Inclusive Birth

27/09/2021

Researchers believe such antibodies could be used to treat people with severe coronavirus

14/09/2021

10/05/2021

HOW LONG AFTER INDUCTION WILL MY BABY ARRIVE? ✨ Sadly it's not always a case of turning up to your induction and your baby being born on the same day. Not everyone realises that it can sometimes take days for induction to instigate labour - and it sometimes takes a number of different approaches and methods of induction until labour starts. Your caregivers do not always mention this fact when they book you in for an induction - but as you will see if you scroll across my post - there are many variables that will effect the swiftness of birth after induction.

To read more about induction please see:

WHY INDUCTION MATTERS by Rachel Reed /

INDUCING LABOUR - MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS by Sara Wickham /

THE AIMS GUIDE TO INDUCTION OF LABOUR by Nadia Higson /

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19/04/2021

VISUALISATIONS ✨ In hypnobirthing, we teach you that "where the mind leads, the body follows". When you first start the course as a parent-to-be, there is sometimes a little bit of scepticism about this - but once you hear various examples, you get on board with the idea and by the end of the course - you are usually a full on believer!

One thing that we encourage you to do during the second stage of labour is to visualise something opening or expanding: a beautiful rose slowly opening in the sunshine; ripples on a pond spreading slowly out. The idea is that, as your mind focusses and visualises something opening, so your body will follow - opening, relaxing and softening your cervix - enabling your baby to be born.

This sort of visualisation is not a modern invention and has actually been happening for centuries. In the Middle East, the Flower of Maryam has been used for exactly this purpose. A labouring birth person will place the dried up flower bud in a glass jar or bowl and watch it slowly unfurl and open. They will sip the water during birth - helping their labour progress. The flower has medicinal properties - and is taken for colds, epilepsy, and is also thought to stop uterine haemorrhage to give pain relief during childbirth. In many cultures it has religious significance - often referred to as the "leaf of Maryam" (Mother of Jesus) and "Hand of Fatima" (daughter of the Prophet).

Isn't it amazing how these simple techniques and wonderful herbal remedies are still used in childbirth today? Have any of you used the Flower of Maryam?

(Please only consume with the advice and supervision of a skilled herbalist)

For further reading on this has a wonderful blog post which I have posted a link to in my link tree.

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11/04/2021

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/10/fertility-cliff-age-35-week-in-patriarchy

A new study has extended women’s reproductive life spans to 37.1 but the earlier figure was always arbitrary and unscientific

11/04/2021

INFANT FORMULA ✨ Before anyone gets upset that I'm demonising infant formula - that is not my intention. Having formula available to us when feeding becomes problematic is such a wonderful thing. But quite often there is an assumption from new mums that they will inevitably have to use formula at some point. There is also an eagerness from medical professionals to encourage mothers to turn to formula if there are feeding issues because they don't have the time or the training to look into the complexities of chestfeeding and they assume formula is the easiest option for everyone. These assumptions are driven by decades of dishonest formula marketing campaigns and laid before us by a generation who were led to believe that formula was a medicinal product that is better for your babies than breast milk.

It's important to know how the formula industry came about and how it became a multi-billion dollar money making machine. As with all things in childbirth and parenting - informed choice is the key. Once you understand the driving forces behind this industry, you come to view it with very different eyes.

The post above is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg - if you really want to find out more then I've signposted some great books (some of them quite short and an easy read).

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08/04/2021

SQUATTING ✨ Squatting is great both during pregnancy and labour. During pregnancy it can help work your pelvic floor muscles and relieve any back pain you may be experiencing. Squatting during birth can increase the size of your pelvis and tilt it into optimal position by shortening the length of the birth canal. It may also help reduce the chances of an episiotomy or severe tearing by stretching the skin and the pelvic floor muscles.

Having said that, there must be some caution with squatting - especially if it is not something you have done regularly before.

Towards the end of pregnancy, the hormone relaxin allows your muscles and ligaments to become more stretchy. If you have not done weighted squats before you got pregnant, it is advised not to add any additional weight into the equation in case you overstretch your muscles. If squatting is new to you, make sure you take it easy at first, and gradually reach a deeper squat. Try and find a personal trainer or yoga teacher who can check your positioning and ensure that you are not going to do any damage. Squatting does take a bit of practice and it's worth getting that practice in before you get too pregnant and your centre of gravity shifts.

The deep "Mama" Squat (otherwise known as Malasana to all the yogi's out there) helps align the pelvis and doesn't put as much pressure on your joints and knees as parallel squats do - but it is worth being cautious with these, especially in the third trimester - as they can push the baby further down into the pelvis and some suggest they can induce labour. Problems may occur if your baby is not yet in the optimal "head down" position - as squatting may push the baby further down in the position they are currently in, making it harder for them to turn later in pregnancy. It is worth getting medical advice about this and ensuring that you only do lighter, half squats in the third trimester until your physician has told you the baby is head down. Placing a yoga block or rolled towel underneath your bum to give you additional support at this stage is also a good idea.

