ActiveBirthCharly

Hello, Myself and my 2 1/2 year old are also planning on joining you. See you there! Charly.

Hello everyone, A quick post to say that there are places available for my Active Birth One Day Workshop this Sunday and also in March. See this post for details: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?25,1039127,1039127#msg-1039127. Please PM me if you are interested. Many thanks, Charly.

Hello all once again, I have mothers interested in attending an Active Birth Workshop in February but need 3 definite attendees for the workshop to go ahead. The date that works for most seems to be the 10th Feb so I thought I'd post again to see if anyone was interested. The day costs ?50 per person as I have now qualified and Janet Balaskas will not allow me to charge any less. This price does include a copy of her book, the New Active Birth, and lunch and tea and cake so I still work out a lot cheaper than her! All the food I offer is homemade from scratch and organic. The agenda for the day will be as follows: 1. Getting to know your pelvis and the baby's path through it. 2. Optimal positions for a safer and easier birth. 3. Stages of labour and what to expect. 4. A natural birth video with discussion after. 5. Lunch. 6. A birth story from a new mother with plenty of time for questions. 7. Deep dive into the main birthing hormones and how to protect their function so that your labour progresses normally. 8. Group exercise using knowledge gained so far. 9. Another inspiring birth film with discussion after. 10. Tea and cake. 11. Waterbirth - some facts, tips and practical advice. 11. Discussion around induction: is it really necessary and what it involves for you and your baby. 12. Safe delivery of the placenta and discussion about cord clamping. 13. Group exercise: the breath and transmuting pain. 14. Mantras and affirmations. 15. Questions. So far I have a 100% success rate with every mother having a totally natural birth and a positive story to share at the end. This includes first time mothers, home birth mothers, VBAC mothers and mothers who had very large babies (10lb!) I have also been able to help out with breastfeeding advice and support afterwards. My other passion is baby wearing and I offer a completely free tea and cake group session after your baby is born as an opportunity to share your birth stories with my other new mothers and try out my extensive sling collection if you so wish. Please do PM me if you are interested. Many thanks, Charly. p.s. I am also hoping to make it to the meetup on the 9th. My bump is enormous!

P.S. Completely forgot to add that I do individual 3 hour personalised sessions too at a time that is convenient to both of us. They cost ?70 per couple and I come to your house and bring all of my props with me and leave you with a massive wall hanging of all the details we have covered so that you can remind yourselves in the days and weeks following the session of what to focus on before the birth. (Don't worry, it's stuck up with static electricity and will stick to anything without leaving a mark!) I have done 3 individual sessions so far and they have all gone brilliantly although you may prefer the group experience more. The fist individual session was for a mother wanting a VBAC, the second was for a mother who was planning a homebirth after a very traumatic first birth experience in hospital and the third session was for a first time mother who was unsure whether she wanted a homebirth or not and just wanted to maximise her chances of having a natural birth wherever it happened to be located. All had fantastic experiences and the VBAC mother even called me from her hospital bed straight after the baby was born to thank me! Please PM me if you are interested in one of these individual sessions and we shall come up with a date together. Thanks again, Charly.

landellsrd Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > hi everyone, just saw this group for the first > time - im due with my first on the 24th March.. > hopefully I'll be able to meet some of you soon at > another meet-up, looks like I missed this > weekend's one. > Also might be interested in the Active Birth > Classes...? > All the best, > Becky Hello Becky and everyone else, I have been super busy which is why I have taken so long to respond to this inquiry about my Active Birth workshops. Apologies. My next workshop is planned for the 10th March but if enough people are interested then I shall run one in February as well. My workshop on Sunday (sadly it was full otherwise I would have posted again to advertise) went really well with very positive feedback. If anyone would like any details about the agenda etc. then please PM me or email me ([email protected]) and I shall answer all of your questions. Please also let me know if you are interested in either the March workshop or possibly one in February. Thanks! Charly.

