Hello Baby Brighton

14/04/2020

⭐️ POSITIVE BIRTH STORIES ⭐️ I’ve been working on this little series of bitesize birth stories from mums of mine who have given birth in the last three weeks. If you are pregnant, I hope these positive stories bring you encouragement, hope and reassurance. First up, we have Sammi’s story () who gave birth to her son right at the beginning of lockdown. 💛💚💙

27/03/2020

ARE YOU PREGNANT AND IN NEED OF A BIT OF SUPPORT? I am hosting a FREE online pregnancy meet-up every other Friday (probably until we’re allowed out the house again!) and I’m co-hosting with seven amazing women. First up - next Friday 3rd April - I’ll be with , a gorgeous ex-colleague of mine (back in the days!) who’s now an amazing Midwife and mum. DM me to book your space on our Zoom virtual meet-up: **1pm, Friday 3rd April** I’d love this to be a place where you can see you’re not alone in how you’re feeling, and hear some reassuring words from some experts. Exchanging worries, concerns, and any wins (big or small) with each other, and somehow finding the bigger picture together in this pretty overwhelming time as a pregnant mum-to-be. Who’s in??

23/03/2020

And we’re off! Our new normal for now. The kids have chosen their affirmations, decorated their workbooks, and we have banana bread 🍌 The big one is especially excited about ’s PE lesson starting in a minute! Feeling so grateful that it’s spring time as that’s always full of hope. 👊🏼 🌼

17/03/2020

FREE Positive Affirmations track for all you pregnant mamas ⭐️ I’ve recorded a 10 minute track for YOU if you are at any stage of pregnancy and are needing something to help make you feel calm, in these unsettling and unprecedented days. I’ve sent this out to all my clients this morning, but please feel free to share this with any pregnant mum you know, and I will send it to them for free ❤️ Just DM me your phone number and I’ll WhatsApp it straight over or organise to email it. Let’s stick together and do everything we can. Sending lots of love and calm thoughts, Laura ### 😘

16/03/2020

Navigating these strange, uncertain times feels really hard for everyone, I’m sure of it. I’m so grateful that we have the technology to stay in touch with each other. Sending voice notes, doing a Skype cuppa (or glass of wine!), picking up the phone. Our mental and physical health definitely has the capacity to be compromised and so I’m putting things in place to mitigate that as much as possible, and if you need help or ideas I would love to help you as best I can. My clients know I’m at the end of the phone anyway, but for anyone pregnant and feeling like they need support I can of course run my courses on Skype or Zoom. Given we may be in this for the foreseeable, we can only take each day as it comes and lift each other up. Tagging some accounts who you might like. Much, much love ❤️

14/03/2020

This poem is EVERYTHING 💔😭 Posted •

I remember
looking up at her;

wondering,
how could she just know?

the perfect rock,
that song that I liked,
how she smelled clean and warm,
like no one else could.

I knew I had the perfect mother.

She was fearless,
sure of what to do.

She made me laugh,
with just a look.

And I don't know where she learned it,
but she could take my pain away with just one squeeze.

What I didn't know,

was that time she watched me
while I slept,
because I had my first fever,
and she wanted to be sure I was okay.

Or when she questioned if going back to work was really the best option;
wondering if it would change things,
worrying that it would change us.

I didn't see her cry that night when I admitted that my biggest fear was dying.
Or that when she said those words that comforted me,
she wondered if those were actually the right things to say.

She was new at every stage.
But it didn't matter.
Not to me.

Because she knew me.
And what I needed.

I didn't love my mother because she was an expert on motherhood;
Just as I didn't love her any less because she was new.

I loved my mother because she was an expert on US.
On how she wanted it to feel. Us. Together. Navigating our newness at every stage.

I loved her for her love.

She knew everything,
and nothing.

And I loved her just the same.

And now that I am new,
like she once was,
and despite all of my fears -

I know,
that if I promise to lead us with love,
my baby,
it will be enough for us, too.💜

13/03/2020

Aaaaaand, relax. Sometimes pretty hard to, right?! Especially in the current climate, when full term, with two other kids, and mid-house-renovation like the gorgeous here 🤯 So I popped round this afternoon for an impromptu relaxation session, piling the positive messaging about her birth into her relaxed subconscious. Cannot wait to meet this little one! If you’re heading towards full term, remember ⭐️ Retreat off to listen to your MP3s, a positive birth podcast or affirmations tracks, at least once a day if you can ⭐️ Set boundaries with friends and family about how and when to contact you, or anything they can do to help you! ⭐️ Read an affirmation out loud each morning and keep it with you all day (make it your screensaver, stick it by the fridge!) ⭐️ Remind yourself of your choices at this stage of pregnancy and heading into your birth. I absolutely love .hill’s Birth Plan cards for this. ⭐️ Sending love and relaxation!

