Claire Licence Leeds Doula.

29/09/2022

19/07/2020

My gorgeous grandson Edward was born on Friday. I had the privilege of holding my baby in my arms as she birthed her baby at home.

20/03/2020

Sad to have had to make the following post for the MVP site.

I have some updates from the trust and some further information.
As the situation is changing so rapidly it is important that we remember the staff who are putting themselves on the line to take care of us, yesterday staff at the hospital were left in tears due to being verbally abused whilst trying to protect patients and visitors. The steps have to be put in place to protect you as a patient, your baby, other patients and also the staff themselves in this difficult time.

Visiting hours are restricted until 2 - 3 no visitors under the age of 12

Some exceptions are-

Patients who are residing in hospital with their child.
Visitors of patients who are in critical care or end of life care.
Birthing partners.
Visitors who are carers for inpatients supporting with eating, dressing etc.

Can we also please remind people not to attend clinics if you have a new persistent cough or temperature.

We will continue to provide updates as soon as we have them, please though remember the staff are there to help and not to be abused, this is a worrying time for them too.

18/03/2020

Offering phone and email support to anyone who needs it during these uncertain times.

18/03/2020

https://birthingwithgrace.co.uk/birth-companions-in-the-time-of-covid-19/?fbclid=IwAR3giK1bU4iG_Nv-Z5MM25rsa_aIsXcWYVXWmdKUCqjojOgmRnHhwHSCANE

Birth Companions in a Time of Pandemic Many NHS Trusts in the UK have made announcements restricting visitors to hospitals and this has also been the case with maternity units. Indeed, some hospitals are now saying that each woman can only have one birth companion during labour. As a radical, indepe...

08/03/2020

My gorgeous grandson, can't wait to meet him.

16/01/2020

This year I get to attend the birth of my first grandchild! My beautiful baby girl is having a baby of her own.

20/08/2019

GASLIGHTING AND THE CORD BLOOD BANKING INDUSTRY

I came across a recent cord-blood banking ad campaign that read: "Storing your baby's cord blood preserves a potentially life saving resource that would usually be thrown away.." I re-read that statement several times wondering if there was something I was not understanding. My friends, I was being gaslighted.

Gas lighting is mostly used by politicians who makes claims so preposterous, bold and public that you begin to think it must be true, leading to your perception being manipulated. The rich and powerful are traditionally assumed to be smarter and know more. When executed successfully, gaslighting helps to gain power and to convince masses of people to do as they are told. The cord-blood banking industry has possibly very successfully gaslighted the public.

It is an enormous feat to convince people to hand over their baby's blood to you, and then pay you money to give it back later. And to convince people that the same blood that will cure your child's illness when given back to him, would not do a better job if kept in his body in the first place.

When we read that they are taking blood that would normally be "thrown-away", we are confused because the opposite of Thrown-Away would be to Keep-in-the-Body. And that means that the practice of early cord clamping should stop so that the baby gets all his blood. That's logical.

Instead, the industry has carved a new logic into the public's mind - where the solution to not wasting good rich blood that are so essential to your baby's health, is to divert that blood into a bag to be kept in a refrigerator.

25/07/2019

Challenges faced by non binary people during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

18/07/2019

I always carry a comb in my birth bag!!!

Did you know a comb can be used during labor?! And no its not for your hair.

When gripped in your hands, a comb can help hit acupuncture points in your hands.

It also plays into the gate control pain theory. This theory states that the brain can only focus on a select number of sensations. Because the nerve endings are closer on your hands they reach your brain faster. Helping your body forget about the contractions.

ETA: For those who have asked how to hold it Having the comb hit at the base of the fingers (across the palm of your hand).

15/07/2019

It's a while since we shared this so here it is again. Sarah's blog about waterproof coverings for homebirth 💜

It’s time for a new tablecloth in our playroom which means this one gets cut in half and recycled as a pair of birthing mats
Lots of people recommend shower curtains as a barrier to mess for homebirthers but shower curtains are rarely waterproof. They are designed to redirect the flow of the water, not to withstand a puddle of water sat on top of it.
I’ve been at a birth where the puddle of amniotic fluid and blood started to shrink as it soaked into and then through the shower curtain mum was sat on! Yikes!
Others suggest getting plastic decorators sheeting from a hardware store. These are thin and rip easily. They are also slippy to walk on and make an irritating rustley noise that is not ideal in the birthing environment.
I always suggest oil cloth because it’s cotton backed and most definitely waterproof so you can use it shiney side down and have a nice warm, soft, non slippy surface to stand, sit or walk on. It’s also washable on a 30-40 degree cycle so you can pop it in after the towels and then reuse it or make it into aprons or bags for the children (or you!)
You can buy it from most markets, haberdashery shops or places like Dunelm mill or John Lewis. You just need 1m off the roll so it doesn’t cost a fortune.
Cut it down the middle to make two square-ish mats and you can place one, shiney side down next to the pool with a bath mat on top for a very definitely waterproof and yet non slip place to get in and out of the pool if you’re using one.
The other square can be your portable birthing mat. Because of its small size your birth partners can just pop it under you wherever you choose to birth with a towel on top.
It can go under a towel wherever you make your nest to snuggle with baby after the birth to protect your sofa, chair, bed or floor
It also works well shiney side down on top of your mattress and under the bed sheet to protect your mattress over the first few days and nights.
So there you go, my top tip for homebirthers
Oil cloth!