As a mother of two, Abbie Ing understands firsthand the importance of childbirth experiences. Her own two very different journeys into motherhood made her realize that women were not being told the whole truth about birth. It ignited a fire within her to rewrite the narrative and provide the honest, compassionate, and empowering education she wished she had received during her pregnancy. With her guidance, you will find your inner strength to reclaim your birth in a meaningful and transformative way that embraces your autonomy and agency. At every step of your journey, you’ll be equipped with knowledge, tools and unwavering support. Here Abbie talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind it Empowered birththe challenges she has overcome along the way and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to create your business?
I had two very different birth experiences – my first was long, medicated and traumatic and left me with PTSD and postnatal depression. My second was at home and incredibly positive and empowering. But I discovered that what they both had in common was that I wasn’t told the truth about what birth was and that I felt like I wasn’t ‘trusted’ with the knowledge of what was going to happen to my body. There was a lot of “Well, you don’t need to know that,” and it made women feel like they had failed in some way. Either we are told that our bodies are dangerous and unsafe and that the baby should come out as soon as possible, or that labor should be orgasmic and painless. Both are unhelpful and simply not true! Life and birth exist in gray areas. I wanted to create a space where women and birthers are not condescended to and taught authentically and honestly about birth. As a former teacher, I see knowledge as power and feel that existing models of prenatal education still treated women as reproductive vessels rather than unique individuals with autonomy and agency.
The launch: How did you get started in the first place?
In typical nerd fashion, I hit the books! I signed up for a diploma to train as an antenatal and hypnobirther. Through my course I discovered the work of the wonderful Dr. Rachel Reed and Catherine Bell, which changed the direction I wanted to take my course. . This has helped shape the vibe of my messaging and brand – I’m passionate about helping women and birthers see that they have all the strength they need, within themselves. I also had the incredible opportunity to work with and learn from other female entrepreneurs to help build my brand, website and messaging, so I felt confident that every choice I made was purposeful and meaningful, rather than aimlessly trying to create logos on Canva which inevitably looked very “homemade”!
Innovation: What has been the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Reading Dr Rachel Reed’s book, Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage was a complete game changer for me. It begins by exploring the history of childbirth and how we as a society have lost the physical connection to our bodies, our cycles and the world around us. It presents a holistic way of understanding normal birth that is not rooted in the immoral patriarchal practices of the past like traditional models. When I combined this knowledge with my Birth Cartographer training from Catherine Bell, I realized I had something special. Birth charting is a revolutionary way to prepare and plan for birth. By combining the work of these two experts, I was able to develop a prenatal course that truly puts women and birthers in the driver’s seat of their own birth.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I always say that everything is a season, both good and bad. There are times when everything is go, go, go and you have to make adjustments and re-balance things, which you can then repeat when life is a bit calmer! I have two young children and a husband who travels a lot, so it’s an ever-changing experience, but I’ve found that setting clear boundaries for myself helps. As soon as I close my laptop, I’m off and in mom mode – I purposely don’t have work email on my phone because I don’t want to be distracted and miss out on the fun times I can have with my kids. Likewise, I spend time taking care of my mind – I’m very new to running a business and a lot of it doesn’t come naturally to me! I have a little space in my office that I call my affirmation station – I have a candle, plants and a list of affirmations that I read out loud every day to help focus on the day ahead and hopefully some of the positive messages will sink in!
