Birthjourneys Midwifery

21/12/2025

I’m TOTALLY with this!

20/12/2025

When you’ve a moment to spare, use it to ponder this….

What if the bible had been written by a woman? What if Mary knew exactly what she wanted, exactly what she was doing, and exactly the change her birth would bring? What if she wasn’t the vehicle, but she was actually the driver?

they polished her into porcelain
took the mud from her toes
the wind from her hair
the hunger from her belly
they dressed her in blue silence
called her "Blessed"
but meant "Obedient"
meant "Contained"
meant "Keep Your Legs Crossed and Eyes Lowered"

because a woman who chooses
where to place her love
her body
her power
that kind of woman
cannot be controlled

so they made her a virgin
because a woman untouched is easier
to place on a pedestal
than one who’s tasted the divine
in the heat of her own skin

but I want to meet the Mary
with fire on her lips
the Mary who said yes
not to duty
but to desire

I want the Mary
whose thighs welcomed the holy
not through immaculate mystery
but through the sacred act of embodiment—
through a sacred yes
that trembled with courage
and moaned with freedom

what if she wasn’t picked
like a prize for being pure?
what if she chose to birth revolution
not because it was foretold
but because she believed
the world was worthy of love?

why do they need her a virgin?
because if she was fully woman
fully alive
fully blood and bone and pleasure
then everything the church told us
about obedience and shame
falls apart
like stale communion wafers

they fear a Mary who says
my holiness is not in my silence
it’s in my song
it’s in my stretch marks
it’s in my thighs and my laugh
and the moment I decided
to bring life into this wild world
because I wanted to

what if
every woman knew
what if
every girl in every pew knew
that they are holy in their choosing
sacred in their loving
divine in their yes
and powerful in their no?

Mary wasn’t made holy by abstaining
she was holy because she was Mary
because she dared to carry the fire
because she said yes to love
on her terms
and so do you

so rise
you holy creatures
you fierce Marys in combat boots
in lipstick
in pajamas
in protest
your body
is not a sin to manage
it’s a prayer in motion
and it is already
divine
*******************
poem © Angi Sullins - my new book "Unmasking the Myths" HOLIDAY SALE AND FREE SHIPPING HERE: https://angisullins.com/shop-3-2/

20/12/2025

Breastfeeding support available over the festive period - 24/7 📞
The Breastfeeding Network (UK)

20/12/2025

“From everyone at APP, I wish you and your loved ones a restful and happy festive season.” Read on for a message from Dr Jessica Heron, APP's Chief Executive.

“On behalf of Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP), I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us this year. APP is a lifeline for many families, and we couldn’t do it without you - our supporters, fundraisers, volunteers and community. Every peer support call, experience shared in the media, bake sale, marathon run and skydive plays a vital role in improving the future for others.

During 2025, hundreds of families found hope and recovery, supported by our trained staff and volunteers. 97% of those who completed our survey felt more supported after finding APP, and 44% believed they might not be alive without the support they received from APP.

In 2025, nearly 3,000 health professionals heard an APP speaker via a lived experience talk, APP full day training, and our su***de prevention webinar. 100% say our training will change their practice and 100% would recommend it to other professionals.

We have sent hundreds of APP’s free information guides and resource packs to Mother and Baby Units, Perinatal Mental Health Services, Maternity Services and organisations working with new families throughout the UK. We’ve supported key research, and through our patient information, professional training and awareness-raising, we ensure that knowledge reaches families and professionals and isn’t locked behind scientific journal paywalls. We’ve supported more than 35 media stories and creative pieces this year, including postpartum psychosis (PP) storylines on Hollyoaks and Casualty.

We’ve continued to campaign tirelessly for women with PP to access Mother and Baby Units (MBUs), working to ensure these facilities are valued and their budgets protected. We’re delighted that the Chester MBU supporting women across North Wales and Cheshire has opened this month- and will have an embedded APP peer support worker. The Northern Ireland Health Minister made a moving speech committing to an MBU in Northern Ireland, but still no funding or timeframe has been confirmed.
,
2025 saw APP’s first Adventure - with families from our community and health professionals coming together in the beautiful Peak District to take on a 13km walk of Mam Tor (Mother Hill), passing through the village of Hope, raising nearly £12,000 for APP in the process.

