As the proud media partner of The Precious Journey 2020 that’s happening this 5 to 14 November, we are bringing you this series of interviews with presenters so that you get to know them better and their workshops.

Today, we speak to International Bestselling Author, Birth Expert and mother, Kong Choon Yen. She founded Birth Discovery, a company passionate about mentoring and journeying with expectant couples towards a healthy birth. We find out more about what it means to be a birth expert and how one can have a smooth and peaceful birth.

Q: Could you define what a Birth Expert is?

A Birth Expert is someone who is well versed in helping expectant couples in bringing a new life into this world in a healthy and natural way in labour and birth, taking into consideration the laboring mother’s mental-emotional health and physical health. This includes bringing the family closer together so that couples understand the journey in welcoming their baby into this world is a team effort. The birth preparation involved releasing subconscious fear apart from understanding what is normal about giving birth. A Birth Expert understands prenatal and perinatal psychology, the trauma that forms in our early life and helps parents to provide good beginnings for their baby including the area of releasing birth issues.

Q: Could you share with us about the journey that led up to you becoming a Birth Expert?

My journey began when I decided to prepare myself for a healthy pregnancy for a new life to grow in my womb. After a year of preparation including modify my diet to more living food, and underwent intensive detoxification and rejuvenation programme, I conceived easily. With that “clean” body, my mind was clearer too.

During my pregnancy, I wanted to give my baby a healthy beginning. I searched for a natural and easier way to bring my son into this world. I wanted a water birth experience but wasn’t confident that I could do it without chemical pain relief. I searched and found out about the HypnoBirthing course. So, I signed up for the course and prepared my mind to work with my body to release both conscious and subconscious fear prior to my labour. The second time around, my labour process was smooth and steady. After I gave birth in the tub, I told myself that if I didn’t already have two children, I could give birth 10 more times.

My journey preparing for my second pregnancy and birth was an empowering one. It was truly a healing journey that led me into my current profession called HypnoBirthing® Childbirth Educator, Holistic Birth Doula, Infant Massage Instructor, trained in Gentle Bio-Energetic Good Beginnings and a PSYCH-K Facilitator – known to many as a Birth Expert.

I learned from my past birth experience that I felt inadequate and helpless in my first birth. But an empowered and confident experience from my second pregnancy to birth, through a series of preparation even before conception to a total drug-free birth, not only healed me but it helped me transform. It was a reflection of myself that lead me into holistic living and got my foot into the birthing industry in 2011.

Q: What gives you joy from what you do?

Witnessing the precious moment of birth was really a blessing to me. It is definitely honourable to be part of the birth team of the parents. My reward is not about the couple praising me as a Doula saying, “We couldn’t have done it without you”. It is knowing how much the parents grow in consciousness and achieve a breakthrough in their birth experience that excites me.

Q: You’ve helped a lot of mothers in your career. What are a couple of common issues that you’ve noticed in their pregnancy journeys?

I would say, most couples are ill-prepared for their journey into parenthood. Self-doubt is one big issue in career women. Women are fearful of giving birth because they have the impression that giving birth is about suffering. Therefore, mothers can give up easily if they do not receive the support they want. This is partly due to the wrong perception of “What Birth Is”. Lack of consciousness – not knowing the consequence of a medicated birth have upon themselves and the health of their children.

Q: What are you hoping participants will take away from your talk during The Precious Journey 2020?

Confidence about women’s ability to give birth naturally and that welcoming babies into this world requires a team effort. Mental preparation is essential to prepare for your journey into parenthood.

If you’re interested to attend Choon Yen or other presenters’ sharings, please go to this website to register. Hurry while spaces last!

Images: Envato, Kong Choon Yen and Pixabay