I know that a lot of people see doula support, antenatal education, #birth preparation and #postnatal planning as a luxury that only the rich can afford. I personally don’t think this is the case. Lots of people are prepared to spend £1500 or more on a travel system for a new #baby and they think this is ok. How much is a #positive birth experience worth to you? How much for a #happy and #confident postnatal period? How much to help guard against birth #trauma? I’d like to di

I can’t believe we’re now in to 2022! As I age life seems to be speeding up at a scary rate. I try to pay attention to the little things and make the most of every moment, but it’s tough when I’m so busy with work, #volunteering, being a mum and a million other things. I have lots of plans for 2022 including not working 7 days a week all the time! Some #self-care is definitely on the cards, but I also want to grow and push my business goals forward too. It’s a tricky balance

When I first became a doula I didn’t know what was meant by ‘holding space’. I now know it means a variety of things but I still find it hard to define, so here are a few of the ways I’ve held space for doula clients I’ve worked with… It could mean sitting quietly whilst a birthing person and their partner discuss a decision that needs to be made. Just being their, allowing them time to talk and offering words of support only when needed. Sometimes holding off other people wh

Hey everyone, Today is the last in the series of 6 pregnancy yoga sessions. I hope you’ve had a chance to try all 6, and maybe even completed them all in one go to complete a 1 hour and 20 minute routine. This week you can relax, lie down and listen to the words. I will read a beautiful script to relax mind and body. At the end there is a section on positive birth affirmations. I hope you get the chance to follow these and afterwards to make some of your own and use during yo

Once labour starts the latent phase/early labour can go on for days, and birth can seem like a long way off. You may have been told that labour progresses at 1cm dilation per hour, but this information is very outdated and not necessarily true. Some people will birth in a much quicker time and others much longer. If you are tired and uncomfortable and want to hurry things along, I’ve listed below some tips that might help, however babies come when they’re ready. If you’re in

Today’s pregnancy yoga taster is the standing sequence. This section can be practiced after the warm up, all fours and kneeling sequences to form part of a longer practice or just with the warm up. This is still a gentle sequence but slightly more active than the other sections. Next time we’ll head down to seated and then to a lovely relaxing savasana. Hopefully I’ll be able to start some face to face pregnancy yoga classes again soon in Chelmsford, Essex, fingers crossed an

Today is the third video in our set of 6, it’s a kneeling sequence, as part of our pregnancy yoga routine. I hope you’ve enjoyed practicing the warm up and the all fours sections. You can now practice all 3 in a row or just try this one for now. All of these routines are appropriate for trimesters 2 and 3 If you have enjoyed this please take a look at the yoga page on my website Pregnancy Yoga – Breathe Birth Yoga and if you’d like to explore my doula services please take a l

Today is the second in a set of 6 pregnancy yoga videos that I’ve recorded for you. Over the coming weeks I will be posting a video each fortnight (Monday’s). Today we have a routine on all fours, week 3 is on knees, week 4 is a standing sequence, week 5 is seated and finally week 6 is a lovely relaxing savasana. Last time was a gentle warm up. You’re welcome to practice each week and slowly make a longer routine for yourself as the weeks go on, by linking the sequences toget

How to know when I’m in established labour, without a vaginal exam There are many reasons why a person may not want a vaginal exam during their birth, they may have experienced previous birth trauma, maybe sexual abuse, maybe they have a fear of birth or maybe they simply know their rights and don’t want one. Some people may think it’s tricky to say no, but it’s totally up to you if you want a stranger to insert their fingers in to your vagina. They have as much right to do t

Hi everyone Thanks for taking a look at today’s pregnancy yoga taster video. Today is the first part of a series of 6 tasters. You can practice these pregnancy yoga tasters individually, and you can also put them all together after the 6th session to make one long hour and 20 minute practice. All 6 sessions are suitable for trimesters 2 and 3 of pregnancy. Each week is made up of a warm up (today), all fours, kneeling, standing, seated and savasana. If you’d like to find out

