Undisturbed Birth? Yes please! Birth plan following a Sarah J. Buckley, MD study day, Edinburgh 2013. After attending Sarah Buckley’s study day on undisturbed birth I was asked to write a report for it. A way of sharing with others what I had got from the day. Now, I’ve pondered over this for a couple of weeks and have decided … Read More
Use of Sound in Pregnancy
Article featured in Mother & Baby magazine 2013 – Use of Sound in Pregnancy. Jay Kelly is a Hypnotherapist and Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner, mum of four and soon to be surrogate mum. Here she talks about how she uses affirmations and positive words as part of her therapy and tells her own personal experience of the power of music. “Affirmations … Read More
Save the midwife
#savethemidwife campaign. Disappointed that we need it… but so lovely seeing all of the wonderful pregnancy and birth pictures supporting it. To very briefly explain my personal story for the backing of it, here are the two pictures I’ve posted so far, and the words that I shared on my Facebook page. “Having one to one care with an Independent … Read More
I used to be a Birth Doula…
Almost a year ago I wrote a blog on “Why I used to be a doula”, as I was struggling with being bartered down, and the role devalued. The blog still stands, but being a Doula, I just can’t help myself when asked again if I’ll support a woman. I said “I used to be a Birth Doula. It was … Read More
What is ‘hypnobirthing’ and will it help?
What is ‘hypnobirthing’ and will it help? Hypnobirthing has become a massive business in the last few years. I love the positive birth focus, but I don’t much like the hypnobirthing hype. No technique should take credit for a woman’s birthing ability. No one should go into birth believing that they need to do this particular technique in this particular … Read More
Guided meditation for Fear releasing
Guided meditation for Fear Releasing. For some women, pregnancy brings excitement and giddy anticipation. For others, it can bring fear, anxieties, vulnerabilities… and endless “what if’s”. Before I go any further and paint a picture of pregnancy being doom and gloom, I want to tell you what I think pregnancy should feel like: Special, precious, invigorating, wondrous, amazing, exciting, blossoming … Read More
Ways to keep calm in pregnancy
You can never have enough support. And there’s a wealth of it out there. Netmums, Facebook groups, NCT classes, friends, I could go on… My most favourite support group in recent times is the Positive Birth Movement. A non-judgmental grassroots movement. The group aim is to enable free to access to support. An organisation aiming for all women to have … Read More
Pregnancy care
Even if you don’t plan a birth to whale music, it doesn’t mean that hypnosis isn’t for you. Hypnotherapy and EFT can help you manage fears and feelings. Letting go of fears, that frequently aren’t even your own, they were Great Auntie Joyce’s fear that has been passed on through fear based stories, even though they meant well. Loads of … Read More
Delayed cord clamping (or OCC) as the healthy norm
Delayed cord clamping (or Optimal Cord Clamping – OCC) as the healthy norm. If someone told you that something that you can do to your precious tiny newborn could take away a third of his or her crucial blood supply, you wouldn’t do it, would you? If someone also told you that a routine procedure, with no known benefit, was … Read More
Childbirth Without Fear
All too often I hear stories from mothers old and new about how traumatic and difficult giving birth is… so even though I can empathise, I feel frustrated and saddened at why so many women are repeatedly experiencing these difficult and horrid births. Then, just the other day, I heard a fascinating story/viewpoint from a […]