Nest & Nurture - Bump, Birth & Beyond

Nest & Nurture - Bump, Birth & Beyond Supporting expectant parents & new families in Belper, Derbyshire and beyond.

👶🤗 CAN I HOLD YOUR BABY? 🤗👶This is something that often comes up in pregnancy and baby classes, when others want to visi...
23/12/2025

👶🤗 CAN I HOLD YOUR BABY? 🤗👶

This is something that often comes up in pregnancy and baby classes, when others want to visit or cuddle your baby. I mean who wouldn't, as babies are cute and are oxytocin stimulating tiny humans 💕.

However some tiny babies (or even bigger babies) don't always like be to passed around from one person to another.

Christmas is often a time when there are more people and sounds, smells and stimulation which for babies can be overwhelming, so it can be really normal for them to just want to be with you. You don't have to feel obligated to "share" your baby just because another adult might feel put out, and wants to hold them.

Babies are people with the right to feel safe and choose who touches them, it might be they are only happy with you and that is fine and normal. People can always sit next to you and interact with baby while they are being held by you, in their comfort zone.

Don't be afraid to ask for your baby back and please don't allow others to put guilt on you for holding your baby.

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 23 📅Birth is transformative.Not only because a baby is born, or because someone becomes a pare...
23/12/2025

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 23 📅

Birth is transformative.

Not only because a baby is born, or because someone becomes a parent, but because birth can reshape how we see ourselves and the world.

For some, birth leaves a deep sense of strength. A feeling of I did that. Confidence, pride, capability. A knowing in the body that lasts long after the details fade.

For others, birth can wound. It can take things away, trust, safety, self-belief and leave someone feeling smaller than they were before. This is rarely spoken about, but it matters.

And sometimes, those experiences both the empowering and the painful become the catalyst for change. They push people to ask questions, to demand better, to protect themselves next time, and to work toward safer, more respectful birth for others.

Because when we understand how powerful birth really is, we also understand the responsibility that comes with caring for those who give birth.

Birth will change people. The work is to ensure it changes them for the better.

Your body. Your birth. Your baby. Your choice. 💛

Only THREE days to go until Christmas! 🎄🎁🎅🎉Still stuck for present ideas for the new mum, newborn 👶, or ‘mum-to-be’ 🤰 in...
22/12/2025

Only THREE days to go until Christmas! 🎄🎁🎅🎉

Still stuck for present ideas for the new mum, newborn 👶, or ‘mum-to-be’ 🤰 in your life? Don’t worry, you can treat them to something truly useful and unique this Christmas!

I offer gift vouchers redeemable against any of my pregnancy or baby classes, as well as doula services. Classes are available in Belper or Ripley, and vouchers can be for a full term of classes or any specific amount.

Think of it as the perfect gift for anyone trying to keep things simple this year, avoid extra “stuff,” or even be a little kinder to the environment. 🌱✨ It’s also something for them to look forward to in the New Year, time to enjoy together with their baby and make memories that last.

Gift vouchers can be purchased online, and the confirmation can even be printed to include in a Christmas card. All Christmas vouchers are valid until December 2026.

Just get in touch, and I can help you sort out the perfect gift for someone you love. Call me the helpful Christmas Elf 🎄🎁 just here to make life a little easier for you and your family this year!

Buy your gift voucher here: https://nestnurture.as.me/

Merry Christmas!
Tara 🎅🎄🎉☃️🐧

📅 Birth Rights Advent Calendar – 22 📅Consent is not optional.In birth as in every other part of life any examination, ob...
22/12/2025

📅 Birth Rights Advent Calendar – 22 📅

Consent is not optional.

In birth as in every other part of life any examination, observation, or intervention without consent is assault. And any hand or instrument placed inside a woman’s va**na without consent is r**e.

This can be uncomfortable to hear, especially when we like to believe that everyone in maternity care is “working toward the same goal.” But intention does not cancel impact. Kindness does not replace consent. And being a professional does not grant ownership of someone else’s body.

A client once told me about agreeing to a va**nal exam and then, without warning or discussion, having a stretch and sweep performed. She froze. She hadn’t consented. She didn’t even know it was happening until it was done. She went home confused, shaken, and blaming herself for not stopping it, even though the responsibility was never hers. That experience stayed with her far longer than the birth itself.

