Two Births, One Powerful Practice: Yoga And My Positive Birth Experiences

How Yoga Helped Me Have Two Positive Birth Experiences

When people hear that I had one assisted birth with forceps and episiotomy and another long labor followed by a midwife-led epidural birth, they often assume the experiences were traumatic. But what they don’t always expect is what I say next:

Both of my births were magical, empowering, and deeply positive.

Not because they went perfectly “to plan” (what birth ever does?), but because I felt confident, calm, informed, and connected to my body, my breath, and my baby.

And that’s what I want for every woman I teach.

Yoga Was My Anchor During Pregnancy and Birth

Throughout both pregnancies, my prenatal yoga practice became my daily sanctuary; a space to move with intention, breathe deeply, and prepare for the marathon of birth and the transformation of motherhood.

It wasn’t just about the postures (though those helped ease back pain and keep my body strong and open). It was the inner tools I was building; resilience, focus, surrender, trust.

Yoga taught me to stay present in intensity.

To breathe through discomfort.

To soften when my instinct was to resist.

To listen inward.

These weren’t just practices on the mat. They became the very tools that carried me through labor, birth, and beyond.

Birth One: A Long Road, A Powerful Ending

My first labor was long. I had prepared with yoga, hypnobirthing, and antenatal education, but it still tested me deeply. After hours of steady progress, we ended up needing assistance. I had a forceps delivery and an episiotomy.

And still, I felt powerful.

I knew what was happening, and I felt part of it, rather than it was happening to me.

Because I’d prepared, not just physically but mentally and emotionally, I could meet each moment with calm clarity.

Even with an epidural, I used my breath. I visualised my baby coming closer with each contraction.

I stayed connected. And when I finally held my baby, I felt nothing but joy, strength, and deep pride. This was the positive birth experience I was hoping for.

Birth Two: Riding the Waves with Breath and Trust

My second labor was also long, but unfolded more gently. Again, I chose an epidural when I needed rest, and this time, with just my breath and body’s own rhythm, I breathed my baby out.

No pushing. No urgency. Just flow.

The midwife looked at me with awe as my body did what it had been quietly preparing to do for months. It felt like magic and yet, I knew it was the power of practice.

Breath. Trust. Yoga. Knowledge.

This is exactly what I teach my students: how to breathe through surges, move with purpose and trust the process, so they can meet their baby with calm, confidence and a positive birth experience.

It’s Not About the Kind of Birth—It’s About How You Feel

I don’t believe there’s one “right” way to give birth.

I believe the most powerful thing you can do is prepare:

💛 Prepare your body so it feels strong, mobile, and supported

💛 Prepare your mind so it feels calm and adaptable

💛 Prepare with knowledge so you understand your choices

💛 Prepare to trust yourself no matter how the journey unfolds

That’s the heart of what I teach in my prenatal yoga classes.

Real Birth Preparation Through Yoga

Birth is a powerful journey and with the right preparation, you can meet it with strength and confidence.

Whether your birth is long or short, with or without interventions, surrounded by doctors or midwives, what matters most is how you feel about it.

And when you feel calm, confident, and informed, you’ll move through it with power.

What You’ll Learn in My Prenatal Yoga and Birth Prep Classes

💛 How to breathe through contractions and stay centred

💛 How to practice positions that help baby move down

💛 How to understand the birth process and feel in control

💛 How to build trust in your body, even if birth takes unexpected turns

Whether you’re planning a home birth, hospital birth, or anything in between, I’ll help you feel strong, supported, and ready.

✨ Join me here—let’s get you ready to meet your baby.

With love,

Sarah x

Yoga Instructor, Mama of Two, Believer in the Power of Preparation