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Mindfulness Based Childbirth & Parenting (MBCP)

There could not be a better time to learn mindfulness than during pregnancy and early motherhood.

Introduction to 9-Week Mindfulness Based Childbirth & Parenting training program

A 1 day workshop with Belinda

‘Hardwire your brain for calm, confidence and contentment’

The workshop offers a taster of the full course including meditations, movements, child development, pain management, mindful speaking and listening and teamwork.

The enormous increase in perinatal and postnatal depression, anxiety and mood disorders surrounding pregnancy and parenting has led to the development of Mindfulness Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) by Oxford University Mindfulness Centre.

  • How does a parent’s mind influence the development of a baby before he or she is born?
  • What processes take place in the post-natal period that influence the baby’s developing mind?
  • What can we do during pregnancy and the post-natal period to support parents who are experiencing difficulties.

There could not be a better time to learn mindfulness than during pregnancy and early motherhood. For one thing, this is a time when most people have a strong motivation to become the best person they can be in a relatively short period of time. The birth of a child is not only the beginning of a life in this word but also the beginning and deepening the role of being a parent. Becoming a parent is probably one of the most profound changes in the course of a lifetime.

The MBCP course helps you to understand the role with clarity and openness while developing more inner freedom. The course is both rigorous, illuminating and practical allowing people to develop a healthy lifestyle and wise parenting.  It a an evidence based, practical, systematic & mindful approach to the adventure of pregnancy, childbirth and parenting as your life emerges.

The aim of these evidence-based workshops is to develop tailor-made natural and practical strategies to surf the adventures, challenges, stresses, strong sensations, emotions & pain of pregnancy, childbirth, and being a parent.

This course cultivates your skills in Mindfulness based stress reduction to support mothers and parents in reducing stress/anxiety/fear, and as way of managing pain and strong sensations.

The course includes Mindful awareness, meditations, movements, quick stress reducers, massage, kindness, compassion, meditation, movement, massage.

Benefits & Training

  • Tame stress, anxiety, fears, strong sensations and pain in pregnancy, childbirth and parenting
  • Develop the art of communication with yourself, partner and support team.
  • Discover, listen, feel connection with your baby every day.
  • Revive the innate wisdom of your body, heart and mind.
  • Live in the movement
  • Understand the patterns of your mind, thoughts and freedom of choice.
  • Cultivate wellbeing and prevent ill health.
  • Prevent depression and reduce stress
  • Enhance attachment between parent and infants
  • Develop a useful approach to manage the challenges of parenting more effectively.

“Mindfulness is like weaving a parachute. We don’t wait until were ready to jump out of the plane to begin weaving; we work day in and day out, making the parachute so that when the time comes to jump, the parachute may be actually hold us. Its not so far fetched to compare the experience of childbirth at jumping out of a plane. By practicing mindfulness now during pregnancy we learn some skills to help us find moments of joy during the jump and perhaps help us come in for a soft landing.” – Jon  Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness Based Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenting Program - The Oxford Approach

A 9 week program for individuals, mothers, and couples, partners by Belinda Freeman

Session 1 - Inner preparation for childbirth and beyond

Introduction to the benefits and research base for the program

What is Mindfulness?

Stress, body and mind changes during pregnancy, childbirth and parenting

Short break for mindful snacking

Awareness of breathing meditation

Mindfulness eating meditation- the raisin.

Home practice outline and handouts

Session 2 - Breath a friend for life

Awareness of breathing

Course guidelines

Getting to know each other, what has bought us here- guided reflection

Break

Body scan meditation

Home practice outline and handouts

Session 3 - Practicing embodiment with the dynamic duo – Pain and Fear

Awareness of breathing

Body scan

Physiology of birthing and mindfulness

The mind/body connection: perception, pain, fear, culture, opportunities

Home practice and handouts

Session 4 - Mindfulness practices for being with Pain

Awareness of breath and body

Working with intense sensations experiments

Reflection on experience

Mindful movements for back, hips and shoulders

Formal and informal home practice, handouts

Session 5 - Deepening and expanding your practice - Movement for Childbirth

Awareness of body, sound, sight meditations

Mindful movement, stretching

The pelvis, labour, positions choices in birthing

Working with intense sensations with partners including touch and massage facilitators support role.

Formal and informal practice and handouts

Session 6 - Deeping and expanding your practice sitting meditation, walking mindfully

Sitting meditation, including thoughts and emotions

The landscape of labour and delivery

Working with intense sensations with partners, including touch and sounds

Home practice and handouts

 Briefing, loss, healing and difficulty though Mindfulness practice

Session 7 - It’s all about Kindness Coping with loss, perception, health though mindfulness practice

Full sitting meditation, including, thoughts, emotions, choiceless awareness

Loving kindness practice and 3 step breathing space

Biological and emotional needs of the newborn and newly born parents

Postpartum depression

Home practice and handouts

Session 8 - Breastfeeding the dance of connection When you are feeding you are just feeding.

Full sitting meditation, including thoughts, emotions, Choiceless awareness and skillful actions

Mindfulness and Breast feeding 

Home practice and handouts

Session 9 - Your baby, your mindfulness teacher and befriending mindfulness in relationships

Overview of continuing practice and avoiding self sabotage

Wellbeing plan

Working together team work

Resources for birth and parenting,

Summary of mindfulness attitudes

Closure and opening to new independent group /what’s app group.

Mindfulness day of Practice - Silent retreat day

Mindfulness in everyday life

A well deserved rest to practice observing our nature and retreating to silence with guided meditations.

Book Now!

Whether you’re pregnant, hoping to become pregnant or have already given birth, it’s never to early to start your mindfulness journey.

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