Lots of people have never heard about the Bishops score, let alone know what it is. If you’re a regular follower of mine you’ll know that I’m a huge advocate of informed decisions. Learning about the Bishops score will enable and empower you to make an informed decision for your baby and yourself. The Bishops score is used to assess the ripeness of your cervix and your likelihood of going into labour in the immediate future. This scoring system was developed in the 1960’s by

When will I have a sweep? Before birth you may be offered a ‘membrane sweep’, also known as a ‘cervical sweep’, to induce labour. Typically offered from 40 weeks pregnant. It’s important to know that you can decline this intervention if that’s what you’d prefer. Your consent must be granted before anyone has the right to carry out this procedure, or any other for that matter of fact. This is a form of labour induction. What happens during a sweep? It starts like an internal e

Recently in particular I’m hearing so many stories about cohersion, lack of consent, lack of options and a feeling of going back 80 years in the area of human rights. So I wanted to let you know a few things that have come up in conversations for me recently. If you’ve had a previous caesarean birth you can have a vaginal birth next time round, it’s your choice…you can even have a home birth of you want! This is called VBAC or HBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean or home birth

Hey everyone, Today’s pregnancy yoga taster is a warrior flow sequence For a longer yoga session you could follow one of my other taster routines and then move on to this one. It’s great to practice this one after a slower warm up session, to wake up the body nice and gently. It’s generally designed for trimester 2, but it can be practiced during trimester 3 if you feel you have the energy. There’s lots of warrior asanas included, so I’d recommend practicing on days when you

Pregnancy and being a new parent can be an expensive time, so make sure you take advantage of the freebies and offers available to you. Here is a look at some of the things that are available to you… Prescriptions: All NHS prescriptions and dental treatment are free whilst you’re pregnant and for 12 months afterwards. Please ask your midwife for a FW8 form and you can apply for your maternity exemption certificate. Baby on board badge: if you’re going to be travelling on the

Here is a 20 minute sequence to help ease the feelings of sciatica during pregnancy. It’s not a cure but I’ve had students come to class limping and leaving the class with a spring in their step, feeling much less discomfort. Please do also get checked out by a medical professional if you have pain, a women’s health physio might be ideal if you are diagnosed with sciatica. If you’re near me in Essex I can give you a few great recommendations. To read more about my doula and y

Today’s pregnancy yoga taster is suitable for the second trimester of pregnancy. There’s a few warriors, plus downward dog, chair pose and some roll ups and downs. By the end of this 12 minutes you should feel relaxed but energised! Please take a look at my other pregnancy yoga tasters and give them a try. You can also see details about my doula support and yoga classes on the other pages of my website www.breathebirthyoga.co.uk #Birth #pregnant #Baby #yoga #trimester #pregna

I wanted to start by saying I think it’s a good idea to be knowledgeable about your body and birth to start with. However you’re never going to know everything, or understand all the medical details like an obstetrician might, but you can be as informed as possible. I always talk about choice and consent, but your decisions need to be coming from a place of INFORMED consent. It might be a simple decision that you’re asked to make whilst in labour e.g. do you want a physiologi

In most hospitals there’s still strict rules and you’re not allow a birth partner with you until established labour (this is a bit of a postcode lottery, so do check with your chosen hospital). If you are in the hospital during early labour, maybe because you’re having an induction or have an underlying condition, there are things you can do to make a happier birth experience for yourself. Firstly think of entertainment, what will occupy you in those first hours, maybe an iPa

Do you feel prepared for birth? Do you have a birth plan? Do you know your rights and the choices you’ll be asked to make? Do you know about birth physiology, and what will happen to your body and your baby during birth? I’m getting lots of enquiries about this workshop at the moment because people aren’t getting to see their midwives face to face and some other antenatal classes are not running. The above questions are a few of the topics we talk about during my Active Birth