I feel I have to finally say something because it's been gnawing at me for a while. When I read and listen to conversations between doulas, when I hear midwives making judgements about doulas charging for their services it makes me sad. Here are some things I want to say: Yes, it's ethical Continue Reading
Breastfeeding: How Society Makes a Difference
This is a guest post from my lovely friend and doula trainee, Rosie Spampinato. I have encouraged her to write this post to illustrate the power that society has on our breastfeeding journeys. We do not nurse in a vacuum, but are prey to all the influences, good and bad, that society can throw at Continue Reading
Women’s Voices
Where to, Love? said the taxi driver. Up with the lark, ain't yer? Station, please. Tickets please, next stop, Kings Cross. 30p for a wee, then mind the gap, tube to Baker Street. Past tourists gathering outside 221b Leafy streets and round the bend, the Royal College. The rarefied air and 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
Silence Isn’t Always Golden
Dear Adele, Once, when I lived in Spain, walking home one night from work, a man jumped out at me. He grabbed me from behind and threw me to the floor. He tore huge chunks of hair from my head and proceeded to try to rape me, tearing my summer dress from my body. I fought, adrenaline coursing Continue Reading
The Roar Behind The Silence, edited by Soo Downe and Sheena Byrom
When I first discovered Sheena Byrom, I had no idea she was the midwifery queen of Twitter, passionate and expert in bringing mothers, midwives and all interested in maternity care together to debate, share and raise their voices in unison. She was the author of 'Catching Babies', a life story of a Continue Reading
Yo No Soy Una Bruja: or Nobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition
Yes, you heard right; I am not a witch, nor any kind of cannibal. Or part of a sect. Neither am I a fraudulent con-artist out to sting you out of your hard-earned cash or break up your family by undermining your relationship. I haven't got a 3rd nipple. Or warts. The only love potion I could mix Continue Reading
Book Review: All That Matters, by Rebecca Schiller
This short book written for the Guardian by writer, human rights activist and doula, Rebecca Schiller, is easily digested in an hour or two. But don't be misled by its brevity; Schiller has given us an important document. As a breastfeeding counsellor, a core part of my education was reading The Continue Reading
The Politics of Breastfeeding: Partnerships, Parameters, Taboos and Pecadillos
The following was, more or less, a speech I gave at the 2014 Doula UK conference. I am passionate about breastfeeding and the ways in which doulas fit into the breastfeeding support landscape. I'd like to take you on a little tour of some of the social attitudes to breastfeeding that interest me Continue Reading
Because…by Maddie McMahon
Because birth isn’t like extracting a rotten tooth. Chemically, emotionally, it’s more like making love. Because when babies are born in fear and trauma, mothers are broken. Because women need to be treated with respect and love and be given choices. Because black mothers are more likely to die Continue Reading