My name is Maria Williamson. I have been a midwife since 1993, I am also a qualified Neuro Linguistic programme practitioner, worked as a hypnobirthing practitioner and am now a qualified Hypnotherapist
Labour and Birth has always sparked an interest in me. Why each individuals experience can feel and be so different.
The birth of my own children, even as a midwife was daunting. I realised how fear can play such a big part in some women’s birth experience and from all of this I began to look at how we could maybe in some small way, help to change this.
With some of my colleagues, Sarah Carter, Megan Blease, Gillian Parker-Evans and Joanne Lambert we became part of the SHIP trial (Self-hypnosis for intrapartum pain management in pregnant first time mums) this trial showed us unexpected consequences. We found that women in this study generally appreciated antenatal self-hypnosis, but also having knowledge of how their bodies worked, was such valuable information.
Women and their birth companions grew in confidence, felt more in control. Understanding their own bodies and feeling a sense of involvement.
EMPower
“Empower” is defined within as giving someone the power to do something, to make them stronger by allowing them to be more confident in controlling their own life and wishes. You will be empowering yourself, by understanding all there is to know and accessing all the options available to you.
The EMPower package will be there to support you, your partner and/or birthing partners through birth preparation. It will provide information that is relevant to you and your own experience. It provides the options to support your own experiences with tools such as knowledge and relaxation techniques.
Being a part of EMPower you will:
- Feel much more prepared for your labour and birth
- Feel more confident and in control of your own experience
- Be able to understand the physiological changes and processes that birth entails
- Learn the skills to help you birth the way you want to and reduce the need for medical intervention
- Continue to bond with your baby throughout the process
- Work together with your partner and/or birthing partner to achieve a positive birth for all involved
The breastfeeding download consists of a relaxation containing Baby Friendly information which includes attaching your baby onto your breast, close loving relationships and skin to skin. This download will sit alongside all the conversations you will have during your pregnancy with your midwife. The download enables you to settle back, relax within the comfort of your own home and enjoy being with your baby, feeling your baby move, interacting with your baby. Relaxation helps release endorphins; these are our feel good hormones. Pregnancy is about building a relationship with your baby.
Babies born by caesarean births.
This download is designed to help mothers and their birth partners to feel more confident, calm and relaxed. Feel more in control, to feel a part of their birth experience. It also contains a script to help aid relaxation.
The Enhanced recovery programme is a modern based approach that helps women who are undergoing surgery to recover more quickly, make informed choices and are as healthy as possible before receiving treatment.
At the start of labour, the cervix starts to soften so it can open. This is called the latent phase, and you may feel irregular contractions. It can take many hours, or even days, before you're in established labour.
Established labour is when your cervix has dilated to more than 3cm and regular contractions are opening the cervix.
During the latent phase, it's a good idea to have something to eat and drink as you'll need the energy once labour is established. The use of relaxation techniques can also be very helpful.
The EMPower download for latent labour will help to guide you through this stage, using breathing and relaxation.
Further reading
Self-hypnosis for intrapartum pain management in pregnant nulliparous women: a randomised controlled trial of clinical effectiveness.
Unexpected consequences: women’s
experiences of a self-hypnosis intervention
to help with pain relief during labour