When South London-based mum and certified hypnobirthing teacher Shannon Santangelo launched Birth By You, it was the result of a deeply personal and transformative experience – the birth of her first child, Gabe. What began as a quest to better understand birth turned into a passion for helping other expectant parents feel informed, calm and empowered. After an unexpected but profoundly positive home birth, she trained as a hypnobirthing and antenatal educator, committed to guiding other parents to a positive birthing experience. Through private courses, group classes and relaxation sessions, she now supports families to approach birth with confidence, connection and trust in their own power. Here she talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind what she does, how she balances work and family, the pros and cons of running her own business, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
The birth of my son, Gabe, was the catalyst for me to go from being a first-time mum who really had no significant knowledge about birth, to becoming passionate about helping other expectant parents prepare for a positive and empowering birth experience themselves.
That unexpected journey is why I’m now a certified hypnobirthing and birth preparation teacher.
During my pregnancy, I immersed myself in birth resources – books, podcasts, anything I could find – and I kept encountering this term: ‘hypnobirthing’. I knew instinctively I wanted to use it, but had no idea what it actually entailed in practice, so my husband and I decided to dive in with a private hypnobirthing course in our home.
The course completely changed our understanding and expectations of birth – and without it, my birth experience would not have been possible. On paper, my birth story might read as traumatic, but it was beyond magical – one of the most empowering experiences of my life thus far.
My labour was very swift – under 4 hours from start to finish, and we never made it to our intended birth location, resulting in an unplanned home birth. We were essentially on our own. Our doula arrived just in time to catch Gabe, my husband was on hold with 999, waiting a full 8 minutes before they answered and our dog, Toby, was watching with his paws on the bathtub. It sounds chaotic, but the reality was incredibly calm. Not once did fear creep in, because I had diligently practised every hypnobirthing technique throughout my pregnancy.
After that experience, I felt invincible – like I could conquer anything! When I later met with other first-time mums in my local area, I was surprised by how many shared traumatic birth stories. I almost felt guilty sharing my positive experience, worried they might think I was insensitive to their birth journey.
The statistics are sobering: 45% of birthing people in the UK report traumatic births, often citing fear and lack of control as key factors. Everyone says, “It’s just a day, and a healthy baby is all that matters”. But that day stays with you forever. Any birthing person can recount their experience like it happened yesterday. You deserve both – a healthy baby AND an empowering birth experience that leaves you feeling supported and positive.
I never imagined birth would become my passion, or that I’d change careers to help others prepare for their positive birth experience. But for a full year, I kept reflecting on my journey with Gabe, wondering if I could help others experience that same positivity and empowerment.
So, I took the leap, completed my training, earned my certification as a hypnobirthing and antenatal education teacher, and Birth By You was born!
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I suppose my start was deliberately slow, measured and intentional. Balancing new motherhood with part-time work while completing my hypnobirthing certification created a beautiful chaos that demanded quite the balancing act.
After completing my certification, I registered Birth By You straight away. The name for the business had been percolating in my mind for a while. I wanted something that placed “You” – the birthing person – at the absolute centre.
A positive birth looks and feels completely different for everyone, and I was determined to create a personalised approach for each expectant parent and their birth partner.
My first client was actually family: my sister-in-law and her husband. Being family heightened my desire to deliver ‘the perfect class’, but after spending two full days conducting a private hypnobirthing course in their home, I knew I’d found my calling. It didn’t feel like work; it felt like purpose. They absorbed so much during our time together, and watching their confidence grow was so rewarding.
My next client was a couple preparing for their second baby, a completely different dynamic that brought rich insights about their first birth experience. By year’s end, I made the bold decision to leave my previous job of nearly eight years to pursue Birth By You full-time.
Leaving the security of employment for entrepreneurship probably feels a bit like what I’d imagine it would feel like to go bungee jumping…terrifying yet exhilarating? But my passion for preparing people to have a positive and empowering birth kept pulling me forward.
Early 2025 brought a lot of change; our family relocated from North to South London, we were expecting our second baby, and I was newly self-employed, building Birth By You from the ground up.
By May, I had expanded, teaching private courses, launching a weekly Pregnancy Relaxation class at my local community centre, and teaching my first group hypnobirthing class. Each step forward confirmed I was exactly where I wanted (and needed) to be.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
I think perhaps one of my biggest breakthroughs was taming the perfectionist in me. I had to accept that waiting for everything to be flawless, especially my website, would keep me from my true purpose: working directly with expectant parents. I chose to prioritise delivering exceptional experiences for my clients rather than forever polishing my online presence.
Another impactful realisation was the power of community connection. Putting myself out there in my new neighbourhood and building relationships with other local businesses, both pregnancy-related and otherwise, opened incredible doors. The local business community and our local community centre embraced me wholeheartedly, offering support and encouragement as I established myself helping pregnant people in the area.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I’ve always been “a person of extremes” I suppose. As an example, I either train for the London Marathon or I don’t really go running at all! Work used to consume me completely because I felt compelled to give everything my whole self.
But by becoming self-employed, I was determined not to fall back into that all-or-nothing pattern. The risk is even greater when it’s “your own thing” and you’re operating as a one-person show.
I try to stay grounded by remembering my ‘why’: helping people prepare for one of life’s most profound moments while also nurturing my own family. We’ve created a rhythm that works: Gabe attends Forest School nursery Monday through Wednesday. On those mornings, my husband, Nick, walks our adorable Welsh Terrier, Toby, while I get Gabe ready. Nick drops Gabe at nursery on his way to work, giving me dedicated time to focus on Birth By You, household tasks and life admin. Toby and I always enjoy our afternoon walks before I collect Gabe and we transition into our evening routine – dinner, bath, pyjamas, books and bedtime.
Thursdays and Fridays bring flexibility with Gabe home from nursery. We spend those days exploring museums, visiting parks, or meeting friends – balancing my work commitments with quality family time.
When I’m teaching classes, Nick adjusts his schedule without hesitation to support what I’ve grown to love doing. He’s truly my biggest cheerleader and I wouldn’t be where I am today without his unwavering support, love and belief in me.