ABOUT ME -
I'm Karen, I am married and have 2 grown up children.
I qualified as a midwife in 2005 so I am very experienced, although sadly I'm now no longer able to practice as a midwife due to a hand disability.
I'm also a qualified masseuse and aromatherapist.
I have always had an interest, enthusiasm and appreciation for complementary therapies. I believe that many of them align themselves wonderfully with pregnancy, labour and birth because I feel that caring for women and their families should have a holistic foundation, which is the ethos that underpins these therapies.
I initially qualified as a hypnobirthing midwife during my employment at an NHS Trust. I taught hypnobirthing group classes and one to one classes; I also created bespoke classes for some women with more specific anxieties and situations.By doing this I ensured that women's and their partner's individual needs were met and that the hypnobirthing classes were holistic. The hypnobirthing course I trained in as a midwife was a version of the KGHypnobirthing course; it varied only in that it incorporated more midwifery specific information.
I then decided, upon leaving the Trust, to set up my own hypnobirthing business.
This has meant that I can continue with my passion for caring for women, for putting them at the centre of their care and for teaching and empowering them to believe in themselves and their bodies.
"WITH KNOWLEDGE COMES POWER"
In order to offer the best possible evidence based hypnobirthing teaching, I have undertaken the KGHypnobirthing teacher training course. This is a much respected course and is accredited by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
This means that I have been able to bring my previous hypnobirthing experience into my own hypnobirthing business - Bump To Birth Hypnobirthing, especially as the content aligns with my previous training and subsequent qualification in hypnobirthing.
I retain membership of the RCM and maintain professional knowledge and the latest evidence based research in order to ensure that information I give is up to date and accurate.
My midwifery experience means that I am able to give extensive information about labour and birth, including home birth, as I was a community midwife through most of my midwifery career.
I have had the pleasure and privilege of caring for many women throughout their pregnancies and their birth journeys; being with a woman and her partner at this most intimate and special time.
This means that I know what women can achieve if they are respected, listened to
and feel that they have confidence in their own ,and their body's, ability to give birth.
I'm passionate about empowering women to feel confident to request the birth that they want and deserve. I believe that women are at the centre of their care during pregnancy and birth, and that hypnobirthing can and does, enable women and their partners to 'find their voice' and thereby feel able to question care options and decisions.
It's also important to acknowledge that some women's birth journey won't end in the way that they had hoped and envisaged. This doesn't indicate a 'failure' in either themselves or their bodies; it can be due to various different factors.
Through hypnobirthing we explore how it can help with women's differing birth journeys and experiences, whether as a first time mother or in subsequent pregnancies.
My aim is to support, inform and empower you, so that you feel confident in your choices for you and your baby. I want you to enjoy the classes and feel that they form part of your pregnancy experience.
As part of your hypnobirthing course you have the option, if you wish, of being supported by me throughout your pregnancy, up to the birth of your baby.This can be via email, message or phone chats.
I know, from first hand experience, the difference that hypnobirthing can make for women and their birth journeys. I have seen, and felt, a woman's and her partner's wonder and joy during her birth journey and subsequent birth of their baby.
Karen Ward
DipHE Midwifery
DipHB(KGH)
"We cannot birth our babies through sheer force of will. We need to learn the more subtle, the equally powerful, path of surrender."
Sarah J. Buckley
Polite Disclaimer
My Bump To Birth Hypnobirthing course is complementary to your antenatal care provided by your midwife and other health professionals involved in your care. It is not a replacement for seeking care, information and advice from them.
"Birth may be a matter of a moment, but it is a unique one."
Frederick Leboyer.
COURSE INFORMATION
Bump To Birth Hypnobirthing is taught under the umbrella of KGHypnobirthing, which is the original hypnobirthing course that was set up in the UK. It is much respected, well known and popular and was founded by Katharine Graves.
The KGHypnobirthing course is accredited by the Royal College of Midwives(RCM). It is evidence based and information is updated accordingly.
Please access the KGHypnobirthing website - www.kghypnobirthing.com - wwhere you will find more information, helpful resources, free affirmations, the first chapter of the Hypnobirthing book - free to download- and much more!
The KGHypnobirthing course is a 12 hour course and it can be taught in various ways.
The sessions are frequently taught over the course of 4 weeks, one evening per week of a 3 hour duration.
However there can be flexibility within the teaching, particularly with one to one classes.
It is possible to have an 'intensive' course, whereby the course is taught in a weekend for example; or the sessions could be 2 hours long instead of 3 hours.
They can be during the day or evening, and I aim to be as flexible as possible, subject to other classes I may have been booked for.
It is also possible to book for 'refresher' courses, if you have previously attended hypnobirthing classes.
I can also create bespoke classes if you feel that there are specific needs that you would like to focus on. For example, if you have specific anxieities, or if you know that you will be having a caesarean birth.
The classes can also be taught online via Zoom, if required.
If group classes are taught these will be in small groups to facilitate the relaxation and to ensure a more personalised approach. The groups will be no larger than 8 couples. Group classes will run subject to venue availability and number of mothers/couples booking at a similar time.
COURSE CONTENT
I teach all the content of the KGHypnobirthingcourse in my Bump To Birth Hypnobirthing classes, but I also incorporate my personal experience as a midwife.
To summarise, the course includes -
COURSE FEES
All of the above classes are priced per couple or solely for the woman.
('Couple' also means the woman and either a friend/relative/birthing partner).
All fees include a parent's manual via PDF in an email; MP3 relaxation and a copy of the parent's handbook - The Hypnobirthing Book by Katharine Graves.
I am also available to provide support throughout your pregnancy, via phone or email. if you would like extra sessions, in addition to your course, then these can be arranged too, subject to an additional fee.
The fees also cover my travel costs up to approx. 15 miles /half an hour from my home. I live in South Norfolk, near Diss, so I'm fairly central to most of Suffolk too. For anything over this I charge 45 pence per mile, in line with HMRC mileage rate.
Please feel free to enquire about possible payment options if you feel that you would be unable , in the first instance, to pay the full fee upfront.
HOW TO BOOK A COURSE
Please contact me via email -
karenward@bumptobirthhypnobirthing.co.uk
or on my mobile via WhatsApp - 07359180852
(message or phone, either is fine).
Please note that I have very poor mobile reception at my cottage, hence the request to contact via above methods, thank you.
CONTACT TIMES
Mon. Weds. Thurs - 10.00 - 16.00
Fri 10.00 -12.00
When I am teaching I am also contactable, no matter the day/time, but
please note that my phone will be on silent while teaching.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!
Details available on request