Rebecca Mar Young and Naomi Abeshouse Benko are both incredibly passionate about improving birth for women. We believe that this starts during pregnancy, blossoms during birth and then support is dearly needed postnataly. That is why we initially created the Red Tent Health Centre in 2009, so we could treat and support women throughout this crucial time, and this is also why we’ve gone on to create Acubirth, so that women everywhere may experience the benefits of Chinese medicine.
Regardless of the numbers, each client brings in the miracle of life in their bellies and I can’t help but get excited by it.
Pregnancy is such a powerful time in a woman’s life. An incredible life change on so many levels. In some ways, it feels like whilst you are supporting her to have a more comfortable pregnancy, it allows her the freedom to embrace the changes and face the future with more ease. To me, it seems natural that this should have a large impact on how she adapts physically and mentally as a mother, and helps ease the way for that new little life to come through.
“I get so frustrated knowing we have these simple remedies at our fingertips that can enable women to have a healthier and comfortable pregnancy and birth, and that they so often miss out on the opportunity to reach their optimal potential.”
As a result, both the mothers and bubs face many unnecessary struggles. We have helped countless mothers avoid a medical induction. By avoiding this intervention, I believe with our treatments we have allowed many women to have natural vaginal births, and in doing so supporting better breastfeeding and attachment, and avoid post-natal complications.
“It was when I was practicing in birth support that I started to realise that these miraculous techniques were more than random one-offs.”
They are really effective, consistent and reliable. I repeatedly witnessed first hand how a few minutes of acupressure could turn births around. I saw babies jumping up in the bellies and turning out of back labour. I saw nausea and vomiting stop the minute it started. I saw women calm within seconds from a state of terror.
It was when I was walking down the corridors in the labour ward hearing other women scream in pain and fear, I knew that I had to find a way to reach them. Of course, you presented as the obvious bridge. This was even more obvious as many of the midwives would pique in curiosity to see what had turned around what they had written off as a difficult, long birth or an inevitable C-section.
Whilst its so rewarding working individually with our clients, it just felt so wrong that most women would never be able to receive the benefits.
Acupuncture is expensive and usually limited to upper to middle class women with private health insurance. Many women also are never informed of its benefits, so unless they are told by a friend, midwife, doula or childbirth educator, they miss out.
I taught a few classes to doulas, and had some great results and taught the techniques to some couples coming through the clinic. However, when I joined forces with Rebecca, she was running more group courses for couples and so our passion for teaching blossomed. It was so inspiring seeing the eagerness of the couples, and how it boosted their confidence going into birth. We continued to get fabulous feedback.
Rebecca and I talked about our frustrations with mothers having such limited access to these techniques and started tackling ways to make them more available.
We started running courses for midwives and doulas with great success and became inspired to make the reach of our courses further – so online was the obvious solution.
I am so grateful that the midwives and doulas we have encountered are so open and receptive to learning what we have to share. It’s moving to find a bunch of professionals who most genuinely care about the needs of their clients. It is deeply rewarding to join forces with you to better our health care for birthing mums.
In the lead up to my second birth I felt far more prepared as I’d already given birth to my first! I’d gone to private birth prep classes, I’d taught my hubby and my sister how to use acupressure, I’d treated hundreds if not thousands of pregnant women myself, I’d read articles, done my meditations, listened to many positive stories – but I have to say…
When it came down to it, there was that shadow of doubt within me. Would I be able to give birth naturally without drugs? Would I be able to have the birth I had dreamed of?
So even though I had a lot of experience through my work, and I’d given birth once before, it didn’t make me immune to the fears and struggles of birth.
I was more than a week overdue and I continued with acupressure and acupuncture treatments whilst remaining in close contact with my midwife. I desperately wanted to avoid a medical induction. I wanted my natural love hormones to power the birth of this baby, not some drip. I had gone into labour naturally with my daughter at eight days over, so where was my baby boy? I was having pre-labour on and off for days and days. Eventually, It was Naomi with her awesome acupuncture that got me into established labour – amazing stuff – and something that I would highly recommend if acupressure isn’t strong enough, because sometimes it isn’t.
During the birth, I didn’t want my hubby or my sister to leave my side for even a moment as they were using acupressure to help me through every contraction. It felt amazingly soothing, calming and was an incredible support.
Best of all, it helped me to manage the pain and to connect with my body and to let go.
It was an experience I will never forget. Six hours later, out came my baby boy. I was one very happy and ecstatic mummy on an Oxytocin high. I had done it. I had given birth naturally without drugs and it felt incredible. He was alert from day one, and continued to be a calm, relaxed and happy baby.
Going through birth was a turning point for me. It made me realize how important these acupressure techniques are and how unfair it is that so many couples don’t have access to them.
Although I had taught couples acupressure for birth prior to my own experiences, I had a completely new perspective after experiencing birth myself. Many past participants mentioned that they didn’t think they would have made it through the birth without acupressure, and after my birth experiences, I completely agree! Without it, I just could not have coped.
I feel incredibly privileged to work with pregnant women, to help them through their ups and downs in the lead up to their birth.
I love it when they’ve had no idea how effective these natural remedies can be. Once they have experienced the wonderful changes, they’re all excited and keen to integrate Chinese medicine into their life for ever more, with not only themselves but with their new bubbas and family.
Going through birth myself has entrenched a strong compassion within me for all mums and mums-to-be. And this is the driving force behind my desire to teach midwives and birth workers.
Both Naomi and myself have been inspired by our different journeys and have a burning passion to pass on our skills to you, the midwives and doulas on the front line. We want to teach you all the eastern techniques you need to build confidence in your women, allowing them to feel their inner power and authority and to trust it. This way their pregnancy will be more enjoyable, their birth more joyous and motherhood a smoother ride.
Our warmest wishes,
Rebecca and Naomi
