Is labour painful?

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Sara

We’ve all seen our fair share of movies where mum is on a hospital bed, in stirrups, sweating, screaming and crying, as her baby comes into the world, haven’t we?

No wonder we grow up expecting that birth is going to be just like that.

No wonder we expect it to be excruciatingly painful.

No wonder we think we’ll be the woman screaming in pain before her baby is delivered into her arms.

Expectations are set for us, but what’s the reality?

The reality is that labour and birth (wait for it) aren’t always painful. Not for everyone. While labour is most definitely perceived as painful to some, believe it or not, it isn’t by everyone. Continue reading →

5 myths about meditation

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Steph

Think meditation is not for you?

MummyNatal founder, Steph Beaumont, challenges your preconceptions of what meditation is and how you do it…

Meditation is boring

The point of mediation is to really tune into something, to really experience it. This means, for example, that if you are having a cup of coffee, you are really paying attention to the experience of having that cup of coffee. You are focusing on the warmth of the cup in your hands, the aroma, the texture, what it looks like, perhaps the sounds as it is being made, the taste, taking each individual moment – knowing the coffee is not going to be exactly the same from one moment to the next. You focus on each mouthful, just savouring each individual experience, and focusing only on that drink. You are NOT making mental to-do lists in your head, pulling on your coat/shoes as you gulp it down, watching the people at the next table, or checking your emails/social media while you are drinking it. Continue reading →

A Natal teacher in the spotlight – Zoe’s MummyNatal journey

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Steph

You may have noticed a few interviews with some of our lovely Natal teachers lately, and this week we talk to Zoe, our MummyNatal and BabyNatal teacher for Birmingham (South West), who provides our fantastic Natal classes in her local area through her company Bumps to Bubbas . Continue reading →

How being a MummyNatal teacher can make a difference – Jenni’s story

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Steph

Meet Jenni.

Jenni is one of our ‘brand ambassadors’ and a teacher who has trained into the majority of the programmes offered by The Natal Family – BabyNatal, First Aid (Paediatric and beyond) and MummyNatal. An active member of The Natal Family team, at home, Jenni is a wife and a mum to a lovely boy. Continue reading →

A Natal teacher in the spotlight – Laura’s VBAC story

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Steph

Meet Laura.

Laura has been a BabyNatal teacher since 2013 and has more recently trained in Developmental Baby Massage and MummyNatal. Laura is a fantastic mum to two very cute little girls (who look just like her), and she stands out as one of our most passionate and energetic Natal teachers. If you’re a new or expectant parent and live around Romford and Thurrock, you should definitely check Laura’s classes out! Continue reading →

Being a MummyNatal Teacher….

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Steph

When I was in my twenties I thought didn’t want children and I felt quite happy thank you very much pursuing a career as a Technical Author for an international software house. I never wanted to be a teacher. Ever. So how come I am sitting here now, writing about my role as a MummyNatal teacher, a role I work around my two children? Continue reading →

Another MummyNatal birth story!

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Steph

Our fourth Natal baby arrived two weeks ago (where has the time gone?!) and it was such an experience!

This is my birth story…

Throughout the last few weeks of pregnancy, I had regularly been experiencing practice contractions, which steadily had gotten stronger the further along my pregnancy progressed. Dean and I had joked that when it finally all started, that we wouldn’t know if it was really it, until a baby arrived or not… which turned out not to be that far from the truth! Continue reading →