The Birth Flow

The Birth Flow Jessika is a hypnobirthing and antenatal doula based in Somerset, caring for families across the world.

Helping to guide you on your birth journey with integrity and helping to awaken your birthing instincts.

2 spaces left on my group class this month 🤰
06/09/2021

2 spaces left on my group class this month 🤰

16/07/2021
• National Homebirth Day •Birth is normal, is shouldn’t be medical.“I’m 2019 Hutton et el carried out a meta-analysis in...
06/06/2021

• National Homebirth Day •

Birth is normal, is shouldn’t be medical.

“I’m 2019 Hutton et el carried out a meta-analysis including 14 different pieces of research and over 500,000 intended home births. They found no statistical difference in outcomes for babies including admission into NICU, Apgar scores or the need for resuscitation. This was the case regards if it was the first baby or not. This is important as previous suggested that for families having their first baby, the risk to babies was higher. We can now be assured this is not true.” - Hannah O’Sullivan, NHS senior midwife

And some amazing stats -

❤️ 60% reduction in having synthetic oxytocin drip
❤️ 55% reduction in having an episiotomy
❤️ 50 % reduction in instrumental birth
❤️ 70% reduction in epidural use
❤️ 40% reduction in having a caesarean birth
❤️ 70% less likely to have postnatal infection
❤️ 30% less likely to have postpartum haemorrhage

• What is a doula? •My support as a doula and the care I give depends on my clients needs, but the main role is to suppo...
02/06/2021

• What is a doula? •

My support as a doula and the care I give depends on my clients needs, but the main role is to support the parents with continuity of care during pregnancy, birth and beyond. Often the midwives focus is your baby, mine is you - your needs, your wants, your care 👏🏻

Studies show having a Doula’s support during birth lowers :
• the chance of having an unplanned belly birth
• the need for an epidural
• the use of synthetic oxytocin
• forceps being used

And so much more!

I’m an advocate for wherever and however you choose to birth your baby 👶🏼

• Cascade of intervention •With the recent news of  updating the guidelines for induction, it’s important that we are al...
29/05/2021

• Cascade of intervention •

With the recent news of updating the guidelines for induction, it’s important that we are all well informed.

What is an induction?
What are the benefits?
What are the risks?
Is it medically necessary?
What could the outcome be?
What are the statistics for further intervention such as Caesarian/instrumental birth following induction?
What happens to the birth hormones such as oxytocin and endorphins?

These are all questions to ask and research when being offered induction, to help YOU make YOUR decision on what aligns with you and your body.

There is certainly a place for medical intervention in birth, we are so lucky to have access to it and it saves lives when used correctly and in emergency situations.

Listen to your intuition ✨

• Your birth journey is something you’ll never forget •One of my favourite Ina May quotes, it’s so true.This is why it’s...
28/05/2021

• Your birth journey is something you’ll never forget •

One of my favourite Ina May quotes, it’s so true.

This is why it’s important to prepare yourself, feel in control of your decisions and base them on knowledge and not fear. ❤️

06/02/2021

• UFO 🛸 •

Every birthing person will find positions that works for them while birthing. I would never tell you what position you need to be in but I can tell you what helps your baby come to earth - UFO

Nothing to do with aliens 👽 but actually it’s about optimal positioning.

Upright ⬆️
Forward ➡️
Open 🎊

I love this simple way to help you remember the best positioning for your body and your baby during birth. Here I show you a few examples.

With birth being so challenging, demanding and exhausting, we can sometimes we get really tired and need to lie down, of course that is okay. Using a peanut ball or some pillows between your legs and laying on your side can help open your pelvis and make room for your baby to continue to make their way here.

If you’ve already given birth, what positions did you find yourself in?

• Feel prepared for your birth journey •If you were taking a long journey across the country (hopefully something we can...
20/01/2021

• Feel prepared for your birth journey •

If you were taking a long journey across the country (hopefully something we can do again soon 🙏🏻), you wouldn’t go unprepared, without checking over your vehicle, packing all the stuff you need and fuelling it with good snacks! Your birth journey is the same 😉

No two births are the same, just as you and your baby are unique - your birth is unique. Our birth journeys are usually full of lessons of patience, integrity and trust.

Sometimes unexpected twists and turns happen and we have to make decisions that could shape the rest of our birth journey.

My Hypnobirthing class isn’t just about breathing techniques and getting your birth plan(s!) up to scratch. Although that’s a huge part helping you to be prepared, I also help you understand how to make decisions from knowledge and not fear.

• Oxytocin Ninja •Birth partners often don’t know what to do during birth.They can sometimes feel that they need to fix ...
07/11/2020

• Oxytocin Ninja •

Birth partners often don’t know what to do during birth.

They can sometimes feel that they need to fix things.

Quite often, their own fears can circulate the birth room and sometimes even steer the course of the birth journey.

This is totally NORMAL and most often comes from a place of LOVE.

