By Danielle Galvin
Former paediatric nurse turned midwife and calm birthing expert Lisa Simpson loves hearing women’s labour and birth stories.
She is incredibly passionate in her belief that every woman deserves a beautiful birth story.
The Glen Iris midwife, who worked as a nurse for 18 years, believes labour is the most intense, craziest ride, but it’s wonderfully transformative and can be beautiful and empowering.
She started up the Breathe and Birth program and classes, which includes hypnobirthing classes and pregnancy support to help women identify what a positive birth means to them, to trust in the process and educating and empowering them.
Hypnobirthing Australia defines hypnobirthing as the natural approach to childbirth; with classes to prepare women with the knowledge, confidence and tools to birth calmly.
The mum of four is open about her journey into hypnobirthing after the birth of her second child.
When Lisa was rushed into theatre for an emergency caesarean with her second, she felt out of control.
“Because I’d had a vaginal birth with my first, I just assumed it would be a vaginal birth again,” she said.
Without a lot of understanding or explanation, it was an experience that she found overwhelming.
“My mindset post that was that I wasn’t actually prepared for that outcome,” she explained.
“I came across hypnobirthing and thought that’s a good way to prepare for whatever happens, whatever twists and turns your labour takes.
“(The business) comes from a personal spot – I didn’t want anyone else to feel the way that I did.”
She didn’t feel like a failure – but she felt unprepared for that outcome.
For Lisa, she believes in the power of hypnobirthing in that it helps expectant mums to understand that while we can’t control the process fully, there are things we can control.
“If we end up having a caesar, or the forceps or vacuum, it is not that we have failed,” she said.
“It’s that we have a little passenger on board who has to work with us, and sometimes they don’t work well together for whatever reason.
“You should know what’s going on before it happens, it shouldn’t be a conversation you have after.”
She wants women to understand what’s happening during labour – even when things don’t go to plan.
“I am not ever getting people up to question their caregivers, but to work with their caregivers,” she said.
It’s an important point that Lisa believes choosing your care, public or private hospital, is critical.
In the program, she discusses pain relief, the pros and cons, as well as using affirmations, music and your support network.
“Whilst it’s a natural approach to childbirth, it’s not natural or nothing,” she said.
“If you’re set on an epidural, when’s a good time to have one.”
At the end of the day, what she wants is for every woman to have a positive experience.
To trust in the process and feel like their voice is being heard.
“It’s such an important day, you can go back to it all the time and remember it,” she said.
Lisa talks a lot about birth preferences, not plans, in the program.
“We want them to head in confident, empowered, and calm,” she said.
“Fear creates tension – fear in labour is the enemy.
“We talk about hormones – so creating lots of oxytocin.
“If you start getting too much adrenaline (so fight or flight) then it’s going to block the oxytocin and it’s going to stall or stop labour.
“I never try and tell people it’s a painless – that’s not true.
“We talk about the functional pain – no other pain brings such a beautiful thing to you.
“Mindset and breathing the two biggest things we talk about.”
To find out more, visit https://www.breatheandbirth.com.au/
