My latest trip to the Dunkirk refugee camp, now christened The New Jungle, was a depressing but satisfactory visit. This time l went with some other doulas and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, who needed to visit the camp to assess the conditions for mothers either Continue Reading
Breathe, They Said
Breathe, they said, as I was born. Lungs inflating, first rush streaming in, stinging my insides. Cough, splutter, wail in fury, as I struggle to catch my first breath. Breathe, they said, as I am rubbed dry, every nerve ending screaming, eyes screwed shut, Fists tight, I am fighting. A familiar Continue Reading
Interview with Paula Cleary, Mother-of-five, Doula and founder of Birthplace Matters
This latest offering in my irregular series of guest posts is this interview with the inspiring Paula Cleary. Doula, Birth Activist and Founder of Birthplace Matters, Paula manages to find time in between home educating five children to support birthing mothers and raise awareness of the disparities Continue Reading
Hunting for the Truth: Birth in the Age of Fake News
This week there has some been some very random, and very mysterious news headlines in the media. Without warning, the media began reporting that the Royal College of Midwives was no longer going to be promoting 'normal birth'. None of the offending journalists seemed bothered by the fact that this Continue Reading
Sorry: A Midwife Speaks
Today's post is an anonymous contribution from a midwife working in the NHS. I publish this to help her find an outlet for her feelings and to draw attention to the looming crisis that maternity services face as more midwives are leaving the profession than joining, funding is being cut and morale Continue Reading
Linda Robinson blogs again about her latest trip to France. I am honoured to host her writings. Please read and share. The horror of what is happening is being ignored by the press because of Brexit and elections. But this stuff matters too - it is a humanitarian crisis on our doorstep. DAY 1 Back Continue Reading
My Medicine Wheel Drum
North, South, East, West My medicine-wheel drum beats to the rythmn of the flame. She spins like the foam in the brook, She whispers and shivers with the breeze in the trees, She plants her roots in red earth, where she was born. Arbor she becomes, sprouting leaves from her bones and veins on Continue Reading
NMC Stop Ignoring Us: We actually give a toss where and with whom we give birth!
Once I was with a woman in labour. She was labouring at home. It took quite a while for this particular labour to reach boiling point. We were lucky enough to see 6 midwives in that time. All smiling, patient, understanding of her birthwishes and really, really wanting her to get what she wanted. Continue Reading
Midwives in Dunkirk Refugee Camp refuse to Follow International Best Practice
There is a French translation of this article below. This article edited 11/3/17 to add - we are not accusing the midwves of GSF of not supporting breastfeeding or believing that breastmilk is the safest manner to feed babies. We are, however, concerned that mothers who are using formula are not Continue Reading
Linda goes back to Camp…Dunkirk January 2017
Another guest post from my friend, Linda Robinson MBE. Linda’s account of her visit to the Dunkirk camp, January 2017. Life has not improved since I was there 2 months ago. I found more despair and I picked up the feeling that they felt that their lives were going nowhere. The trip had Continue Reading