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Yoga Classes

What is pregnancy yoga?
A Mummies Birth Buddy pregnancy yoga class provides women with a safe environment in which to explore their feelings & to adapt to the changes in their bodies; providing a constant thread of stability.

Your pregnancy & Yoga
The principles of yoga include balance, awareness & respect. Women are empowered to feel confident in their ability to give birth. Yoga postures & movements will provide more space for the baby & alleviate many pregnancy discomforts.
Every class ends with a deep relaxation allowing the body to release tensions & the mind to become still. Both mother and baby are nourished and energy
is renewed. During the class we focus on the preparation and
strengthening of the pelvis and pelvic floor in preparation for
your labour.

The power of pregnancy yoga

Benefits

• Promotes general health to mother and baby
• Expands breathing, expanding lung capacity,
  breath awareness
• Increases flexibility and mobility
• Helps to gain confidence for the birth
• Calms the mind and the emotions
• Bonding with your baby
• Creating space in the physical body for your growing baby
• Reminding you to listen and trust your own body
• Addressing particular pre-natal issues such as heartburn,
  indigestion, fatigue, piles, sciatica, pelvic girdle pain (PGP)
  or symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), lower back ache,
  varicose veins, aching legs and carpal tunnel.
• Toning the pelvic floor
• Bringing a good blood supply to the pelvic area
  generally
• Gently increasing the body’s range of movement
• Releasing tensions and anxiety
• Acceptance of your changing body
• Gently building strength and stamina for an active birth
• Techniques and support for labour and the post-natal
  period

The yoga postures focus on spinal alignment and the
distribution of weight throughout the body as your pregnancy
develops and your baby grows.
Breathing techniques (Prananyama) are learned to utilise
throughout your pregnancy, the three stages of labour and
later in your parenting, as well as yoga nidra (mental and
physical relaxation techniques).

What makes a Mummies Birth Buddy yoga class special?

Our classes offer a relaxed environment in which you can
either prepare for conception and/or enjoy the various stages
of your pregnancy to the full with your growing baby.
The class creates a warm and welcoming space which will
hopefully help mummies to be to nurture themselves and create
the time to connect with and nurture the baby growing within
them.

• Strengthens the pelvis & pelvic floor
• Re-aligns the spine
• Breathing techniques for your labour
• Deeply relaxing & nurturing
• Bonding with your unborn baby
• Make new friendships

Our work is body-based; in the pregnancy yoga classes we
follow the changes, both physical and emotional, that affect
each woman differently along the journey of each pregnancy.
We are highly trained in facilitating a gentle awareness of all
these intense transformations from conception to the other
side of birth. We believe that this awareness or mindfulness,
that is the foundation of yoga practice, particularly of breathing
in relaxed stretches, helps women to discover or regain their
inner strength and their intuition of what is best for them,
their babies and their families. This is the specialness of what
we do. It's not just information, although we have it at our
fingertips and it's not just yoga postures with a bit of breathing
and relaxation, but yoga that reaches hearts and uncovers
inner joy and well being.
The classes run for an hour and a half which includes discussion
afterwards and time to make new friendships.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOOTNOTE

Birthing Lightly Yoga gives women practical resources for ‘birthing lightly’,
making space in themselves and using the breath to ‘exhale push’ their babies
without undue strain.

Birthing Lightly Yoga is informed by cutting edge medical and scientific research
but its hallmark is simplicity and accessibility of all practices to all pregnant women,
whatever their state of fitness, their condition, their cultural background.
At we take pride in translating research findings
into simple and fun movements that ease bodies and produce delight.

Birthing Lightly Yoga supports hands off midwifery and facilitates the
work of midwives by giving pregnant and labouring women the understanding
and skills they need in order to be positively involved in their personal experience,
however the process unfolds at the time. Rather than information, women take body
memories and awareness from the antenatal classes to their labour space:
this is how yoga is effective.

NICE Guidelines CG62 Antenatal Care: full guideline (corrected June 2008)
(Pg 82 3.3 Antenatal Classes)

With reference to the above, Birthing Lightly Yoga incorporates the ethos
behind effective antenatal classes by offering social, emotional, psychological
and physical awareness of pregnancy, providing good preparation for birth
and the postnatal period. It encourages self confidence to approach birth
positively. Also within NICE Guidelines (Pg 118-119 5.10) beginning or
continuing a moderate course of exercise during pregnancy is associated
with positive outcomes.

Research has shown central oxytocin supports sleep, reduces anxiety and
increases a woman’s pain coping strategy McNabb Mary (2003).
Central oxytocin levels increase with activities such as yoga and meditation.

Therapeutic Massage
Nutritional Supplements
Tui Balmes

Birthing Lightly Yoga Classes
BOOKING FORM

How do I book?
Contact Claire and check availability of classes.

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Pregnancy & Labour Yoga
Duration: from 14 weeks onwards.
Cost: £48.00 for 6 consecutive sessions
Drop-in £10.00 per session
Session Length: 1 1/2 hours per week
Location: Boothville
Class size: maximum of 3

Well Woman - Happy Baby Class
Duration: After birth.
Cost: £80.00 for 10 week block
Drop-in £10.00 per session
Session Length: 2 hours per week
Location: Boothville
Class size: maximum of 2 mummies & babies

©2009
MG Health & Mummies Birth Buddy
All Rights Reserved.

Please feel free to offer an exchange of time /services /products if you provide a complementary therapy/ workshops/ have particular skills to offer along the lines of the Local Exchange Trading System

 

You are entitled to paid time for your antenatal care, classes (parentcraft or relaxation). Check out the link for further details. Your rights in pregnancy

TESTIMONIALS

Yoga with Claire ....