Hello, I have just PM'ed you about this, but to clarify for everyone else I can confirm that they are very similar! The one at the Active Birth Centre is run by a woman with more experience than me and she therefore charges a lot more (?90 per person not including lunch and cake). In addition I always have a new mother and her baby (and usually partner too) to come in and share their story. I find that this is very helpful for the workshop attendees and there is lots of time for questions. This is missing from the Active Birth Centre's itinerary. Also I include a section on waterbirth and go into a bit more detail on the interventions you may be offered (and how to asses whether you really need them and what the risks might be). I feel that because my class sizes are quite small (4/5 couples max) and the fact that the workshop is held in my home makes the day feel more intimate and as a result mothers and fathers really feel inspired and confident about their forthcoming birth. Class sizes at the Active Birth Centre have about 12 couples on average attending and the attendees come from all over London whereas I only market myself in the East Dulwich area which means that you are more likely to bond with your fellow attendees and meet up after your births. An agenda for the day is as follows: 1. Getting to know your pelvis and the baby's path through it. 2. Optimal positions for a safer and easier birth. 3. Stages of labour and what to expect. 4. A natural birth video with discussion after. 5. Lunch. 6. A birth story from a new mother with plenty of time for questions. 7. Deep dive into the main birthing hormones and how to protect their function so that your labour progresses normally. 8. The uterus - how it works during labour and birth. 9. Group exercise using knowledge gained so far. 10. Another inspiring birth film with discussion after. 11. Tea and cake. 12. Waterbirth: positions, practical suggestions, tips and benefits. 13. Discussion around induction: is it really necessary and what it involves for you and your baby. Practical suggestions for getting things moving again if labour slows down. 14. Safe delivery of the placenta and discussion about cord clamping. 15. Group exercise: the breath and transmuting pain. 16. Questions. I currently have 3 couples coming (and one non-pregnant midwife) so there are only a couple of places left. Please PM me if you are interested in booking or have any questions. Thanks, Charly. p.s. See some of you on the 14th!

Hello all, On another note and due to popular demand I have finally set a date for my January Active Birth Workshop! The date I am going with is the 20th January and I have two confirmed couples coming. I like to keep the classes fairly small so do PM me sooner rather than later if you are interested in coming. The workshop costs ?35 per person and I would recommend that you bring your birth partner with you so that they understand the Active Birth principles and can support you with that in mind during the labour. The day runs from 10am to 5pm and we shall sit down and have a lovely home cooked organic lunch together as well as tea breaks throughout the day and cake in the afternoon. A couple from one of my previous workshops will come by to share their story and answer your questions. The workshop will be held at my home in Camberwell where there is plenty of free parking and public transport. Please do PM me if you have any questions or would like to book. Many thanks, Charly.

Hi everyone, Baby number two is due in May and I already have a toddler who will be nearly 3 at the time of arrival... Rougepamplemousse you left me off your list! Audrey - I have a recommendation for a pregnancy pillow that I loved the first time around and have just got out of storage for this pregnancy. It's called the Theraline Big V and you can get one from John Lewis. You can also use it after the baby is born to support your arms whilst breastfeeding (helpful in the early days). They are filled with beads a bit like a bean bag so you can really mould them a lot to get comfy. I tried out the Dream Genie and didn't find it as supportive. Here is a link: www.johnlewis.com/230733273/Product.aspx? On another note and due to popular demand I have finally set a date for my January Active Birth Workshop! The date I am going with is the 20th January and I have two confirmed couples coming. I like to keep the classes fairly small so do PM me sooner rather than later if you are interested in coming. The workshop costs ?35 per person and I would recommend that you bring your birth partner with you so that they understand the Active Birth principles and can support you with that in mind during the labour. The day runs from 10am to 5pm and we shall sit down and have a lovely home cooked organic lunch together as well as tea breaks throughout the day and cake in the afternoon. A couple from one of my previous workshops will come by to share their story and answer your questions. The workshop will be held at my home in Camberwell where there is plenty of free parking and public transport. Please do PM me if you have any questions or would like to book. Many thanks, Charly. p.s. I shall aim to come to Green and Blue on Friday 14th (love their brownies!) but have someone coming over for lunch that day so it depends what time you decide to meet and what time my friend leaves.

Hello all, Due to popular demand I have finally set a date for my January Active Birth Workshop (I know that some of you will have had your babies by then - please ignore this message if so.) The date I am going with is the 20th January and I have two confirmed couples coming. I like to keep the classes fairly small so do PM me sooner rather than later if you are interested in coming. The workshop costs ?35 per person and I would recommend that you bring your birth partner with you so that they understand the Active Birth principles and can support you with that in mind during the labour. The day runs from 10am to 5pm and we shall sit down and have a lovely home cooked organic lunch together as well as tea breaks throughout the day and cake in the afternoon. A couple from one of my previous workshops will come by to share their story and answer your questions. The workshop will be held at my home in Camberwell where there is plenty of free parking and public transport. Please do PM me if you have any questions or would like to book. Many thanks, Charly.

