Neath Abbey Doula

30/07/2018

If anyone has noticed that I have been MIA for the most part of this year, I do have a good reason I promise! I'm coming up to six months pregnant now and as much as I'm still pretty much constantly plagued with every virus ever known to exist, my sickness and nausea has eased off enough for me to attempt to rejoin the human race.

I've decided to try and journal my birth preparations on my website and hopefully I'll have a positive birth story to share in November. I hope this can inspire and educate others to prepare for birth and spread awareness of the choices available to us. Going with the flow is all well and good when everything goes smoothly but then you're clueless when a spanner appears in the works - don't be caught unprepared!

I'll also be sharing more from some of the other organisations I have found invaluable so far especially Pregnancy Sickness Support and The Positive Birth Movement.

Hope you'll enjoy following my journey 😊

P.s. As much as I'm not actively volunteering or taking on any paid work at the moment I am still very much willing to support and advise where I can so please get in touch if you like.

10/03/2018

I think they may be onto something you know...

What if we stopped telling women to push when they’re in labor? That’s the philosophy behind a new program at a U.K. hospital, and the results are amazing.

06/03/2018

🙌

Support mums to breastfeed anytime, anywhere!

01/02/2018

Today is the launch of ! We're encouraging everyone to get outside today and every day for the rest of the month.

Talking a walk is so good for our mental and physical well-being, and many women who have suffered with HG know the impact it can have on longer term mental health.

Here's one of our volunteers Victoria out for her first walk of the month with HG survivor Arthur. She's hoping to donate £100 at the end of February.

Where are you going for a walk today?

31/01/2018

30/01/2018

Excellent advice for new parents or parents to be. You must nourish yourselves too, especially when you are healing, stressed or tired whilst adjusting to life with a newborn. Nutrition, rest and support from those around you will massively improve your postnatal period.

29/01/2018

Just a couple of reminders... Firstly, check out and follow Pregnancy Sickness Support for help with managing Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Secondly, I offer FREE support to local parents who are struggling with a HG pregnancy so get in touch if you'd like to find out how I can help you.

👊🏿👊🏽👊🏻 to all you HG Warriors out there.

24/01/2018

"The word “doula”—from the Greek word for servant—is becoming part of our vocabulary. A postpartum doula is someone who takes care of postpartum women by providing practical and emotional assistance (Lim, 1995; Webber, 1992). Friends, family or a woman’s partner can be doulas. Or women in some communities might be able to hire a professional doula. In either case, the doula movement is in response to the lack of postpartum care available from traditional care providers."

Kathleen Kendall-Tackett examines how other cultures protect new mothers’ well-being.

09/10/2017

A very powerful and honest post to share during baby loss awareness week.

*BABY LOSS AWARENESS WEEK 2017*
This is a picture of when Evelyn, my beautiful, clever, happy / sometimes Devil incarnate toddler was born. I love her (along with her brother) more than life itself. Next week, we'll be celebrating her second birthday with a terrifyingly s**t Peppa Pig cake I've cobbled together, and the whole Baby Annabel section of the Argos catalogue. But... Evelyn shouldn't really be here. She was never meant to be my second child... It should have been another baby.

I'm very open about most things in my life, as a lot of you will know, but there's one thing I've never really talked about - the fact I've had a miscarriage.

Today marks the start of Babyloss Awareness Week in the UK and in the interest of 'breaking the silence' around miscarriage, I've decided to open up about my own experience - in a bid to help others feel like they can too. Not wanting to rip off Bob Hoskins, or BT, but you know what? It really is good to talk. Even though I'm sharing via the medium of a computer and the internet, it feels cathartic - almost like I'm 'coming clean' about something... ridiculous really. Why should losing a baby feel like a 'dirty secret'? But sadly, it does.

To read about my experience, head to
https://wp.me/p8O33l-18i

I don't normally ask for likes and shares etc - but in the interest of helping someone who might be suffering in silence, I would be hugely grateful if you could help this do the rounds.
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Tommy's The Miscarriage Association Baby Loss Awareness UK

04/09/2017

Mental health is as relevant during pregnancy as it is at any other time in our lives. Ask the right questions!

30/06/2017

Breastfeeding support isn't just about finding a professional in your area to help with any issues. It's about the family and friends being supportive and helping to remove social barriers.

We look at how dads and partners can help support a new mum who is breastfeeding in the early days.

25/06/2017

You cannot pour from an empty cup! Some great advice for breastfeeding mums here, but also very relevant for all new mums or mums to be. Find time to take care of yourself as you adjust to life with your oh so demanding newborn. If you need further support with this have you considered hiring a postnatal doula to help out during those first few weeks?

It's easy to forget about your own needs when you have a newborn baby to care for, but healthily and regularly is one of the best ways of looking after yourself and your baby properly. Dietitian and leading child nutritionist Frankie Phillips explains how to eat well for breastfeeding...

25/06/2017

Please bear this in mind when considering whether or not to use a home doppler. Don't be scared to contact your midwife if you have any concerns at all, this is why they are there!

www.countthekicks.org.uk

24/06/2017

11/06/2017

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Doulas are for EVERY kind of mum!

10/06/2017

💛

"The Moment you are ready to quit, is usually the moment right before the miracle happens...don't give up." And she didn't. ❤ Ashley Marston Photography

09/06/2017

An epidural is just one method of pain relief you may be offered during labour. How do you feel about them?

Epidural analgesia is a local anaesthetic injected into the space between two vertebra in your back.

05/06/2017

Oh, we know ALL about the pain of teething in our house 😖 This is a fantastic idea for soothing those little gums!

“My daughter, Violet, would always get jealous watching her older brothers munch on popsicles. So I made her some boobsicles! I froze some breastmilk in one of those tiny bottles that came with my breast pump, used clothespin to hold a lollipop stick in place, and voila! She absolutely LOVED it!” ~J...