Courageous Births and Beyond

Courageous Births and Beyond Here to support you through pregnancy, labour and early parenthood.

Hypnobirthing, birth and parenthood preparation courses in West Oxfordshire.

“There is no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one” Jill Churchill

11/12/2025

I was excited about birth… but all so heard was horror stories!

I don’t think we talk enough about how much the stories around us shape the way we imagine birth.

Most of us grow up only hearing the dramatic versions — the fear, the pain, the “just get through it.”

And it quietly becomes the default narrative… even when our bodies are capable of so much more.

When I finally started finding positive stories, something shifted.

Not because they were “perfect,” but because they reminded me that birth doesn’t have to be scary to be real.

If anything, the most powerful stories are the ones told honestly — without fear leading the way.

But yet, we have to go out of our way to find anyone willing to tell a positive story.
And it still makes me wonder…

Why do the fear-filled stories spread faster than the powerful ones?

What do you wish someone had told you about pregnancy or birth?

If you want more honest, uplifting perspectives — and ways to feel grounded and strong — my page is full of them. 💛

🎁 What I’d buy you for Christmas if I wanted you to feel supported, calm, and powerful for birth in 2026…Pregnancy is me...
09/12/2025

🎁 What I’d buy you for Christmas if I wanted you to feel supported, calm, and powerful for birth in 2026…

Pregnancy is messy, unpredictable, and sometimes scary — and yet, there’s a part of you that already knows you can do this and you are ready to believe it. These gifts aren’t just “stuff” — they’re tools to help you feel seen, held, and ready for whatever your birth brings.

✨ From pregnancy massage to eco‑friendly gift boxes, hypnobirthing courses to local photoshoots, every item here is thoughtfully chosen to give a mama-to-be:

* Calm 💛
* Confidence 💪
* Real support 🤍

💡 Save this for later if you’re planning ahead — for yourself or a mama-to-be you want to spoil.

My favourite birth and motherhood authors:
rachel.reed






06/12/2025

Christmas can feel chaotic, exhausting, and overwhelming… but this will be the last Christmas before your baby arrives. Your partner doesn’t need to do anything big to bond—they just need a few small, meaningful moments.

Here are 5 simple ways they can connect with your bump this season:

1️⃣ Read a Christmas story to the bump – short, simple, their voice matters. Baby will love it.

2️⃣ Take a silhouette photo by the tree – capture the glow, the shape, the “we’re almost there” moment.

3️⃣ Write a note to the baby and hang it in the tree – a few honest lines about how you are feeling. Next year, read it together with your baby.

4️⃣ Massage mum and bump while the Christmas lights glow – a cosy film, hands on mum or bump, small comfort = big connection, maybe you’ll even feel them wriggling back.

5️⃣ Play your favourite Christmas songs and dance together – hand on the bump, sway, sing quietly. Tiny, silly, perfect.

Even in the chaos, these little rituals help your partner show up, connect, and create memories you’ll both treasure.

✨ Tag your birth partner and send this to them to give them a little nudge to connect with your bump this Christmas — these tiny moments matter.

28/11/2025

1. “Home birth is dangerous.”
Turns out fear is louder than facts.

2. “Take all the drugs on offer.”
As if my only option was to numb everything instead of understanding my body.

3. “Dignity stops at the door.”
No. I get to choose a birth where I’m treated like a human, not a body on a bed.

4. “Don’t let your baby into your bed.”
Because apparently comfort is a crime?

5. “Bottle feed if breastfeeding is hard.”
Support me, don’t shortcut me.

6. “Birth never goes to plan so don’t bother preparing.”
Preparation is exactly why I felt powerful instead of terrified.

7. “Just do what the professionals say.”
My instincts aren’t optional — they’re evidence too.

8. “You’ll lose yourself once the baby comes.”
Funny, I found a stronger version of me instead

Some of it was loud, some of it was subtle, all of it assumed I couldn’t trust myself.
Ignore the noise. Trust yourself. You get to choose your own birth story.

Want to feel confident, calm, and in charge of your birth? Come see how I help mums do it their way.

26/11/2025

33 weeks pregnant… and suddenly realising that birth is actually happening. 😳

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, unsure where to start, or just quietly panicking — you’re not alone.

This is me sharing what I’d focus on if I were in your shoes.

One small step at a time. That’s enough.
✨ It’s okay to start small.
✨ It still counts.

If this resonates, stick around — I share simple, calm ways to prepare for birth, and you don’t have to do it alone.

26/11/2025

33 weeks and suddenly remembering you actually have to give birth?

Yeah… been there.

The good news? You can go from anxious to grounded faster than you think.

Radiant Birth Club is my weekly pregnancy relaxation + birth prep space for mums who are quietly terrified but so ready to feel powerful.

Come breathe, learn, unwind, and actually look forward to birth.

Tonight reminded me why this work matters. Mums becoming powerful in their own stories.If you’re ready for that kind of ...
25/11/2025

Tonight reminded me why this work matters. Mums becoming powerful in their own stories.

If you’re ready for that kind of shift, the next Radiant Mums Club starts Monday at 7pm in Bladon — come join us.

Address

Bladon
Woodstock

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Courageous Births and Beyond posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Courageous Births and Beyond:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category