Hello lovely ladies, Just a quick message to say that I have spaces available on my next Active Birth Workshop on the 16th December. The day starts at 10am and finishes at 5pm. It costs ?35 per person and includes lovely Organic lunch, cake, snacks and drinks. So far all mothers who have attended my workshops have had 100% natural births and have had very positive experiences. The day includes a session on waterbirth and one of the mothers from a prior workshop is coming by to share her birth story. The workshop is held at my home in Camberwell. I was taught by Janet Balaskas and Michel Odent and am passionate about helping mothers achieve the birth they want. Please PM me if you are interested. If enough people book then I shall be doing a workshop on the 2nd December as well as the 16th. Thanks, Charly.

Whoops - I meant Sunday 2nd December. Sorry about that.

Hi Cornelia, I have another mother (and father) who can do Saturday 1st December if that suits you? Otherwise I shall be organising a workshop in January. In the meantime I shall add you to my list of interested mums. Would anyone else be interested in attending a workshop on the 1st? Thanks! Charly.

Hello all and congratulations on your pregnancies. I am due in May with my second (my daughter will be almost 3). Very exciting although I have felt my share of nervousness too, especially around sleep and combining looking after a toddler and a newborn at the same time... If anyone is interested in Active Birth classes I was trained by Janet Balaskas and Michel Odent and run workshops from my home in Camberwell every 6 weeks or so (including a section on Waterbirth). So far every mother I have taught has had a 100% natural, positive birth and only one mother has torn (it was tiny and didn't require a stitch). All home birth mums got the home birth they wanted and everyone else was very happy with their experience in hospital too. My next workshop is on December 16th and one of my home birth mum and dads are coming by for an hour to share their story and answer questions. The day costs ?35 per person and includes lunch, snacks, cake and beverages. Please PM me if you are interested. Looking forward to meeting those of you who would like to meet up with our newborns in the spring! Charly.

Greetings and congratulations on your pregnancy, I have been studying with Janet Balaskas over the last 15 months to deliver her one day workshop in Active Birth and now just need more experience of facilitating the day before she is able to fully certify me. I am also a trainee doula having completed my initial doula training with Michel Odent. I embarked on my Active Birth and doula career after having a very positive home birth experience two years ago (with the amazing Brierley midwives) and feel passionately that I would like to help other mothers have a positive birth also. An Active Birth can be summarised as one where the mother actively takes ownership of her labour and the birth of her baby both physically and mentally. After all of this training and with three successful workshops under my belt I now need to fill the last two places on my forth Active Birth Workshop and thought I would advertise myself here. The day will start at 10am and finish at 5pm. Lunch, beverages and snacks will be provided and it will be a great time for you to meet some other parents-to-be in the East Dulwich area and hopefully set you up for a great birth experience. As I am just at the beginning of my Active Birth teaching career I am asking for ?35 per person plus very valuable (and honest) feedback. To get the most out of the workshop I would encourage you to bring your birth partner with you. The date of the next workshop is Sunday the 21st September. The workshop will be held at my home in Camberwell where there is free parking and plenty of public transport. Feedback from my first workshops have very positive and include the following: -We left feeling more empowered and excited about the birth. -Lots of useful knowledge and buckets of inspiration. -A great mix of discussion, information, practical ideas, a birth story and videos. -We felt quite confident [with the upcoming birth] before we came and were both surprised at just how much that was boosted by the workshop. -It was really informative without feeling too wordy - at no point did I feel talked at. -This was a great session and a reminder of all the things that need to be front of mind at this time. We have re-focused and it's got us talking about the birth we want and the birth that absolutely IS going to happen. -[Charly's] obvious enthusiasm and knowledge of the topic was clear. -The content of the course covered all the important stuff and especially about the hormones and how important it is to protect that process. -I enjoyed the opportunity to talk to other attendees informally during the day as well as having [Charly] lead the discussion. -[Charly] created a really lovely environment and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In addition, so far EVERY SINGLE MOTHER who has attended one of my workshops has had a 100% natural birth with no medication and only one mother has torn (tiny and requiring no stitches). Every mother who planned a home birth achieved one. If you are interested then please PM me or send an email to [email protected]. I shall be running workshops regularly so if you are unable to make the 21st then there will probably be an alternative date that you can make. Please also feel free to send this invitation on to other pregnant friends that you may know. Thanks and I hope to meet you soon, Charly.