Transferable Tools for Life Beyond Your Birthing Journey
Giving birth is one of life’s greatest gifts and welcoming your little bundle of joy into the world can invite a sea of serenity. Here at The Wise Hippo, we go beyond preparing you just for ‘the right birth on the day’ — our care continues through to postpartum life and The Wise Hippo Birthing Programme equips you with transferable tools that can be used in your everyday life.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s included with The Wise Hippo Birthing Programme and how each of these tools can be integrated into life beyond birth.
Cloak of Protection
The Cloak of Protection MP3 invites you to become more aware of your inner strengths, confidence and skills. A technique that is designed to reduce the emotional effects of negative people and situations and transcend fear into faith. You’ll feel empowered in any circumstance knowing that your ‘cloak of protection’ can protect you from any negativity that comes your way. Whether this is through the form of people, situations or thoughts — the Cloak of Protection has got your back (quite literally).
We all face forms of negativity in our daily lives and having a tool that can help you and your family move through this with ease can be truly healing and empowering. Move forward with faith in knowing that you have what it takes to acknowledge a situation for what it is and transcend through it, coming out the other side feeling protected and empowered. If you have school age children then the cloak of protection is a great tool for any negative comments in the playground or any negative media/news reports they come in contact with.
Positive Affirmations
Affirmations are slowly but surely becoming more popular in today’s society. From positive birthing affirmations to manifestation affirmations, these powerful statements can create huge shifts in your mindset and greatly impact how you live.
Becoming aware of your thoughts and replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations is extremely powerful and can be the recipe for changing an ‘off day’ into a great one. They cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life and provide you with tools to enhance mindfulness.
Why not give it a go for yourself? Recite the following positive affirmations throughout your day and pay close attention to how your emotions change. Enhance this practice by saying each affirmation out loud to yourself in the mirror to harness loving, healing energy.
“I am present with my children.”
“I am good enough in all that I do.”
“I approach parenthood with a curious and open mind.”
Relax with Nature
Connecting with Mother Nature after birth can be one of the most simplistic, joyful experiences for both you and your baby. The Wise Hippo Birthing Programme comes with an array of relaxation MP3’s including ‘Cove of Confidence’ and ‘Sea of Serenity’ both of which encourage relaxation of the mind and body. Working with colour and nature, both of these are proven to promote emotional positivity.
Getting outside when you can with your little one and appreciating the little things in life can have a huge positive impact on you and your baby's mood. Uplifting your energy and receiving a breath of fresh air can make a world of difference to your day. Become nurtured in nature and if for any reason you can’t go out, close your eyes for a few minutes and enjoy your special place in nature as a sure way to improve any negative feelings or moods.
Bond & Breathe
During the birth process, huge changes occur both inside and outside. Devoting time to bonding with these changes and loving your new body is vital to moving forward with love and clarity. Our breath is what guides us through life.
Every inhale invites us to breathe in the goodness that life has to offer and with every exhale we can release that which no longer serves us. Focusing on the natural rhythm of the breath invites us to arrive in the present moment and savour each second with ourselves and our family. Bond and breathe is a useful technique for calming the mind and promoting comfort in the body.
Enhance your parenting skills by experiencing patience, calmness and waves of relaxation when you remember to 5,4,3,2,1 relax…
This tool is extremely powerful during birth but can also be carried through into real-life situations that you face daily. Some examples that those who have completed the Wise Hippo Birthing programme include:
Easing dentist anxiety, relaxing before surgery, melting driving anxiety, relaxing for a mammogram & smear test,promoting relaxation for medical appointments,blood tests, job interviews, public speaking or important meetings.
Wise Hippo parents and teachers with older children have passed on these tools and techniques to help with any childhood anxieties that may have arisen during lockdown and covid times.
The Wise Hippo knowledge doesn’t just end as soon as you give birth. We are a life-long support system that you can return to at any time throughout your life and even share with your children as they grow and evolve.
Integrating The Wise Hippo tools & techniques into your daily life
Sometimes life gets in the way and we are faced with obstacles that can create stress, fear and even tears. Situations may arise where you become stressed and can quickly lose your temper or focus and react without being mindful. The Wise Hippo techniques educate you with all the wisdom you need to take control of your emotions and choose to respond from a place of peace and love — no matter what life throws at you. From breathing techniques to relaxation practices, you’ll become equipped with all you need to regain your calm and restore control even in the most challenging situations.
Remember, your child has learnt how to relax too
The wise hippo tools are not just tools for birth - they are tools for life! The Wise Hippo music that you listened to whilst pregnant has anchored feelings of relaxation for both you and your child. Parents often report back to us that the music has helped calm their children and for many has become their bedtime buddy. Remember how much your baby enjoyed the feeling of relaxation when you put your feet up and practised relaxing.
Using The Wise Hippo tools for life:
- Reach a better night's sleep with The Wise Hippo relaxation tracks
- Thought exchanges to change your day around
- Arrive in the present moment by paying attention to the breath
- Visualise your perfect day or situation
- Guided meditations to restore clarity
- Centre yourself and regain a sense of calm with your breath
Here’s what some of our Wise parents have said about their Wise Hippo techniques
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1 relax with eyes open for public speaking”
“Always dentist! Getting to sleep. Thought exchange for little unnecessary worries. Dealing with challenging toddlers”
“Breathing techniques for tattoos, dentist, surgery and radiotherapy”
“The dentist when I had an implant, they both commented on how calm I was and consequently the procedure went so much more smoothly”
“I use my breathing techniques whenever I’m having a blood test”
“Oh, parenting in general! A few waves of relaxation when the going gets tough stopped me from reaching for the gin of an afternoon in lockdown. I also always pop my cloak of protection on”
“I find it hard to get back to sleep sometimes so I use my countdown to my relaxing place and then I’m at the beach and before I know it, I’ve gone to sleep”
“Paying attention to my breath and slowing it down. Working on my thought patterns and thought exchanges. Anchoring through uplifting music and my favourite songs, burning incense, visualising my cloak of protection, being protected and blessed”
‘I always play the Wise Hippo music when my baby needs soothing. It never takes long for him to calm down and go to sleep…it is totally his anchor…and my sanity! Here is a video of us both continuing to relax together’ ~ Beckie
Giving birth can be a life-changing experience and it will take a lot from you physically, emotionally and mentally. You are the main support for your new baby so filling up your cup is key to taking care of both of you. The Wise Hippo birthing tools can help you integrate these qualities into your daily life and handle anything that life throws your way.
As part of the Wise Hippo community you are equipped with all you need to live each day to the fullest.
With Love
The Wise Hippo