About

Having a baby is one of the most transformative experiences in a person’s life. Learning mindfulness during your pregnancy — that is the awareness that comes from learning to pay attention in the present moment on purpose and non-judgmentally — can help you immensely during the birth process. Whatever your intention around the use or non-use of pain medication during childbirth, Mindfulness-Based Childbirth & Parenting (MBCP) provides skills for the mind and body to support you and your partner as YOUR birth unfolds, moment by moment. By learning and practicing mindfulness during your pregnancy,  you will learn how to engage the mind to work with pain and fear and how to strengthen skills for managing stress in pregnancy, parenting and daily life.  By the end of this course, you will understand the mind/body connection of birth and how to optimize it by influencing your internal and external environment where possible and letting go when necessary.

Mindfulness Based Childbirth & Parenting (MBCP) was founded by midwife and mindfulness teacher Nancy Bardacke in 1998 and is an evidence-based adaptation of the well-researched Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR) created by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. For more information about the history of MBCP, the current research, and Nancy Barnacke, visit www.mindfulbirthing.org, check out Nancy’s award-winning book Mindful Birthing: Training the Mind, Body, and Heart for Childbirth and Beyond or watch this video of Nancy talking about MBCP in 2014.

During the nine-week MBCP course, you will learn to:

• Access deep physical and mental relaxation
• Engage the mind to work with pain during labor
• Increase confidence and courage for the experience of labor and delivery
• Practice prenatal yoga for strength and flexibility
• Develop skills for managing stress in pregnancy, parenting and daily life
• Enhance partner communication skills
• Become more aware of our own approach to parenting

Mind in Labor Weekend-An alternative to the 9-week course, the Mind in Labor weekend workshop condenses the essential MBCP teaching into a few days. During the workshop,  you will:

  • Practice mindfulness and its applications for working with pain and fear during labor
  • Understand the mind/body connection in childbirth and how mindful awareness can be a critical element in facilitating the birth process
  • Experience using the breath as an anchor to the present moment for maintaining the optimal physiology for childbirth
  • Tap into inner reservoirs of strength, confidence and courage
  • Learn how to be fully present to give comfort and support as a birth partner
  • Begin or deepen an understanding of the power of mindfulness—moment-to-moment awareness—for the challenges of birthing and parenting

*Thank you to Nancy Bardacke and her website http://www.mindfulbirthing.org for the description of MBCP and MIL*