"Relaxation Class at Aberdeen maternity hospital"

I attended the relaxation class held by Geraldine in may to prepare for my upcoming labour. I really wanted to be able to deliver as naturally as possible as had heard that using relaxation & Breathing techniques could help me do this. The class was very informative with lots of tips for coping and gave an insight of what to expect. Geraldine is very approachable and I felt comfortable to ask questions and advice, it was also nice to hear the other people's questions and concerns because I think we shared the majority of them!

The second part of the class mainly focused on actually doing some relaxation and visualisations which was good to practice with Geraldine instead of trying it on your own for the first time. After the class I practiced the technique at home especially if I was every feeling stressed or struggling to sleep and found it useful during the rest my pregnancy. It really did pay off during my labour I was able to have a natural birth using gas and air for just the final 2 hours. I managed through the contractions by focusing on breathing and going into deep relaxation. Thinking of each contraction as a wave that just had to pass and each one was bringing my baby closer to me focused my mind.

Having been on a red pathway for having a high bmi and my blood pressure being monitored throughout my pregnancy meant I was under consultant care and more likely to have a more medically involved birth but I believe the techniques I learned at the relaxation class helped me avoid that so I am very grateful to Geraldine and feel lucky to be able to benefit from such a great service offered by the hospital for free. I would highly recommend to any women that are expecting. Thank you!