The Motherhood Connection

🍂🤍 Knowledge is Power 🤍🍂
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Why am I so passionate about antenatal support & education? Because I truly believe that knowledge is power. If you don’t know what your options are…do you really have any?
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Very often pregnant people are told that there’s no point in planning for birth as it’s so unpredictable and “all goes out the window anyway”. Is that true? To a degree yes. Birth is unpredictable. There are some things that we can’t control, but there are lots of things that we can control if we have the understanding around how that can impact a birth experience.
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Part of antenatal support & education is also about considering your options for alternate scenarios. If you are thrown a curveball that you weren’t expecting, then that preparation can help you to more calmly deal with the situation and still feel in control and respected.
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I am a fully qualified Birth & Beyond FDA Antenatal Educator, Hypnobirthing Instructor and Postnatal Doula who has worked with many families from a whole range of backgrounds. I am here to support you and your family with whichever path your birth & parenting journey takes.
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Join me on Monday evening every fortnight for a bite size hypnobirthing class at our wonderful new Pregnancy Relaxation classes where we will:

⭐️ Learn techniques to help you relax & connect with your baby, as well as contributing to a more positive birth experience.

⭐️ Build friendships with local pregnant mums.

⭐️ Discuss different labour/birth topics each week to help you understand your body, the labour process and to help you to approach your birth feeling calm & relaxed.

https://www.themanchester-doula.com/booking-calendar/pregnancy-relaxation-session?referral=service_list_widget

🍂🤍 AUTUMN/WINTER DISCOUNT 🤍🍂
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As we approach the winter months some of our class schedules are changing, although many will remain the same and we also have some brand new venues and classes being launched soon.
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So as a little autumn treat, bag yourself 10% off ALL of our classes when you book this week!!! Just use code AUTUMN10 at the checkout.

⭐️ Pregnancy Relaxation
⭐️ Baby Massage
⭐️ Nature Babies

https://www.themanchester-doula.com/book-online

🍂🤍 Pregnancy Relaxation Sessions 🤍🍂
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Join us this Monday 17th October for one of our wonderful Pregnancy Relaxation Sessions at the beautiful
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We will be practicing some simple but effective breathing techniques and relaxation scripts to really help us to unwind and connect with our babies. There will also be a topical discussion to help to prepare for labour & birth. This week we will be discussing:

⭐️ FEAR - Where does fear surrounding childbirth come from? How can fear impact the birth process? What can we do to change our mindset about labour & birth ⭐️

There will be refreshments & homemade cake provided as well as yoga mats, cushions and blankets. All you need to bring is yourself.
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Spaces are filling up nicely, just head over to the website to reserve your space.

https://www.themanchester-doula.com/booking-calendar/pregnancy-relaxation-session?referral=service_list_widget

- [ ] Gabrielle
- [ ] Gabrielle
- [ ] Kelly & Dave
- [ ] Vicky & Martin
- [ ] Emma & Bron
- [ ] Amy & Matt
- [ ] Rachel & Josh
- [ ] Rachel & Matt
- [ ] Helen & Laura
- [ ] Samantha & mark

🌿🤍 LABOUR & BIRTH TOOLKIT 🤍🌿
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>>> SWIPE FOR MASSAGE INFO >>>

I’m going to do a series of posts about all the different skills, tips and tricks you can add to your “toolkit” for your labour and birth journey. They can also come in handy after the birth of your baby too, to give yourself some much needed self care.
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Why do I need a toolkit? I hear you say!!!

Well, because although we cannot have control over everything that unfolds during the birth process, there are actually TONNES of things that we can influence and knowing the essentials can really help you to understand what your body needs throughout labour & birth.
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LIKE, SAVE, SHARE with your pregnant friends and keep an eye out for other posts in the Labour & Birth Toolkit series.

🍂🤍 BABY MASSAGE REVIEW🤍🍂
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“I attended the baby massage course with my daughter when she was around 4 weeks old. The venue is absolutely lovely at a farm up on the hills in bury in a lovely converted barn which is kept nice and warm for the babies with calming soft music. Rachel is full of knowledge on massage and babies in general and is always happy to give advice where she can. It's a great place to learn techniques on relaxation, digestion and even just ideas for play. My daughter definitely enjoyed it more as the weeks went on and we have used many of the tips Rachel gave us, especially around the digestion part of the course. Really enjoyed it and great way to meet new mums too.”
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Our new 5 week course starts on Tuesday 11th October from 10-11am. Massage oil, coffee & cake all included…just bring yourselves.

https://www.themanchester-doula.com/booking-calendar/baby-massage-5-week-course?referral=service_list_widget

🍂🤍 What’s on at The Motherhood Connection? 🤍🍂
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🤎 Monday ~ Our brand new Pregnancy Relaxation sessions run fortnightly at The Old Hay Barn Birtle] from 7-8pm. Join us for birth-based discussion, hypnobirthing techniques and coffee & cake.

🤍 Tuesday ~ Back at the The Old Hay Barn Birtle] for Baby Massage from 10-11am, available to book in 5 week blocks. Learn the importance of loving touch and connection with your baby as well as cake & a catch up with other local mums.

Then it’s over to Dearden wood] for our messy play session which runs from 1-2pm. Let your little ones explore the world through their senses in the beautiful woodland surroundings under our huge star tent. Mindful crafts, cake and refreshments for grown ups for some much needed time out.

