Trust Your Body with Individual Support
From anxiety to more confidence:
A unique Body-Mind Approach for more trust in your body
When worry takes over, your body tenses up, making it harder to relax and trust the process. ‘Trust Your Body’ helps you break this cycle by reconnecting with your body in a safe, supportive space. Instead of relying solely on cognitive approaches, this program draws on neuroscientific research and body-based techniques like massage and somatic exercises.
Although you’re generally a confident and independent woman, now that you’re pregnant you might find yourself worried and insecure about giving birth. How can you prepare for something that you cannot plan? The way we view birth has a lot to do with our environment. Negative birth stories from friends or family are not helping to maintain a positive mindset. Pain and stiffness in your body might also inhibit the trust in your natural ability to give birth.
If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.
A relaxed body leads to a calm mind
Trust Your Body is a unique program leading to more confidence and more trust in your own body to give birth. The program focuses equally on the body and on the mind because giving birth is challenging on a mental and physical level (also read my blog Giving birth is mental). When we’re scared or anxious, the body responds. You might feel tension in your shoulders or tightness in your hips.
In the evenings you might feel restless and agitated, keeping yourself busy with endless lists. You struggle to relax and might have problems falling asleep. I want you to know that these are all normal responses from your nervous system (also read my blog the Biology of Stress) reacting to stress and constant worry.
The good news is that you can break the cycle of worrying and feeling anxious. Did you know that 80% of the information flows from our body up to our brain, while only 20% flow from the brain down to the body? In other words, we think after we feel.
Emotions
/ɪˈməʊʃn/
The word emotion stems from the Latin word emovere, meaning to move, move out or move through. Essentially, emotions are movements through our bodies. We feel emotions, we don’t think emotions.
Drawing upon my expert knowledge as somatic massage therapist and years of experience as a birth doula, I have developed this program to help you re-connect with yourself. If you find it difficult to connect with your body or struggle to feel its presence, that’s totally fine. Our sessions are designed to be exploratory, providing a safe space, free from judgment or pressure. In a world full of expectations, this is a space where you can simply be.
Connect with Your Body for a Confident Birth
From Anxiety to more Confidence
In this program we focus on strengthening the connection between your body and mind, so that you feel more trust towards yourself from within. This connection is key to building confidence and preparing for any challenge that comes your way. While we explore the link between thoughts, emotions, and the body, we always take the body as the starting point.
Individual Sessions
In five personalized sessions at my practice in Amsterdam, we will explore the ways your emotions manifest in your body. Using a combination of hands-on techniques like massage and movement, along with visualization and mindfulness practices, each session will be tailored to your unique needs. Sometimes we work on the massage table, and other times we may simply sit together, inviting you to listen to your body. This process helps you feel more at ease, grounded, and centered in both body and mind. When your body feels truly safe, it can relax and return to its natural balance.
Pain Management Strategies
In our sessions, we will explore personalized pain management strategies based on neuroscience to help you navigate contractions. By identifying your own triggers and glimmers—positive stimuli that promote calm and trust—you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how your nervous system responds to pain. This awareness helps you approach labor pain with more confidence, reducing stress and building resilience for a more positive birth experience.
Spinning Babies® | Parent Class
Including your partner is key, as their support is invaluable during labor. In our Spinning Babies® Parent Class of 3 hours you both will gain practical insights into birth anatomy. You’ll learn techniques and movements for more comfort in pregnancy and ease in birth. After this class you’ll receive an e-book, handouts and a checklist to rememeber your exercises 😉
Weekly Check-Ins
I know it can be challenging to stay on track amidst the distractions of daily life. A friendly reminder can work wonders. It can be tricky sometimes to create a new habit, to un-learn or re-learn something. That’s why this program includes weekly check-ins of 15 min (by phone or video call) to revisit key concepts, ask any questions, and keep you motivated as you prepare further for parenthood.
What other women have said
Program details and investment
Ideally you start with this program between 25-35 weeks of pregnancy. The in-person sessions take place in my practice in Amsterdam. In-between we will have weekly check-ins online and you will receive homework per email. Depending on my availability you can also start as late as 35 weeks. If you are further ahead in your pregnancy, contact me for the possibilities.
Trust Your Body
A unique Body-Mind approach for more confidence around birth.
€ 750
Installment Plan
You can also chose to pay in three installments of €265.
Plus an additional €25, administration fee.
(one-time only)
My background
I am an accredited somatic massage therapist specialized in shame and guilt. I am also an expert in pregnancy, birth, and (early) parenthood, with years of experience as a birth doula, childbirth educator, and Spinning Babies® Certified Parent Educator, all using a physiological approach to childbirth. As a member of VBAG, RBCZ, and NbvD, I adhere to high-quality standards and continuous education requirements. Depending on your health insurance package, my sessions may be partially reimbursed. Originally from Germany, I gave birth to my two children in the Netherlands as an expat – once in the hospital and once at home. I experienced first-hand what it’s like to navigate the system as a foreigner. Read more.
Plan a free 30 min call to see if we click!
How this program helps you feel ready
Preparing for birth is about more than just knowing what to expect. It’s about feeling confident, connected, and ready for whatever comes your way. By the end of this program, you will :
- Approach birth and parenthood with more calm and confidence.
- Understand how your thoughts, emotions, and body work together, helping you feel empowered.
- Experience more freedom to move, both physically and mentally, so you see opportunities instead of obstacles.
- Know which movements and positions help ease tension, discomfort, and pain.
- Feel more connected to your body and baby, building trust in your ability to give birth.
These insights will benefit you not only during birth, but also in your role as a new mother once your baby is born.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ideally you start this program between week 25 and 35 of pregnancy. Depending on the start date, the sessions take place either weekly or bi-weekly in my practice in Amsterdam. The individual sessions are only with the pregnant mother present. The Spinning Babies Parent Class is for both parents together.
Yes, absolutely! It’s completely normal to feel scared or nervous about birth, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with anxiety. The program is designed for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the unknowns of birth. It’s a space to explore your feelings, get to know your nervous system, and build confidence in your body’s ability to handle the experience.
Birth is a big transition, and it’s okay to feel unsure about it. The tools in the program can help you reconnect with your body, find more ease, and feel more prepared, no matter where you’re starting from.
EMDR and psychotherapy are great tools for addressing emotional challenges and trauma. This program is different because it is based on massage therapy and other body-oriented somatic practices. While traditional talk therapy is more cognitive, somatic therapy addresses how stress, fear and trauma are stored in the body.
Birth is a deeply physical experience, and our nervous system plays a key role in how we respond to it. Our bodies respond to how we feel without us being fully aware of it. In this program, we focus on connecting with our body, using simple, practical techniques to become more aware of our physical sensations. This way we can release tension, regulate our nervous system, and bring a sense of trust in your body’s ability to give birth.
This isn’t about talking through your feelings (though that’s important, too), but about shifting your focus to the wisdom of our body, helping you feel more grounded, empowered, and more confident.
Yes and no! Yes, because you will feel more confident and calm about the upcoming birth. And no, because the program is mostly individual. The saying goes “It takes a village to raise a child” and therefore I highly recommend taking a childbirth education class to meet other expecting parents. Especially in a city it’s easy to feel isolated. Building your village is a great way to connect with others, share experiences and ask questions.
Yes, I do offer birth support as a doula. I provide continuous emotional, physical, and informational support throughout your labor and birth. I help you stay relaxed, guide you through different positions, and offer comfort measures like massage. Read more about that here.
Empowering Mothers, Not Just Births
Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers – strong, competent, capable
mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.
-Barbara Katz Rothman-