Ilkley Private Midwife

18/10/2024

Well this is exciting!! ☺️

07/06/2024

I completed some really interesting training recently. I’ve had a few clients who identify themselves as neurodivergent, and I wanted to make sure that I was supporting them in the best possible way ☺️

14/05/2024

Very proud to be awarded this 2 years running 😊

13/05/2024

Rishi Sunak is presented with a copy of the birth trauma inquiry report!

You can read the report and the full recommendations here:https://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/sites/www.theo-clarke.org.uk/files/2024-05/Birth%20Trauma%20Inquiry%20Report%20for%20Publication_May13_2024.pdf

13/05/2024

This is a hard read, one that shouldn’t have needed to be written.
I feel incredibly saddened, and I must admit that I feel disappointed with my profession at this moment.

However, we need to make this better for pregnant couples and there are some things we/you can put in place.

🌟Things like learning how to advocate for yourself, and your birth partner knowing how to do this for you if required.

🌟Educating yourself about how labour and birth really work, and how to get yourself in the best possible position to manage it your way.

🌟Knowing how to navigate the maternity system and how to avoid getting trapped in a “tick box” exercise.

🌟Being aware of your ‘choices’ and how to make truly informed choices.

🌟How to articulate your needs and have some control over your care.

🌟Who to ask to speak to in hospital and how to get that important signature on your notes to make things happen!

I can help you with all these things. Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more.
07828315622
amanda@mycalmbirth.com

MPs heard "harrowing stories" from women, including some who said they were left in blood-soaked sheets.

29/03/2024

Just look what changes take place when we are pregnant!
No wonder it can feel uncomfortable sometimes 😉

Thinking of all those growing babies right now ❤️❤️🤰🏻🤰🏽🤰🏿❤️❤️

Pregnancy body changes from the inside😲

No wonder we get indigestion, frequent toilet stops, constipation, breathing can be tricky, sore joints, aching breasts .....

😵

🌟OUR BUMPER EDITION WITH FREE MILESTONE JOURNAL IS ON SALE NOW - milestone journal included with store bought copies in NZ, AU and UK only🌟

Issue 53 is here and it's packed full of inspiration, tips, advice and real-life experiences to guide you on your journey through pregnancy, birth and motherhood - whether you are expecting a new arrival this year, are adjusting to life with a new baby, or are deep in the trenches of parenthood.

Get your copy now - available locally and internationally online.

Find your local stockists here: https://linktr.ee/TheNaturalParentMagazine

https://thenaturalparentmagazine.com/product-category/shop/magazine/

You can pick up a copy from your local Countdown or selected stockists in NZ, from your local newsagent in Australia, from WH Smith High Street stores, selected Waitrose & Partners and independent bookstores across the UK, or online from anywhere in the world. 🌸🌸🌸

27/03/2024

This!!

We were never meant to live like this. Want to know why you’re so tired? It’s not just because your baby wakes all night. It’s not just because you’re nursing 24/7. It’s not because of your baby’s biological needs. It’s because we were never meant to live like this. In so much isolation. So alone. We were meant for a village. We were meant to lay in bed for weeks/months feeding and sleeping with our new baby while our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, neighbors, and friends helped out.

But there is no mother bringing us food and water. No grandma cooking the meals. No sisters playing with the other children. No cousins folding the laundry. No neighbors taking care of the house, and no friends providing support. Modern life is in constant conflict with childrearing and our biological needs. From returning to work at 6 weeks postpartum to little to no support in the postpartum period. The truth is many of us are just lucky enough to have someone drop a meal off but not lucky enough to have them actually come inside. And it’s not their fault. They don’t have a village either. There’s never been a mother to bring them food and water. Never a grandma to cook their meals. Never sisters playing with their other children. Never cousins folding the laundry. Never neighbors taking care of the house and never friends providing support.

Our babies are biologically designed to wake often and eat often. We are biologically designed for a village. Be easy on yourself and your baby. We were never meant to live like this.

Follow Milkitivity on Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/milkitivity_/

07/03/2024

Have you been induced?
Would you like to share your experience??

Are you up for sharing your experience with induction of labour in the UK?

Recently I've been speaking with Divya Talwar, a journalist at the BBC.

Divya is looking to speak to women, midwives and health care professionals in the UK about their experience of induced labours.

If you would be interested in sharing your experience, please contact Divya directly.

You can DM her via Instagram on or email her at divya.talwar@bbc.co.uk for a completely confidential conversation.

(Please don't email/message Sara about this. We're posting this to help Divya reach those who may have important information to share, so please contact Divya directly.)

If you'd like information about induction, see https://www.sarawickham.com/induction

There's also a link in our bio :)

02/03/2024

Have a look at this!

https://www.facebook.com/share/UVfpepagiQ1setTy/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Heartburn during pregnancy is tough, but taking antacids isn’t the only option. Here are some effective lifestyle tips to reduce heartburn & acid reflux in pregnancy.

01/03/2024

STALL HOLDER SPOTLIGHT ⭐⭐⭐

Please welcome Amanda from My Calm Birth as a stall holder for our Health & Wellbeing Festival this Saturday 2nd March.

Amanda Wardle is a private midwife specialist hypnobirthing / antenatal educator with over 35years of experience working in the NHS and privately.
All this experience enables Amanda to offer many different packages, from one-off appointments right through to a full antenatal and postnatal package.

Come and meet Amanda
www.mycalmbirth.com

25/02/2024

If anyone is interested in knowing more about home birth 😊

29/01/2024

Do you want to birth in water?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/muXFDvGdoythnwCh/?mibextid=WC7FNe

A few months ago, a birthing pool company put out a post claiming that there are conditions one needs to meet to be able to use a birthing pool.

These conditions included that one needed to be low risk, and within pre-pregnancy BMI criteria.

In case we’ve not met, hello. I’m not a rival birth pool company. I’m an author and researcher with thirty years of midwifery experience, and a PhD. I write about pregnancy, risk, high BMI and the importance of informed decision making.

And I wanted to reshare some information that I posted in order to set the record straight.

There are, in fact, only three conditions for being able to use a birthing pool.

1. You are birthing
2. You have access to a pool
3. You want to birth in the pool

Now, it’s true that access can sometimes be tricky.

If you decide to give birth in a facility such as a hospital or birth centre, for instance, there may not be a pool available for you to use.

That's one reason why some families hire, buy or borrow their own.

It’s also true that some facilities and care providers might try and restrict your use of a birth pool if you have risk factors, including higher BMI. (More on this in my book on Plus Size Pregnancy).

But these are not absolutes. There are plenty of exceptions.

We know many women who have used birth pools in hospitals and birth centres with a higher BMI and/or other supposed risk factors.

And no-one can stop you from doing what you want in your home.

These restrictive statements also aren’t evidence-based. More on this at www.sarawickham.com/water

And the bottom line is this: your body, your baby, your decision.

That’s why it’s good to do your research beforehand and ask lots of questions.

Please don’t let anyone else restrict your options. Not care providers, not your family, and certainly not birth pool companies.

For information on the benefits of water for birth which is based on actual evidence, see www.sarawickham.com/water