🤎 Wednesday ~ Another Nature Babies session over at Dearden wood] this time from 11-12. Coffee, cake & crafts for grown ups. Nature, fresh air and sensory play for the little ones.
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All classes available to book on the website >>> https://www.themanchester-doula.com/book-online

🍂🤍 Baby Massage - New 5 Week Course 🤍🍂
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Bookings are now being taken for our next 5 week course which is starting on Tuesday 11th October, 10-11am at
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Learn a brand new massage routine each week to help with improving sleep, relieving wind and colic and helping you to bond with your baby. Each booking includes:

⭐️ Glass bottle of massage oil

⭐️ Handouts of all the massage routines

⭐️ Certificate of completion

⭐️ Homemade cakes each week

Head over to the website to secure your place >>>> https://www.themanchester-doula.com/booking-calendar/baby-massage-5-week-course?referral=service_list_widget

🍂🤍 BRAND NEW CLASS 🤍🍂
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After a lovely taster session this week I am very excited to announce the launch of our Pregnancy Relaxation Classes at the stunning
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Join us at any stage of pregnancy for a gentle introduction to relaxation techniques for pregnancy, birth and beyond!!! We will be practicing lovely hypnobirthing relaxation scripts and discussing a different labour/birth topic each week to help you prepare for and look forward to your birth & parenting journeys. Run by a fully qualified & experienced antenatal educator & hypnobirthing instructor.
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Each session is an hour long and also includes homemade cake and refreshments. Available to book as one off sessions or pay for 4 sessions up front, save money and attend the sessions whenever it suits your schedule.

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https://www.themanchester-doula.com/booking-calendar/pregnancy-relaxation-session?referral=service_list_widget

https://www.themanchester-doula.com/booking-calendar/pregnancy-relaxation-4-sessions?referral=service_list_widget

🍂🤍 Come & Join me this Monday Evening for our very first *FREE PREGNANCY RELAXATION CLASS* at the beautifully serene 🤍🍂
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From 7-8pm we will be learning about the benefits of using relaxation techniques regularly throughout pregnancy, discussing some top tips for a positive birth experience and practising our relaxation skills with a few of our lovely hypnobirthing scripts.
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There will also be refreshments and homemade cake available!!! The perfect excuse to treat you and your baby to some much needed “me time”.
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To book one of the last 2 slots, follow the link to the booking page on the website. Any questions please feel free to message me!!!

https://www.themanchester-doula.com/booking-calendar/pregnancy-relaxation-free-taster?referral=service_list_widget

🍂🤍 Positive Birth Experiences - What makes the difference? 🤍🍂
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In a recent poll on my social media account, I asked my followers if the felt they had a positive or negative birth experience… 59% of them felt their experience was positive.
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What really stood out to them as contributing to an overall positive experience?

🍁 Feeling in control and feeling like they could ask questions, especially when they were thrown a curveball and things didn’t necessarily go as planned.

🤍 Being listened to by their care providers!!! And care providers playing an active part in creating a calm, oxytocin-filled environment.

🍁 Discussing plans/preferences for a planned caesarean birth with care providers and those preferences being upheld and respected.
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Why is this does this matter so much?

Because it’s not necessarily what happens during labour and birth that makes a persons experience positive or negative, it’s how that person felt throughout that experience.

You deserve to be listened to.
You have the right to decide what happens during your journey.
You should be at the centre of all your care, because how you feel during your pregnancy, labour & birth absolutely MATTERS.

If you’d like to share any factors that contributed to your birth experience, let me know in the comments…
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🍂🤍 WEEK BY WEEK @ BABY MASSAGE 🤍🍂
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During the course of our Baby Massage Course at we cover 5 different massage routines, each one with a different focus.
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🤎 Week One - Sleep & Relaxation
(Lots of long, gentle, continuous strokes)

🤍 Week Two - Digestion & Colic Relief
(Firmer strokes with particular attention on the abdomen & legs)

🤎 Week Three - Play
(Silly faces, feathers, sensory scarves)

🤍 Week Four - Coughs & Colds
(Firm strokes working on the sinuses, chest and back)

🤎 Week Five - Baby Reflexology
(Learn more about all the different pressure points on your baby’s body and how they can help with common ailments)

I love that our focus changes every week and by the end of the five weeks, parents have a whole toolkit of massage routines they can use to suit every scenario.

🍂🤍 Just 3 days until our new Baby Massage Course begins 🤍🍂
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Join us on Tuesday mornings from 10-11am for a morning of homemade cake, refreshments and a chance to learn lots of lovely massage routines that help you to connect with your baby, as well as soothe some common ailments such as wind, coughs and colds.
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No need to bring anything other than yourself and your baby as everything else is provided:

🍂 Luxury wedge mats for your baby to lie on

🤍 Glass bottle of massage oil to take away

🍂 Towels to wrap your baby in after their massage

🤍 Handouts if the massage strokes to take home each week

🍂 Floor cushions for parent to sit on (alternative seating can be provided for those who need it)

To secure your place AND get 20% off book your place this weekend >>>

https://www.themanchester-doula.com/booking-calendar/baby-massage-5-week-course?fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR2ZfbzsPjv1aXprNNpUjLNAKJRQcqXmqlzYsb_5mCaOW0-cR9dG4V3yId4&referral=service_list_widget&fs=e&s=cl