Hypnobirthing classes & doula care available in English & Swedish. Klicka här för svenska!
The next prenatal class is VIRTUAL! Yes, you asked and now it’s here. The next virtual workshop takes place in October 2017 and is nearly 75% off my regular workshops!
Scan down the page to before the FAQ for more details and to enroll!
Birth doesn’t have to be scary.
You are pregnant in Sweden. Congrats! But what
the heck is that “barnmorska” saying and how does
this all work?
- Feeling frustrated and confused when you turn to Facebook and Google looking for answers?
- Finding English flag icons leading to links with more information in Swedish?
- Conflicting information and opinion?
- Are you left wondering if moving here was a good idea even though you love this guy?
- Questioning your body’s ability to birth your baby?
- Just plain scared?
You can’t find what you need on-line because it’s not there.
Prenatal Classes in English for Moms in Sweden can:
- Significantly reduce your c-section risk.
- Significantly reduce the risk for birth trauma.
- Support you to achieve the birth you want!
- Ensure a smoother postpartum and transition into this next phase of family life.
“Thanks to Amy’s prenatal class, I was safe and present throughout my labor. We made active decisions which we would not have dared to make (or even have known we could make!) if we had not taken this course. Pregnancy and childbirth were amazing experiences because of what we learned from Amy. We got a quiet, safe and natural birth without the need for any form of pain relief. After the birth – the feeling of my baby on my breast was more than amazing. Amy is making an important contribution to both men and women!” – Karolina & Rocco
It’s about you and your baby
You want a birth experience where you determine how you birth your baby – just how short a time it takes, and just how comfortable you are. This meeting with your baby is precious to you. You understand it’s significance and you see it in all it’s serenity. Your baby – restfully skin to skin with you. It’s new, yet familiar smell. Your baby’s quiet, confident gaze locked on yours – connected and triumphant!
You are built to birth
Many births stories you have heard do not match your vision. Although 95% of women are at low risk for complications, the rate of medical interventions is on the rise. The C-section rate in Sweden is over 17%, up from 5% in the 1970’s. Half of all birthing women in Swedish hospitals receive an epidural block and artificial hormones (data from the Swedish medical birth register). Yet, 350 ,000 women birth each day around the globe. You are built to birth. Capable. Strong. Powerfully equipped. Connect – confidently – to this knowingness. With practice and preparation you can.
I believe in you!
Do: “You’re crazy”, “Get the epidural”, and “It’s supposed to hurt” sound familiar. I get it. I really do.
I studied Profylax (best translation I can come up with is Swedish Lamaze) for my first baby and was really prepared (I thought). “I’m pretty tough”. “Childbirth is good pain”. “I got this.”
Much to my surprise, things didn’t go as I had thought. I was not as prepared as I could have been – did not have the right questions to ask. My confidence was easily shaken. My birth partner (my husband) was not empowered to protect our preferences or advocate for us. We were, however, unstoppable the second and third time around! Inspired by two comfortable, powerful birth experiences – I’m proud to be pioneering Hypnobirthing in Sweden.
“We had the positive and calm birth experience that we had prepared for. It is one thing to read positive birth stories but a different one to talk to Amy who has had a good experience.” -Cindy & Armando, Stockholm
Our society has a fear of birth
Many cultures outside the Western world, view childbirth as a normal and natural course of events in a woman’s life. Birthing women receive support from other women, and children are often present. The mother is celebrated and honored giving birth. Young girls grow up with a positive attitude to childbirth. With positive expectations – without fear or pain. In the West the opposite is often true. Several generations in a row have been told how birth involves hours of painful labor. Our well-meaning friends and relatives share scary stories, and so the pattern is repeated again and again. We experience pain in birth, because we expect pain.
Sound crazy? I thought the same thing!
Several generations of negative attitudes towards birth is a lot of negativity to undo. Knowing “you are built to birth” and “are strong” on a conscious level, is not enough against hundreds of years of negative birth stories. We need to reclaim our birthing wisdom on a subconscious level. Reset to default settings – so to speak. Somewhere I believed it must be true. I hoped. I listened. I practiced. I got my birth vision and I cried of happiness while in active labor (and ate a big plate of Tagliatelle).
