Doula Care - pregnancy and birth care and support

Doula Care - pregnancy and birth care and support I will prepare you for the birth of your baby, help and empower you have the birth you want, and help you in the early days with your newborn.

Hello, my name is Laureen. I am married with five lovely grown up children and six gorgeous grandchildren. My background is in teaching and I am a qualified infant teacher. I taught until my first baby came along but subsequently changed to being a supervisor at the local Playgroup in which I was involved for many years. I then had a change in direction and trained to teach E.S.O.L (English to Spe

akers of Other Languages). I have been an Adult Education tutor for a number of years and I continue to teach on a voluntary basis. I have been fortunate enough to have given birth to all my children naturally, and I consider each one as an amazing miracle. I believe passionately in the ability of a woman to birth her baby and whilst there is a place for medical interventions, most women, with loving support and care, can give birth without them. My aim is to provide you with the knowledge to help you make your own decisions, provide you and your partner with the care and support you deserve to help make your experience of the birth of your baby a positive and joyful one. I am here to provide practical, physical and emotional support to you and your family before, during and after the birth of your baby. Pregnancy and childbirth is a wonderful and very exciting time but it is also a time full of uncertainty and new experiences as you journey through the passage into parenthood. You will find that a having a Doula can make all the difference to you at this special time, because I am someone who is there to care for you during your pregnancy, your birth and for the first weeks with your new baby.

28/05/2025
16/01/2025

"I had an appointment with a consultant last week and was given a date for induction, although I wasn't really asked whether I wanted it and it was all very fast.

There's no medical reason for inducing me, it's just that I'll be 41 weeks pregnant on that date.

When I got home and thought about it and read more, I decided I wanted to cancel it.

But how do I do that?"

Induction of labour is one of the most commonly searched-for topics on my website.

A good many people arrive at www.sarawickham.com after searching for variations on the question, 'How to cancel a labour induction?'

There are sometimes really good reasons for recommending induction of labour.

But sometimes it's offered routinely, without thought for the individual, or for convenience.

One size doesn't fit all.

If you've been giving an induction date and you're happy about that, that's great. This post isn't for you. But too many women are being given dates for induction that they don't want.

So I have a blog post called "How to cancel a labour induction?" written for anyone who needs info on this.

Please feel free to send people to my site, and to share or repost this social media post (with the original pic, text and credit intact rather than putting Sara’s work/words in your own branding) in case somebody you know needs this information.

The blog post is available at https://www.sarawickham.com/riffing-ranting-and-raving/how-to-cancel-a-labour-induction/

13/01/2025

Just a quick reminder that there is a whole body of research evidence supporting the practice of skin-to-skin contact straight after birth.

For more, see https://www.sarawickham.com and sign up for my emails, which mean you get up-to-date research and thinking delivered straight to your inbox.

06/01/2025
Here are some key takeaways:Only 20% of women reported receiving sufficient information about the types of fetal monitor...
21/11/2024

Here are some key takeaways:

Only 20% of women reported receiving sufficient information about the types of fetal monitoring available.
Just 35% were asked for their consent, and 34% were unaware they even had a choice in their monitoring.
Many women turned to their own reading or ‘other’ sources to gain information, while 43% had only brief discussions with their midwife.
Perhaps most worryingly, women who were monitored via wired CTG - which we know can negatively impact the labour process and lead to unnecessary interventions - often felt they faced barriers in choosing their preferred type of monitoring.

These findings highlight a significant gap in informed decision making during childbirth, and they raise yet more questions about accessibility of information and respect for women’s rights.

If this topic resonates with you, you can explore the full study here.

Additionally, this study has been added to my fetal monitoring research resources page, where you’ll find more research studies that will help you understand this area more deeply.

04/10/2024

I'm sharing The Myth of The “Late” Baby blog post this week.

How often do we see people posting on social media that their baby is ‘late’ or ‘overdue’, often with worries that their body just can’t do it, or that there is something wrong with them.

If this has been something bothering you, take a look at the full blog post here
➡️https://courses.nurturingbirth.co.uk/blog/the-myth-of-the-late-baby

18/09/2024

⭐️✨ Congratulations to all the families of the August babies born ✨⭐️



25/07/2024

⭐ Today’s Daily Essentials Tip: Squats ⭐

Squats can help lengthenyour pelvic floor and improve your hip mobility.

To do a squat:
Use the wall to support your back
Feet are flat on the floor.
Toes point forward, not out
Send your hips back like you are going to sit in a chair
Go down only as far as you can keep your heels down

When squatting, make sure you’re supported and don’t fall. Once you’ve mastered the squat, try to do it several times per day. Learn more about squats the other stretches in our Daily Essentials in our daily essentials video: https://www.spinningbabies.com/product/daily-essentials-video-digital-download/




10/07/2024

🥵 Feeling the heat?

Being pregnant in the summer can bring discomfort, especially as your pregnancy progresses. Here are some tips to support you in pregnancy when it gets hot out there:

⛱️ Stay hydrated: Keep a water bottle with you and take sips throughout the day, staying hydrated is essential
⛱️ Eat healthily: Healthy food choices can help you feel your best, but lighter choices like salad, raw vegetables, melon, and other fruits can help keep you cool and hydrated, it’s essential to eat a varied, nutrient dense diet during pregnancy
⛱️ Get fresh air: If it’s not too hot or humid, spend time outdoors in the shade, fresh air is a must connecting with nature is great for grounding the nervous system
⛱️ Try cool packs: Placing a wet towel or ice pack on the soles of your feet, palms or cheeks can help cool your body or simply running your wrists and/or ankles under cold water
⛱️ Get enough sleep: Proper sleep can help you feel better when you’re dealing with the heat (and always) so using support cushions, keeping your bedroom cool, and listening to a yoga nidra at bedtime can help you catch them much-needed 💤

How are you dealing with the heat?




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Hello, my name is Laureen. I am married with five lovely grown up children and eight gorgeous grandchildren. My background is in teaching and I am a qualified infant teacher. I taught until my first baby came along but subsequently changed to being a supervisor at the local Playgroup in which I was involved for many years. I then had a change in direction and trained to teach E.S.O.L (English to Speakers of Other Languages). I have been an Adult Education tutor for a number of years and I continue to teach on a voluntary basis. I have been fortunate enough to have given birth to all my children naturally, and I consider each one as an amazing miracle. I believe passionately in the ability of a woman to birth her baby and whilst there is a place for medical interventions, most women, with loving support and care, can give birth without them. My aim is to provide you with the knowledge to help you make your own decisions, provide you and your partner with the care and loving support you deserve to help make your experience of the birth of your baby a positive and joyful one.

I am here to provide practical, physical and emotional support to you and your family before, during and after the birth of your baby. Pregnancy and childbirth is a wonderful and very exciting time but it is also a time full of uncertainty and new experiences as you journey through the passage into parenthood. You will find that a having a Doula can make all the difference to you at this special time, because I am someone who is there to care for you during your pregnancy, your birth and for the first weeks with your new baby.