

When you plan your birth, you explore your options. You find the ones that you’re happy with and (importantly) the ones you want to avoid; that’s what this workshop is all about.

How will a birth options workshop actually help?

Short answer: by giving you the time, space and wealth of knowledge to help you make the decisions that matter to you.

Long answer: between 34 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, you’ll have a midwife appointment to go over your birth preferences. This will last between 20 and 40 minutes and will give you chance to state your wishes and for them to be formally recorded in your notes.

BUT no matter how hardworking, quick speaking and knowledgeable your midwife, they’ll never have the chance to answer every question and give you every pro and con for every choice in the time they have.

That’s where this workshop comes in: here you have the dedicated time, space and resources to explore and think about all of your options. You’ll be able to figure out the ‘absolute yes's and clear ‘no thank yous!’ as they emerge, leaving you with the ‘I need to know more about this…’ items.

Thus you go to your midwife appointment armed with clear information and a range of specific questions that’ll make the most of everyone’s time,

“Really informative and we both left feeling like it was clear what to expect when making our birth plan. We also felt we had some proper time to talk about this with each other which isn’t always easy with distractions at home/work/life.”
— Jade & James

What does the Birth Options Workshop cover?

During the workshop, we’ll cover the unbiased and need-to-know information about your options for the different phases of your baby’s entry into the world. Where appropriate and relevant, you’ll see statistics and research that will help you to make informed decisions on your own path from pregnant to parent.

    • Choosing your birth place

    • Choosing your birth partner

    • Birth mindset (eg: fears, hopes, goals etc)

    • Comfort strategies

    • Pain relief

    • Positioning support

    • Birth environment

    • Choices for pushing & delivery

    • Interventions & assistance (eg: induction, episiotomy, forceps, ventous, caesarean)

    • Placenta delivery

    • Cord clamping

    • The Golden Hour

    • Feeding options

    • Medical options including Vitamin K

    • How to achieve as positive a birth as possible

    • How to talk about (and plan for) the scary stuff

Looking for something else?

“Gemma is really knowledgeable and interactive with the group. The session was really helpful and informative. Worth every penny :) Thank you!”
— Jade & James

  • You have two options:

    • Group (online) £50

    • Private (in your home) £75

  • Nope, never - not even if you ask me to!

    This your birth, your memories, your life. My job is to give you a balanced view of your options and to find a route around any obstacles that you’re happy with.

  • Absolutely! Every birth is a birth, and this one is not just yours - it’ll only happen once. You deserve nothing less than for it to be memorable for all the right reasons.

    While these workshops do cover the practicalities of birth, everything is focused on emotions & choice. These apply to every way a baby is born, and I work hard to make sure that every session is relevant to all.

  • Ideally, yes. A great birth partner is an active one, and coming along to these sessions will help them to understand how best to do that. This is such a core part of my philosophy and is why all bookings automatically cover two people: you, and your primary birth partner.

Frequently asked questions…

How do I book a Birth Options workshop?

Simple! If you’re after a group workshop, select the class that works for you on the schedule below, and sign up.

If you’d prefer a private class, ping me a little email and we’ll find a time that works for both of us.