Are you looking for support to find the inner resources you need to become a powerful parent? Counselling during pregnancy can bring to consciousness and heal patterns that may affect your birth and parenting experiences.
Birth-Edu11.jpg

Pregnancy Counselling

Pregnancy and birth involve profound physical and emotional changes. Joyous expectations can combine with confusing and ambivalent feelings, often raising fears about your ability to face the challenges of pregnancy, birth and parenting as well as issues about life and death.

Discover what to expect and how to deal with the strong, often painful physicality of birth. Explore breathing awareness, positions, movement, sound release, visualisation and support strategies to learn how to release and yield to body sensation. Understand psychological and relationship patterns which may affect birth dynamics.

Book Now

Birth Debriefing

Our counsellors bring  their extensive experience to a unique process of supporting couples following birth. Birth Debriefing is a valuable tool for couples who have already experienced birth and need to understand and make sense of their previous experience in order to let it go, learn from it and possibly prepare for a subsequent baby. Anyone can benefit from birth debriefing but it is highly recommended for couples who have experienced a difficult birth or for whom grief or fear from their birth experience lingers, or if you have experienced a late term miscarriage or stillbirth.

Book Now

Birth Support

Understanding your own needs and expectations leads to wise choices for a satisfying birth experience. Explore your options for pregnancy care and birth. Understand the implications of birth place choices (hospital, birth centre, home birth) as well as understanding the role of obstetric, midwifery, independent midwifery and birth attendant care.

Once the initial pregnancy celebrations are over, most couples are confronted with unfamiliar territory and many choices in planning the arrival of their baby:

  • Which Model of Care will you choose?
  • Will you opt for a Private or Public Hospital, or perhaps a Birth Centre or Home Birth?
  • What are your options for pain relief?… and so much more! Perhaps you feel that you need more information about the birth process in addition to what your hospital classes offer.

Book Now

Birth Choices Consultations will:

  • provide you with the information you need to choose the model of care that best suits you; and
  • increase your understanding of, and confidence in, the birthing process.

Read more about our birth attendant and birth educators.

Get the care you deserve and book a pregnancy counselling session at Fertile Ground

Our pregnancy counselling team offer a safe space and supportive environment where you can express your fears, worries and concerns. Our practitioners will work with you every step of the way to ensure you’re equipped with the mental and emotional skills needed to enjoy this new chapter.

Prioritise your health and wellbeing and book your pregnancy counselling session at Fertile Ground today. With a team of experienced professionals well-versed in postnatal depression and infertility counselling, we can teach you the necessary strategies to cope with your journey to parenthood.

FAQs

What can I expect from counselling during prenatal visits?

Counselling during pregnancy can provide you with emotional guidance, as pregnancy and birth involve profound physical and emotional changes.

Joyous expectations can combine with confusing and ambivalent feelings, often raising fears about your ability to face the challenges of pregnancy, birth and parenting as well as issues about life and death.

When you visit Fertile Ground, you can expect us to listen to your concerns, understand your needs, and provide solutions that will help you properly manage the highs and lows of pregnancy and childbirth. Discover what to expect and how to deal with the strong, often painful physicality of birth. Explore breathing awareness, positions, movement, sound release, visualisation and support strategies to learn how to release and yield to body sensation. Understand psychological and relationship patterns which may affect birth dynamics.

Our team will support you on this challenging yet magical journey, ensuring you have the resources, information, techniques and education to become the best parents.

Why is prenatal counselling important?

Whether you’re anxious about childbirth, battling with rapid bodily changes, or struggling to deal with the ups and downs of your bump journey, pregnancy counselling can manage your expectations and provide you with helpful guidance and assistance — so you can mentally and physically prepare to welcome your precious child. With fluctuations in hormones and many unexpected triggers, we will help you identify the root cause of your fears and concerns and provide practical solutions to support your mental health and wellbeing.

What are my birth choices? Do I need a birth plan?

Prenatal counselling also guides you through critical considerations as you prepare for your birth, helping you to understand your own needs and expectations and create a birth plan that aligns with your values so that you are empowered in your birth experience. Our counsellors help you to:

  • Explore your options for pregnancy care and birth.
  • Understand the implications of birth place choices (hospital, birth centre, home birth).
  • Understand the role of obstetric, midwifery, independent midwifery and birth attendant care.
  • Explore which Model of Care you will choose (eg Private or Public Hospital, or perhaps a Birth Centre or Home Birth?)
  • Understand your options for pain relief
  • Design your birth circuit
  • … and so much more!

What questions should I ask my prenatal counsellor?

Once you’ve booked your pregnancy counselling session at Fertile Ground, we’ll welcome you into an open, understanding and safe environment where you can express your concerns and ask any questions that come to mind. Our team will work with you to provide practical, informative solutions and manage expectations about the challenges you may face — so you can be prepared for anything that comes your way.

What is Birth Debriefing?

Our counsellors bring their extensive experience to a unique process of supporting parents following birth. Birth Debriefing is a valuable tool for people who have already experienced birth and need to understand and make sense of their previous experience in order to let it go, learn from it and possibly prepare for a subsequent baby. Anyone can benefit from birth debriefing but it is highly recommended for people who have experienced a difficult birth or for whom grief or fear from their birth experience lingers (for example, if you have experienced a late term miscarriage or stillbirth).

Who makes up the pregnancy counselling team?

At Fertile Ground, we offer counselling during pregnancy so you can prepare for your growing families. Our team comprises various compassionate professionals with years of training, knowledge, experience and industry expertise.

What advice should be given to a pregnant woman?

This will depend on the areas you want to discuss with our amazing counsellors. Importantly, your experience is unique to you and your counsellor will support your individual needs. They can provide you with support and emotional guidance around childbirth, the highs and lows of pregnancy and any other concerns you may have – related to your pregnancy or any aspect of life’s challenges you are facing now. . 

What is the importance of prenatal counselling?

Pregnancy can be an exciting time for many expectant mothers but can also be full of emotion and uncertainty. It is a time where many seek support from a professional pregnancy counsellor who understands the unique needs of pregnant women and people. Pregnancy counselling can also help you prepare for the physical and emotional demands of childbirth and equip you with the right support strategies to help you feel empowered and ready for the transition to motherhood.

How much does it cost to get pregnancy counselling?

Our pregnancy counselling is available at $190 + GST for a 60-minute session. Longer sessions are available if wanted – please call to book these. We also offer a free 10-minute introductory session.

Read more about our counsellors:

  • Rhea Dempsey – Available on the first Tuesday of every month for Birth Debriefing consultation.
  • Suzanne Hurley – Available Tuesday In-person and Wednesday and Friday by Telehealth

Read more about our birth attendants / doulas:

  • Fiona Harrison – Available Monday, Wednesday and Friday via Telehealth and In-person for massage and birth education / preparation consultations.
  • We are very fortunate to have the renowned Rhea Dempsey providing counselling, birth debriefing and birth preparation services at FGHG. Rhea has over 40 years experience supporting couples in labour and attending over 1000 births making her one of the premier experts in the field of birth in Australia. Her books “Birth with confidence: Savvy choices for normal birth” and “Beyond The Birth Plan” are a must read for every pregnant woman and her support team.

Book Now