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02/04/2021

RESPONSIVE FEEDING ✨ Should I be timing my feeds? Should I be measuring how much milk my baby gets? How can I do that unless I express? I say this so much, but it's true - there's SO MUCH PRESSURE on parents these days. It's real. It's there. And every, single one of us feels it in those early days of parenthood. It's from our friends, parents, the internet - it surrounds us! "If you don't get your baby into a strict routine then you'll create problems." I'm sorry but this is bullsh*t. Babies are not learning to coerce and control you when they are 6 weeks old - they have basic needs that have to be met. Their stomachs are so small that they have to feed frequently - but *newsflash* this does not last forever!

You might be able to tell that this sort of thing makes me so angry! Yes, parenting is a new thing to us all when we have our first child, but instinct is not a new thing - and a lot of parenting in those early days is about listening to your baby and your instinct. But also giving things time and space to progress. Forcing yourself into strict schedules can cause you to ignore your instinct and cause you more stress and problems than when you started out, so it's really important to understand why and how strict routines can effect your relationship with your child and your own biological rhythm. Take a swipe across my post for more info.

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30/03/2021

LABOUR NOURISHMENT ✨You're always reminded that nourishing and hydrating yourself during labour is so important - but honestly, when you're in the midst of it, it's the last thing you want to think about.

Did you know that the birth hormones oxytocin and vasopressin are anti-diuretics? This means that they stop any risk of you getting dehydrated whilst under their influence - leading to less toilet breaks whilst in labour. Nature has really thought this birthing process out to the smallest detail! In fact, excess water drinking is thought to slow down labour. So, for all the advice to stay hydrated and nourished during labour - it is really worth listening to your body rather than drinking continuously even if you don't feel thirsty.

The same goes for food: it's good to eat some slow-release carbs to keep your energy going - nuts, energy bars, pasta - but follow your instinct and try not to eat too much sugar which will make your energy levels dip later on.

And nothing beats that first meal post-birth. I drank nothing but tea throughout my labour and then once the midwives had left, we got a vegan burger delivery and ate it silently whilst never removing our eyeballs from our new arrival. It was the best tasting burger I'd ever had. If not the most surreal - eating whilst looking at a whole new human who had just joined us earth-side.

What was your post-birth meal choice, or what are you planning as your post-birth meal?

📸by

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26/03/2021

WORLD DOULA WEEK ✨ This week we celebrate all things doula - and there's no better week for me to announce that my website is now live and I am actively seeking parents to support in pregnancy, birth and beyond. I am so excited to meet new people and help bring new life into the world in the most inclusive, mindful and holistic way.

I'm going to be recording a series of films over the next few weeks to properly introduce myself - but if you are considering a doula, or are interested in taking hypnobirthing courses, please hop over to my website and get in touch.

And if you want to know more about what a doula actually does, scroll across my post.

www.inclusive-birth.com
(Link also on my Linktree)

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20/03/2021

HOW DOES MY BABY EXPERIENCE THE WORLD? ✨ It's a fascinating topic and one which I think about every time I watch my son carefully looking at a dried up leaf on the floor.

Getting into the minds of our babies is so difficult for us to comprehend, as we, as adults, have whole filing cabinets of memories and information in our brains, that it's almost impossible to imagine having a brain which is a blank slate, like babies do. I'm a huge fan of Alison Gopnik's work and I share a bit of her magical insights into how our babies experience the world, if you scroll across my post - looking at how our babies are akin to iconic explorers.

This is the tip of the proverbial iceberg in terms of what Gopnik reveals, so if it interests you, I would highly recommend all of her books, especially The Philosophical Baby. It will certainly make you look at your babies in a different way.

I'll share more of these insights in the following weeks, as I just think they make for fascinating reading.

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17/03/2021

CO-SLEEPING ✨ Most new parents automatically avoid sharing sleep-space with their baby because they have been warned that it is dangerous and has a higher risk of SIDS or accidental death. This is just not true. Scoll across my post to learn why.

When planned out and prepared for - sharing sleep-space can be the most wonderful thing and can have so many benefits for you and your child. The amount of time that caregiver and baby are awake per night is significantly lower than those babies who sleep in a separate sleeping space. This is largely because there is no physical interruption – the caregiver doesn’t have to get out of bed, lift the baby out to feed it and then have to resettle it to sleep in a cot again. Both get more sleep.

Advantages continue into the child’s later life: older children who ‘never’ slept in their parents’ bed show a trend toward being rated ‘harder to control,’ ‘less happy,’ less innovative and less able to be alone and in several studies they exhibited a greater number of tantrums. One study saw an increase in self-esteem, less guilt and less anxiety in college students who had bedshared in childhood.

All in all, bedsharing can be a wonderful thing and shouldn't be disregarded because SIDS evidence doesn't define itself properly.

