Joy Horner - Birth Joy

29/04/2026

In my 28 years of attending births and caring for families, I have come to the deep understanding that an unexpected or feared outcome needn't be traumatic with the right support!

As birthworkers, we can’t always prevent the need for intervention however many biomechanics we may have tried. I know that my clients have experienced a variety of outcomes, including early pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and a whole range of emergency scenarios, which, if not well managed, have the potential to lead to birth trauma or PTSD. But very few of them did!

Over the past 32 years since my own traumatic birth experience, I have studied ways to prevent and heal from perinatal trauma. And what I'd like you to know is that how families prepare for birth, are held in birth, and postnatally makes all the difference!

This includes:

✨️ Good antenatal preparation, including information about how to manage hospital transfers and admission, how "emergencies" are managed, and unplanned instrumental or surgical birth.

✨️Knowing how to hold yourself as well as your clients in unexpected circumstances, and how to help clients navigate their recovery from and assimilation of their birth story.

If you've experienced an unexpected outcome, you can work with me on your healing journey of recovery.

If you are a birthworker, look out for my Homebirth Emergency workshop in Glastonbury on 24th August.

Or join the waiting list for my next Birthkeeper's Path-10 moons course starting in February 2027.

25/04/2026

What are your thoughts on perinral massage in pregnancy?

Did you use it? And if so, was it useful? And why?

I've seen it used very effectively
💧To heal sexual trauma
💧To boost belief in the body’s ability to stretch
💧To link feelings of relaxation or pleasure to the sensation of stretching.
💧To prepare for the intense feeling of stretching in vaginal birth.
💧And what if it might reduce the chance of having an episiotomy, too?

If you don't do it, your body will still stretch beautifully. Perineal massage is less about forcefully stretching your perineum and much more about relaxing, and forging a positive relationship with this part of your body and the sensations of stretching.

Check out my YouTube channel for more tips, or book a one to one to learn about my Perineal Protection Plan and optimise your chances of a straightforward birth.

11/04/2026

Every pregnancy contains important themes. Threads which connect us to the parts of ourselves yet to be revealed.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/181mn1pqV9/

07/04/2026

Catch me in France next year supporting this amazing project.

I believe that families have been systemically deprived of their birthing power through the industrialised creation of "the expert" who knows what's best.

Women and birthing people know what's best for their families when they have access to enough information to make truly informed choices.

Doulas, birthkeepers and midwives have a great responsibility to help parents access good information

- This is the immersion Daaluz will present in France an incredible opportunity to be at the heart of change you wish to see in birth.. please share with French colleagues.. BE THE CHANGE. w

05/04/2026

Every pregnancy invites you to grow mentally as well as physically!

- Sometimes the pregnancy journey can be one of fear, anxiety and concern. It is not always straight up happiness. I know that is hard to understand especially for women who desire pregnancy so much but this is a real experience for so many women. This is especially so but not for women who are business women, athletes who are out in the world making it happen. Then there are those who have just embraced womanhood and just feel like they would like to learn more about themselves. We need to hold these women in a loving way and in a gentle space until they can find their way through the labyrinth 💜
preparingforthejourney wrappingyourmindaroundit

Repost

I got so emotional as I was putting this video together. What a journey it has been. I still remember the early days of my pregnancy, how emotionally and physically draining it was. I spent many of the early weeks crying, praying to God asking him, Why me? Why now? I always made it so clear I didn’t want kids anytime soon but God obviously had other plans.

I am deeply grateful for my family, support system, therapist, and my sweet husband. Each of them played a pivotal role in shaping the rest of my pregnancy journey.

When I began sharing my story here, I had no idea how many women would find it relatable. I once felt “less of a woman” for not feeling immediate excitement and joy regarding my pregnancy. To my surprise, many other women have shared these same feelings. Hearing from moms around the world has been incredibly encouraging.

I look forward to continuing to learn from all of you as I share the real, raw, exciting, and emotional rides of motherhood and life in general.

