A 5 or 6 week, in-person, evening antenatal course for couples (the expectant parent and whoever their birth partner will be). Suitable to attend anytime in pregnancy, but probably of most value after 26 weeks.

Why take the Empowered Birth Course?

Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy! Exciting times ahead for you!

I’m so glad you’ve landed on this webpage, as you are obviously looking for ways to get informed and prepared for birth. The Empowered Birth Course will give you the chance to do both of those things.

Antenatal courses come in all shapes and sizes, so it can be hard knowing which one is the right fit for you. If you are looking for a course which will give you a thorough understanding of the birth process and which will leave you feeling confident in your body’s ability to give birth, then you’re in the right place. As well as looking at labours which start spontaneously and do not need medical assistance, we also consider more complicated scenarios, such as induction of labour and Caesarean births.

The Empowered Birth Course utilises the KG Hypnobirthing method to learn the skills necessary to help both mum and baby enjoy a positive birth experience.

Download our FREE pdf “A quick guide to hypnobirthing” to get all the details of what the course includes, and to understand a bit more about what hypnobirthing is and why it is effective. Don’t be put off by the word hypnobirthing - this programme is based on science and evidence, not magic and mystery!

FAQs about the Empowered Birth Course

When to take the course?

It is a good idea to aim to finish your course between weeks 32 and 36, as this gives you time to keep practising the skills in the weeks prior to the birth, and also ensures you finish the course before your due window (weeks 37-42) starts.

Who’s it for?

Anyone who’s pregnant and their partner! If this is your first baby then you’ll probably benefit from doing the full six week course, so you get info about caring for your baby too. But this is definitely not a course only for first time parents - I’ve had 2nd, 3rd and even 4th timers along too, and they’ve all said that they learnt something new from it, and that it helped them feel better prepared for this birth than they had been previously.

How many people are in the group?

The group size ranges from three to eight couples, and is usually around four to six couples. Keeping the group size fairly small results in a more personalised course, and many people find it less daunting asking questions in front of fewer people.

Who’s the teacher?

Sarah qualified as a KG Hypnobirthing teacher in 2019, having already been providing antenatal education to local parents since 2005. So far, to date, she has helped over 1,300 couples prepare for their baby’s birth. Sarah has a wealth of experience of delivering courses which are really well designed to meet the needs of everyone in the group. Also, her experiences of supporting more than one hundred and twenty women in labour across Oxfordshire as a doula (birth companion) sets her apart from other hypnobirthing teachers in the area, as she can draw on those experiences in her teaching, and they give her a deep understanding of the wide range of birthing journeys that women undertake, as well as a thorough knowledge of our local maternity services.

Here’s what attendee Catherine thought of the course:

What people are saying about the Empowered Birth Course:

“Sarah was amazing and the hypnobirthing class I attended helped me immensely with my birth preparation for my first baby. It was both informative and a safe place to share our fears/concerns around birth. It was also an amazing way to meet new mums and dads on a similar journey to us! I think what I enjoyed most about the class was that it was very balanced, Sarah always gave us enough information to make our own decisions and feel confident in our understanding of different options and routes that births can take.” Seona O, first baby born April 2025

“I attended the hypnobirthing course with my husband where we learnt so much about the physiology and psychology of birth. The techniques we learnt in the classes were incredible, not only for the big day, but for building a connection with my baby whilst I was still pregnant. I felt so much more in control on the day my baby arrived and I definitely enjoyed parts of my labour. What was really special was how Sarah took the time to make sure that partners felt 100% empowered to be a part of the birthing experience too. It made for such a wonderful course and birth.” Tamsin Z-M, first baby born February 2025

“Your hypnobirthing course completely transformed my mindset about pregnancy and labour. As a natural worrier, planner, over-thinker and control freak, hypnobirthing helped me feel in control of my pregnancy and empowered about the birth of my baby.” Annie B, mum to Ollie born May 2023

“We completed Sarah’s hypnobirthing course in the hope of better preparing us for the birth “experience”. Although our birth did not go to “plan” we felt in total control throughout and every decision was made by us with confidence thanks to all we learned with Sarah. I am sure had we not completed her hypnobirthing course we would not have felt as in control / confident during our labour experience.” Lizzie T, mum to Max, born December 2022

“Your hypnobirthing course was the main reason we had the most amazing experience, even with a twist at the end, so got to thank you for so much! I wouldn’t have been able to keep calm without all your help.” Lucy H, mum to baby Felix born May 2020.

“The techniques learned on both your hypnobirthing course and breathing for labour sessions really helped keep me centred and gave me an anchor to return to whenever I started feeling overwhelmed by the speed and intensity of the surges.” Catherine W, mum to Florence, born May 2020.

“The thing about KG Hypnobirthing is that it works” - father

“Thanks so much for your valuable class; I had the most amazing birth, probably the best night of my life” - mother

“I have been present at KG Hypnobirthing births and seen how in control the women are, and how also the partners are a lot calmer and able to help, and what a difference it really does make to the start of parenthood for them” - midwife

To read more testimonials from recent class attendees, please click here.

To Book

If you would like to join a group course, please use the Book Now button to secure your place on the course of your choice.

If you would like to book a private course, please contact me on sarah@birthbabybalance.co.uk. Please let me know when your baby is due, which number baby this is (first, second etc) and where you live, and I will get back to you with some suggested dates, and we will go from there.

2026 Course Dates

KGH032 for early August-early October due dates: Five week course: Thursdays 28th May-25th June 7.00-9.30p.m. Spaces available

Optional bolt-on session to cover feeding and caring for your new baby: Thursday 9th July, 7.00-9.30p.m.

KGH033 for mid October-early December due dates: Five week course: Thursdays 13th August-10th September 7.00-9.30p.m. Spaces available

Optional bolt-on session to cover feeding and caring for your new baby: Thursday 17th September, 7.00-9.30p.m.

KGH034 for mid December-mid February due dates: Five week course: Thursdays 15th October-12th November 7.00-9.30p.m. Spaces available

Optional bolt-on session to cover feeding and caring for your new baby: Thursday 19th November 7.00-9.30p.m.

Investment

Group course:

Five week group course, including a copy of The Hypnobirthing Book by Katherine Graves, a folder of notes, and an audio download of scripts: £275.00 per couple.

Bolt-on session covering feeding and other postnatal topics: £50.00 per couple.

Private course:

Five week private course, including a copy of The Hypnobirthing Book by Katherine Graves, a folder of notes, and an audio download of scripts: £450.00 per couple. If you live outside of West Oxfordshire, there will be an additional travel cost if I am coming to you.

Bolt-on session covering feeding and looking after your baby: £100.00 per couple.

Venue

Classes are held at The Yoga Room, Balance Studios, Bridge Street Mill, Bridge Street, Witney, OX28 1YH.