veradubrovina.com, London (2025)

12/07/2025

This week has been all about the circles of women. 💫💫💫

We opened with our Full Moon ritual on Thursday, honouring the quiet strength of the Buck Moon - its invitation to grow, to rise, to root deeply into who we are becoming.

Then came the most heartwarming gathering in the park - pregnant women, new mamas, and babies on blankets under the trees, sharing stories, summer sunshine as part of .uk project for Russian-speaking women living in London.

And now, I find myself this weekend sitting in circle with Michel Odent and Liliana Lammers for the Paramana Doula gathering. A space where birth is spoken of without judgment. Where questions are held gently, and wisdom flows without needing to prove anything. Just super exciting - I first came to their course in 2011 and now 14 years later the wisdom finally is starting to make sense😂.

There’s something truly sacred in the simplicity of women coming together like this. Not performing, not competing, not fixing but witnessing. Listening. Softening. There’s power when a circle isn’t shaped by hierarchy or drama, but by presence and shared purpose.

This is what we’re reclaiming - spaces where women truly gather. And they work. They always have.

We are indeed healing the world, one circle at a time 💕

09/07/2025

I love doing postpartum closing ritual with my birth clients, it has that finality in finishing our work together, a beautiful way of remembering, releasing, and returning to self.

Let’s get this right first. This is not a massage. Not a treatment. Not even a ritual in the traditional sense. It’s a threshold. A moment to honour the woman who gave birth, not just to her baby, but to herself as a mother.

We begin by creating a simple flower mandala with petals and herbs laid in a sacred circle through which the birth story is weaved through. And it doesn’t need to be a circle!!! As our hands move, conversation begins. Not about nappies or night feeds, but about her story. Her birth. Her power. Her grief. Her joy.

A gentle rebozo massage to open the body followed by herbal bath, warming the body, softening the edges of what’s been held inside, releasing what’s is not serving. Lavender, rose, calendula, lady’s mantle, yarrow, chamomile, melissa - chosen with intention to support physical and energetic release.

Then, slow, grounding massage. The hips. The belly. The places that held life. Through touch, we listen. Through rocking, we remember.

Finally, we wrap. One cloth at a time, rebozos tie her head, shoulders, chest, womb, thighs, feet. Seven locks. Each knot a prayer. Each pause a return. “Closing the Bones” is a reweaving. A gathering of the pieces. A sacred closing of the story so she can walk forward whole.

As she rests in stillness, cocooned in the rebozos, we invite sound to deepen the integration: soft drumming, singing bowls, or a gentle postpartum lullaby. These sounds help her drop deeper into rest, often followed by a guided nidra or drumming journey soothing the nervous system, weaving body and spirit back together.

We share a drink, we cross the threshold, ritual continues.💗

It’s never too late to be held. Whether six weeks or six years postpartum, the body remembers what it means to be witnessed with love.

We can heal the world, one step at a time💕

08/07/2025

We have birthed it again! 🎉🎉🎉

This weekend “my partner in crime” and I completed our second Postpartum Yoga Teacher Training, and it feels like our baby has come into the world once more - tender, powerful, and full of meaning.

Without blowing our own trumpet, we love teaching this course because this isn’t just another training. It’s a deeply thought-through offering for:
👉Established yoga teachers
👉Pregnancy yoga teachers ready to continue into postpartum
👉And doulas - because we are doulas and we built this for you.

What makes it different?
✨A strong emphasis on mindfulness and emotional wellbeing
✨ In-depth focus on pelvic health and C-section recovery
✨Tools for creating meaningful Mother and Baby Yoga classes
✨Guidance on holding women’s circles and facilitating healing conversations
✨A deep dive into the current state of postpartum care and birth trauma awareness

The postpartum space is still so undervalued - yet it’s a time when women need to be seen, supported, and reminded they’re not alone. We believe in creating spaces where mothers can use yoga not to “get back,” but to come back - gently, with breath, movement, mindfulness and connection.

To our recent graduates: You were incredible. We loved sharing the circle with you. You are so caring, committed, and wise. We are so proud of you and excited to see you take this work into the world. ✨

We usually run this course once a year in spring. Keep an eye out if you’re called to join the next cohort - we’d love to have you in our circle.

Remember, we can heal the world, one step at a time. 💕

07/07/2025

Birth and tennis, my two passions, seem so different, yet so much alike.

The two weeks of Wimbledon is when I’m pretty much lost to humanity - immersed in the world of adventure around the ball.

