34 weeks and calmbirth

last week i was 34 weeks (this week i'm 35, but that is for another post).

week 34 brought us calmbirth.

we attended calmbirth classes in the southern highlands last weekend after much recommendation from my sister and a midwife at our hospital.

we drove through the beautiful hills up through robertson and bowral to arrive in mittagong. the classes were held in a new industrial estate on the top level of the calmbirth building. we met there along with twelve other pregnant couples, eager to learn. most of the women were not as far along in their pregnancy as i was. their little bellies barely noticeable under their tops.

there was a truckie, some who worked in marketing, public servants, a nurse, business owners, a farmer, a costume designer, a p.e teacher, a few others and us. we were all there for one thing - to learn how to birth our babies without fear.

the world is full of the belief that giving birth is scary, bloody, something to get done, excruciating, gross etc. we've all heard the stories, the horror stories - the stories that make these fears real. birth can be all of those things.

birth can also be beautiful, intense, happy, painless, ecstatic and enjoyable. that's what we learnt and that's the kind of birth we are preparing for, even expecting.

we know that there are some very real situations that can arise in birth that are emergencies that call for medical help. we know that if we have bumps in our road, we will be so very grateful for medicine and the saving it can do.

for now, we will breath our way through the next few weeks. using visualisation, meditation, touch and relaxation to encourage only positive feelings, hormones, perceptions and thoughts about this incredible journey we are on and the birth experience we want and know we can have.

wearing unisex gumboot, winter legging in burnt orange, polka dot chiffon oversized button-up in black and creme and 3d flower mesh jumper in black.