Pregnancy & a planned water birth🤰🏽

We caught up with lovely pregnancy client Kelly Buchan to discuss all things pregnancy, life and water birth…

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGABELLIES FOR PREGNANCY?

There were numerous reasons really. I had some previous experience in both pilates and yoga, and knew the benefits both physically and mentally and felt this would be a fab form of gentle exercise for my body as it continued to grow and change . Katie’s class was brand new when I first realised I was pregnant, and there is very little in this area in terms of pregnancy approved exercise classes, that also have a specific focus on techniques to assist and support throughout pregnancy and for labour, so it was an obvious choice for me to sign up.

Having a 5 year old and busy life was also a factor. Signing up and committing to a block of weekly classes almost forced me to carve that time out for myself.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TAKING PART IN THE CLASS?

My first class was when I was 17 weeks pregnant. I initially contacted Katie when I was quite newly pregnant, aware that the class would book up quickly however, this pregnancy has been tough going in terms of sickness and I was unable to actually attend until later on, by which point I was a bit worried about joining a class that may have others attending that had bonded for a few weeks already. However, I had nothing to worry about! The joy of Katie’s class is that mummy’s to be join at various points of their pregnancy and so there is a variety of stages throughout the class.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHOICE TO PLAN A WATER BIRTH…

For me water is a great comfort in general. A bath or hot shower when ill or sore, a swim or even just a paddle at the beach can be greatly calming and ease aches and pains. I have enjoyed swimming during my pregnancy, and the benefit it has to the aches and pains that come with being pregnant are amazing. I found the birth pool at Dr Gray’s during my first labour so helpful in easing the discomfort as labour progressed but I did, however, end up coming out the pool at the very end to actually deliver my son (very quickly and on the floor!) and so I am hopeful that I actually birth our baby in the water this time and have opted for a homebirth with a pool, fully embracing the calming and familiar surroundings of our home along with the pain relief of the pool.

WILL YOU CONTINUE YOUR YOGA JOURNEY WITH BABY AFTER THE PREGNANCY CLASSES?

Oh definitely! Hopefully for both the baby nurture classes and the post-natal recovery for myself. To be able to continue the yoga journey with my baby, as well as the other mummy’s I have met along the way, will help to create bonds and support that are invaluable in motherhood.

Pregnancy and labour is hard, and our bodies go through a great deal so yoga is an ideal exercise for to gently ease back and build up that strength and tone. The mental exercise will be great for ‘baby brain’ as well as the emotional rollercoaster of becoming a Mummy and I already look forward to the time to focus and be calm.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT THE CLASS AND WHY?

My intentions for beginning the class and what I have actually gained from it differ slightly. I had booked it with the intention of simply enjoying a pregnancy safe exercise class and a chance to meet other mummy’s to be.

As mentioned previously however, I was really ill this time round and found the emotions that accompanied that quite hard. Whilst being delighted to be pregnant, I felt a lot of guilt and worry for the baby, as well as worrying about my son. The girls in the class were great and by keeping the class small and intimate, Katie created opportunities to chat and support each other, lifting each other up when needed or having a good laugh about the joys of pregnancy. The sense of community is amazing. Carving that time out for myself each week has given me the time to enjoy being pregnant and bond with baby and I particularly enjoyed the meditations, often incorporating these and the breathing into my day to day life as a form of focus and calm.

The yoga and breathing exercises are of a huge benefit also. I know I will use these during my labour. Katie is extremely skilled at what she does, explaining everything in a way that everyone can grasp and her knowledge and ability to adapt each position and exercise to suit the individual is a reflection of how much she values each person within her class.

THANK YOU SO MUCH KELLY! WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST 💜

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