Birth r**e is real. Being ignored. Being held down. Being touched without permission. Being cut or penetrated while afraid for your life or your baby’s life. People speaking over you, about you, while your body is treated as a site of procedure rather than a person. Women describe this as r**e because that is how it feels in the body and nervous system.

When women are listened to, respected, and involved in decisions, they can experience birth positively, even with multiple interventions. But when they are dismissed, coerced, or violated, birth can become a traumatic life event. We are seeing rising rates of PTSD in women and their birth partners. This is not inevitable. And it must stop.

Yes means yes. No means no.

What you can do:
• Talk to someone you trust - a counsellor, doula, antenatal teacher, or trauma helpline
• Ask your GP for referral to trauma-informed therapy (CBT or EMDR — both on the NICE pathway for PTSD)
• Request a copy of your maternity notes
• Go through your notes with an independent midwife or experienced doula
• Make a complaint - PALS, AIMS, and Birthrights can support you
• Support organisations campaigning to end birth assault and r**e

Your body. Your birth. Your baby. Your choice. 💛

🎅🎄That’s a wrap🎄🎅I have officially finished teaching classes and running Tea Club for 2025.I am finishing this year of t...
22/12/2025

🎅🎄That’s a wrap🎄🎅

I have officially finished teaching classes and running Tea Club for 2025.

I am finishing this year of teaching on a really big high as it has been another amazing year of running classes, creating and growing communities and doing something that is genuinely worthwhile.

Once again I want to thank everyone who attended a class or workshop, came along to Tea Club and all of the Doula clients that chose me to be their Doula this year. I am grateful to all of you that have helped keep my small business going, even though times are challenging right now. Thank you for all of the love, support, gifts, kind words, reviews, spreading the word and liking and sharing any of my social media posts.

It has been an utter joy to spend time with so many of you and hold space for you in class, at Tea Club or via private sessions as you find your way through your parenting journey and grow in confidence. It is always wonderful to be able to watch your little ones change and develop from bump to baby and toddler. I love seeing how much you support each other as well, being honest with one another and sharing the highs, lows, challenges and joys of parenting.

As a Doula have been lucky to support parents as they welcome their baby into the world and I have been present at the more births this year than ever before from home births, water births and hospital births. What an honour it has been to be present and share in those awe inspiring moments with the families I have supported. It is also heart warming to get to know families so well as a postnatal Doula and be able to support them during the early days, weeks and months of new parenthood or adjust to a new baby in the family.

Classes will be back in January - and if you’re interested in coming and joining classes in the New Year. Then please get in touch and send me a PM
I hope everyone has a wonderful and joyous Christmas 🎄

A special mention to all Nest & Nurture babies celebrating their first Christmas. 🎅🏻

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 21 📅Birth plans aren’t about controlling birth.They’re about protecting the person giving birt...
21/12/2025

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 21 📅

Birth plans aren’t about controlling birth.
They’re about protecting the person giving birth.

A birth plan is really a care plan. It’s a way of communicating what matters to you, how you want to be treated, and what helps you feel safe, especially in moments when you’re tired, vulnerable, or overwhelmed.

For many women, birth plans are an attempt to reduce the risk of trauma. Trauma doesn’t come from things “not going to plan.” It comes from being ignored, rushed, coerced, or having things done without consent or explanation.

A good birth plan doesn’t say “this must happen.”
It says “this is who I am, this is what helps, and this is how to care for me if things change.”

It can include preferences around:
• consent and communication
• va**nal exams and monitoring
• who speaks to you and how
• pain relief and positioning
• what helps you feel calm and grounded
• what you want if intervention is suggested

Birth plans help staff support you better. They give partners a voice when you don’t have one. And they remind everyone that this is not a clinical event but a birth, it’s a human experience that will live in your body long after the baby is born.

Planning for respectful care isn’t being difficult. It’s being informed.

A birth plan is not about perfection. It’s about dignity.

Your body. Your birth. Your baby. Your choice. 💛

🕯️ Winter Solstice 🕯️Tonight we meet the deepest dark, the longest stretch of night, and with it, a quiet turning. For t...
21/12/2025

🕯️ Winter Solstice 🕯️

Tonight we meet the deepest dark, the longest stretch of night, and with it, a quiet turning. For thousands of years, people noticed this moment. They paused for it. Not because anything dramatic happened all at once, but because something shifted.