As per usual, this year again I am completely absorbed in the game while still being on call for the remaining July birth. These worlds couldn’t be more diverse: the quiet, primal unfolding of birth and the electric drama of the Wimbledon Championship.

One is raw, intuitive, timeless, witnessed in hushed reverence.
The other - precise, strategic, relentless, cheered by enormous crowds.
Yet both captivate me, and both are about meeting the edge of what feels possible.

Both are about holding your nerve, riding waves of intensity, trusting your training (or your body), and finding strength in the most unexpected places.

Preparation is everything.
Hours, weeks, years of building trust - in the body, in the mind, in the process, in the self. Undoing cultural beliefs.

In tennis, I watch players meet themselves - moment by moment.
In birth, I witness women do the same.

When it begins… you can’t control it.
You can only surrender to the rhythm, breathe through the pressure, and stay present in the moment.

In tennis, the final point.
In birth, the final push.
Both bring a wave of emotion, relief, triumph, that unmistakable glory and relief of “I did it.”

No, we don’t compete in birth.
But we overcome.
And witnessing that - whether on Centre Court or in the sacredness of a room where a new life begins - moves me deeply.

Both nourish me.
Because both remind me of what it means to be human.

03/07/2025

I love my job!!! Truly, I can never do this work as work - this is where I come alive. Completely attuned to the process, holding space with quiet presence while my clients meet their power.

Witnessing them birth with trust in their bodies, in their babies, in the universe…it humbles me every time.

These past few years have changed me deeply. Supporting more women choosing homebirth and even freebirth has shown me just how much transformation is possible when birth is reclaimed on women’s terms.

These births have been raw, powerful, sacred - and they have changed me too.

There comes a point where you no longer need to second-guess. When what you’re doing nourishes you at the soul level.

When you feel the deep “yes” in your bones - you know you have found your true calling.

As I begin to slow down for summer, I find myself reflecting on this year’s births. A clear theme has emerged: mothers finding their confidence.

Whether through releasing fear, trusting their instincts, or standing firm in their birth choices, again and again I’ve witnessed women growing into their own power. It’s not always easy - but it’s profound, and it’s lasting.

We must remember the mothers. Birth is not just about a baby being born- it’s about the transformation of a woman. A rite of passage. And it deserves to be witnessed, honoured, and held with reverence.

And this is exactly what Barbara Katz Rothman meant when she said:
“Birth is about making mothers - strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.”

This work is not just about babies. It’s about helping women come home to themselves.

We can heal the world, one birth at a time. 💕

02/07/2025

My amazingly talented and courageous client gave me a birthday present yesterday.

I was so inspired by multilayered meaning of the painting so that I have written a poem about us, as birthkeepers.

Still a bit raw, but to all of my doula and birthkeeping friends - we hold this space, I see you!

💗💗
She walks between the worlds unseen,
Where breath begins, where life has been,
A keeper of the sacred gate,
She meets the mothers at the edge of fate.

With honeyed hands and grounded feet,
She knows where blood and cosmos meet.
She hums her grandmothers’ song anew,
Of bodies wise, and knowing true.

She’s the guide who tends the flame,
Uncoiling fear, unbinding shame.
A thread in birth’s ancestral loom,
She opens hearts, she guards the womb.

She speaks of birth not as a task,
But rites of passage, truth unmasked.
She listens deep, beyond the cry,
To where the spirit learns to fly.

With herbs and oils, drum and bone,
She walks, so no one births alone.
She sees the cracks the system hides,
And dares to swim against its tides.

She’s danced with wildness, walked the land,
Knows birth unfolds with gentle hand.
In hush of home and candlelight,
She welcomes all with heart’s delight.

She stood in rooms of steel and glare,
Holding her truth beneath their stare.
But when the stars align just so,
She helps the mother catch her flow.

Not doing, guiding, never loud,
Yet fierce beneath her gentle shroud.
A doula, yes, but so much more,
A birthkeeper of an ancient lore.
💗💗

01/07/2025

Let’s talk about your newborn’s belly button, a little stump left behind after the umbilical cord is cut or burnt (if you want to make it ceremonial) and the final remnant of your baby’s time in the womb.

After birth, the stump begins to dry out, darken, and eventually fall off, usually within 5 to 15 days. During this time, it may look scary, black, shrivelled, or even a little smelly. But this is all just normal part of a natural “rotting” process (yes, really!) - the stump is separating while being gradually colonised by friendly bacteria that protect the area from infection.

