Hypnobirthing Practitioner
Homebirth Midwife & Doula
mother
mountain
midwife
fearless, empowered & educated birth
Hypnobirthing classes, belly painting, moxibustion for breech babies & mother blessing ceremonies grounded in Nature
welcome
Hello and congratulations on your pregnancy journey!
​
I am a home birth midwife and hypnobirthing practitioner with a mountain of experience to help you get to where you want to be for your pregnancy, birth and fourth trimester.
Whether you are just starting out as a family or you are someone with a story to tell and looking for a different mindset for your next birth, this is the place for you.
​
Through support, practical knowledge, warmth and gentle practice, we will work with a form of hypnobirthing that doesn't dictate an 'ideal' way to give birth but prepares you to meet any situation with calm, confidence and your own inner strength. Sometimes, knowing what is going on in our bodies can help a lot, so we will learn about the physiology and hormones of labour and the entire birth and post-partum process.
There is no ‘right’ way or ‘wrong’ question and we don’t stand on ceremony here. I welcome all birth givers and their chosen birth support team who are looking to learn about birth on their own terms and at the same time learn about each other. By openly and safely filling gaps in our knowledge, sharing our hopes, anxieties, social pressures and any conscious or unconscious fears around birth, we often find new and more profound ways to support each other.
Anyone who wants to birth their way - whether planning a home birth, a hospital birth or a Caesarean birth - and who would like to learn some simple but effective methods to support them is welcome. As well as anyone who isn't quite sure but is curious!
​
For more information on my other offerings such as moxibustion to help turn babies from a breech position, belly painting, mother showers and smoking cessation in pregnancy, please scroll through the menu.
WHAT IS HYPNo-BIRTHING?
Hypnosis itself has been used as a technique in psychotherapy, for anaesthesia in surgery, and in chronic pain management for hundreds of years - in adults and children alike (though their imaginations are much better than ours and so it is often much easier!).
​
​Hypnosis does not mean sleeping or acting like a chicken or anything that you might have seen on stage or TV. It is primarily a way of slowing down, connecting with your inner self and subconscious mind, helping you to relax and explore your true thoughts and emotions in a safe space. Ever driven home and didn't remember how you got there? Or completed a repetitive task without thinking? That is your subconscious at work for you. Our instant reactions, fears and even breathing reside in our subconscious. Hypnosis can be a powerful tool for guiding your mind into positivity and relaxation - and where the mind goes, the body follows.
​
In hypnobirthing, we combine teachings used in hypnotherapy with the physiology of child birth and provide a package of specific hypnosis techniques, thorough antenatal education, breath work, active birth and much more, to prepare you and your birth partner emotionally, psychologically and physically for the rest of your pregnancy journey, the birth of your baby.
​
For a recent study on the benefits of hypnobirthing, please follow the following link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877575623000800
"A weekend full of oxytocin, thanks to the amazing Maryla. The set up, so great for a pregnant woman to spend time near water. The scenery, relaxing, refreshing and invigorating to walk in the beautiful Welsh landscape.
Those long walks we took were the best to discuss what labour might be like whilst admiring the nature around us.
Maryla described in full details what an induction of labour might be like, (with a potential emergency cesarean at the end so kind of hard stuff) as we walked up this little mountain with the promise of a very beautiful sunset at the top surrounded by the ruin of a medieval castle. This scenery is now ingrained in our minds and induction will be forever associated with the beauty of going up this mountain. The best way to envision and take in what birth might be like without fear and with lots of breathing, especially going up the mountain!
There was lots of laughing, cuddling, hypnobirthing, exercises, delicious hearty food, great conversations, and fun all around which made this antenatal weekend packed with joy and so easy to take in! We now feel prepared, very chilled and positive about the birth, regardless of how it ends up being.
We would highly recommend it to parents to be as a luxury little holiday with bonuses before entering babyland.
Giving Maryla all the stars!!!"
​
Sarah P & Steve R
How I Can Help You
From private classes online or in your own home, to group classes or community taster days, to weekend intensives or the standard recommended four sessions making up 12 hours of teaching time, I will try to cater to your needs.
Whether you already have other antenatal classes booked, or whether this will be the only one you take, no matter! We provide a holistic antenatal education within the sessions, with emphasis on informed choice and consent.
Using hypnobirthing techniques to engage your whole body and all of your senses, you will learn techniques that will relax you, relieve anxieties, release unconscious fears and prepare you for the birth of your baby. We will focus on you and your birthing partner working together as a team, listening to each others' voices and using touch to create familiarity and lasting positive triggers.
Time spent focusing on you, on your body, on breathing in and out, on your relationship with your birth partner, on your birth partners' worries, deepening your knowledge, decreasing circulating stress hormones... All of these combined make for a warm and relaxing environment for everyone involved.
Hypnosis & self-hypnosis, the anatomy and physiology of childbirth, how your uterus does her thing and how to help her, what is happening to your body, myths, perineal massage, breathing techniques for labour, calmness and grounding techniques, how to be the best birth partner ever, avoiding negativity, making informed decisions, the Lay of the Land, birth plans, positive birth affirmations, antenatal colostrum harvesting, and so much more!
Celebrating postnatal bodies, the postnatal ward, postnatal life and the 'cuarentana', food not flowers, simple post-natal exercises, breastfeeding and your choices, and many, many more...!
Just because class is over, doesn't mean I won't be around to answer any questions you forgot to ask or point you in the right direction if you are unsure of something. Maybe you just need to hear a hypnobirthing method again - that's okay, I'm here!
I chose KGH Hypnobirthing Training because it is accredited by the Royal College of Midwives. It is a pragmatic and hands-on method, based on the latest research and, most importantly, it encourages informed decision-making and kindness.
As soon as you are ready! Many women attend their first session and begin practising at home at around 28-30 weeks, but some have deep anxieties about birth and so begin much earlier. Hypnobirthing works best when you practise daily over a few weeks, so as soon as you feel you are ready to start, come along!
"We booked a full weekend of hypnotherapy sessions with Maryla for my husband and I. We absolutely loved it.
Her sessions were very informative, we learned so much and she helped us to feel prepared and calmed on the day I gave birth to my son.
Her sessions were also fun, we laughed, played and had an amazing relaxing time with her.
Her tips and suggestions really helped us and thanks to her we had a wonderful natural birth.
I would highly recommend her. She is an outstanding, knowledgeable and very professional!"
C & K
​
"..none of this matters to the mountain, which remains at all times it's essential self..."
- Jon Kabat-Zinn