Hypnobirthing Natural Birth Classes in Sweden!
Parts of my curriculum were written with the help of two Swedish midwives. This course combines the best of Hypnobirthing practices with the knowledge of what you can expect birthing in Sweden. Hypnobirthing is proven to eliminate or drastically reduce the need for medical pain relief. It is an excellent tool for women who want to manage the circumstances surrounding their pregnancy, labor and the birth of their babies. Hypnobirthing Natural Birth Classes are a complete childbirth preparation available as group workshops and as 1:1 coaching.
Learn how your body and mind work together in birth- Comfortably and Effectively
What’s the strongest muscle in the human body? The uterus! We didn’t learn that in school, did we? Did you know endorphines, released during birth, are 200 times stronger than morphine? Yup! There’s nothing the hospital can give you which is stronger than what you are already equipped with. You will learn how your body is perfectly created to birth. And you will learn how visualizations guide your mind to work with your body. Strengthening its ability. Body and mind, breathe and baby – working in unison.
Rid yourself of birth story negativity (yours and everybody elses’) – And keep it gone!
You wish for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. You envision being a good mom and finding the perfect home. You dream of balance between your career and in family life. The flip-side of these hopes are worries and fears. And while fear has a place in keeping us safe, irrational fear and worry get in the way of enjoying your pregnancy. Worry, (even unconscious) creates stress and tension during labor, which in turn causes pain. It’s a vicious circle. That’s why confidence and power work is one of things that sets Hypnobirthing apart from Profylax and other prenatal classes. Where other classes focus on the management of pain, Hypnobirthing focuses on your enjoyment of the pressure, tightness and waves your body experiences during the powerful birth process.
Own your birth – Make your birth preferences (birth plan) understood and respected
I’ll provide you with tools to prepare and communicate your birth preferences so you are understood and respected by hospital personnel. And especially for you, my wonderfully international families: Your materials are available in a mix of English and Swedish, so you have what you need in the language that suits you best.
Hypnobirthing helps you to:
- Embrace SELF-CONFIDENCE and power– affirmations and confidence building exercises
- Achieve relaxation at anytime – self-hypnosis scripts and breathing techniques
- Feel great – massage techniques to stimulate endorphins, your body’s natural anesthetic
- Manage your mood – visualization exercises keep you CALM, happy and positive
- Understand your power – how your mind and body work together, efficiently and comfortably
- Own your birth – make your preferences (your birth plan) understood and RESPECTED
- Get the information you need – questions to ask so you know what you agreeing to and how impacts your labor and baby
- Understand and be understood – bilingual and multicultural perspective
Excited by my success with Hypnobirthing, I trained as a Hypnobirthing teacher so you too, may enjoy the birth of your baby. I want you to be respected and cared for. I know, given the right information and tools you can overcome any challenge. You can create a peaceful birthing experience.
Hypnobirthing has been statistically shown to help you to:
- Eliminate or greatly reduce your need for medical interventions
- Experience a SAFER, more PEACEFUL birth regardless of where you choose to birth your baby
- Create a stronger BOND between your family Increase the chances of your baby being in an optimal position for birth
- Decrease the chance of complications and more easily find solutions if they occur
- Birth your baby fully awake, AWARE and full of energy
- Recover quickly
- SECURE your birth partner’s roll
- Birth a calm, soothed baby who breast-feeds easily and sleeps well
- EMPOWER your family to feel ease and joy in this new part of your journey (statistics from hypnobirthing.com)
Convenient New Virtual Workshops!
The next workshop is in October! Study from the comfort of your home. You receive a 26 page workbook, hours of recorded education, PLUS 2 live Q&A’s with me. All this for only for 995 SEK (plus 15 GBP for three MP3s from an external site). That’s almost 75% off my regular workshop.
I’m calling it the October Workshop, but we start on September 27th. On that and the following three Wednesdays you will receive a mail with links to videos, PDFs and resources. On Thursdays October 12th and 26th, I’m available live on Zoom at 7 pm to answer your questions. You can send your questions in advance of the Q&A which will be on Zoom on Thursday evenings. The Q&A will be recorded.
This workshop is in English but I speak fluent Swedish and all the materials are available in a customized mix of Swedish and English to suit your unique family’s needs.