❌ What not to do:
👉A common myth is that you need to cover the stump in antiseptic solution but this can actually interfere with the body’s own defence system.
👉Harsh antiseptics can kill off the helpful bacteria that are doing the work of keeping the area safe.
👉Unless a doctor advises otherwise, there’s no need to apply anything.

✅ What to do instead:
👉Keep the area dry and exposed to air
👉Fold nappies down to avoid rubbing
👉Don’t pull or pick at the stump, it will fall off on its own
Only clean if there’s visible dirt or discharge, no need for routine wiping

🩺 When to get it checked:
👉Redness, swelling, or warmth around the base
👉Oozing pus or a strong, worsening smell
👉Bleeding that doesn’t stop
👉Signs baby is unwell (fever, low energy, poor feeding)

Trust the process and soon that stump will quietly fall away, leaving the tiniest little belly button behind that is as unique as your DNA.

What influences the sp*ed of separation?
Anecdotally, gestation at birth ( for preterm takes time), baby’s weight, type of birth (takes longer after CSection), season (in hot weather falls off faster), girls loose it faster as they don’t p*e up, type of tie and manner of cutting/burning. My daughter lost it in 3 days, what about yours?👇

We can heal the world, one step at a time💕

13/06/2025

Breastfeeding can be natural, but it’s not always easy, especially in the early days and when you have limited exposure to see it in real life. And if those first days don’t go to plan, the right and sp*edy support can make all the difference.

I see it all the time in my work. A baby who didn’t latch well after birth, a mother recovering from a tough labour, a baby who needed antibiotics, a mum with flat or inverted ni***es, a baby who has early onset of jaundice or list a lot of weight in the first two days or simply those first feeds where something felt “off” but no one had the time to stop and help.

And then the days start ticking by. The baby may get used to bottles, mum may start to doubt her milk supply, her body misses those crucial early signals and suddenly what could have been a small bump in the road becomes a bigger hill to climb.

If breastfeeding hasn’t started off with ease, please know this: the first days and weeks are the window where the right kind of support can change the whole story. It is during the first few days, or at the very least the first week, when:

👉We can work on latch before habits settle
👉 We can protect and build your milk supply
👉 We can prevent ni**le damage and stress
👉 We can help you and your baby learn from each other

Every breastfeeding journey is unique. And no mum should feel she’s failed just because things weren’t perfect from the start.

If you’re struggling, please reach out.
If you know a new mum who is unsure, encourage her to ask for help now, not later. Those first days matter. 🌿

✨ If you need support, whether it’s latching, milk supply, or simply reassurance, I offer breastfeeding consultations in the early days and beyond. Don’t wait until it feels overwhelming. A little help now can save a lot of stress later. Drop me a message, I’m here. 💗

We can heal the world, one step at a time💕

31/05/2025

The details for the events and classes for June is here, 🔖save the post for the future.

Group Yoga online classes:
🪷 Yoga for Postpartum recovery, Monday, 11.00-12.00
🪷Yoga for Pregnancy and Birth, Monday, 17.15-18.30
🪷Therapeutic Yoga, Monday, 19.30-20.45
🪷 Weekly meditations on Mondays and Thursdays at 21.00

Monthly events and workshops (registrations in bio):

🍀The Art of Pranayama, Sunday, 8 June, 9-10
🍀 Full Moon Women’s Circle, Wednesday, 11 June, 20-22 (book now in bio)
🍀 Restorative Sunday Yoga, Sunday, 22 June, 20-21
🍀 Unlocked Series - The benefits of baby massage, TBC
🍀 IAIM Baby massage course - next course starts on 20th June (DM for booking)

🌸 Services offered:
♡ Yoga and Mizan-based Therapy Programmes (female centric, one-to-one) – Tuesdays and Thursdays in SW18, London
♡ Birth and Postpartum Doula Programmes – in SW and central London (Spaces for this year – One in mid/end of Sep, ONE mid-end of October, Nov and ONE in early Dec)
♡ Breastfeeding Support – clinic or home visits in SW and central London
♡ Closing Ceremonies (across women’s lifecycle) – in SW and central London
♡ Signature Antenatal Preparation with Hypnosis and Mindfulness Course
♡ Birth and Postpartum preferences planning sessions

To book all of the above, please DM me.

