Latest reads from my blog
Inducing labour with Castor oil : is it safe?
Castor oil induction has bad press in the UK. Negative stories abound, claiming severe negative effects on mother and baby. For years, I too believed this to be true. I took it for granted that it was dangerous. A couple of years ago a doula told me that several of her clients had successfully induced…
Why I wrote my book, Why Postnatal Recovery Matters
A tale of two births A baby is born. Whilst the new mother was pregnant, she was the centre of attention. Now she is elbowed out of the way by visitors who just want to hold her baby. Visitors means she misses out on naps, and they expect her to entertain them, leaving her…
A little bit of background about rebozos and their use to support women
I was introduced to the art of using the traditional Mexican shawl called the rebozo back in 2013 when I attended a workshop by doula Stacia Smales Hill on rebozo use for labour and birth. During the same year I also attended a workshop by Dr Rocio Alarcon, who taught a postnatal massage technique called…
Online services-why should you pay for them?
It’s a very strange and stressful time we are living right now, especially if you are pregnant. There is, understandably, a lot of anxiety about the unpredictable and fast changing nature of maternity services. I am seeing a lot of comments on social media about people wanting free antenatal classes (because their hospital ones got…
How to have a positive birth in unpredictable times
I am writing this because I know that if you are pregnant right now, the lack of information combined with the unpredictability what maternity care might look like when you give birth might be making you anxious. I am seeing a lot of worried pregnant women and new mothers asking worried questions on social media…
Rebozo techniques for relaxation during uncertain times
I’m seeing a lot of understandably anxious pregnant women since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. What will happen to my appointments and when I go into labour? Will I have to give birth alone? What will happen after the birth? I’ve tried to address as many of these questions in this blog about pregnancy…
Online learning and support for pregnancy, birth and beyond-how does it work?
Online learning and support for pregnancy, birth and beyond-how does it work? As we navigate the unexpected and unstable changes happening in our world right now, a lot of peoples are moving from offering them face to face to online. Some of these things that may feel normal and already be part of your life…
Pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period during the pandemic -what do you need to know?
Updated 24/03/20 in line with new RCOG guidelines If you are pregnant right now, I can imagine that the unpredictability of the pandemic situation might make you feel anxious. I am writing this to try and help allay fears, as well as suggest of list of ways you can get support for yourself. We haven’t…
A guide to postpartum recovery during the pandemic
I am writing a book on postnatal recovery. The pandemic lockdown inspired me to write a mini emergency postnatal recovery plan, as for the foreseeing future, most women in the UK (and in many other places in the world) are likely to be at home alone with their babies, with support from only a very…