There is so little quality support and education out there for free. The NHS Antenatal Classes are useful, and I always recommend accessing every free option you can when it comes to antenatal classes. But NHS Antenatal classes often push a medical agenda, and continue the myth that there is no point in creating a birth plan because birth is unplannable - this is fundamentally untrue.

I came into this business after a difficult birth experience with my first, and wanted to find a different way for any future babies I had. I did the NHS antenatal classes in person and felt like I didn't get any new information. Similarly, I did NCT antenatal classes and left feeling the same - and I didn't even get a support network as there was nobody on the same wavelength as me!

Before getting pregnant with my second baby, I discovered how amazing it is to combine hypnobirthing and body mechanics science. Safe to say, my second birth experience was a world away from my first – and one I still smile about now, 8 years on! And what I didn't anticipate is how much better my postnatal and parenting experience was, because I'd had a birth where I felt in control.

What I learned is that when you do proper research ahead of time and put together a properly informed birth plan, when you understand the birth process and how to work with your body, when you have a whole bunch of tricks up your sleeve for coping with labour sensations…you can turn any birth journey into a positive one.

While there aspects of birth you cannot control, there is a whole host of elements you CAN control - and it just involves a little effort, planning and a lot of knowledge.