Posts in Birth Stories
A private midwife birth
A private midwife birth

As things were moving along, my partner and I used postures and acupressure points we learned at the Active Birthing workshop. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to really appreciate our birth plan because it all happened so fast, but I am so thankful that we used what we learned. My partner swayed my hips and it was the most grounding thing anyone could have done for me and it really alleviated the pain.

We arrived at the hospital at maybe 9:50am, I was wheeled through the corridors on a bed up to the maternity suite. Our private midwife had organised for the bath to be run in advance and I immersed myself immediately. Within just a few minutes, my son was born!!

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanNatural Birth, Private Midwife, Active Birth Skills
Visualising being "open"
Visualising being "open"

I had my baby Eva on her due date! and the labour went great! I had a natural birth and used the vocalisation and breathing from your Active Birth yoga classes. I had no stitches and she was 3.5kgs (and she’s perfect!).

My water broke and my contractions started soon after, my partner came and picked me up and we went to the hospital (I expected to be sent back home). When we got there and I was checked out the midwife told me I was in active labour! As the contractions got stronger my partner would breathe with me through the pain and when the pain grew stronger I started to make low pitched sounds (like from class) which really helped me with the pain!

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Birth Stories, Active BirthSuzanne SwanNatural Birth, Public Hospital, Water Breaking, Active Birth Skills
A calm caesarean birth
A calm caesarean birth

While the delivery didn’t quite go as planned (the active birthing spontaneous vaginal delivery I had pictured in my mind) we did end up having the most perfect birth in the end. We ended up having a c-section and were 41+1 but it was so calm and enjoyable. My obstetrician, midwife, anesthetist, and pediatrician all supported our wishes for an active birth and worked together seamlessly. From a completely pain-free epidural, photos capturing the entire procedure/birth, delayed cord clamping, immediate skin to skin and a pain-free recovery post-c-section, it all went better than I could have ever imagined. I put a lot of it down to the physical and mental preparation that you supported us to develop.

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanC-Section, Private Hospital
Empowering waterbirth
Empowering waterbirth

The Calm Birth course my partner Brandon and I did in August with Suzanne Swan was such an amazing course, it gave us all the tools we needed and was quite honestly the best thing we did to prepare for the birth of our little boy! As luck would have it, on the day my midwife couldn't make it so we were able to use the birth plan we'd written up for our stand-in midwife. I ended up having a beautiful, empowering waterbirth

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Pregnancy, Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanNatural Birth, Waterbirth
We are a team
We are a team

One of the things I loved most about my classes at yoga baby is it taught me how to connect with my baby. I am a very visual person, so the fact I couldn't SEE my baby, it was hard for me to feel she's real. In my classes, we do baby body scans and actively connect with baby during sessions. I don't think I would have known how to create that connection on my own. It felt like my baby and I was a team and we were exercising together. 

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanBaby, Epidural
Stand up for your birth plan
Stand up for your birth plan

Jake was an amazing birth partner as always and he remembered all his active birth yoga sessions from our previous pregnancy.  I asked to birth in a more upright position and the midwife and obstetrician both respected my request for no coached pushing. I was anxious about having another private birthing experience and being at the mercy of the doctor but I felt more empowered this time in sticking to my birth plan.  Thank you Suzanne for your support and wisdom.

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanNatural Birth, Private Hospital
Each contraction was a gift
Each contraction was a gift

Tasting embodiment through a contraction was such a gift. I would be embodied one contraction but then not the next; it ebbed and flowed seemingly out of my control. And so a deeper layer of surrender was able to happen, as I realised that birth would happen regardless.  My experience was somehow out of my hands so to ride with the 'what is'. But no romanticism-- there were definitely times I wanted OUT or didn’t’ think I could be with it much longer. But knowing that the struggle and fight with what is happening is part of the birth spectrum- helped to get me thru.  This is one part of the intense yin/yang that happens. Ultimately I found surrendering to the lack of control of my own experience intensely healing for my previous birth too- as I had been holding on to self-judgment for not having 'done it better'. Somehow, I found the willingness to drop my expectation that it would be a certain way and felt resourced with tools. Birth is HUGE!

I completely recommend Suzanne’s private session wholeheartedly. It honestly is a must for anyone going into the birth experience. It is the biggest gift I could have given to myself for such a huge rite of passage.

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Birth Stories, Active BirthSuzanne SwanNatural Birth, Yoga, Active Birth Skills
Drug free natural labour
Drug free natural labour

I couldn't believe it in three contractions - my daughter was born with a pain relief free natural labour. It wasn't a walk in the park and possibly the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but she was safe, healthy and perfect. In my eyes, everything happened exactly how it was meant too. I truly believe this was made possible by the practice and knowledge learned in the active birth yoga classes - as I used many of the mantas, breathing techniques, positioning and pain relief methods from the classes. Thank you so much Suzanne for making this possibe

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanChildren at Birth, Natural Birth, Yoga
Use of the Tens machine
Use of the Tens machine

Got through labour with the use of a TENS machine, shower, movement and the pressure points you taught us in the active birth workshop . And no pharmaceutical pain relief! I could not have done it without my husband Bruce being as active as I was. We managed to have a successful vaginal birth and a very healthy baby at over 3.8kg. The active birth workshop and active birth yoga classes were excellent preparation for us for labour and birth. Thank you!

