Nicola Carter - Fertility, Birth and Beyond

30/03/2024

If that triggers you, you might want to take a moment and consider whether you are part of the problem within today's maternity services.

Birth procedures should be constantly evolving based on new evidence but that's not the case. Depending on whom you talk to, maternity services are operating somewhere between 13-17 years behind current-day research. Why are things not changing more quickly I hear you ask?

The answer is money; in part because the NHS doesn't receive the funding needed to drive some of the changes forward but mainly because the spends they do have they choose to prioritise -

* additional scans (improved outcomes not backed up by research)
* ⁠maintaining continuous fetal monitoring equipment (improved outcomes not backed up by research)
* providing (enforcing) consultant-led care for everyone with a BMI of 30-35+, regardless of their health or lack of comorbidities (improved outcomes not backed up by research)
* offering inductions for a whole host of reasons that guess what.. are not backed up by research

So when you want a homebirth or a water birth (both of which have benefits backed up by research), please do understand that your options are limited because of the way the hospital has chosen to spend its budget... that isn't on you. You need to do what is right for YOU, don't be afraid to push. You have rights and (in my opinion) they are sooooooo valid because you are asking for support that has evidence to support that it improves outcomes.

Rant over! Mic drop! 🎤
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29/03/2024

Perinatal depression: Study links condition with premenstrual disorders

Women with premenstrual disorders are much more likely to have birth-related depression, researchers say.

28/03/2024

That said, please don’t assume that I am silent just because my instagram feed isn’t filled with with black, white, red and green images 🍉

Like most business owners, I find social media to be a necessary chore, it’s not where my best energy is. It’s not a space I feel like I could authentically add value; my contributions are made elsewhere, in different ways. However there seems to be a wave of feeling, especially within that if you don’t have certain content on your instagram feed then you are against the plight of women and children…. This isn’t necessarily an accurate judgement.



Quote: Martin Luther King Jr.

27/03/2024

At the core of my doula work is ensuring that every single client of mine knows and understands their options for pregnancy, birth and early parenthood.
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It’s the single most important piece of preparation you can do and should come before decorating the nursery, picking out your travel system or planning a baby shower!
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No matter what your birth plan is, you need to know all of your options otherwise how can you feel confident that you're making the right choice for you and your baby?

25/03/2024

Obstetricians and other healthcare professionals work with what they know and will always prioritise their professional protection and in many cases their preferences too. They work based on the education they receive within the medical paradigm.

As much as you'd love to believe that your consultants and midwives have your best interest at heart, you may find yourself mistaken.

Time after time I find myself helping women unpick how they have found themselves so far away from their preferences and nearly always they find themselves there with no, or at best, very weak, evidence to back up their position.

What this means for you is that you need to know your options and own your preferences.

10/03/2024

Please don’t wait until after you give birth to realise you should have hired a doula. ⁠

If you're pregnant and feeling like you need more support, want to strengthen the team around you or need some plain advocacy support, reach out to a doula. You won't regret exploring the option.
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08/03/2024

Happy International Women's Day 🤎 I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that you have all the power you need within you.

So many pregnant women that I speak to think that they have to "go with the flow" or "do what the midwife says"... You can do those things, as long as that is your informed choice to do so.

You own your power. You own your birth experience. If you choose to give away your power then you need to own that and accept the consequences.

Alternatively, you can educate yourself, ask questions, research the evidence and generally be curious about your care.

07/03/2024

I'm begging you to call BU****IT 🐂💩

Things you need to know
→ Policy isn’t law. ⠀
→ You have the right to informed consent.⠀
→ You have the right to deny consent. ⠀
→ Your midwives and obstetricians took an oath to serve YOU. ⠀
→ Signing a waiver when you are admitted cannot be assumed as consent. ⠀
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Things to say if your healthcare provider tries to tell you “It’s hospital policy”?⠀
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→ “What do you mean by that?”⠀
→ "What evidence is that policy based on?"
→ "What are the risks AND the benefits?"
→ “I do not consent.”⠀This is a full response and does not require you to add anything further.

02/03/2024

😬 Too harsh?
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I've had people say to me "I would love a natural birth, but I'll probably just do what the midwife says..."

❌⠀I can tell you, with almost certainty, that anyone who says this will not have an unmedicated birth. ⠀

My advice?⠀

1️⃣ get yourself some high-quality antenatal education (I can provide this 😉) so that you can release your fears about birth
2️⃣ practice mindfulness and natural pain management techniques (I can teach you this 😉)
3️⃣ find a birth team that supports you (I can be part of your team 😉)

Planning your birth is not the time to "go with the flow", plan the heck out of, educate yourself, take responsibility for your body and your baby, you won't regret it.

29/02/2024

Honestly, I couldn't care less how you chose to give birth; at home with your family, elective caesarean, on the labour ward, or in a forest by yourself.⠀
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It does not matter to me at all.⠀
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What matters to me is -

that you are heard

that you are seen

that you are the sole decision maker during your labour and birth

that you birth your baby in a way that leaves you feeling like a total freakin GODDESS.

14/02/2024

Birthworker Facebook friends…. This is a group that you might want to consider joining

https://www.facebook.com/share/YM5fUUQAdDrm7ZCu/?mibextid=K35XfP

12/02/2024

Apologies for the social media radio silence... I had my Insta and pages h@cked back in November last year and I was so cross that I'd lost all those years of content and connection with my followers that I had a massive strop 😳 and decided social media wasn't for me!

Thankfully I got my Insta page back but no such luck with my page and linked groups 😞 BUT I've put my big-girl pants on today, set everything back up, linked it all up, replaced all the social links I can find that I've put out previously, that no longer work and decided to go again! So buckle up, let's do this...

12/02/2024

🚨 Freebie alert 🚨

Free download for you - “7 ways to avoid unnecessary pain whilst giving birth to your baby”

Click the link to download - https://www.subscribepage.com/your-guide-to-avoiding-unnecessary-pain-during-labour?fbclid=IwAR3mMwM-k2VP_f3veg208Z4rF2Gb7wOcJMFnNaWa9-2KiEt9Iay0KvdlGSs

12/02/2024

All of my previous content can be found here - https://www.facebook.com/FertilityBirthandBeyond

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