Home - Childbirth Essentials

Welcome to
Childbirth Essentials®

Home to the award-winning LK Massage Programme

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The award-winning LK Massage® Programme

Developed by a team of experienced midwives and backed up by the latest evidence based information, the Programme uses specific massage techniques, linked with breathing and visualisation, to deliver many benefits from 30 weeks of pregnancy, continuing through to labour and the birth.

This fully-inclusive Programme complements and supports a natural birth to deliver a positive experience for all partnerships of all ethnicities, including single mothers, surrogate mothers and members of the LGBT Plus community, as well as the more traditonal family unit.

We are passionate about supporting women, partnerships and babies with natural birth, as long as the pregnancy and labour are progressing normally and safely.

Benefits of the LK Massage Programme

Supports natural birth

reduces the need for interventions before and during labour, as long as all is progressing normally

Improved sleep

quality sleep from 30 weeks pregnant helps support the body’s adaptations to birth.

Natural pain relief

works to enhance the body’s natural pain relieving actions by complementing the mother's Circadian Cycle

Partnership

gives the birth partner a practical role and increases the couples' sense of well-being as they support each other.

NEW

Our Online information Package for couples is now available

For mums-to-be and their birth partners from 30 weeks of the pregnancy

Whether this is your first baby or you are looking for a better birth experience this time around, learning the Programme can help you.

Read about our Online Package

For midwives, doulas and other maternity healthcare professionals

We offer professional, evidence - based training courses in the UK, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China and in the past have attended conferences in Portugal.

Unfortunately these face-to-face training courses are not currently running, due to the high levels of Covid infections.

We are developing an online package to be able to share with health professionals

New Research - 2021 / 2022

We are delighted to report that Chit Ying LAI - RN RM PhD FHKAN
Associate Professor of Practice in Midwifery Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and her team in Hong Kong have conducted a Randomized Controlled trial in two public hospitals, exploring the effects of the Programme on maternal use of pharmacological analgesia in labour.

Read the full information

Find out more about the Programme in the UK

阅读全文: Uk Training Courses

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Find out more about the Programme in Hong Kong

阅读全文: Hong Kong Training Courses

Taiwan

Taiwan

Find out more about the Programme in Taiwan

阅读全文: Taiwan Training Courses

China

China

Find out more about the Programme in China

阅读全文: China Training Courses

Portugal

Portugal

Find out more about the conferences in Portugal

阅读全文: Portugal Conferences

Linda Kimber

Midwife/Director

Linda delivers our training courses. A highly experienced midwife and trained massage therapist, her desire to find effective ways to help couples to achieve a positive birth experience and to support natural birth was instrumental in the development of the Programme.

Mary McNabb

Scientific advisor and academic midwife

Mary researches the evidence base for the Programme. Having worked as a Senior Lecturer in Midwifery Education for many years, and contributed to the last four editions of Mayes' Midwifery, she ensures the Programme complements maternal circadian physiology and neuronal, neuroendocrine and emotional adaptations from 30-36 weeks' gestation until the initiation of suckling-lactation.

Ruth Rayner

Midwife

Having used the Programme in her practice as a midwife , Ruth joined the team after the birth of her own son, where she experienced the benefits of the Programme first hand.

Lai Chit Ying (Jessie)

Nurse/Midwife/Lactation Consultant

Jessie has attended all the LK Massage Programme courses. She has taught the Programme to couples and translated a number of documents so the Programme which supports natural birth can be delivered to interested midwives in Taiwan and China. She is attending the Advanced course and has just conducted an RCT assessing many elements of the Programme. Her initial findings are in the research, Hong Kong section.

Tong Wing Hung (Winnie)

Nurse / Midwife / Lactation Consultant

Winnie has attended all the courses and has used the Programme within her practice. She teaches couples and has been involved in translating the documents included in the LK Massage Programme. Winnie has been to Taiwan to translate and helps deliver the Programme to interested midwives. She is also attending the Advanced course.

Ms Sing Chu

Midwife /Maternity Department Manager - Matilda International Hospital

Ms Sing Chu has been a supporter of the Programme since we first introduced it to Hong Kong in 2009. She has attended some LK Massage Programme courses and has translated a number of documents so that the Programme could be introduced to a hospital in China. Ms Sing Chu has been a translator enabling the Programme which supports natural birth to be taught to interested midwives in China

Ellen Cheung

Midwife/ Lactation Consultant

Ellen has attended all the LK Massage Programme courses and is passionate about natural birth. She has also used the Programme with the birth of her children and felt the benefits. She has translated a number of documents and has traveled to Taiwan to help as a translator, to bring the Programme which supports natural birth to the interested midwives.

Kim, Mother

I'd like to thank Linda for helping me and my partner have the best possible birthing experience. We have attended her course for couples twice, once for each of our labours.

I can't recommend it highly enough - the massage techniques really do offer highly effective pain relief I've experienced in labour. (I can compare to tens machine, pethidine, and water bath during my first labour).

Sing Chu, Midwife /Maternity Department Manager

The LK Massage Programme is outstanding.

It not only enriches the professional knowledge and massage skills to apply for pregnancy and during childbirth for our midwives, but also benefits the pregnant women and their families in Hong Kong.The professional teaching of the Childbirth Essentials tutors is well received by learners. They are just wonderful!

Amanda, Midwife

Having witnessed many couples using the LK Massage Programme in labour, previously having taught them during pregnancy, the effect is quite unique in that the bond between the couple appears to be much stronger with the partner having more confidence in their ability to be an effective supporter.