Helped me feel more confident / comfortable about going into labour & delivering naturally (my 2nd time) ... it stopped me from panicking & losing focus ... delivered with gas & air only! CP

Relaxing during class, felt confident with breathing & movements ... during labur used the ball & moved ...Claire made everyone feel relaxed & welcome; open to questions about labour & birth. Enjoyable weekly class. EH

I believed that yoga would help me through my labour...I felt totally relaxed after each class and I was able to use what I had learnt at home in preparation for labour ... felt totally calm & in control during the whole labour & birth. Breathing techniques helped me focus & deal with the contractions. Movements helped me start my contractions again when they slowed down ...used the breathing immeadiately after the birth & felt totally relaxed and able to enjoy my baby. In the postnatal period I have continued to do the pregnancy yoga to help me feel totally re-energised. Claire is very warm & friendly & made me feel totally at ease from the first class... great support. Loved the classes & hope to stay in touch with Claire ... what she taught me enabled me to have the labour & birth I wanted without pain relief & totally natural. AB

First birth had been difficult ... decided on a homebirth and wanted ... coping skills/natural forms of pain relief. Helped me adopt a more positive attitude to labour ... breathing techniques & various positions definately helped in the first stages ... found Claire to be knowledgeable, very easy to talk to with a great sense of humour. Class was therefore very enjoyable. CC

Aim - to try & relax during pregnancy due to sickness & learn breathing & cope during labour & birth. During labour I used the yoga to get comfortable & keep mobile ... very helpful ... 4 day labour, back to back baby ... I found breathing & positions very helpful especially during delivery. Have recommended to a friend ... who went on & had a natural home birth. Claire ... great friendly teacher. Interested in each mum & child (I attended Claire's baby massage class) and would go to both of these classes next time round. Thank you Claire. RY

Claire bought an awareness of the importance of staying calm and keeping baby relaxed. Also not to plan to much but just deal with it at the time! She has a calming influence. The open forum is great for mums to talk & overcome any concerns or worries. Each week Claire took the time to ask us individually what kind of week we were having ... I felt pretty chilled during my pregnancy ... I also used a birthing CD and the Yoga helped bring this together as focused on the different breathing techniques. Claire helped me to remain calm & relaxed during the latter stages of pregnancy & I value everything she taught me .. I felt I was able to enjoy labour ... surrender & release worked for me! I arrived at hospital 8cms and birthed naturally. KH

After a difficult first birth I wanted to be pro-active about achieving a better second birth. I learnt about actibe birthing positions. I achieved a straightforward birth using active birthing positions and breathing techniques. Claire instilled confidence in my body's ability to give birth. Shared experiences of different aspecst of pregnancy & labour which was very helpful. KJ

Message from Claire:
Being able to support women and their babies is a great privilege to see the womans' journey of pregnancy, birth and into motherhood, it is truly an inspiration and a joy.

Well Woman - Happy Baby classes

Whether you had the birth you wanted or things didn't go as planned... this session is for you.
Suitable from the first moments after birth these classes are aimed at soothing mother and baby in those tender early days.
Through a combination of structured gentle movements performed whilst lying down, and deep abdominal breathing,
a new mother can start to bring her body into balance whilst her baby rests with her.
Postnatal yoga focuses on stabilizing the pelvis, regaining overall strength and tone particularly in the pelvic floor
and abdomen through deep breathing, energising and releasing tension through all the body, and deep relaxation.
We aim to gradually draw back in all the muscles that stretched so much during pregnancy in safe way. Individual sessions can begin in the post-partum period (the first 6 weeks post-natally) and progress through the first year depending on each woman's needs
The session is ideal for any new mother and her baby as it assists both of them to recover from the birth and any complications that may have arised. It gently helps baby and Mum to fall into their own natural rhythm which is especially important for establishing succesful breastfeeding, and if the labour was hurried along in any way.
The sequence is so gentle it is even suitable for women who gave birth to their babies by Cesearean. Through practising the breathing and aligned movements, new mothers will begin to build their core strength and tone from the inside out.

Benefits include:
•Immediate craniosacral realignment (closing the pelvis, rib cage and lengthening the spine)
•Reintegration of the deepest layers of back, abdominal and pelvic floor muscles
•Calming the nervous system of mother and baby
•Aiding deep healing and deep rest
•Promoting successful breast feeding

The classes include essential postnatal health and safety tips supporting the transition from Pregnancy to Motherhood, and tips for soothing your baby.

Our classes also focus on your baby and we will learn a gentle, supportive massage routine that your baby will love and you will find easy to build into your day to day pattern. We gently stimulate your baby's immune system, circulation and digestion whilst helping to relieve any fractiousness, anxiety, colic & constipation. The massage helps your baby sleep longer & sounder. It is the perfect preparation for co-ordinated movement & mobility, setting your baby on their feet with 'perfect posture' both sitting & standing, with strength & flexibility in all the right places. Baby massage is a natural response to your baby's inherent need for tactile stimulation.

Classes:
Thursday 09:30 - 11:30 (maximum 3 mums and babies)
Friday 09:30 - 11:30 (maximum of 3 mums and babies)

Course duration: 10 weeks
Course materials: All equipment (mats, oil, handouts) provided. All you will need to bring will be you, your baby and a fluffy towel plus change of clothes for your little one.
Cost: £60.00 includes resources and light refreshments.
Payable by BACS / cash.
Contact: Claire Morrow-Goodman on 07966 288236 to book a space or to reserve the group class for your postnatal, NCT or play group and receive a booking form.