Thank you to everyone who has followed and encouraged me throughout this journey. Your support has meant more to me than you’ll ever know 🤎

31/03/2026

Caesareans may be a routine procedure for hospital staff, but they are life altering in many ways for those who have them.

A cesarean birth isn’t “just surgery.”

It can require dozens of stitches—carefully closing multiple layers of the body: the uterus, the fascia, the muscle, the skin. Layer by layer.

It is major abdominal surgery.

And yet, within hours, she’s often being helped to her feet… encouraged to walk… and learning to feed, soothe, and care for a brand new baby. 🤱✨

Healing from surgery while simultaneously becoming someone’s entire world is no small thing.

Strength doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it looks like standing up slowly, holding your incision, and still showing up for your newborn.

That kind of resilience deserves to be seen, supported, and respected. 💕

29/03/2026

Our next Springtime Birthworker's gathering is on Thursday 2nd of April.

Join us once more at the Sacred Birth Centre in Glastonbury with other birthworkers in our monthly crafternoon, to tend to your womancraft skills and relax amongst friends.

🌻Let your nervous system settle as you sit in circle with like-minded birthworkers

🏵 Pull an oracle card from the animal deck from for guidance.

🌼 Let the drum journey reveal what you need to know about your life or work.

🌻Replenish with nourishing tea and snacks.

🏵Make a dish from clay to hold your heartfelt prayers and intentions.

£10 for 1½ hours of arty womancraft.

We come together as birthworkers in community because together we are stronger!.

Contact Me to book your place. 🪷

27/03/2026

with - A roadside surprise breech birth...

The dad writes:

"At 5:30am Alisha’s water broke very unexpectedly. We were about a 5 hour drive away from where we were planning to give birth. Our birthing supplies we had prepared also were hours away so we made the decision to drive and hope that we would make it to them! Alisha spent pretty much her entire labor in the car, We were still about 2.5 hours away from our planned birthing location when Alisha felt the urge to push.

"She told me to get off at the next exit, which happened to have a sign that said “Scenic biway” in Gold Hill along the Rogue River in Oregon. We made a few impromptu turns and made it to a neighborhood in which people’s homes were on the right and the river bank was on the left. At 8:45 we stopped along the river bank.

"There was a deck with a picnic table on it, down the hill, overlooking the river. It looked to be old and was covered in moss, surrounded by trees and chirping birds. It was very beautiful.

"Alisha paced back and forth on the deck for about 15 minutes while enjoying the fresh air, the birds, and the sounds of the running water.

"During this time I was cleaning leaves and making a bed out of camping equipment we keep in the car. I exchanged a few important phone calls receiving instructions from the midwife who was still hours of driving away.

"Eventually, Alisha stopped pacing and stood with one leg on the hill and one on the deck. At 9:15 I started the video. 3 minutes later our baby boy was born!

"The total labor time was 3 hrs and 48 minutes. Baby came out in just a few pushes.

"An important note is that Alisha and I had been on a strict clean diet for 2 years and 3 months prior to this birth. We removed all seed oils and processed food, and restricted most of our sugar intake. We transitioned to eating only organic whole foods and high quality animal foods including raw milk, grass fed red meat, and organs. We both saw a huge change in our capacity and body’s functions through this complete dietary change, and we attribute Alisha’s extremely easy, sickness free, and pain free pregnancy and breech labor to thi

21/03/2026

There is no need to stress about colostrum harvesting in pregnancy.

It's a useful skill to learn in pregnancy in case you need to give tour baby expressed breastmilk after birth, but collecting colostrum whilst pregnant can be difficult for some.

I've spoken to too many women who are distressed when they can't express milk antenatally, because they haven't been informed that it's perfectly normal not to be able to express milk in pregnancy.

I'd like you to know that once your baby and placenta have been born, a hormonal switch is turned on for milk production to commence.
Then, you'll need to feed your baby frequently day and night to ensure a good milk supply.

Not being able to express colostrum in pregnancy does not mean that you won't be able to feed your baby after birth, so don't worry.
Practice the technique and carry on.