Steph Rattenbury, Certified Birth Doula
Meet Steph
Steph provides practical and proactive support that helps women, and their partners, enjoy a smoother, easier and more positive birth. Experienced with both hospital and home birth settings, she supports light-hearted families in Delta, Richmond, Surrey and Vancouver.
Instagram: @thebirthhive
Website: www.thebirthhive.com
In Season One, Steph has provided three resources for women in preparing for birth so they can feel supported.
Early birth – the first stage of labour – is one of the most important layers of birth for a couple of reasons: A) it’s long and B) it’s a great time for birther to nurture their birthing confidence and their ability to actually do this. I like to say that early birth can “set the tone” for the entire birth experience – granted that’s a bit of a simplistic statement and, obviously, there are many other factors to consider – but the point is that there is immense value in protecting early birth.
One of the things I’m passionate about is making sure that women have the tools they need so that they can enter the birth process with confidence. This is why I’ve selected my “Protecting Early Birth” digital file to share with you. By taking the steps outlined in this file, you are on your way to laying the foundation to a calm, peaceful birth.
Early Birthing Time Checklist – PDF/Printable
I also love practical tools – things you can actually use when it comes time to birth. One of the things I’ve found, as a doula, is that no matter how much prep happens beforehand, when birth starts our adrenaline starts pumping and we forget what we “should” be doing. This is why I created a simple, easy-to-use early birthing time checklist. Print this file out and brainstorm some comfort and distraction tools (activities). Jot your ideas down in the appropriate areas. Then leave this checklist somewhere prominent (your fridge!) in your home so that when your birth begins all you and your partner need to do is quickly reference the checklist. I advise starting with the “activities” side and cycling through those until you feel like you need something “more.” This is the point where you’re likely ready to switch to the “comfort” side. Cycle through those ideas as needed – always switching it up to a fresh idea when the current one is no longer as effective as when you started.
Recommended Steps & Special Offer
If you want help brainstorming ideas for your checklist, I recommend having a look at my (virtual) Birth + Baby Prep Sessions. Over the course of a few hours, we’ll go through all things birth and baby. My Birth + Baby Prep Sessions are as comprehensive as traditional in-class prenatal education sessions just more condensed. In other words, we move faster…. And if you’re thinking that sounds like something your birth partner would appreciate, they definitely do! These sessions are totally private and can be easily customized to speak to you + your specific goals for your birth. Following the session, you’ll get all of my birth PDFs, printable checklists and I’ll create a visual birth plan.