What is it like to work with a Birth Coach? Kristin Heywood, Private Pregnancy and Post Partum Coach and Doula
If you are feeling alone on your childbirth journey.
A private birth coach can help!
Coaches work with you one-on-one to create a customized plan that fits your unique needs and goals and wishes for your birth and post partum period.
From Weight Loss Coaches to Scuba Diving Coaches to Speaking Coaches - it’s safe to say that one of the most effective ways to learn and refine a new skill quickly is to work with a trained coach who can support you.
Have you ever worked with a coach before?
If you nodded yes, then you know exactly how powerful and effective the coaching process can be!
And if you nodded no, then you’re in for a treat whenever you do have the ability to invest in coaching. Especially if you’re able to find a coach that understands where you are now and where you want to go, and can help you to feel supported and confident in your birth and parenting decisions.
What is a Birth Coach?
A birth coach is a professional who you hire to help guide you on the path towards what to expect in pregnancy, preparing for labour and getting ready for the post Partum journey.
Birth coaches have experience in childbirth education, infant feeding, baby sleep schedules, pelvic health and more.
A birth coach can be a grounding presence through your pregnancy, an advocate for you in labour and a support person once baby is earthside.
That's where a Birth Coach comes in.
Birth coaches are experienced professionals who can help you develop and implement an effective birth plan and brainstorm new strategies that meet your specific pregnancy, birth and 4th trimester wishes.
A Birth Coach will have 100’s of ‘secret spots’ in their back pocket that they can show you right away and over the course of your time working together.
So, if you're looking for help in feeling supported in your pregnancy or want to take your preparedness efforts to the next level, a birth coach may be just what you need.
Who should work with a Birth Coach?
Clients work with a Birth Coach when they are stuck in one place too long, are frustrated with the constant googling, unsure of who to trust or simply need someone to be a grounding presence throughout their entire journey.
When you work with a Birth Coach you will work together on creating an effective Plan that works for your unique lifestyle.
Together with your Coach, you will create a program based on the 4 core pillars of Birth and you will be taught ancient yoga teachings that allow you to feel strong in both mind and body. This means less frustration and more confidence in your ability to succeed as a parent and beyond.
Here are some other signs that it might be time to hire a Private Birth coach:
You're dealing with pregnancy aches and pains and nothing seems to help or work
Your terrified of the unknowns and what’s to come
You have no daily practice that supports your changing body and mind
You're not confident to feed a baby or look after a newborn, you're scared!
Non-existent birth plan
You know that nothing will change unless you have someone or something to be accountable to
Nearly all people can benefit from a Birth Coach if they’re looking to feel fully supported, heard and seen on this sacred journey.
What is it like to work with a Private Birth Coach?
Each private birth coach has a different package that they offer to their clients. Some are 6 month packages, some are 3 months and some are customized based on your needs.
In my experience of working with many private students, I’ve found that working together for your entire pregnancy is the optimal amount in order to get maximum results from our time together.
Therefore, my clients contact me as soon as they find out they are pregnant and we customize the package from there with bi-weekly Prenatal sessions and weekly post natal sessions.
During our time together, my clients are challenged to think differently about how they can build a stronger connection to themselves, and they are supported as they try new tools to aid in self mastery.
They leave each session with a list of action items and a clearly defined set of next steps, so that nothing is left to chance.
As a Birth Coach, it is my responsibility to manage the progress of my clients.
My clients can ask me questions and request feedback at any point during our time together, and I act as a true partner to them in achieving their level of feeling supported.
Working with a Private birth coach is going to accelerate the rate at which you are feeling stronger, more capable and confident to birth your baby and become a parent.
How does Birth Coaching work?
Birth Coaching begins with a comprehensive one hour Bonus Call where your coach will dig into exactly what’s been going on in your life and pregnancy up to now.
Some of the topics addressed in your first call will include:
What’s been working, what hasn’t been working, what your sleep, eating, movement and stillness habits are, what your wishes are and expectations of your coach etc. If your not sure, that’s ok! We can figure it out together.
After your first session, together we will come up with a plan and you will be given some initial suggestions to get started on.
Clients should be able to message their coach in between sessions for support, review and encouragement
How can you find the right Birth Coach for your journey?
When you’re looking for a Private Birth Coach, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you’ll be working very closely with this person for many months, perhaps even for a year, so it’s vital that you hire someone that you can trust.
Most Birth Coaches will offer a free discovery call so that you can speak with them and see if there’s a good fit and a strong connection between you (or not!).
Some other things to keep in mind when looking for a Birth Coach…
What types of Core Values do you hold when it comes to pregnancy, birth and beyond? Don’t be afraid to ask!
It’s ok to interview 2 or 3 coaches before making a decision. Not all coaches have the same ‘coaching style’ which is why it’s important to meet with a few coaches before making a selection. For example, my coaching style is Holistic, direct and transformational - that's not for everyone
What is your budget? Since coaching is an unregulated industry, there are coaches that charge $100s of dollars and coaches that charge $20,000 dollars so it’s important to define your budget and know what you’re willing to spend.
Do you need to work with someone in a similar location to you? If you are looking for in person doula support, you will want to look for someone that lives within 1 hour of your desired place of birth.
What else can a Birth Coach do for your life?
Birth is an ever-evolving landscape, and it’s important that you choose a Birth Coach who can teach you evidence based techniques.
In addition, you want to ensure that your Birth Coach has a variety of proven tools that they use and implement with their clients.
For example, is your Private Birth Coach skilled in areas like…
Pelvic health
Infant feeding
The stages and phases of Birth
Labor techniques to support you
Connected to other practitioners
Pregnancy and postpartum changes in the body and mind
Empathy and listening
Infant care
Physically capable to support you
Finally, a Birth Coach can give you the confidence to break out of your current rut and actually hit a new level of confidence on your journey.
There is nothing that compares to having a personalized plan created specifically for success in your unique pregnancy and birth, and having someone who can guide you through it every step of the way.
Have you been thinking about working with a Birth Coach?
Are you feeling overwhelmed when it comes to preparing for your birth and 4th trimester? Do you feel like you're not sure where to start or what to do next?
If so, working with a birth coach may be the right solution for you.
Birth coaches can help you create a plan and give you guidance every step of the way. They can also help you stay on track and keep accountable to stay active and trusting in the process.
If you want to explore how a Birth Coach can help you to feel more capable, consider applying for a discovery call with Kristin.
If you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you know that there's so much to learn when it comes to becoming a parent.
That's where private birth coaches can come in handy - they can help you learn what works and what doesn't, and guide you in the right direction.
p.p.s
Get exclusive access to our free Birth resource called "10 Ways to feel more confident on your birth journey NOW". Click here to get a free copy >>