In a world that asks us to stay busy and bright year-round, the Solstice offers a different wisdom. It reminds us that rest is not failure. That slowing down is part of the cycle. That the dark has a purpose holding, nourishing, shaping what will come next.

This is a time for listening more than doing. For letting things be unfinished. For trusting that even when we can’t yet see it, movement toward the light has already begun. The days will lengthen from here, quietly and steadily, almost unnoticed at first.

May we allow ourselves the same grace, to grow gently, in our own time, carrying what this season is teaching us.

Winter Solstice blessings to you ❄️✨

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 20 📅“The parallels between making love and giving birth are clear, not only in terms of passio...
20/12/2025

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 20 📅

“The parallels between making love and giving birth are clear, not only in terms of passion and love, but also because we need essentially the same conditions for both experiences: privacy and safety.” — Sarah J. Buckley

Sheila Kitzinger, one of the most influential voices in birth, echoed this for decades: birth is a deeply personal and intimate experience, and the environment in which it takes place can profoundly shape the experience. When privacy, emotional safety, and trust are present, the body can release oxytocin, endorphins, and other hormones that support a smooth, physiological labour. When these conditions are absent, interruptions, pressure, or a feeling of being observed - tension rises, fear sets in, and the body’s natural rhythm can be disrupted.

Privacy isn’t just a “nice-to-have.” It is biologically essential. Feeling safe allows your body to do the work it was designed to do. Feeling respected and supported allows your instincts to guide your choices, your voice to be heard, and your emotional wellbeing to remain intact.

Ways to protect your privacy and safety:
🌿 Choose a birth environment where you feel comfortable and secure
🌿 Surround yourself with people who honour your choices and instincts
🌿 Advocate for minimal interruptions, dim lighting, and calm surroundings
🌿 Include a doula or trusted support person to safeguard your emotional and physical space

Birth is powerful. It is intimate. And it deserves the same respect, trust, and protection as any other profoundly human experience. When privacy and safety are prioritised, your body, mind, and baby can flourish.

Your body. Your birth. Your baby. Your choice. 💛

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 19 📅🔮 Vaginal Examinations: Your Body, Your Choice 🔮Vaginal exams (VEs) are often assumed to b...
19/12/2025

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 19 📅

🔮 Vaginal Examinations: Your Body, Your Choice 🔮

Vaginal exams (VEs) are often assumed to be a standard part of labour — but they are not mandatory. Even when guidelines recommend them, every exam requires your informed consent. You should never feel pressured to agree, and being told you won’t get pain relief or admission without a VE is coerced consent, which is not valid.

VEs only show what is happening at that exact moment. They cannot predict how long labour will take or what will happen next. And research shows accuracy between practitioners is less than 50% — so even medical measurements are not perfect.

Some people choose VEs to gather extra information, while others prefer to rely on observation — breathing, movement, posture, and contractions can tell a lot about labour progress without being invasive.

Knowledge is power. Reading trusted birth books, following evidence-based resources, attending antenatal classes, or hiring a doula can help you understand your options, advocate for yourself, and make decisions that align with your body and your birth.

Your body. Your birth. Your baby. Your choice. 💛

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 18 📅✨ Protecting emotional wellbeing is part of care ✨“It seems that many health professionals...
19/12/2025

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 18 📅

✨ Protecting emotional wellbeing is part of care ✨

“It seems that many health professionals involved in antenatal care have not realized that one of their roles should be to protect the emotional state of pregnant women.” — Michel Odent

Pregnancy is often treated like a series of checklists: scans, lab results, and measurements. While these are important, they capture only part of the picture. Your emotional and psychological wellbeing is equally vital and yet it is often overlooked. Stress, anxiety, or feeling unheard doesn’t just affect your mood; it influences hormone balance, labour progression, and even early bonding with your baby.

This is where doulas shine. Doulas specialize in protecting your emotional space, ensuring that your mental and emotional state is supported as much as your physical health. They provide continuity, advocacy, and reassurance in ways that busy medical systems often cannot.

