Claire was there to rub my back, offer counterpressure on my hips, guide me through my breathing and massage me with clary sage. The midwives left around 12:30 with the message that they would be back around 16:00 and to call if I needed them earlier. Claire was there to wipe away my tears and reassure me I was going to meet my baby soon and told me she felt this was my first transition.

When it comes to birth trauma; the main factors could be put into these catagories. Perceived Threat of Injury/Death to themselves or their baby. Trauma through feeling vulnerable or generally distressed.
Consent missing, therefore feeling cut out of the situation.

Whilst your baby’s umbilical cord is still attached to the placenta and pulsating it continues to do magical things as your baby transitions to its new life outside of your womb after birth. Learn the benefits of leaving the cord attached for longer after birth if you are able to.

Image by Esther Edith Birth Photography.

Are you electing to have a C-Section? Is this your choice which is termed elective, or perhaps you have been advised to do so for a medical reason. I will give you some helpful tips on ways you can feel more in control during your C-Section.

We are conditioned to think that birth is something we should be fearful of. Something which will take us to our farthest point of pain and something we simply cannot cope with. We have been birthing for millions of years so why is it we still can’t see how powerful and innate the act of birth can be? How are you feeling about birth? Are you feeling strong or scared to even think of going through it?

My unplanned home birth was mental! The most mental but magical experience! I felt so connected to myself.  I was so connected to George and so connected to our baby girl.

Newborn babies are offered a vitamin K supplement at birth to protect them against a rare condition which means the baby bleeds due to the deficiency. You dont need to give your baby it in this way or at all. Read more to learn your options.

Have you locked eyes with your new baby and felt an emotional connection, a warm sense of bonding with your baby? I remember when i was feeding and it felt so good to be holding the girls with them being so close and us gazing into eachothers eyes! Little did i know this was actually a benefit to their development!

I work with a lot of couples who are preparing for a cesarean and or just want to be calm and relaxed no matter how they birth.
Practising hypnobirthing does not mean unexpected things won’t happen. A birth free from medical interventions or complications can never be guaranteed. However, learning to relax and stay calm will absolutely help you feel more in control during labour if things don’t go to plan.

You can use Hypnobirthing however and wherever you give birth – You You can use hypnobirthing in a maternity hospital, labour ward, theatre, birth centre, or with a home birth. Hypnobirthing can help your birth partner play a more active role during labour and in some case’s as mothers are relaxed it has been shown to make labour shorter and the need for drugs and interventions less likely. If interventions do arise then hypnobirthing is said to help the healing as there is less tension in the muscles and tissues, this in turn aids the bonding process with your baby.

Pain is one of the biggest fears we often hold on to when it comes to labour and birth. Perhaps we were told our mothers labour was so awful or painful when they had us that ever since then, birth was something to be scared of. We dont want to feel this worried during pregancy and my blog will help to alleviate that nervousness around birth and have you feeling more strong and able.

This means that the level of oxygen being taken in isn't as high in the blood which will mean your heart will need to pump harder to increase the blood to give you the same amount of oxygen! This will then make your heart rate rise and you will breathe more quickly.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care before, during and after pregnancy are having better alignment of your spine and pelvis, creating better balance and movement helping baby to get into a more optimal position for pregnancy and birth. Reduction in likelihood of pain such as low back pain, sciatica, or pelvic girdle pain.

Are you pregnant and deciding which antenatal course to sign up to. Did you know that hypnobirthing is a brilliant mix of antenatal, mindful pregnancy techniques and as you are taught by me, a birth doula the content is hugely helpful. Read on to find out the differences!

I caught up with my good friend Hannah Johnson who is a specialist reflexologist for labour and she tells us more about how reflexology can help to bring on our labour naturally.

I am a Mindful Breastfeeding Practitioner as well as a Doula and Hypno birthing teacher and I understand that breastfeeding can be a real concern for soon-to-be parents. A blog I recently wrote for Tilbea London will help you to understand how you can begin to prepare for breastfeeding whilst you are pregnant.

If you are clenching your jaw during labour, this will therefore make it harder for baby to move down and through, it will also be more difficult, to use your hypnobirthing surge breathing to its full advantage and to use your deep breathing. The important thing to understand about the sphincters as with the uterus is that they do not function if tension is present. Read this blog to understand how to release pelvic tension during labour.