The Essex Birth Company

The Essex Birth Company Doula/Mentor - Birth Worker - Hypnobirthing - Perinatal Trauma Rewind - Breech Moxibustion

“It’s okay not to be okay”…But are we really creating space for that, particularly after someone’s had a baby.If someone...
29/04/2026

“It’s okay not to be okay”…

But are we really creating space for that, particularly after someone’s had a baby.

If someone you love has had a baby, I want you to do something differently.

Don’t just ask:
“How are you?”
…and accept “yeah I’m fine.”

Ask again.

And this time, mean it.

“Are you really okay?”
“How are you actually feeling?”
“You can be honest with me.”

Because so many parents are surviving, not thriving.

Research shows around 1 in 5 women experience mental health difficulties in the perinatal period. Yet many don’t feel safe enough to say it out loud, so I suspect the figure are higher.

Let’s change that.

Be the person who can hold the real answer, who can listen, who can support and who wants a real answer!

If you’re not ok please get in touch, I want to hear your truth, not just pleasantries
kirstie@theessexbirth.com

23/04/2026

Reflecting on what you’re grateful for has been proven to improve mental health, particularly for people struggling with anxiety and/or depression.

Let me know what you’re grateful for? On this particular morning I chose blue skies, spring morning mist, the countryside, my breath and feeling reasonably well in that moment.

I talk about this with the pregnant women and people I work with and some have found journalling and adding points of gratitude helpful. Others simply list 3 things they’re feeling grateful for that day. It can be cathartic to look back on the list on those days you’re feeling down too.

Do you feel prepared for a home birth? Are you nervous about being away from the hospital setting? (You don’t need to be...
18/04/2026

Do you feel prepared for a home birth?

Are you nervous about being away from the hospital setting? (You don’t need to be if you’re well informed).

Do you know your rights and what choices you might be asked to make?

Would you like to know about the stages of labour, what you can do to support yourself and what will happen to your body and to your baby during birth?

These are a few of the things we talk about during The Essex Birth Company Home Birth Preparation Workshop.

We will also talk about coping mechanisms, safety of home birth, transfers to hospital, your rights to home birth, birth partners, birth outside of guidelines, and what you can do to promote a happy and relaxed home birth that’s right for your family.

You will receive a 100 page home birth guide and relaxation audios, created by The Essex Birth Company to keep and refer back to.

Please see website for more information, for other workshops and to get in touch
https://www.theessexbirthcompany.com/home-birth-workshop

17/04/2026

I’ve been reminiscing about my teaching past, the good old days! 🥰 🧘‍♀️

Let me say that again for the people at the back. Being different is not being less!Whether you’re neurodivergent, LGBTQ...
16/04/2026

Let me say that again for the people at the back. Being different is not being less!

Whether you’re neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, a single parent, parenting outside of the “expected” timeline, navigating pregnancy after loss, or simply someone who doesn’t fit the mould that society keeps trying to squeeze you into, you belong here.

Exactly as you are!

The perinatal world can feel like it was built for one kind of person and if your story looks a little different, or a lot different, it can be quietly, exhaustingly lonely and hard work to navigate.

But here’s what I know to be true…the things that make you different are often the very things that make you amazing. The way your brain works. The way you express yourself. None of that is a problem to be solved.

At The Essex Birth Company and in my Perinatal Counselling & Trauma Therapy practice, I work with all kinds of people. Messy, beautiful, complicated, wonderful humans, at one of the most vulnerable and significant times of their lives. My door is open whether you’re autistic, ADHD, q***r, trans, a solo parent by choice, carrying trauma, or just someone who has never quite seen themselves reflected in the shiny version of parenthood the internet portrays.

You don’t have to anything in particular you just have to show up and I’ll meet you there.

Please get in touch to learn more


“Informed consent” is not just a signature.It is not saying yes under duress or coercion or because you feel there’s no ...
15/04/2026

“Informed consent” is not just a signature.

It is not saying yes under duress or coercion or because you feel there’s no other choice.

It is not a rushed “is that ok?”

True consent means:
• You are given clear, unbiased information
• Risks and benefits are explained
• Alternatives are offered
• You have time and space to decide
• You feel no pressure

Without this, consent is not truly consent.

And too many people are still agreeing to care they don’t fully understand and suffering for it afterwards.

You deserve better than that.

To help it’s essential that you’re informed of your rights before labour.

Please take a look at my range of Birth Prep Workshops, all workshops cover topics such as consent, choice, advocacy, navigating different scenarios that may arise in the current maternity system, plus lots more, so that you’re in a position to make informed decisions when the time comes.

