Continuity of care and one to one midwifery schemes by midwives during pregnancy and birth have shown that women have less medical intervention and increased normal birth. Mothers also report having a more positive experience as they get to know their midwife. But what other ways can women help themselves to a more “natural birth”? Here are some suggestions • Visualise you little baby inside growing and think of the “womb within”, as a temporary home and a continuum to a later...

Any labour and birth can have some “natural” elements here are some suggestions: Simple adaptations make all the difference to increasing endorphins (the body’s natural pain killers) and reducing adrenaline (the hormone that makes you feel you want to run away from labour…. Moving the furniture and bringing a toolkit for birth • Any labour room can be adapted to provide you with a “sanctuary “ for labour and birth. • Keep off the bed as much as possible, move the bed to the side...

• Keep a positive mindset. • Prepare your mind for birth – to achieve a safe baby and safe you and a positive birth experience. • Environment in labour- bring into your birthing room whatever makes you feel relaxed to create a “romantic scene,” increasing endorphins and oxytocin. e.g. dim lighting, birth ball, mats, rocking chair, birth pool, birth stool and aromatherapy. • Birth stool very useful in 2nd stage for pushing phase - (not birth as it may increase tears to vagina and perineum)...

Jenny Smith asks, It is time now, more than ever, to re-think maternity environments? She makes the following suggestions: Antenatal waiting areas should have comfy seating with refreshment facilities whilst waiting. The clinical rooms – require more relaxing lighting and colour schemes. Main stream labour ward should have much softer environments such as the Carribean room where higher risk women can enjoy the relaxing comforts of the birth centre with use of birth balls,mats,birthing...

We had an absolutely fabulous day on the 13th October at Hammersmith Hospital. Arranged by Jenny Smith, the Jentle Childbirth Study Day was a real success with over 50 attendees and masses of positive feedback - so thanks to Jenny and all those who spoke at the day and those that attended. It really was a very informative and interesting day. There were a number of topics that were discussed the general theme running through was Empowering Women so that they could ensure that they had the best...

I am getting a lot of questions and interest on this. Is the Natural Caesarean that has had so much positive feedback from all over the world, possible for twins and breech birth? The answer to this question is YES in a slightly modified form. The baby or babies should be fully grown with no worries about their heartbeats. The procedure of caesarean starts as normal with all safety precautions in place. You can bring in your own pillow to lie on,wear your own top,play your own music,dim...

Our founder Jenny Smith was absolutely thrilled and honoured to receive a Team London Star Certificate from Boris Johnson in recognition of her volunteer work with the Jentle Childbirth charity, which campaigns for one-to-one midwife care and aims to empower women to have a better birth. Team London is the Mayor's Action Plan for Volunteering, and Team London Stars is a recognition scheme through which Londoners can nominate the people they know who are volunteering to make London a better...

Jentle Childbirth Foundation welcomes this inspirational RCOG report "High Quality Women's Health care : A proposal for change July 2011". Click here to download the page from the RCOG website. (and click on the link on that page for the PDF) What is the proposal? "A proposal for change, a new report produced by the RCOG looks at how NHS women’s health services could be configured to provide high quality, safe and timely care. Against a backdrop of NHS reform, financial and workforce...

There is a very exciting study day coming up in October, in London, that I wanted to share with you as I am sure that there will be a lot of interest in it. There are going to be some very well respected speakers including Jenny Smith herself, who will be speaking on the topic of childbirth and empowering women, The Jentle Way. EMPOWERING WOMEN: THE JENTLE WAY A Study Day For obstetricians, midwives and complementary therapists and those involved in pre and post natal activities. A discussion...

Thanks so much to Alice for sharing her pregnancy and birth story with us. Alice had a little boy, Sam, about 20 months ago and is now pregnant with number 2 (due in October). 1) How did you prepare yourself for the birth during pregnancy? I attended an NCT course with my husband, read books and listened to a Hypnotherapy CD as soon as my labour started. 2 ) What aspects of the preparation did you find most helpful? I found the Hypnotherapy CD to be particularly helpful and positive...