You will remember the day you birthed your baby for the rest of your life
Childbirth doesn’t have to be long or unduly painful.
Babies know how to be born and even though you may have never done it before, you have millions of years of innate experience in birthing. That is the experience I will help you tap into in the run up to your big birth day.
Medical interventions are becoming more and more common. Many are unnecessary and avoidable.
Knowing how to navigate the maternity system, being better informed, is the best way for you reducing interventions and experiencing a joyful birth.
Intervention may often set up a cascade, one intervention leading to another and ending up with an emergency C section. 20% of inductions end up in a C section. The C section rates are already 3 times that recommended by WHO.
The World Health Organization recommends countries not exceed 10 to 15 percent (10 to 15 C-section deliveries per 100 live births) for optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes. As you can see from the CUMH stats below, their rate is 3 times that at 44.9% in January 2023.
Some of the reason behind this alarmingly high number is failed inductions. Approx 20% of inductions fail and require an emergency C section. Routine inductions are not recommended by WHO.
Recent research has shown “Women with uncomplicated pregnancies who had their labour induced had higher rates of epidural/spinal analgesia, CS (except for multiparous women induced at between 37 and 40 weeks gestation), instrumental birth, episiotomy and PPH than women with a similar risk profile who went into labour spontaneously.” (Dahlen et al 2021).
Currently CUMH exceeds the recommended stats for all interventions for both first time and multiparous mothers. If you would rather not find yourself as one of these statistics then my reflexology for birth preparation programme is for you.
Full term is ANY time between Week 38 and Week 42.
Your “due date” is simply the mid point of that 4 week window. Unfortunately the language used around that “due date” can be unhelpful. Terms like “over due” or “late”, tend to suggest a failure by the mother or her baby. During your reflexology course we will discuss what is a variation of normal, rather than something that needs intervention. I am not offering medical advice, just arming you with the right questions to ask your medical providers for your personal circumstances rather than acquiescing to hospital policy.
“Big baby” is another suggested reason for induction, despite the fact that the technology to accurately measure the size of the baby prior to delivery is weak. The WHO guidelines again do not recommend induction based solely on predicted size of the baby.
There are a range of pain management methods, starting with labouring in warm water, all the way up to epidural. Epidural forces the mother into a supine (lying down) position which is not how we are designed to birth. This is another process which can lead to a cascade of interventions.
In addition, epidural prevents you from standing or walking for some hours after birth. Having a C section will prevent you from driving for 6 weeks after the surgery and will possibly influence future birthing options.
Childbirth doesn’t have to be long or unduly painful and completing it in a 4 to 6 hour timeframe can really help with needing pain relief as exhaustion hasn’t kicked in yet.
Whether you are a first time mama looking for support for a positive birth experience or multiparous hoping for a better than last time experience or a VBAC, this type of preparation is unique.
The 3 solid pillars of my birth preparation are;
💜 reflexology
💜 patient advocacy
💜 hypnobirthing
During a course of pregnancy reflexology I can;
💜 Boost oxytocin production so each contraction is productive and moves you forward. Much of the cause of long labour is having unproductive contractions. My client’s labour times average between 4 & 6 hours.
💜 Clear lymphatic congestion in your pelvis so there is more room for baby to move down. Baby’s head putting pressure on your cervix is the ideal way to get labour started on time, avoiding induction.
💜 Help position baby correctly in your pelvis. The position of the baby’s head influences the progress of labour.
💜 Help dilate your cervix if it is ready.
💜 Prepare you mentally for the joyful experience of childbirth. Lot’s of positive coaching.
💜 Support you in navigating the hospital/medical environment, helping you understand the lingo and the protocols and how to avoid unnecessary interventions. An empowered mother can give birth without fear.
💜Use hypnobirthing while you are most receptive to it. Most of my mama’s deliver their babies with minimal pain relief.
This is an 8 week course of reflexology treatments, ideally starting when you are at Week 32.
Places are limited so early booking is advised.
Reflexology is covered by all the major health insurers under outpatients, it doesn’t have to be maternity specific.
Hi, I am Claire Burrows, professional reflexologist, women’s health and fertility nutrition coach.
I have helped thousands of women enjoy a positive birth experience, including many midwives and doctors. The ideal number of sessions is 8 and the time to start is at Week 32, unless you are expecting multiples in which case we might start a little earlier – just let me know when you are booking.
This is always a one to one treatment and therefore places are limited. You should have your dating scan before booking but should be booked by Week 20 to ensure you get a weekly slot that suits you.
Every mama who I see for the first time on her second birth tells me she wishes she was more prepared and in hindsight would have done things differently.
Here is your opportunity to achieve that preparation.
I value your privacy and will never share your personal details.
Mindset
Hypnobirthing is not about changing your mind.
You already have ideas about childbirth and you have your own expectations of it. You have seen TV representations of it (mostly laying down, purple pushing through their face), you have heard stories from family and friends and you have read accounts of it online. All of this has created a neural pathway in your brain which may be dominant unless it is balanced with something more positive.
During a reflexology treatment you will be very relaxed. This is the ideal time to tune into hypnobirthing. The right side of your brain is more receptive to suggestion and this is the part of your brain that is most active during relaxation. The left, forward thinking, worrier side, tends to drift off at this time. By repeating hypnobirthing each week during relaxing reflexology you will be transported back to that safe space in your mind as you tune into your hypnobirthing tracks during labour.
Advocacy
The height of labour is not the time to be considering options.
Informed consent should be achieved well in advance of baby arriving. All of your questions and concerns should be fully addressed by your health care professional. As situations/suggestions arise during the 3rd trimester I am there to help you frame your questions to get the most informative responses, so that you will feel empowered in your choices rather than, as some clients have described – “had it done to them”
You will remember the day you birthed your baby for the rest of your life. I know that experience matters to you and I want to ensure you achieve your ideal. Drop me a note with your due date and I will get back to you with booking options.
I value your privacy and will never share your personal details.
Here's just some of the birth stories after reflexology
So, in an ideal world, not withstanding any medical issues of course, what would be the birth experience you would most like to look back on over the next 50 years?
It may be a home birth, midwife led, no induction, a VBAC, whatever meets yours and your baby’s needs. I don’t prescribe any specific one, but I will, to the best of my ability, work on your behalf to achieve your desired outcome.
Reflexology has been shown to reduce interventions by 70% and to reduce labour time, typically to between 4 & 6 hours.
Statistically a first time mum’s labour is about 16 hours, but with the help of reflexology you could be home by teatime (if you wanted!)
A hand written thank you note is a true testament to the value of a service.
The cost of a treatment is €85 and you may get up to 75% back from your health insurer depending on your policy.
Places are limited, be sure to book yours before Week 20 to get a weekly slot that suits you.
I value your privacy and will never share your personal details.
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