Bond with Baby (Babies) Workshop

A conscious intention of mothers (and those close to her) to understand their emotions, take care of their emotional well-being and interact with their babies, in order to support their unborn baby’s emotional intelligence and to enhance their current and future relationships.

Medical science has now been able to provide ‘proof’ with increasing evidence that a baby’s parents’ lifestyle, emotions and external environmental factors are all important to their development.

An important lesson we can learn from this research in foetology is that the way a woman connects with her baby and how she feels during her pregnancy is an important factor in her baby’s emotional and physical growth.

It is, therefore, useful to be aware of your feelings and emotions during pregnancy and to look for ways to create the best environment for your baby and for you.

However, it is important to understand that this doesn’t mean that you have to suddenly find a way to live a perfectly harmonious life (not that you could if you tried).

Your children will see and experience examples of sadness, anger, frustration, etc after they have been born and as they grow, and there may be times that it is appropriate for you to display those feelings during your pregnancy also.

The first part of the Bond with Baby session is focussed on ‘understanding your emotions’ because we are in fact not always taught about our emotional responses in a useful way. This for many is a real’ eye-opener’ of a session and paves the way for an increased sense of control and emotional well-being, as well as laying a strong foundation for their child’s emotional intelligence.

The second part of the Bond with Baby session is all about ‘looking after you’ during which you will find out ways to increase your energy levels, let go of negativity, raise your self-esteem and promote positivity.

Special moments with your baby’ is the final part of the Bond with Baby session. This is probably the more obvious side of a prenatal bonding course when you will explore a number of different ways that you and others close to you can enjoy interacting with your baby.

The ideal time for mums-to-be and their partners to attend the Bond with Baby session is between 16 and 26 weeks, but attending can be beneficial at any time during pregnancy.

During the Bond with Baby session you will get to see a lovely family sharing their prenatal bonding story, along with their beautiful birth, and precious moments straight after birth.

After the session you will receive a breakdown of all the tools and techniques that you have learnt and invaluable mp3s of The Wise Hippo instrumental music, ‘Quiet time with your baby’ which you can listen to regularly and ‘Blow away your worries’ which will support you in letting go of any negativity. There will also be some follow up nurture emails to check how you are getting on with your prenatal bonding tools and techniques.

This is a three hour session either in a group or private session.

Jo is an excellent teacher and incredibly supportive.

It made a massive difference through my pregnancy and labour to have the skills that she taught us. My husband got a lot from it also as he was shown how important his role was and as a result I could not have been without him. I felt in control throughout my labour and am so grateful to Jo for all her support.

Couldn’t recommend more highly if you’re considering hypnobirthing or have any anxiety at all regarding labour.

Chrissie

We took part in the ‘Bond with baby’ course with Joanna and absolutely loved it. As this is our first pregnancy we had been feeling many emotions and had been wondering how we could connect with our baby before the birth.

Jo was fantastic, she came to our home so we felt really comfortable and it was like talking to a friend. The session lasted 3 hours but it flew by as we were enjoying ourselves so much.

We felt very relaxed throughout and Jo was very understanding of our feelings and emotions.

Since the course we have both felt more confident about our many emotions during pregnancy and what they mean. We have also been able to use the skills we have learnt during ‘Bond with baby’ to interact with our baby and we feel much closer to him already.

We would both really recommend the ‘Bond with baby’ course and Joanna. We are so pleased we did it.

Billie and Sam Worsey

Lizzie Zeyfert

14/02/2022

To anyone who is pregnant, I really do recommend attending the Wise Hippo Hypnobirthing course. We attended the course online as it was during the pandemic but Joanna made us feel very welcome and relaxed. The techniques we learnt helped keep me calm and level headed throughout my birthing experience. Although our birth didn't go the way we would have preferred we still had a very positive experience and that was thanks to the course as well as the staff. The course also involve my partner more in both the pregnancy and birth. The couples we met on this course have been an amazing support team and will be friends for life.

Ruth Toward

07/02/2022

We thoroughly recommend the wise hippo hypnobirthing course with Jo. Following a traumatic first birth, I was very anxious about this second birth experience but by doing this course and with the continual support from Jo, I feel so much more confident and relaxed going into this birth. I’ve been so relaxed during this pregnancy and this is 100% down to doing hypnobirthing with Jo. We did the course via zoom which worked out so well as we could relax in the comfort of our home and this was especially convenient since we already have a toddler so we didn’t need to worry about finding childcare. Thank you so much Jo!

Imogen Wade

I attended Joanna's course in August-September 2021 which was held all online via Zoom. While doing it online lacked the interactivity and collegiality of in-person, I found it much more practical and much easier to attend as the course took place in the evenings when I had to look after my older child and put her to bed. Joanna was a great instructor and I learnt a lot of new information and techniques, which I was able to use and helped to give me a positive, natural birth experience at the end of November.

alexandra sabu

31/01/2022

Joanna is the most kind and empathic midwife and trainer. It was a wonderful journey doing the hypnobirth course with her where I learned so much about my body, the birth itself and of course relaxation techniques for the big day. The course helped me a lot in the preparation for birth to stay relaxed and pacient in waiting for my baby, but also during labour by focusing on my breath and listening to the MP3s. Even though it didn't have the birth I "expected", I managed to go with the flow and make the best decisions for me and my baby. I highly recommend the hypnobirth course and especially Joanna as a trainer.