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12/03/2021

INFANT SLEEP ✨ Babies have the most amazing super-power (and I call it a "super-power" because I, for-one, would love to have the ability to catch an extra 40 winks at breakfast).

Some sleep trainers will insist that a nursing baby is not a sleeping baby and that naps taken whilst feeding don't count towards their overall sleeping hours - but evidence has shown that babies can indeed achieve restful, restorative sleep, even if they are guzzling down milk.

In fact "dream-feeding" has become a common suggestion for infant sleep - the idea being that you half-wake your baby between 10pm and midnight to initiate a feed and fill them up in order to continue a longer stretch of deep sleep. Science supports this idea as the brain will always prioritise restorative sleep to the first few sleep cycles of the evening. Dream feeding your baby at the latter part of the evening can enable this restorative sleep to continue without them waking because they are hungry.

I wonder when we lose the eat/sleep super-power and whether we can re-train ourselves? 🤔*reaches for pillow whilst eating lunch*.

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10/03/2021

THE THIRD STAGE ✨ Once your bundle of joy has arrived, it can be easy to lose focus on the third stage of labour; quite often our caregivers can jump into a hive of activity at this point, but this is a key moment in birth and it is important to try and maintain the oxytocin-rich environment in order for the placenta to be birthed. Scroll across for more info and signposts.

Stunning 📸 by .birth

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08/03/2021

CELEBRATING UNITY ✨ Some people feel like we're past the point where women need to be celebrated by having their own day - but we've still got so far to go. Working in the birth world reveals how patriarchal, male-centred medicine, some of it centuries old, is still dictating how birthing-people give birth and we're only just starting to make people realise that birth is a powerful moment in anyone's life and that they should own it and have control over it.

But this is not just about those of us who identify as women - this is about unity and inclusivity whichever way you identify. This is about moving away from patriarchal norms that have become endemic in our society, norms which are so outdated but which seem to hang around because of generations just accepting that it was meant to be this way. Women's Day is about reminding people that things still need to change - across the board. It's not about "them" and "us" - it's about vocalising the fact that we all know that we still have work to do and that we will be there to support each other until they do.

It's also about celebrating our collective power and our drive towards change. Little by little, we move forward. Changes start to creep in. But it is only by working together that we can make each of our voices be heard.

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05/03/2021

FEEDING TO SLEEP ✨ I went through a number of anxiety-ridden months where I feared that I'd created a problem by continuing to feed my child to sleep. It wasn't until I read more about it and started a Gentle Sleep Coaching course that I realised, it's the most natural thing in the world! I hate to say it, but the anxiety for me was driven by an older generation who like to think that feeding to sleep is spoiling a child and creating bad habits - but it's really not! It is one of the most natural & beautiful ways to settle your child - and it won't last forever. Children do grow out of it - just like they grow out of needing mushed food and wearing nappies - once they are developmentally ready, they will move on.

My son is 13 months now, and I still send him off to sleep this way, and I've embraced it as a lovely moment in the day when we are connected as one again. I'll be sad when it ends.

I appreciate that not everyone feels the same way - scroll across my post for some advice on how to drop feeding-to sleep in a gentle way, and you'll also find some wonderful signposts for gentle alternatives to sleep training.

📸by

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03/03/2021

CHILDBIRTH CHOICES ✨ I didn't, in a million years, think that my own childbirth choices might have a societal impact on the children of our future. Sounds bonkers, doesn't it? But as the global rates of c-section and use of synthetic hormones in childbirth increase - it's worth pausing to think beyond our individual circumstances and take a moment to think about what all of this messing around with a very clever, archaic, natural system is doing to us as a species. Of course c-sections are amazing procedures when they are necessary and if there is an emergency - but globally, the vast majority of them are not.

As the world frays around the edges due to global warming and pandemics - do we really want to have future generations of children who lack empathy and the drive to make things change for the better?

Michel Odent has researched this and his books are a wonderful way of looking at childbirth from a different angle. It makes everything that we try to encourage and support as birth workers, all the more vital and important. Deciding to give your child the most natural, medically hands-off, birth - if you can - might be a decision that shapes the generations of the future, for the better.

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01/03/2021

MALE POSTNATAL DEPRESSION ✨Paternal post-natal depression is more normal than we might expect, with over a quarter of Dads feeling depressed in the months following their child's birth. There needs to be a more open dialogue on this, and new families need to be more aware of its prevalence.

Emotions and hormones change drastically in both father and mother during pregnancy and after birth - it is no wonder that men, as well as women, may feel emotionally fragile and vulnerable at this time. There is nothing wrong with it, and it is nobody's fault. It does not necessarily mean that you have underlying mental health problems - it could literally happen to anyone. You are not alone.

The stigma needs to be diminished. It needs to be discussed more openly in NCT classes and hypnobirthing courses and there needs to be an increase in support for men who are suffering when they become fathers, as it can have a huge effect on the development of their child and their relationship with it.

Scroll across for more information and links to support.

Also please see the following accounts:








📸by

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