“We were really strengthened by the course. It gave us calm and focus the last days of the pregnancy and tools to achieve a wonderful birthing and a joyful first time at home. One of the biggest benefits was the excellent cooperation we had as a couple during the birth, and it feels really great that Vide-Li came to us in such harmony.” – Emma & Richard
Now, slow down
Take a deep breath in for a count of four and out for eight. And again. A few more times..shutting your eyes and going in to say hi to your baby before we continue. Go on…you and your baby deserve a minute. Now project yourself forward in time.
The day of your baby’s birth…
Yay! What an exciting day! How perfect. You feel so much more prepared than other moms you’ve been speaking too. You are excited, joyful and confidently calm. You’ve made the important decisions beforehand – looked at risks, benefits and alternatives. Your birth preferences – three copies – nestled in your bag, next to your favorite chocolate – your victory bar. You relax and enjoy your labor, owning all turns it takes. You have everything you need. You open easily. You are so happy, so present in your labor. Safe and sound in the knowledge your birth partner can communicate for you – with you. Having practiced the relaxation techniques, you smile and enjoy birthing your baby. You choose to experience your contractions as waves – as pressure and tightness. Freed of the negative chatter in your head (and empowered to have asked others to NOT share negativity with you) you have space to focus on your healthy, strong body and baby. All is exactly as it should be…. I look forward to hearing the rest of your story.
FAQ
Do I need to take another class in addition to this one?
No! My experience as a doula plus Hypnobirthing teacher combine to make this a COMPLETE PRENATAL CLASS. This class is the only class you need. The classes are intimate and you will have all your questions answered.
I’m busy. How much time do I need to dedicate to practicing?
You put on the MP3 when you go to sleep at night. Gotta love multi-tasking! In addition, there is some birth partner work one can do for five to ten minutes before bed a few times a week increasing the frequency as your get closer to your birthing time.
Do I have to practice with a partner?
No. You can practice Hypnobirthing entirely on your own and get great results. If you will have a birth partner (the other parent of the baby, your mother, your partner, sister or doula), but you are practicing alone, I recommend you get the MP3 of the partner scripts to listen to on your own. In this way you can just to tell your birth partner what to say and where to touch you in order for you to achieve deep relaxation. We will explore this more during class.
Is it too late to start?
No. Even if you birth the day after you learn this material you will achieve better results than without it.
Is it too early to start?
No. Like everything else you want to learn…the more you practice the better you get.
What the difference between hypnosis and self-hypnosis?
Nothing! All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. No one can make you do anything under hypnosis that you do not consciously want to do.
Will I be asleep during the birth?
You do not sleep, and you are not in a trance. It’s more like a daydream or being in “flow”. When you are so focused on something that time passes easily.
Can you be my/our doula?
I’d be honored to support you if my schedule allows. Check my doula services page for more information.
When is the next workshop?
I hold workshops every three months.
Can I use Hypnobirthing in the case of a planned c-section?
Yes. You need not abandon Hypnobirthing in the case of a C-section, planned or otherwise. Your training allows you to remain calm, in control and positive.
My friend studied on her own at home. Can I get good results studying on own?
This is personal and depends on your learning style. Some people really enjoy the experience of having a teacher and being taught vs. home study. Partners can find it engaging to be part of a class – to hear other’s perspectives. You may be relieved to have me guide your partner in how to help you, so you don’t have to take on the role of teaching a partner who maybe isn’t as engaged in a home study course as you are.
Congratulations!
– on your pregnancy and on understanding the importance of birth.
I’m also a certified doula with DONA International. I trained in Indonesia with midwife and CNN Hero of the Year 2011, Robin Lim, at the Bumi Sehat birth clinic. The birthing moms came down from the mountain villages on moped, contractions and all! In baths of water and flower blossoms, the babies were welcomed into the world with songs of prayer. I am honored to have attended these births.
I am honored to support you.
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To learn more about your options for Hypnobirthing classes and doula care for families in Stockholm, Sodertälje, Strängnäs, Eskilstuna, Vasterås, Enköping, Uppsala, and Örebro, please contact me here. For information in Swedish, click here. +46(0)704 78 13 74. amy@amyneuhedel.com.