ABOUT

Hi, I’m Rachel, founder of Barefoot Birthing.

I met my husband Luke at Loughborough Uni, and we are parents to our inquisitive & theatrical daughter Abby (born April 2017) and energetic & cuddle-monster son Ellis (born Oct 2018). My pronouns are she/her.

As well as all things birth, I’m a lover of decaf lattes, dance music, Grey’s Anatomy, a tv murder mystery, my slow-growing art collection, any film with Leonardo DiCaprio, and cacao and essential oils which are part of my daily self-care.

Although I prepared well for the birth of my daughter, and was relaxed and excited in the lead up to labour, it was only after her birth did I truly appreciate how powerful, unique, and life-changing birth is. It made me a stronger person for sure, and a fire inside me had been ignited.

My passion for all things birth continued to grow and I chose to plan a homebirth for my second baby – which is still one of the best decisions I have ever made. After catching my son, and another empowering (albeit intense) birth, I knew I wanted to be part of a change for better births for everyone.

Training Qualifications

  • Hypnobirthing Practitioner, KG Hypnobirthing (Royal College of Midwives accredited)
  • Teacher Affiliation, The Mindful Birth Group
  • Birth & Postnatal Doula, Developing Doulas
  • Biomechanics for birth, Optimal Birth
  • Advanced Biomechanics for birth, Optimal Birth
  • LGBTQ+ Competency Training, The Queer Birth Company
  • Trauma Informed Hypnobirthing, Simply Natal
  • Three Step Trauma Rewind
  • BSc Social Psychology

I feel privileged to have had two positive birth experiences, but am all too saddened to know that I am in the minority, and this has to change.

Although sharing Hypnobirthing with my friends was special, I had the itch to learn more and give more. It was my husband who encouraged me to take the leap, and when my son was only weeks old I signed up to the K G Hypnobirthing Practitioner Course – at the time the only course in the country accredited by the Royal College of Midwives. April 2019 saw the ‘birth’ of Barefoot Birthing and I haven’t look back since!

In early 2021 I became a Mindful Birth Group teacher, and now offer the Mindful Natal course packages. I truly believe in the power of simple mindfulness tools combined with the incredibly effective Hypnobirthing theory and techniques, providing an all-eventualities birth education.

In late 2021 I did my Doula training and have been supporting families in the birth space and postnatally ever since.

I understand parents-to-be want to feel more prepared, calm, reassured and even excited for labour and birth. My experience, knowledge, and skills do just this. Whether it be a course or my doula support, I am someone who is there for you, and will walk with you on your unique journey.

ABOUT HYPNOBIRTHING

What is this strange term Hypnobirthing?

The name does not really reflect all that Hypnobirthing is, it’s so much more than it sounds. (Also to get it out the way, there is no stage hypnosis – no waving pocket watches or pretending to be a chicken.) Hypnobirthing is a full antenatal education that is logical, practical, and evidence based. It is designed around:

  • Knowledge is power – know your body, know your options, be the leader of your birth experience
  • Birth is a natural event – understand your hormones, how to support labour, also important if having an abdominal birth
  • Birth is not a medical event – but sometimes it needs medical support so being prepared for all scenarios is helpful
  • The mind is powerful – where the mind leads the body follows, so it’s beneficial to calm the mind before anything else
  • Hypnobirthing is for ALL births – waterbirth, induction, abdominal birth, and everything in-between

Hypnobirthing is a collection of simple, informative, and relaxation tools that when combined put you in control for labour and birth – not just about feeling relaxed, but understanding your body and making informed decisions. Learning and practising Hypnobirthing during pregnancy and birth means you are more likely to have:

  • A natural (physiological) birth
  • Less medical pain relief, and experience fewer medical interventions
  • A calm and supportive environment for all birth types (physiological and abdominal)
  • A birth partner who can support at every stage of pregnancy and birth
  • A quicker recovery after birth, and feel prepared for life with a newborn

Parent’s Words

My partner and I attended an online hypnobirthing class in June 2021 with Barefoot Birthing and it was without doubt the best thing we did to prepare for the birth of our baby.We found the course very beneficial and gave us the confidence to make informed choices about all aspects of the birth, including birth plans, pain relief, interventions etc. The breathing and visualisation techniques taught by Rachel helped me to stay relaxed and manage discomfort throughout my labour and enabled my partner to support me throughout.The materials used during the course and those sent to us were very helpful and understanding some of the science and statistics behind birth made us feel more confident in making decisions relating to the birth. We particularly liked using the affirmations and the partner cards!We would absolutely recommend Barefoot Birthing to any expectant parents. Rachel, we cannot thank you enough for your help in bringing our baby into the world!

Charlotte

ABOUT MINDFUL BIRTH

Mindfulness is powerful for birth and parenthood.

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present & aware of where we are and what we’re doing.

It stops us from feeling overwhelmed or anxious by what’s going on around us. In order to practice mindfulness for such a big and unpredictable event in our lives such as birthing a baby, it is important to be educated on the process, along with our birth partners, and understand how we can navigate any unexpected turns. Only then, when we are fully prepared, can we truly practice mindfulness and enjoy the journey.

The Mindful Birth Group Course® syllabus that I teach brings these two concepts (Hypnobirthing & Mindfulness) together to prepare parents by focusing on the mind-body connection, helping you to focus on what is in your control, and let go of what is out of your control.

This concept can apply to every single birthing scenario, from home water birth to planned or unplanned abdominal birth, and everything in between. Parents who take Mindful Birth courses feel prepared to meet their baby and go on to begin parenthood feeling good about the choices they made in preparation for and during the birth.

Parent’s Words

Rachel gave me the confidence, knowledge and support to prepare and plan for the birth I wanted. I can’t recommend her enough. My birth of our daughter was beautiful, powerful and positive. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without Rachel. My husband was a little sceptical when I mentioned hypno birthing, but he is so pleased we worked with Rachel and learnt so much, especially about how to support me during labour.Thank you Rachel- you are amazing at your job!

Billie

From the Barefoot Instagram feed