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Umbrella of the Love Gods: The Clitoris, Female Sexuality and Birth

25th November 2022 By doulamaddie Leave a Comment

Button, Devils' Doorknob, Bald Man in a Boat...the English words for the female clitoris are far and few between and not particularly positive or enlightening. As a woman in her 50s, born and bred in England, I have a suspicion that my lack of vocabulary to describe this part of my body is a symptom Continue Reading

Birth In the Year 2073

9th November 2022 By doulamaddie Leave a Comment

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

Shame and Blame in the Birth Game: Part 2

13th July 2022 By doulamaddie 1 Comment

'I have failed.' I hear it almost every day. It's women who whisper this. Men don't. Men say, 'I was robbed', 'It wasn't fair', 'There wasn't enough time', 'Ah well, that's just the way it is.' Our bodies are branded. Labelled and judged: “Failure to progress” "Incompetent" "Lack of Continue Reading

All That Matters is a Healthy Baby

11th April 2022 By doulamaddie Leave a Comment

It matters. Of course it matters, more than anything else. When you give birth, the most important thing is that you and your child come out the other side, alive. Alive is GOOD. It's the BEST, for most of us, most of the time. But is that ALL that matters? Really? Does it matter that you Continue Reading

All is Love Unembellished

31st December 2021 By doulamaddie 1 Comment

At the end of another "unprecedented year", I am reflecting on all the chaos and fear. The end is nigh, they say - earth's gonna burn If humanity can't see this lesson to learn. And yet we continue: daily rhythms and routines Love and laughter, joy and grief - all that life means. My year Continue Reading

Are You Sure She Wasn’t Asking For It? Shame and Blame in the Birth Game: Part 1

19th May 2021 By doulamaddie 2 Comments

The story of the female holiday maker in Cyprus who was raped and then not believed has brought back some strong memories and emotions for me. It's more than 25 years ago now, half a lifetime. And yet, the fear and fury can still be brought to the surface so easily. This poor woman has been Continue Reading

Modern Birth: The End of Pregnancy As We Know It?

19th May 2021 By doulamaddie Leave a Comment

The great feminist Gloria Steinem once said, Democracy begins with owning our bodies. By that measure, women have rarely lived in a democracy When I think about birth, and more specifically, the politics of  the modern, mechanised birth factories, that quote often comes to mind. Recently, I've Continue Reading

Complementary Therapies in Maternity Care: are we blind to the bias?

12th November 2019 By doulamaddie 4 Comments

I was scared. VERY. I am dreadfully phobic of enclosed spaces and didn't know how I was going to cope with an MRI. For a while I considered putting it off but I realised that being a doula has given me a number of useful tools. First, I reached out to a friend who was able to use her Continue Reading

6 Visions of Breastfeeding Support for Cinderella

25th February 2019 By doulamaddie 3 Comments

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

My Doula Year: banging the drum for justice

31st December 2017 By doulamaddie 5 Comments

It's been quite a year. Not just for me, but for the wider birth world. This year heralded the beginnings of the implementation of the Better Births report. Continuity of Carer is really on the horizon - for those not in the know, that means the prospect of all women being able to get to know a Continue Reading

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