We can heal the world, one step at a time.💕

#доулавлондоне #доулалондон #осознаннаябеременность
#осознанныероды #подготовкакродам #русскаядоулавлондоне

27/05/2025

As a birthkeeper, I have attended enough CS births over the last 15 years - some were planned for medical reasons, some were real emergencies and some were the result of cascade of interventions or medical negligence.

What worries me is that sometimes we talk about caesareans as though they’re just another equivalent birth option as though choosing between a vaginal birth and a C-section is like choosing between being in a pool or having an epidural.

But a caesarean birth is still a major abdominal surgery, with layers of physical and emotional consequences that can ripple far beyond the day of birth.

Yes, it can be life-saving, yes, we are fortunate to have it when it’s truly needed. But we also need to be honest about how often it’s used not because of medical emergency, but because of how we manage birth physiology.

Too many caesareans happen at the end of a chain reaction: an unnecessary induction, a labour that’s not given time, a woman told she’s not progressing fast enough.

And then comes the part we rarely talk about - recovery. A mother gives everything: her mind, her strength, her skin, her womb. Her body is cut open to bring life safely into the world. It is the ultimate sacrifice, and yet she is often expected to bounce back, to breastfeed, to mother, sometimes without even adequate pain relief or support.

This carousel isn’t about judgment. It’s about truth - so women can walk into birth knowing what’s at stake, and walk out feeling seen, supported, and whole.

We can heal the birth, one step at a time.💕

23/05/2025

The idea of forceps came out of necessity - to save lives in a time when birth was happening under incredibly difficult conditions. We’re talking 1600s: women weakened by poverty, malnourished, often with rickets narrowing their pelvises, birthing without support or privacy.

Peter Chamberlen, a barber-surgeon, witnessed far too many mothers and babies die in obstructed labours. So, he created something radical for the time: a pair of curved metal instruments to gently (or not so gently) guide a baby out. And then? He and his family kept it secret for nearly a century - blindfolding women, clearing the room, covering the tools with velvet. It was life-saving, yes - but also the beginning of something else: instrumental birth as medical property. I won’t even mention the fact that he was a man, I let you fill in the dots.

We need to talk about instrumental births. Because while they may end in a vaginal delivery, they are not physiological births.

Forceps and ventouse are tools of a managed system - brought in when labour is no longer progressing “on schedule,” when the clock runs out, or when earlier interventions have already shifted the course.

They’re not gentle assists. They are invasive, surgical procedures with real risks - for both mother and baby - that often require stitching, healing, and sometimes emotional repair that no one quite prepares you for.

This isn’t about fear - it’s about clarity. About being able to look ahead and say: What can I do to protect the natural rhythm of labour? Because prevention doesn’t start when someone reaches for the instruments. It starts long before - with the choices we’re given, the information we’re told (or not told), and the space we’re allowed to labour in.

If we want fewer instrumental births, we need to stop interrupting physiology in the first place. Look through the carousel and let me know what you think.👇

We can heal the world, one birth at a time.💕

01/04/2025

I am excited to restart my Full Moon Women’s Circles, a sacred space for women to gather, connect, and share.
These monthly circles offer a chance to pause, reflect, and harness the powerful energy of the full moon.

In a world that often pulls us in a thousand directions, these gatherings serve as a reminder of our inner strength and collective wisdom. Together, we will light a candle, engage in meaningful practices, listen deeply, and honour each other’s journeys - free from judgement, comparison, or the need to fix.

Women have gathered in circles for centuries, and the need for this connection has only grown stronger. In a society that can often feel isolating, these circles offer a sense of belonging, a space for authentic expression, and an opportunity to be truly seen and heard. There is profound healing in sitting together, speaking our truths, and witnessing one another in a supportive and sacred space.

I have been holding these circles for over two decades, and I have seen firsthand how transformational they can be. When we come together in this way, we are not just nourishing ourselves - we are creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond our circle.

So what do we get from it?
🔥Connection and bonding with like-minded women, fostering sisterhood and support.
🔥Healing in a safe space to express emotions and release burdens.
🔥Empowerment through self-discovery, building confidence, and reclaiming one’s voice.
🔥A pause from daily life to tune inwards and gain clarity, bringing a sense of grounding and purpose.

The next Full Moon Circle will be held on Saturday, 12th April at 20:00. This is the Pink Moon, a time of renewal, blossoming, and feminine power. Spiritually, the Pink Moon is linked to rebirth, emotional healing, and the awakening of the divine feminine. How auspicious!!!

Please join me by registering via the bio.
We can heal the world, one pause at a time.💕

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