“We both benefited greatly from the active birth workshop - and my husband told me afterwards it was the first time he had been made to feel a valued and important part of our pregnancy and birthing journey.”
KAREN
Promote a positive birthing experience with our small-group Couple’s Active Birth workshop
Watch couples practicing the active birth skills during the Couples Active Birth workshop
Activate your natural ability for physiological birth
This intimate antenatal workshop explores practical ways to assist the labouring woman at birth. The attention is on the partner's participation during the labour and how the birth itself is a shared experience. It is an opportunity for you as a couple to enhance your awareness of and confidence in the natural rhythm of labour. Learning to follow the rhythm of labour will help you both to fully participate in the birth experience. Read more about what an Active Birth is.
Your Facilitator
The workshop is led by advanced childbirth educator and senior yoga teacher, Suzanne Swan. Suzanne has been teaching for twenty years and her experience affirms that having the partner involved in the birth process, working hands-on as a team with the mother, promotes a positive birth experience and enhances family bonding.
Evidence based techniques
The workshop complements hospital antenatal classes and is also an excellent refresher for parents. There is evidence that childbirth education that incorporates complementary medicine techniques such as acupressure, visualisation and relaxation, breathing, massage, yoga techniques, and facilitated partner support is an effective and viable way of managing pain and avoiding interventions (Levett et al. 2016 Australia). Recent research has "identified that yoga improved vaginal delivery, decreased premature delivery and birth weight of newborns, shorten the labor duration." (Rong et al 2020).
What you’ll learn
Birthing is both an internal and a learned experience. Women benefit greatly in birth with this self-knowledge and with a partner and/or support team who help her work with her body. When a woman experiences the love, attention and touch of her partner during labour she will easily relax and these feelings are passed to the baby.
Relaxation skills to enhance the natural hormones of labour
Effective partner support strategies
Optimally positioning the baby for labour
Massage and acupressure techniques to enhance labour
Use of movement for a proven natural form of pain relief
Use of breathing techniques to relax and release inner tension
Use of sound to connect with a woman's strength and power
Active Birth positioning for 1st & 2nd stage
Transferring to hospital and waterbirth options
Decision-making model for dealing with different birth scenarios
Your investment
› $450 per couple (inc GST)
› Involves 7 hours of Practical Hands-on Birth Techniques
› You will receive a 32-page Instructional Workbook
The workshop is held in a beautiful venue in Kenmore with a small group of seven couples* It is recommended from 24-39 weeks.
*Your couple/partner/support team can include a birth mother and father, Same-sex couples, a Single mother with a support person, and a Mother and daughter (birthing).
Active Birth Stories
Read inspiring birth stories. Learn how women use active birth skills and yoga techniques, along with their educated birth support team to achieve positive birth experiences.
“Our birth preparations feel much more like a team effort after spending the day together in the active birth workshop and we’re really excited about what lays ahead.”
ROB & LAUREN
“Our midwife commented on how in-sync myself and my husband were, and how much strength I drew from him. Thank you for giving him the confidence to support me using a variety of different methods”
SHAUN & JOAN
“The workshop was a very complimentary day to the ante-natal classes at the hospital. It has given me much more confidence and a greater understanding of my role and how to be more effective in the role. Thank you very much!”
STEVEN
“I love working with women/couples who have prepared with Suzanne, as I did last night. Makes the world of difference!”
ELAINE, MIDWIFE
“During the labour we used many of the techniques we learnt at your workshop and my husband and I worked so closely and intimately in such rhythm, I was completely shocked that within hours our little darling arrived happy and healthy after a peaceful drug free birth.”
BRIDGET & BRETT
“Your workshop was inspiring, empowering, informative and full of heart, it gave me the confidence to completely trust my body and the process of life”
JESSE & KI
“Thank you for all your guidance during the workshop. We were both able to fully enjoy and experience the birth without drugs or intervention. I have no doubt that the lack of anxiety about the labour, because of your workshop, was a huge contributor”
SIMON & SUS
“Loved experiencing the different positions, the ice holding activity was super fun and it was cool to use the different breathing techniques to get through this. It was good getting comfortable making noise and different tones, great to see how they help get through the contractions! Matt loved the bonus massage!! Very educational!”
