Malina felt the hot, wet child between her breasts wriggle and lift its head away from her sternum. Looking down, she meets her baby's gaze for the first time. With eyes as huge and dark as the depths of the sea, curls of wet, black hair stuck down in seaweed strands and ears as delicate and Continue Reading
Birth In the Year 2073
These snippets of fiction are written to help spread the word about our campaign #MarchWithMidwives 2022. I hope to paint a picture of how the absence of maternity care universally available, free at the point of contact, is so important. I hope to show how crucial midwives who are truly autonomous, Continue Reading
Use Your Loaf: The Curse of the Baby Hat
It's deeply ingrained, this habit of putting hats on newborns. Search online for images of newborns and almost all of them are togged up in a woolly hat, for all the world like they are about to go outside for a snowball fight. So why do we do it? And why do so many midwives and doctors insist that Continue Reading
Lou’s Tongue Tie Journey
This latest Tongue Tie story is from Lou Hirst, mother of two and doula. Her story shows that tongue tied babies can still put on lots of weight and their ties can therefore be easily missed. It is not until someone skilled enough to be able to assess the whole breastfeeding relationship spends time Continue Reading
Breastfeeding in Coronavirus Lockdown? A Cuppa With a Breastfeeding Counsellor Might Be Just What You Need
You see, someone who just thinks breastfeeding is cool and thinks you should breastfeed isn't a breastfeeding counsellor. Someone who tells you what to do isn't a breastfeeding counsellor. Someone who can't explain how breastfeeding works isn't a breastfeeding counsellor. That person who Continue Reading
Looking Back
Sit by the birthing pool: damp sleeves, time stands still, Dozy from heat and lack of sleep. The offering of small bites and little sips. Hand on shoulder, soft words spoken slow, Warm water welcomes babies, washes women, makes tea and milk and tears flow. Each birth Continue Reading
Being Loved in Abobo: What Africa has to Teach us About Supporting Mothers
I am honoured to host this article by my friend and colleague Becky Young. Becky is a doula and breastfeeding counsellor who recently travelled to the Ivory Coast. Read on for her reflections on parenting in this wonderful country and how it throws our way of life in Europe into stark relief. Continue Reading
Sweet Sixteen Doula: My 2019
This year I've officially been doulaing for 16 years. And just like my real 16th year, it was full of love, adventure, awkwardness and a looking forward with excitement to what the future brings. There has been joy and heartbreak, beginnings and endings, and most importantly, this year has been Continue Reading
Breastfeeding Support? What’s THAT?
What does support mean? When it comes to breastfeeding your baby, the dictionary definition may, or may not be too helpful: Support /səˈpɔːt/ verb 1. bear all or part of the weight of; hold up. 2. give assistance to, especially financially. noun 1. a thing that bears the weight of Continue Reading
6 Visions of Breastfeeding Support for Cinderella
As brand new breastfeeding mothers, we can sometimes feel like Cinderella, sitting lonely in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun, feeling like we have been tasked with the impossible. But just like Cinderella, you are not alone. Even without her mother to care for her, Cinders had others Continue Reading