Photo by Hailey Bartholomew from You Can’t Be Serious
“At Birthtalk we focus on working towards a positive, empowering experience no matter how you are birthing. Birth can be wonderful and amazing, and intense…but birth does not have to be scary.” Debby Gould, midwife, mother, childbirth educator, and Birthtalk co-founder
How this course began
When Birthtalk began in 2002, most women attending our Antenatal Course had already had babies. Most were hoping to have a better birth after experiencing a disappointing, difficult or traumatic previous birth. When they experienced the common sense, user-friendly, and easy-to-understand approach of Birthtalk they realised they had missed something with their previous antenatal education. The most common cry we hear is “Why didn’t anyone tell me this before?”. As more women began having empowering births after attending Birthtalk, they told their friends. Especially their friends pregnant for the first time, to help them to avoid the heartache of a disempowering birth.
And now our Antenatal Course is equally attended by first-time pregnant couples and those wanting a better subsequent birth. Our course is regularly attended also by doulas (professional birth support people), and midwives, and Birthtalk is part of a compulsory community unit for student midwives from Griffith University.
A heart-warming and educational aspect of Birthtalk is the return of previous Birthtalk attendees – bringing their babies and their birth stories so we can learn and share insights from their experiences.
6 Enlightening Sessions
Each session in our Antenatal Course is designed to give couples maximum information and understanding on a different aspect of an empowering birth.
Session 1 How to Have a Good Birth™
Session 2 How a Birthing Woman’s Body Works™ (natural & caesarean birth)
Session 3 Negotiating Our Health System™
Session 4 Supporting Your Support People™
Session 5 Confidence Shatterers™ - what you can do
Session 6 Birth Unplugged™ - hearing the good stuff
What is an empowering birth?
At Birthtalk it is defined as a birth where a woman and her partner emerge feeling positive, strong and confident. An empowering birth is not dependent on whether the birth is natural and drug-free, or whether you have an epidural, or even a caesarean. It IS dependent on having access to certain information about birth and about our Health System so you can set up the appropriate environment – no matter where or how you are birthing. And Birthtalk is the ONLY place you can get this information as a complete course in Australia.
Go to FAQ About our Path to a Better Birth™ Course
PLEASE NOTE : This popular Course is currently only available as a private course with Debby Gould, co-founder of Birthtalk, who runs all Birthtalk’s courses. Through her Private Birth Consultancy, Deb can provide a tailor-made version of any of our courses, in your home, or her own (depending on where you live). There are also options for Skype or Phone consultations, for those unable to get to Brisbane. See Deb’s site for details