Doncaster baby expert urging dads not to be a 'spare part' at their child's birth

Hannah Wallis, who runs Little Rosebuds Parent and Baby Well-being and trains parents in the practice of hypnobirthing from her home studio in Auckley, is on a mission to help city dads-to-be with a series a free workshops this month.

The virtual sessions for dads-to-be and other birth partners are to enable them to play an active role during labour and delivery, with the first of these sessions taking place on Father’s Day.

Hannah built a community of Doncaster mums and women during the coronavirus pandemic, when she took her personal training business online to support her clients in lockdown.

She specialises in supporting postpartum mums and their well-being, and through her community she quickly noticed there was a gap for helping mums earlier in their journey, during pregnancy, and trained to become a hypnobirthing practitioner.

Now, she wants to expand that community to support birth partners including expectant dads.

Hannah said: “It’s no secret that dads-to-be and birth partners are often stereotyped as having a passive role in such a significant moment in their lives, viewed as sitting in the corner of the delivery suite feeling they have no part to play other than being the ‘hand holders’.

"Most of the dads and birth partners I speak to want to play an active part in their partner’s labour and the birth of their child and I’m so excited to help them do just that with these free workshops in celebration of Father’s Day.

"Whilst our focus this month is on dads, I would welcome and encourage any prospective birth partners to join these sessions.”

“Dads and birthing partners can be a voice for their partner during birth and labour. By providing them with better knowledge and understanding of what is happening, both physiologically and emotionally, they can help to guide their partners and enable them to have choice and control in their most vulnerable time.”

New dad, Sean and his partner joined Hannah for one of her full hypnobirthing courses ahead of the birth of their son, Jack in the spring.

He said: “I can honestly say that after our first hypnobirthing session, I completely changed my opinion on what it was all about and the role I played. When it came to the birth of my son, the tools and techniques we learned during our course helped me to support my wife in the best possible way”

“One of the things that helped me the most was learning how I could communicate the decisions my wife and I had made if she was unable to do so herself. Also, the relaxation techniques we learned, particularly the massage and breathing techniques helped me to support my wife when she needed it.”

Hypnobirthing is designed to empower expectant parents to have positive birth experiences by teaching the knowledge and tools to help you have the best possible birth.

Hypnobirthing can enable people to achieve confidence and calm and feel more in control as they approach birth and through the birth process. It can help to alleviate fears and anxieties around birth with an increased understanding of the physiology of the body and pregnancy.

Fellow new dad, Grant and his partner welcomed their son Casey last month after taking part in a hypnobirthing course.

He added: "Through hypnobirthing, Hannah helped me to understand that no matter what type of birth you, the tips and tricks we learned can be applied.

"We had hoped for a natural water birth as our ‘ideal’ birth but as life goes, our little boy was actually born safely through elective c-section.

"My partner and I were able to apply the newfound knowledge Hannah gave us around hypnobirthing and it honestly made the run up to and during the birth a beautiful experience that was so full of love and happiness.”

Hannah’s free ‘Birth Partner Preparation’ mini workshops are running through June and July with the first session taking place on Father’s Day, Sunday 18 June, with further dates soon to be released. These sessions will also be recorded for those who can’t make it.

More information about these sessions and how to book a place is available at www.littlerosebuds.co.uk or alternatively, contact Hannah at [email protected]

Those who attend one of the free mini workshops will also receive a discount on Little Rosebud’s full hypnobirthing courses.