Rebozo techniques for an easier birth

Description

Picture a mother in labour. Her contractions are uneven and she feels it in her hips and back. She starts to push, but after a while there’s still no sign of her baby. An examination finds her “only” 6cm, with a back to back baby. She’s exhausted, she’s in pain, and when an epidural is offered so she can rest, of course she says yes. Her baby doesn’t turn, and is born by forceps or caesarean. And afterwards, so often, she blames herself.

If you’ve been at births like this, you’ll know how heartbreaking it feels to watch. I was at births like this too, and it’s what led me to the rebozo.

Since then I’ve seen things I can only describe as small miracles. A short, gentle jiggle with a rebozo helping a baby turn in no time at all. Women who’d been told they needed to go to theatre birthing their babies within the hour. These techniques are simple, they work with the body rather than against it, and I’d love to share them with you.

Welcome to the Rebozo for an easier birth course!

This course teaches you simple, gentle rebozo techniques to bring comfort and help support progress and positioning, safely and effectively, from pregnancy right through to the postnatal weeks.

I created this course because I have been at too many births where labour was long and painful, the baby was not in an easy position, and the only solutions offered went against how the body is designed to work. Too often, the mother ended up blaming herself. When I discovered the rebozo, I witnessed what felt like small miracles: babies turning by themselves after a short, gentle jiggle, and women who had been told they needed to go to theatre birthing their babies within the hour. I want to make this knowledge available to as many people as possible, so that these simple techniques become a natural part of how we support women in birth.

What you’ll learn

The course takes you through pregnancy, the first and second stages of labour, and the postnatal period, with a welcome, introduction and conclusion to hold it all together. For each of the 25 techniques you’ll find:

• A clear written introduction
• Stories from real births showing how it brings comfort, support and progress
• Video demonstrations so you can see exactly how it’s done
• An osteopathic explanation of what the technique does in the body

There’s a short quiz at the end of each module to help it all settle in. By the end, you’ll understand why the rebozo is such a treasure to have in your birth bag, and you’ll feel confident using it.

The course is pre-recorded, so you can work through it in your own time, with no time limit. You could complete it in a day, but I recommend taking it in smaller pieces so you have time to digest each part and practise on willing volunteers.

Who it’s for

This course is for doulas, midwives, antenatal teachers and other perinatal professionals, and for parents who want to support pregnancy, physiological birth and the postpartum time with their own hands.

Learning at your own pace

Everything is pre-recorded, so you can work through it whenever suits you, with no time limit. You could do it in a day, but I’d gently encourage you to take it in smaller pieces, so you have time to digest each part and practise on a willing volunteer.

What is the investment required?

• £195

A little about me

I spent 20 years as a biology research scientist, with a PhD in biology, before becoming a doula and antenatal educator. I worked in this role for over 10 years. I have also been running workshops for birth& perinatal professionals for over fifteen years, training more than a thousand practitioners face to face and online. I’m also the author of Why Postnatal Recovery Matters, which includes the rebozo. I love bringing science, tradition and hands on experience together in a way that feels easy, enjoyable and, most importantly, useful the very next time you’re at a birth.

What students say

“I have just completed the Rebozo course, it was really interesting. I can’t believe that something so simple can be so effective! I would like to thank you for the simplicity of the course and the photographs and videos which made each technique really clear.” Ruth Taylor, midwife

“I really enjoyed working my way through the online course. It was broken up into bite size chunks which made it easier to work through and I could dip in and out when necessary, especially around my little ones.” Abby, doula

“I have been looking for a rebozo course for a long time and was so happy I found this one. The self massage part was my favourite new technique because it gives you something to use whether pregnant or not.” Laura Carr, midwife

Looking for my postnatal rebozo massage (closing ritual) course instead? You’ll find it here.