About and FAQs

Our Active Birth Workshop aims to show both pregnant women and their birth companions useful and practical ways that can help with labour and birth. The workshop provides time to explore how the labouring woman might want to move, position herself and breathe, and how her birth partner can make that easier and more comfortable for her. Women and their birth partners are shown practical ‘tools’ for working with pain in labour including touch, movement and massage. The facilitators draw upon well respected research and knowledge about birth and discuss a range of approaches to meet the intensity of labour, using simple equipment available to all, such as birth balls, pillows and chairs. HOW WILL THE WORKSHOP BENEFIT ME AND MY BIRTH PARTNER? The Active Birth Workshop is particularly valuable for women and partners planning or considering as straight forward a birth as possible. Many women are worried that they might not be able to cope with the intensity of labour and many partners are worried that they will find this very difficult. The aim of the day is to help everyone feel more positive about birth and confident in their abilities to cope with labour. Our facilitator is a highly experienced and knowledgeable birth educator/Active Birth Teacher, having worked with women and their birth partners for many years. WHAT CAN I EXPECT? The workshop, which is designed for women and their birth partners, takes place over a whole day on a Saturday or Sunday. This includes a break for lunch (which is not provided). Tea, coffee, water and biscuits will be available throughout the workshop. Our groups are kept to a maximum of five couples, and have a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The day is loosely structured, but is kept flexible to ensure there is plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion. All are welcome. Women come with male or female partners and/or mothers, sisters, friends and birth companions. Women and their birth partners are welcome at any stage in their pregnancy but often come between 30-37 weeks of their pregnancies so they have time to think about what they have learned during the day. The participant price is per couple, not per individual. If you would like to bring an additional birthing partner, the cost is £150 for three of you.

Cancellation Policy

To cancel or reschedule please give us as much notice as possible. Because we are a charity, we only run workshops if we can meet our running costs. If you book and subsequently have to cancel, we ask that you give us at least two weeks notice. Any closer to the workshop start date, we will always try to offer you an alternative course date or come to some arrangement on a case by case basis. Please give us as much notice as possible of cancellation of your space.

Contact Details

• 188 Pleasance, Edinburgh, UK

  info@pregnancyandparents.org.uk