Hypnobirthing Haven with Emily Sheppard

15/04/2026

It is so important to be properly informed so you can make the decisions that are right for you. This research is a step in the right direction as it is always useful to see the evidence behind what is being offered to know how beneficial (or not) it may be to you. Though research takes its time to filter down to actually make policy changes in the trusts, even if NICE etc guidelines are changed it’s not automatic that a trusts or hospital policy changes.

13/04/2026

I’ve been wanting to find the time to write something myself about the come back of “one born every minute” but the below says everything I wanted to say 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Everyone celebrating the return of “One Born Every Minute”… but honestly? That’s not great news for people preparing for birth in my opinion.

It’s reality TV, it's absolutely not a birth education.

Every episode is edited to show the most dramatic moments, the panic, the emergencies, the rushing around and it's been normalised...
And why? Because calm, straightforward births don’t make good television.

But when this is the main way people see birth, it creates a huge problem.

It teaches women that birth is something to fear, that it's inherently dangerous and a medical process. It's not.
When we watch this, our brain takes those images in, and when we go into labour, our brains expect danger, stress and therefore our hormones rise, which can actually make labour longer and harder.

Birth works best when you feel safe, calm and supported, not when you’re waiting for something to go wrong like the next episode.

So no… the return of this show isn’t exactly helping the next generation prepare for birth, and I don't recommend it in the slightest.

If you’re preparing for birth, protect your mindset.
Watch birth stories that build confidence, not ones made for ratings.

10/04/2026

We talk about birth positions and how they can help (or not) in detail on my full Hypnobirthing course, as well as building confidence and knowledge to trust that your body knows how to give birth so you can allow it to happen by instinctively moving into positions that feel right for you and your baby 💛

🚨🚨 BIRTH NEWS - Women were never meant to give birth on their backs - is of NO surprise to birth workers 😉

Janet Balaskas, a world renowned birth expert and founder of the Active Birth Centre in the UK, recently spoke with about birth positioning.

It's more dangerous to birth on your back, so why is it the most common position for modern birth? Because once upon a time, a Frenchman decided it was more convenient for the men, wrote BBC author Lucy Sherriff.

For thousands of years in human history, birth was commonly done upright, squatting, on all 4s. Birthing chairs and stools were designed, not birthing beds.

A 2022 study reaffirmed that squatting can increase the pelvic diameter by a full inch!

And yet, despite evidence showing more pelvic space and the use of gravity, many continue to be encouraged by providers to birth on their backs.

"Throughout the world, and for thousands of years, women have spontaneously laboured and given birth in some form of upright or crouching positions," Balaskas's Active Birth Manifesto reads.

It is only within the last 300-400 years that birth became a medical event rather than an expected physiological process.

Thanks to a French man named François Mauriceau who claimed that the reclining position would be both more comfortable for the pregnant woman and more convenient for the male physician attending to her, supine became common.

Yet experts agree and evidence proves, supine to be a less effective and safe position to birth in.

"No other species adopts such a disadvantageous position at such a crucial time," says Balaskas.

Hannah Dahlen, professor of midwifery at Australia's Western Sydney University, wrote in a 2013 op-ed that the supine position is a "relatively modern phenomenon."

So, with all the evidence and historical context, how does supine continue to be encouraged?

Full article below. Be sure to read!

10/04/2026

✨Caesarean Awareness Month✨

Recovering from a caesarean can be tough, and it’s completely normal to need support while your body heals 💜

Moving around may feel painful at first, which is why pain relief is so important. For some, paracetamol and ibuprofen are enough, but many mums will need something stronger.

Strong painkillers are usually not needed for more than a few days, but everyone’s experience is different. If you’re in pain, please let someone know and ask for the support you need.

Find out more about C-sections and breastfeeding in our factsheet:
https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/factsheet/caesarean/

✨Please share this post✨

[ID: Caesarean section and Breastfeeding. Image of a newborn baby on a mum's chest. www.breastfeedinfnetwork.org.uk/drugs-factsheets.]

10/04/2026

Sara Wickhams books “inducing labour” and “in your own time” are two books (among others) I always recommend to clients, to help them make informed choices that are right for them!

Is the recommendation of induction for advanced maternal age truly based on sound evidence?

Or is it illogical when you break down and really look at the issues?

What do older women need to know about the evidence in this area?

We hear from more and more women who are told that they need induction of labour because they are older.

This issue also arose when the NICE guideline on induction of labour was revised in 2021.

The recommendation to offer earlier induction to older women was not included in the final guideline.

But we know it’s still being offered.

As I wrote when the guideline was published:

“One of the most controversial aspects of the draft [NICE] guideline was the proposed recommendation that earlier induction be offered to certain groups of women, including older women, larger women and women who conceived via IVF or ARTs.

It is clear that some groups of women/babies have a slightly higher chance of stillbirth compared to other groups.

But data on this are often crude, the absolute risk may not be that high and we often have no trial evidence to show whether or not induction of labour would make a difference.” (Wickham 2021).

I’ve written more about induction for advanced maternal age in two of my books.

Those are Inducing Labour: making informed decisions and In Your Own Time: how western medicine controls that start of labour and why this needs to stop.

I also have a blog post on induction for advanced maternal age.

Find it at https://www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/induction-for-advanced-maternal-age/

I hope you’ll find it useful.

If you do, you can support my work by buying my books and recommending them to others.

And by the way, there’s one thing we don’t say often enough to older women who get pregnant:

Congratulations 🥰💕😍🎉

09/04/2026

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09/04/2026

It’s important to know your rights 🩵

09/04/2026

27/03/2026

This 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼🥰

We’re often asked about our baby’s habits—how they’re sleeping, how much they’re eating, how much weight they’ve gained. It can be draining to constantly compare. As Barbara reminds us, life with your baby becomes far more joyful when you let go of comparisons and simply focus on them.

[Image: A parent holding the hand of their infant while nursing in side-lying position. Text: "I finally realized that if I would just abandon myself to my baby and relieve myself of expectation (usually other people's) of how she 'should' behave, then everything would be so much easier and so much more enjoyable and I just wouldn't care what other people thought. This took a few months, but it changed my life." - Barbara ]

27/03/2026

16/10/2025

Welcoming a new life into the world is a profound journey. Discover the benefits of having birth support and how it can empower you during this exciting time. Learn more about this invaluable resource for parents-to-be and new parents! 🌟 https://wix.to/mIj4XHZ

Welcoming a new life into the world is one of the most profound experiences you’ll ever have. It’s exciting, overwhelming, and sometimes a little scary. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to go through it alone. Having the right support during birth can make a world of difference. Let....