I have a three and a half week old son. His tongue tie wasn't spotted in hospital, despite us asking and me having feeding issues. We were in hospital for a week and asked numerous times. It was only picked up once home by a BfN Supporter. By then I was slowly slipping into depression. I felt Continue Reading
Ouch, Ooh and Ahh: how to undermine breastfeeding in one simple step
I had an interesting day yesterday. I should have been at the ABM Conference but due to waiting for a baby, this doula was stuck in Cambridge, so I attended a local parenting show. There were a few exhibitors in our local town hall so I had a little wander around to see who was there. Now, as a Continue Reading
Gentle Birth Companions, 2nd Edition: A Review
I am ashamed at how long it's taken me to start writing this review. My head space and time has been taken up with the publication of my own book on doulas, so I come to this later than I wanted. I have to start by being transparent. This probably won't be the most objective review you ever read. Continue Reading
No pain, no gain? What EXACTLY do we mean by breastfeeding pain?
This article is inspired by a post I wrote on facebook. The post prompted a very long thread of thoughts and feelings. Here is what I wrote: The breastfeeding myth about pain being normal is a tough nut to crack. It is common because women haven't grown up learning how to latch a baby and because Continue Reading
Emma’s positive birth story: Hands off my baby!
This is a guest post, kindly donated by Emma, who decided to decline the kind offer of induction and await spontaneous labour. She does not offer this story to persuade you to do the same, should your pregnancy proceed past your 'due date', but to counter-balance some of the pressure society can put 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
Why Doulas Matter: the book is born! (well, nearly)
So, some of you will know I've been writing a little book. It'll be little in size and word count - just 40,000-odd rambling words about what it has meant to me to be doula and what I have learned about how doulas make a difference. It's a little peek behind the scenes of our rather obsessive, crazy Continue Reading
What the Heck is the Fuss about Tongue Tie?
On one fairly routine day for a postnatal doula I found myself ringing the doorbell of a potential client. Her baby was 2 months old and she wanted some support with the baby while she rested. As I greeted her and cast my eyes around the house, I could see with a glance that all was not Continue Reading
A Woman’s Wish List, by The Noble Savage
The first of a few articles by the wonderful Noble Savage, ex-Doula, Student Midwife and all round good egg. Give women absolute rights over their bodies and reproductive choices. This means allowing women as young as 25 to be sterilised if they do not wish to have children; granting Continue Reading
The Taste of Breastmilk
It has been thought that the taste of our breastmilk can change after exercise, due to a raise in lactic acid levels. This theory appears to have been debunked in this study: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/89/6/1245.short There is evidence, however, that what we eat can affect the Continue Reading