ASHLEIGH
Two workshops in One with the Better Birth bundle!
ADD Transformational Birth workshop
In this one-day workshop pregnant women explore the eight active birth skills which help prepare for and navigate a physiological labour and birth. Practice Active Birth yoga with Suzanne Swan. Learn relaxation, affirmations, baby positioning,visualisation, breathing, vocalisation and birth positions from 20 weeks.
Better Birth Bundle – Save 10%
+ Couples Active Birth workshop for you and your partner (normally $450)
+ Transformational Birth workshop for you (normally $150)
Check the calendar for available dates
Use the button below to purchase your discounted coupon to use when booking your workshops
All for $550 ($50 Discount)
Couples Active Birth workshop FAQs
What if I birth early?
A refund (less 20% admin fee) will be given when you withdraw two weeks or more prior to the commencement. If you cancel 13 days or less, a 50% refund on fees paid will be given. No refund if you cancel within 24 hours of the workshop commencing.
Special circumstance for Workshops: If you go into labour on the day of the workshop, we will not issue any refund if you are over 37 weeks, which is considered full term, however we will offer a 50% refund for withdrawal due to premature labour. To request a refund, please apply by email
Can I claim health rebates?
Services such as Yoga and Childbirth Education are not covered by government subsidies. Hence, health funds no longer provide rebates for workshops.
Can I arrange a private session with Suzanne Swan?
If you are limited with time or the location does not suit you can do a private session with Suzanne, either at home or online to cover the Active Birth Skills. Look at Suzanne’s availability here.
What is involved in the workshop?
As well as exploring Active Birth Skills such as Breathing in Labour, you will be learning to move, releasing tension from your pelvis, and strengthening your buttocks & legs. You will be practicing yoga postures that are relevant to birth like standing, squatting, lunging, all fours and resting postures. Mindfulness and relaxation techniques are also included. There is clear evidence that using upright positions in the first stage of labour reduces the duration of labour, the risk of caesarean birth and the need for an epidural. The workshop is primarily for you to learn the skills involved in birthing your baby naturally. Learn active birth skills and keep healthy by learning mind-body techniques to reduce fear and the experience of pain, help your keep calm and respond creatively, all while increasing your focus and confidence in your natural instincts.
What if I am experiencing pelvic pain?
During pregnancy the hormone Relaxin is released to allow the pelvis to open wider for childbirth. Therefore, it is important to focus on strengthening and avoid over stretching. You will be guided safely by your experienced yoga teacher and given options to vary the poses according to your specific pregnancy conditions
Will it help my anxiety during pregnancy and fear of giving birth?
During pregnancy, there is an added incentive to develop calmness and contentment – you are calm for two. The peace of heart experienced by the pregnant woman is also felt by her baby. It is not only essential to develop strength and stamina for labour, but beyond.
It is also important to be happy and healthy while 'with child'. The deeper sense of relaxation and release of stress achieved through specific breathing techniques benefit both mother and unborn child. A regular practice assists women in achieving a more positive experience of pregnancy and birth.
Attend the Pregnancy Active Birth or the Couples Active Birth workshop to learn how to stay calm during labour and practice active birthing skills like breathing, vocalisation, massage and birthing positions.
What if I birth early?
It is important that you understand that yogababy cannot be responsible for providing additional make‐ups or issuing any credit for classes missed because of scheduling conflicts, vacations, illness, emergencies, or other circumstances beyond your control.
A refund (less 20% admin fee) will be given when you withdraw two weeks or more prior to the commencement. If you cancel 13 days or less, a 50% refund on fees paid will be given. No refund if you cancel within 24 hours of the workshop commencing.
Can I get a discount for doing both workshops?
You can request the Better Birth Bundle and do both the Pregnancy Active Birth and the Couples Active Birth workshops saving you 10%.
Who can attend the workshop with me?
Your couple/partner/support team can include: Birthing mother and father, Same-sex couples, Single mother with support person/doula, Mother and daughter (birthing), Birthing mother, father and support person/doula. If you would like to bring more than one support person you will need to notify us via email and an additioal fee will apply.
Latest from the Resource Library
Get informed and empowered by our extensive resource library for pregnant women and their partners. Read inspiring birth stories, testimonials, learn active birth skills, yoga techniques, birth support and more.