A doula can help by:
🌿 Listening deeply and validating your experiences, fears, and hopes
🌿 Encouraging self-trust and helping you build confidence in your body’s instincts
🌿 Advocating for your choices and helping you feel empowered in interactions with the medical team
🌿 Reducing anxiety through education, preparation, and gentle guidance
🌿 Creating calm, supportive environments for labour and birth, helping your body work with rather than against stress

When your emotional wellbeing is protected, your body can focus on what it is designed to do. Labour flows more smoothly, hormones support physiology, and your instincts are free to guide you. A calm, supported birthing person is better able to navigate challenges, make informed decisions, and connect deeply with their baby.

Pregnancy and birth are not just physical experiences — they are emotional, psychological, and even spiritual journeys. Doulas help bridge the gap, ensuring your feelings, your peace, and your sense of safety are prioritized alongside medical care.

Your body. Your birth. Your baby. Your choice. 💛

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 17 📅✨ Safety looks different depending on perspective ✨“Safety” isn’t always the same for you ...
17/12/2025

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 17 📅

✨ Safety looks different depending on perspective ✨

“Safety” isn’t always the same for you as it is for the medical team. What a professional sees as risk, a hospital protocol, or a necessary intervention may not feel like safety to you.

For example:

Being monitored continuously or having interventions “just in case” can feel restrictive, stressful, or disempowering, even if it’s considered medically safe.

Conversely, being at home with trusted support may feel profoundly safe to you, familiar surroundings, freedom to move, and control over your space even though it might be labelled as “higher risk” in hospital guidelines.

Your sense of safety includes emotional, psychological, and physical aspects:

Feeling heard, respected, and supported
Being in a space where you can trust your instincts
Having your choices and autonomy honoured

Medical safety often focuses on measurable outcomes, blood pressure, fetal heart rate, infection risk, which might also be important to you, but they are just one part of the picture. Your personal safety is equally valid. It’s about trust, control, and emotional, physiological, psychological and spiritual wellbeing too.

In birth, the most positive outcomes happen when a medical professional meets you where you are at and your sense of safety work together. Feeling safe allows your body and your baby to do what they’re designed to do.

Your body. Your birth. Your baby. Your choice. 💛

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 16 📅✨ Birth is a physiological process, supported by your body ✨“Birth should be a natural eve...
16/12/2025

📅 Birth Advent Calendar – 16 📅

✨ Birth is a physiological process, supported by your body ✨

“Birth should be a natural event that occasionally needs medical help, not a medical event that occasionally happens naturally.” Kemi Johnson

I wholeheartedly agree with this. Your body is designed to give birth. Every stage of labour from contractions to the pushing phase is guided by your physiology. With the right support, environment, and respect for your body’s signals, birth can unfold in a way that is safe, empowering, and aligned with your innate capabilities.

This doesn’t mean medical support isn’t important. Interventions have a vital role when truly wanted or needed. But the default approach should be trusting your body’s wisdom, not overriding it without reason. Birth is a physiological process first, and medical help is a supportive tool, not the starting point.

Supporting physiological birth means:

Starting labour spontaneously whenever possible, avoiding unnecessary inductions that can interfere with your body’s timing.

Giving birth in environments that support your physiology, often at home or in a calm, familiar setting where your body feels safe.

Respecting your body’s timing and rhythm rather than rushing stages.

Minimising unnecessary interventions and allowing freedom of movement, upright positions, and freedom to respond to labour cues.

Providing a calm, private, safe and supportive environment that reduces stress and allows oxytocin, the hormone of birth to flow naturally.

Listening to you as the expert on your own body and baby.

When your physiology is honoured, birth becomes a deeply personal, empowering, and transformative experience.

Your body. Your birth. Your baby. Your choice. 💛

Address

Belper Community Hall
Belper
DE561BA

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
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Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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Empowering education and support from pregnancy to parenthood

Hello and welcome to the Nest & Nurture - Bump, Birth & Beyond page.

Hi, my name is Tara Luke and I am passionate about all things pregnancy, birth and babies. I really love supporting parents in pregnancy to know their choices to feel confident, relaxed and empowered about the birth of their baby. Being pregnant and having a baby can be such a special time, but it also brings change and with it a whole range of mixed emotions and feelings. So as a doula and teacher I am focused on creating a safe nurturing space, a listening ear and non-judgemental support.