Kenny Cooling

07/01/2022

We really can not recommend Jo highly enough!! We were feeling overwhelmed by the whole process however Jo's warm and calm manner really helped us relax. We have learnt some excellent techniques to help us stay positive and by the end of each session we felt like a weight had been lifted! We completed our sessions over zoom which actually worked brilliantly as we felt even more comfortable in our own home. I particularly loved the fact that as Jo comes from a midwifery background she has a huge wealth of experience and knowledge. Jo we are so grateful for all your help and will be recommending you to all our pregnant friends!

Natasha Bright

23/08/2021

We completed the 4 week, private hypnotherapy course with Joanna via Zoom. Through her extensive experience and knowledge, Joanna offered us a fantastic level of practical information and support, tailoring the package to our individual needs. By the end of the course we felt totally different about our up and coming labour; our previous anxieties and concerns being completely reframed in our minds. The tools and strategies have given me confidence and reassurance and the ongoing practice continues to build on this as my due date draws nearer. Joanna has an extremely caring and compassionate approach which made us feel at ease straight away. Doing the course via Zoom was brilliant for us as it meant we didn't need to travel, could be comfortable at home and any Covid risks were eliminated. We didn't feel that we missed out on anything by using this medium instead of face to face- it was far more preferable for us. Joanna is a fountain of knowledge about hypnobirthing, labour in general and complimentary therapies and supports that are of interest for the like minded Mum to be! I would highly recommend this course to anyone!

Angelica & Craig

25/05/2021

We took the wise hippo classes because I had heard very positive things about hypnobirthing and wanted to feel like I understood the process of giving birth as that would help calm my nerves around it. I was drawn to Joanna's classes as she was a practising midwife, which made me feel like she'd have a complete picture of birthing experiences. The classes were all on zoom but informative and thorough with plenty of time to ask questions. I practised with my MP3s daily and repeated my positive birth affirmations and went into Labour feeling like I was doing something totally natural and I was completely capable of having the birth i'd planned. To cut a long story short - my labour was short, manageable and drug free and I ended up having our baby boy in the birthing pool within 90 minutes of arriving at hospital with my hypnobirthing tracks on repeat! I felt extremely proud of my body and delighted I got the birth I always wanted. Thank you Jo!

Richard Cooling

22/03/2021

Deciding to do this Wise Hippo course with Jo was by far the best thing we could have done to prepare for our baby to arrive. After a not so positive birth experience with our first son, it has really made us both not only feel completely confident and relaxed about this birth but also help us to understand and come to terms with our experience last time. The techniques that Jo has taught us have been so beneficial throughout the pregnancy and will no doubt be imperative during labour as well as being simple to master. Jo is so approachable and makes it known that she is always happy to answer any questions or give extra support if we need it! We did the sessions online and we could not fault them. We met some lovely people, learnt so much and came away feeling more prepared and relaxed about the birth after each session. We would recommend this course to anyone as a must! Thank you so much Jo!

Andy & Laura Madden

13/03/2021

I went to Joanna for two services, the Wise Hippo hypnobirthing course and the 3 step rewind therapy to recover and address from PND and PTSD. Both services were outstanding and I would recommend Joanna in a heartbeat. Some further info... Hypnobirthing - we had to do via zoom thanks to lockdown. I was dubious about doing it online, especially after a day of virtual work meetings. However, it was so informative, relaxed and calming, it felt like Joanna was with us in person. The information was invaluable and when mixed with Joannas midwifery expertise, her time and guidance is priceless. We've kept in touch with our fellow "hypnobirthers" which offers great support for like minded parents to be. 3 Step Rewind - again, sadly this was done over zoom but this method did not impact the therapy. I had been holding onto a past event with my first born for 4 years so I wasnt optimistic about 3 sessions changing my mind and addressing the issues. I couldn't be more wrong though! This truly works and is so powerful. Changing how your subconscious thinks really makes a difference. That dark feeling and thought that occupied my mind has done a 180 turn and I'm open minded and put the issue to rest. Joanna has such a kind nature, letting me take my time to explore the issue, offering support and a listening ear and then working her magic and skills to encourage me to think differently. I'd encourage anyone to give it a go. Joanna, you are a true angel, offering out of course advice and being a friendly person to turn to when in need. You have a heart of gold and I'm so glad you've steered me onto a positive pregnancy journey (with hopefully a positive birth, which I feel like I'm going to conquer). Thank you.

Katie Jardine

19/02/2021

My husband and I took part in Joanna's course before our daughter was born a couple of months ago. I had previously had a traumatic birth and was very worried about the birth this time round. The techniques we learnt set us up to have a relaxed and really positive experience and I was amazed at how much of a positive effect the sessions had. I thoroughly recommend this course to anyone giving birth - it helped so much!

The Wise Hippo Sussex Hypnobirthing

Bond with Baby (Babies) Workshop

Testimonials

Chrissie

Billie and Sam Worsey