INDUCE: verb gerund or present participle: inducing succeed in persuading or leading (someone) to do something. "the pickets induced many workers to stay away" Of course, the definition we usually use in maternity care is: bring about or give rise to. "none of Continue Reading
My Doula Year: banging the drum for justice
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
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
Why we need to celebrate pregant women not just the baby they’re carrying
Today, a guest blog by my friend and Developing Doulas student, Lauren Derrett, founder of the brand new gift box service for mums, The Whole Nine Months. As a mum of 4, Lauren really understands how much new mums need a whole heap of loving and nurture through the wild ride that is pregnancy and Continue Reading
Men, Love and Birth…and a few giggles
Before we start this review, a small disclaimer is probably necessary. I know Mark Harris, the author of this new book on birth and, after a couple of years of online interaction, some lovely chinwags on the phone and a few real world hugs, I would consider him a mate. Still, I hope I'd be a good 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
Doula-Sherpas: Finding Your Way through the Maternity Maze
Sometimes it seems to me that much of the world has firmly grasped the wrong end of the stick about doulas. I suppose us humans have quite a propensity to over-complicate and over-think things but in reality, this doula thing isn't so weird when you look at us in the same light as you 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