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanBirth Centre, Natural Birth, Active Birth Skills
Birthing on Christmas Day
Birthing on Christmas Day

After 60 hours of labour, Ezrael has finally arrived! We went into labour on the 22nd but didn't get to meet him until Christmas day. During the (long!) early phase, my husband and I used a lot of the things we learned in Private Session with Suzanne Swan, and also all the pregnancy & active birth yoga classes I had been to. Lots of breathing, vocalising, different positions and movements; it was surprising how things worked at some points and then we needed to change, so it was great to have so many ideas in our toolbox.

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanC-Section, Private Session, Active Birth Skills
LIz's natural birth
LIz's natural birth

I didn't think I'd make it in the last minutes. The midwife was amazing. My partner was constantly reminding me to sway  and move in the positions as I kept forgetting and also he helped my noises to be low as they kept creeping up to those higher tones. Thank you so much for your classes. It really helped me understand what to expect and how to go about confidently birthing my baby.

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanNatural Birth, Water Breaking, Active Birth Skills
Naomi & Matt's third yogababy!
Naomi & Matt's third yogababy!

We wanted to share with you the birth of our third little love, our son Rumi Leo. He was born over 42 weeks in a birth that almost mirrored River’s birth a year prior. It was amazing having all the knowledge we had learnt from our private session with you and watching it play out in almost an out of body experience, watching the birthing process take over. Thank you so much again, we are so grateful to you. So true, experiencing surrender first hand is transformative and powerful. He is such an angel, adored by all 4 of us (hard to believe we are now 5 in total!)

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanInduction, Overdue, Water Breaking, Waterbirth
Meet Baby Max
Meet Baby Max

I had been going to the Yogababy pregnancy yoga classes ever since I was 20 weeks and had been loving them. It was such a beautiful way to spend a Saturday morning with some quiet stretching and meditation. I found that the stretches of the yoga kept my muscles flexible and supple throughout my pregnancy and I was able to avoid any significant back and hip pain. 

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Birth Stories, PregnancySuzanne SwanWorkshop, Active Birth Skills
Charlotte's calm birth
Charlotte's calm birth

The skills you taught us, the education you gave us, the sense of humour you instilled in us, and the wisdom of readiness to accept whatever came our way - we just can't thank you enough. Your gift to the world is just incredible. Thank you. Those breathing techniques have come in handy during some major screaming baby moments too! xo

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanActive Birth Skills
Meet baby Kira
Meet baby Kira

Our son Kira arrived on 30th March, 2019. The labour was 22 hours with the last 5 hours in the Birth Centre. Straightforward, smooth and positive birth. I credit the Active Birth classes for an empowered birth experience. The sound work, positions and finding rhythm were directly impactful on pain management and endurance. Damien was phenomenal and I couldn’t have done it without him, he was with me for every step of the hospital stages. Our private session was an awesome foundation - thank you!

 

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanBirth Centre, Private Session, Active Birth Skills
Successful VBAC
Successful VBAC

So glad I did the active birth classes! Whilst I knew the theory, actually doing the practice was more beneficial than I realised... And so good to connect with myself and the baby (& give myself the time to enjoy the journey!). I was focusing on my breath and using rhythmic motions with my hands to keep my mind in the moment... and amazingly my daughter has been doing lots of rhythmic hand movements since being born. It’s like we really were dancing together as she was being born. So special! 

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanVBAC, Induction, Water Breaking
Meet baby Bilawi
Meet baby Bilawi

My partner was great - at home, he helped lift my tummy up during the contractions, I had an overwhelming sense of pushing my hips forward and holding my hands up high above my head during the contractions. Forty minutes after arriving at the hospital I gave birth on my hands and knees again.  We had a natural normal vaginal birth - I’m really happy with how we ended up. 

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanNatural Birth, Private Session
Born facing the stars
Born facing the stars

I went into labour spontaneously at home at around 2:30am. At that time, I was 40 + 4 (in the middle of summer!!) and feeling ready to meet my baby. I was so pleased to go into labour naturally, as I was starting to get nervous about having to be induced. I remember being so excited when I felt what I was sure was my first few contractions and opened the blinds in my room so I could watch the sun come up on the day I expected my baby to be born. Contractions started 10mins apart and I tried to relax as much as possible using the breathing techniques for relaxation between each contraction. I used a lot of breathing and swaying in the early stages and the contractions built to about 5mins apart by mid-morning. I felt confident, strong and excited labouring at home.

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Birth StoriesSuzanne SwanEpidural, Private Hospital