10/03/2020

Oh my heart ❤️ When you get so lucky to go and hold a 9 day old baby, whose parents are just absolute diamonds. you embody everything I love about Hypnobirthing and I’m so proud to have been part of your birth journey. You did it your way, which is just the bestest of ways. 💜

29/02/2020

Grid Worthy Salted Chocolate Peanut Brownies. 🤤 I can’t promise these will all still be here by the time today’s session starts, 😂😋 🍫

22/02/2020

🤰🏻 Group Course Ready! 🤰🏽

Teaching today I’m very stormy Brighton. Four lovely couples, a lot of banana bread and a balloon! 👫 🍌 🎈

11/12/2019

Good afternoon! It feels right to start talking about 2020 (HOW is that possible?!), so here is my first Brighton group course of the new year - 25th Jan and Feb 1st, 2020. If you swipe left, you can read what a few mums- and dads-to-be have said after learning Hypnobirthing with me. Please do spread the word if you know anyone who’s pregnant and would like to prepare for a positive birth experience 🥰 We talk quite a lot about poo 💩 but there’s always lots of laughs, learning about your body in labour, how it connects with your mind and how YOU can impact not only how you feel and how your body reacts, but also be front and centre of your birth, with confidence. Direct link in bio to book, or message me here. Now, back to finishing off 2019! 💫 @ Brighton and Hove

12/11/2019

The BEST kind of texts to receive 💓

26/09/2019

Excuse me please where have three years gone to...??! My first ever client’s baby is 3 next month! I feel mighty privileged to have worked with so many incredible couples in that time, all with one thing in common: that they want to approach birth differently. Different to their first birth, or different to how society feels they should give birth. To regain confidence; to know their options; to learn how to create calm. I’ve taught partners, friends, mums, husbands and wives how to be the best birth partner they can be, informing and empowering them to be confident oxytocin warriors of the birth room! And of course the mamas... beautiful women in every way; allowing them to believe they can be in control of how they feel about their birth, what informed choice actually is and means in birth, and teach them real techniques to cope with all that pregnancy and birth brings. To challenge the status quo and to start looking at birth differently. There have been home births, hospital births, water births, Caesareans (both in-birth and elective), epidurals, gas and air, waters releasing first, or just before birth, super short births and longer ones - because Hypnobirthing isn’t a type of birth, it’s how you feel, exercising informed choice, having a toolkit to use to undertake ANYthing birth brings. Siblings have met for the first time, there have been many a birth of brand new parents, and a huge amount of love. My respect and awe for the female human body just grows and grows every day; the physical and mental ability of the women I’ve taught has been humbling and incredible to watch and be a part of. Thank you mamas and your wonderful supports for letting me be a part of your story. Bring on the next three years!

19/09/2019

When friends become clients and when clients become friends 🥰 Yes I get massively emotionally invested in the couples I teach, and when you get post-birth highs like this it just makes my day/week/month/life! Emily you have become such a true friend, I’ve LOVED watching you transform over the last 9 months, you worked your butt off for that empowering birth you’ve just had, I love watching our girls playing together (and fighting over a scooter!) and I cannot wait to get Rocky in for a cuddle! I love baby news!! 🙌🏼🎉😍🥰💓 Read her caption below, it’s just wonderful 💜

Posted • 📎 THANKFUL🖤

Thankful for this body. It’s been through a lot over the years but I’m so proud of it. My b***s are full and in pain, my insides are contracting and moving down, my pelvis is wide, im bleeding, my lungs hurt from the deep breathing of a magical but intense labour but I am so happy, grateful and relaxed.

Thankful for the amazing midwife who guided me but believed in me. Who let me birth our baby freely at home and without interfering.
Thankful for who made me believe I could have my empowering birth.
For Dom who held my hand and told me I was safe and strong.
For my first born who slept through it all!
And for baby Rocky, who is healthy gorgeous and so calm! She knew exactly what to do and although she made us wait far too long... she arrived very quickly!! -
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09/08/2019

📎 This is so interesting! (link in bio)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-wales-49280154

I always ask my mums to consider taking an eye mask into their birth, mainly to block out what you don’t want/need to see. It can also serve as a visual sign to others that you don’t want to be disturbed! But virtual reality headsets could be amazing to transport you to you happy Oxytocin place, help with visualisations and bring calmness. What do you think?! 👓 👀

16/07/2019

👫👭 GROUP COURSE ⭐️
My next Group Hypnobirthing course is 17th and 24th August, 9:30am-1:30pm in Fiveways, Brighton. If you know anyone pregnant in the area then we’d love them to join us! Perfect for Oct/Nov/Dec due times. Check out my Courses page (link in bio) for what it includes (aside from all the biscuits) ❤️

09/07/2019

What an absolute JOY it was to teach this one today. I met 11 years ago when she came to work for me. I was her ‘Battenburg’ and she was my ‘Petitbec’ (long story, but also as a side note-to-self, perhaps my leadership style is a touch over-friendly 😂). Fast forward to now, she’s living in Dubai with her husband, has come home to the UK to give birth, and we did my short express Hypnobirthing masterclass today in the Seaford sunshine. The difference between how she’s feeling and talking about birth even since I arrived this morning is ridiculous- such a big change and shift and I’m beyond proud (yet again) of her. Cannot wait to meet this little baby! 🥰

08/06/2019

Well, there you go! 💪🏼 🤰🏻

Can we finally recognise what growing and pushing out)a human entails? says Guardian columnist Suzanne Moore