We were also honoured to receive the prestigious GSK impact award - recognising small charities making a big difference. Judges praised APP’s ‘unique integration of lived experience’ and our ‘powerful partnerships with the NHS’.

From everyone at APP, I wish you and your loved ones a restful and happy festive season. We know that for some families, Christmas and New Year can be a difficult time, particularly for those with loved ones spending Christmas in an MBU or struggling with recovery. You are not on our own – APP’s peer supporters are available every day of the year via our Forum”.

🔗 Read more in our festive newsletter here: https://ow.ly/VYzM50XMr5B

15/12/2025

Something I’ve thought about, but never actually followed through with, a face to face meeting with my MP.

The bat-sh*t crazy take on maternity services by the papers, and the lack of positive action by the policy makers has to stop. The scapegoating of midwives for anything they can think of, has to stop. The blaming of mothers for being too old, or too fat, or too ‘out there’, has to stop.

Womens bodies DO still work. Midwives ARE the solution, not the problem. Change HAS to come, and it better come soon.

“Dear Calum.

I’d like to discuss with you, the dreadful situation our maternity services are in. There has been report after report, and things are only changing for the worse.

I’m am a longtime experienced community midwife, taken early retirement from NHS (at OUH) after bullying and endless fighting for better maternity care, to now offer independent midwifery and psychotherapy for mothers AND midwives after trauma.

As midwives, we are specialists in ‘normal’. But we have little chance to honour that centuries long skill, and are forced into obstetric nursing roles with inadequate funds, staffing, time for mental well health, etc.

Midwives are currently being scapegoated to distract from the bigger issues, and it has to stop. Midwifery, in its widest holistic form, is the answer to the well being of not only the mother, but to the whole family.

Please can you take time out of your busy schedule to meet, so I can express my fears and passion, that you might be my voice to help fight for better services? I’m eager to hear how I can make an appointment with you.

Kind regards,

Trudy Brock”

Find your own mp…

https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

Please feel free to share, and encourage others to take actions. Opinions are great, but only action will bring change.

14/12/2025

10/12/2025

Have you given birth in the last five years? Here’s a study to look at fetal monitoring (both continuous and intermittent) during birth. Take a look, and see if you can help inform good practice.

https://bristolmaternity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3KsuDP73gF99z9Q?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAb21jcAOgO4xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAacLdugH5Vv49ZOKjp3jkLlZGYnZb7jkpngLnMZeGMUGAveCjFZExhAfQEc69w_aem_m-nOk57ks65vPuBNvfQtqA

03/12/2025

Just 9 homebirths in October (1.3%). With 88% of all births taking place on delivery suite. Mode of birth hasn’t been shared.

What ARE we going to do?

Here are the Maternity stats for October 2025 produced by OUH Maternity

Each birth is a profound moment. We honor the happiness of new arrivals and tenderly remember the little ones who left too soon, and their families.

02/12/2025

Our Bicester meeting dates for next term.
We still have one Bicester meeting left in 2025, on Monday December 15th☺️.
All welcome, from pregnancy to weaning.
Full details at bit.ly/lllbicester

01/12/2025

28/11/2025

📣 Your voice matters. There's still time to take our surveys on coercion in maternity care 📣

Thank you to everyone who has already taken part. Your responses so far paint an alarming picture of widespread coercion, including pressure, explicit threats, misinformation, and even physical force.

Many describe being told they are “not allowed” to make decisions about their own care.

⚠️ Others report routine threats of social services referrals, trauma from escalation to safeguarding or police, and discriminatory treatment, with the most minoritised communities disproportionately affected.

Healthcare professionals tell us they are working in a growing blame culture, fearful of consequences for supporting personalised choices. Some midwives who speak up face bullying or isolation.

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼? To help drive systemic change and accountability in maternity care, please share your voice through our surveys before they close on 9 December. Your input will inform Birthrights’ campaigns and advocacy work. Learn more: www.bit.ly/ENDcoercion

Survey for healthcare professionals in maternity care: www.bit.ly/BR_HCP
Survey for women & birthing people: www.bit.ly/BR_WBP