A HANDS-ON BIRTH PARTNER WORKSHOP | 2½ HOURS | ABERGAVENNY

You're preparing for birth. Who's preparing them?

Your birth partner wants to be there for you, properly there. In one hands-on evening, they’ll learn how to comfort you, what to say when it gets tough, and how to speak up for you if plans change. So you don’t have to tell them what to do on the day, and they don’t have to guess.

SAVE YOUR SPACES

22nd October 18.00-20.30 · LIMITED SPACES ·

SOUND FAMILIAR?

You trust them. You’re just not sure they’ll know what to do.

You’ve been getting ready for birth for months: moving, breathing, learning to trust your body. But when you picture labour, there’s a question at the back of your mind. Will they know how to help?

Maybe last time they froze, panicked or said the wrong thing, and you ended up reassuring them. Maybe it’s your first baby and neither of you really knows what to expect.

You don’t want to be giving instructions mid-contraction. You want them to just know: when to press on your back and when to back off, when to stay quiet, and what to say when you tell them you can’t do this anymore.

And they want that too. Most birth partners are desperate to help. They’ve just never been shown how.

WHAT CHANGES

Imagine a labour where you don’t have to think about them at all.

Your partner is steady. They offer a new position before you’ve had to ask. They know which words help and which to keep to themselves.

When the room gets busy, they’re the one asking the questions, so you don’t have to.

That’s what lets you go inward and focus on your body and your baby. When you feel safe and supported, your body can relax into the work. Labour tends to flow better when you’re not on guard.

WHAT YOU’LL PRACTISE

Hands-on skills for every stage of labour, practise until they feel natural.

When it’s just getting started and you’re still at home

Positions and movements to try, simple ways your partner can help you rest and stay comfortable, and how to make your space feel calm and safe.

When it gets intense

Hip squeezes, pressure on your lower back, and how to use a simple scarf to take the weight off when nothing else is working (a traditional technique called rebozo). Your partner will practise on you until their hands know what to do.

When you say “I can’t do this”

This is the moment most partners dread. They’ll learn what to say, what not to say, and how to reassure you without getting on your nerves.

When you’re close to meeting your baby

Positions for pushing, and how your partner can physically support you through them.

When plans change

The questions to ask your care team, how to buy you both time to think, and how to make sure your voice is heard when decisions come up.

This isn’t something you can learn from a video. Your partner will practise exactly where to put their hands and how hard to press. You’ll both find out what you love and what you’d rather they never did again, before it matters.

TO THE BIRTH PARTNER READING THIS

If you’ve been sent this link, this part’s for you.

She’s probably sent it because she wants you there, properly there, and she’s a bit worried about what that’ll look like on the day. That’s not a criticism. Nobody teaches this stuff.

You don’t need to know anything about birth: no textbook, no jargon. You’ll leave with:

hands-on techniques you can physically do to ease her pain
the words to use when she tells you she can’t do it
the things not to say (worth the ticket price on their own)
how to speak up for her if things don’t go to plan
a real job in the birth room, not just a chair in the corner

You’ll know what you’re doing, and she’ll know you know. That means she can stop worrying about you and focus on having your baby.

WHAT COUPLES SAY

"This class had such a calm, easy-going vibe while still being packed with genuinely helpful information. Laura was brilliant — knowledgeable, supportive, and so down-to-earth. I feel like I understand other options available to me and feel empowered to ask questions before interventions are suggested. It was also helpful for my partner — they came away with practical techniques to support me through labour, which has made him feel better prepared as well."

HELLO, I’M LAURA

I’m a doula, antenatal educator and pregnancy yoga teacher in Abergavenny.

In my yoga classes, I watch pregnant women get stronger and more confident in their bodies every week. And then someone always mentions: “I'm not sure my partner will understand what I’ll need”

As a doula, I’ve seen what happens when a partner knows what they’re doing. The whole room changes. This workshop is how I get your partner there before the day arrives.

THINGS YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING

I already do pregnancy yoga. Will this add anything?

Yes. Yoga gives you the tools. This workshop gives your partner theirs, so you’re both prepared, not just you.

My partner isn’t very touchy-feely. Will they be out of their depth?

Not at all. Everything is practical and simple, and they’ll practise at their own pace. Plenty of partners arrive a bit awkward and leave feeling useful.

What techniques will you actually teach?

Everything is based on how your body and baby move in labour. Your partner will learn positions and movements that help make more room for your baby to move down, hands-on comfort like counter-pressure and hip squeezes, and rebozo, a simple scarf technique that eases pressure and helps you relax when you’re tired or stuck. No experience is needed. I’ll show you exactly how to do it all.

Do we need to know what kind of birth we want?

No. The skills work however your birth unfolds, including if plans change.

Is this a full antenatal course?

No. This workshop is purely the hands-on skills you need to be in the room to learn. For the fuller picture (your choices, interventions, breathing and the early weeks), that’s my Supported Antenatal Course.

THE DETAILS

Come as a pair. Leave as a team.

LENGTH

2.5hrs

FORMAT

Practical
in-person

WHEN

22nd October 18.00-20.30

WHERE

Llanfoist Village Hall

PRICE

£59 per couple

Wear comfortable clothes you can move in.

All equipment will be provided.

Snacks, water and drinks provided.

Your birth partner can be anyone you’ve chosen: a partner, friend, relative or someone else you trust. This workshop is for first babies and second (or third) babies alike.