In my online Mindful Hypnobirthing class, I empower your birth partner to be responsive to your birth journey not reactive, choosing how they wish to approach your birth and I give them the task of being the OXYTOCIN NINJA 🙌🏻 keeping at bay situations which may cause adrenaline to spike. *apart from in the transition period but that’s a whole other post 🤣

I have space for 1:1 sessions in December, get in touch to find out more or tag your pregnant friends and family 🤍

• wave of light •For our angels that didn’t quite make it earthside, but who only ever knew love and comfort ❤️✨🤍Sending...
15/10/2020

• wave of light •

For our angels that didn’t quite make it earthside, but who only ever knew love and comfort ❤️✨🤍

Sending love to those who have experienced such loss ✨

The baby is out...it can only mean one thing ✨Prepping for a private 1:1 online hypnobirthing session in the morning. Af...
14/10/2020

The baby is out...it can only mean one thing ✨

Prepping for a private 1:1 online hypnobirthing session in the morning. After having a chat with the mother recently, I can’t wait to give her and her partner space to start preparing for their birth.

Guiding them through techniques and a toolkit for any journey their birth takes ❤️

If you or someone you know could do with this, get in touch ☺️

• update •I’ve been quite over on my page recently. I thought I should hop on and say that I’m still offering hypnobirth...
10/07/2020

• update •

I’ve been quite over on my page recently. I thought I should hop on and say that I’m still offering hypnobirthing classes online and Doula care.

Get in touch or check out my website for more information ❤️✨

Hope you’re all doing good and sending love 🙏🏻

• muted •Created by  and .msrd I am muting my posts and stories for the rest of this week.Freeing up the algorithm for t...
01/06/2020

• muted •

Created by and .msrd I am muting my posts and stories for the rest of this week.

Freeing up the algorithm for those voices that need to be heard loud & clear.

I will only share work, posts, words and pictures from black and brown people.

Black and brown people are FIVE TIMES more likely to die in childbirth. This has to stop. 🛑

It’s time to make a change, it’s time to make a stand.

Together in love and solidarity we can say NO MORE!

Join me if this resonates

• I open, I soften, I release •One of my favourite affirmations and one that can help you so much during birth. Just lik...
26/05/2020

• I open, I soften, I release •

One of my favourite affirmations and one that can help you so much during birth. Just like this flower opening to the sun.

🌸 I open my womb and my body

✨ I soften my jaw and my hands

💕 I release any tension and fear

What affirmations did you use in pregnancy or do you use in life? Let me know below 🙏🏻

12/05/2020

• Online hypnobirthing •

Hypnobirthing is a great tool to use for any type of birth. Empowering you to make the best choices for you and your baby and it can be especially helpful during the current challenges we are facing worldwide.

I’m running Mindful Hypnobirthing classes online. Keeping it personable, I have found it best to do these 1:1 and split over 2 sessions.

I am using Zoom and I can be flexible on dates and times.

As I know some families are experiencing difficulties during these times, I’m offering a pay what you can option from £100/£135/£180 this includes booking fee of £35. 🙏🏻

Please get in touch if you’d like to book or if you have any questions.

• Virtual Classes •Makeshift remote hypnobirthing class with  and  feeling grateful that I can still pass on this knowle...
19/04/2020

• Virtual Classes •

Makeshift remote hypnobirthing class with and feeling grateful that I can still pass on this knowledge virtually.

Send a message if you want to book a class with me, I’m also doing ‘technique clinics’ and birth preparation classes. Tag your pregnant friends and family, hypnobirthing is needed now more than ever for pregnant families 🙏🏻✨🤍

18/04/2020

The next time I hear a Birthing woman told she's 'not in labour' whilst she sits there CONTRACTING, I might have to throw my laptop out the window.

👨‍⚕️So, a little note to anyone who's ever uttered that 'harmless' phrase, 'oh, you're not in labour yet'. Labour has stages, sure. The 'three' stages- 1, where the cervix is dilating. 2, where the body pushes the baby out. 3, where the placenta is born. That's what the textbooks tell us. But it's more than that. I'd call them 'levels' or 'depths'. When a woman is having contractions, there's maybe no pattern to them, maybe she's alert and can engage in conversation in between. Maybe they feel mild to her, maybe they feel really bloody intense to her (only she gets to decide that by the way).. If you got really nosy and decided to poke around and feel her cervix, it might still be hard and posterior. It might 'not even be opening'. She may not be in the deepest level of labour yet, no, but she IS IN LABOUR.. Look at her! LISTEN TO HER. This is NOT A TICKBOX EXERCISE. It is the most wondrous meeting of science and spirit, the most intricate dance of hormones and emotions, this moment that you are privileged enough to be a part of, is going to be pivotal in the outcome of this whole birth. That tiny human's life is potentially going to be impacted forever by what you say in this moment. That new mother's most profound memory ever.. Her physical health, mental health, identity as a parent, establishing breastfeeding... Yep all of that.. Impacted by what you say when that woman, (that real human person with feelings and emotions) sits there in front of you, simultaneously her most brave and her most vulnerable.. contracting.

Do me a favour? Don't ever tell her.. 'you're not in labour'.

🤰Pregnant folk! Know this. No one else gets the right to define what you are or are not feeling. So much of labour cannot be seen from the outside (or by poking around on the inside for that matter). Every little ni**le, nudge, pain, surge, ache is doing something. It might be helping your baby rotate. It might be helping them move more deeply into the pelvis. It might be helping your cervix soften or become stretchy. But, Your cervix is not a crystal ball, it doesn't hold the answer to what labour will look like in 1 hour or 10. Your body doesn't lie to you, it is your greatest guide through all of this. If you do one thing in labour, listen to it ❤️. You can do it. You ARE doing it RIGHT NOW.

Beautiful image Cat Fancote - Capturing Birth

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