April is caesarean birth awareness month! Do you feel prepared for a caesarean birth? Are you holding onto fear & anxiet...
13/04/2026

April is caesarean birth awareness month!

Do you feel prepared for a caesarean birth?

Are you holding onto fear & anxiety about this birth type?

Do you know your rights & the choices you might be asked to make?

Would you like to know what often happens on the day & how best to prepare?

These are a few of the things we talk about during The Essex Birth Company Caesarean Birth Preparation Workshop, but we cover so much more.

A few of the other things we will discuss are coping mechanisms, techniques to release negative feelings, your rights & choices, bonding & hormones for birth. We will look at the stages of a caesarean birth & break it down step by step. We will look at preparation for birth partners & the immediate postnatal period.

Most of all we will look at how to achieve a happy, magical, caesarean birth that is ideal for you & your baby.

You will receive a free 60 page caesarean guide & caesarean birth specific relaxation audios, created by The Essex Birth Company to keep & refer back to after our sessions.

Please see website for more information and to get in touch
https://www.theessexbirthcompany.com/caesarean-workshop

The Essex Birth Company hire out birth pools, but get booked up really quickly, so please don’t delay! I have a few unex...
13/04/2026

The Essex Birth Company hire out birth pools, but get booked up really quickly, so please don’t delay! I have a few unexpectedly available soon…

You can see some videos and lots more information over on my website

https://www.theessexbirthcompany.com/birth-pool-hire

Here are just a few of the water birth benefits…

* A relaxing, calm and comfortable birth experience
* Less chance of needing medical pain relief
* Vaginal birth is more likely to be successful
* Provides an increased sense of control
* The buoyancy of the water makes you feel lighter and enables you to get into more comfortable positions.
* It can increase the sense of privacy
* Reduces perineal trauma
* It can help with labour progression
* It can help you to feel energised
* The relaxing effect of warm water also helps to produce endorphins, promoting the body’s natural pain relief mechanism.

All of my pools, liners and hoses are from and are amazing quality.

If you’d like to use a birth pool for your upcoming birth please do get in touch and I’d be happy to send you more information

The Essex Birth Company hire out birth pools, but get booked up really quickly, so please don’t delay! I have a few unex...
13/04/2026

The Essex Birth Company hire out birth pools, but get booked up really quickly, so please don’t delay! I have a few unexpectedly available soon…

You can see some videos and lots more information over on my website

https://www.theessexbirthcompany.com/birth-pool-hire

Here are just a few of the water birth benefits…

* A relaxing, calm and comfortable birth experience
* Less chance of needing medical pain relief
* Vaginal birth is more likely to be successful
* Provides an increased sense of control
* The buoyancy of the water makes you feel lighter and enables you to get into more comfortable positions.
* It can increase the sense of privacy
* Reduces perineal trauma
* It can help with labour progression
* It can help you to feel energised
* The relaxing effect of warm water also helps to produce endorphins, promoting the body’s natural pain relief mechanism.

All of my pools, liners and hoses are from and are amazing quality.

If you’d like to use a birth pool for your upcoming birth please do get in touch and I’d be happy to send you more information

I had the loveliest time at the Basking Babies Brunch at Fête in Chelmsford, surrounded by so many glowing, excited (and...
12/04/2026

I had the loveliest time at the Basking Babies Brunch at Fête in Chelmsford, surrounded by so many glowing, excited (and let’s be honest, sometimes nervous!) pregnant people, all planning their own unique birth journeys.

We talked all kinds of births, I shared some of my top tips, showed videos of local maternity units, and had some really meaningful conversations about the perinatal period and mental health. The kind of chats that remind me why I do what I do.

It was also so lovely to catch up with the wonderful Deb from , always a pleasure!

If you were there today, it was so great to meet you. Thanks for the invite 🥰

The postnatal period, often called the “fourth trimester”, is one of the biggest gaps in maternity care.Around 1 in 5 wo...
11/04/2026

The postnatal period, often called the “fourth trimester”, is one of the biggest gaps in maternity care.

Around 1 in 5 women experience mental health difficulties during pregnancy or after birth
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2024/05/record-numbers-of-women-accessing-perinatal-mental-health-support/

And yet… preparation is heavily focused on labour, not recovery.

Sleep deprivation. Healing. Feeding. Identity shifts.

Id like to highlight that many postnatal struggles are not just hormonal, but linked to lack of support and difficult birth experiences.

The postnatal period deserves just as much preparation, care and attention because how you’re supported after birth matters just as much as how you’re supported during it.

If you’re pregnant please take a look at my Birth & Postnatal Preparation Workshops.

If you’re struggling in your postnatal period please get in touch, you may benefit from counselling or trauma therapy

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Chipping Ongar

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+447920212669

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