By Sophie Brigstocke I had a conversation the other day with someone who really wants to be a doula, but she was doubting her ability because she ended up having a caesarean when her baby was born – not the birth she had planned. She felt that somehow she wouldn’t qualify as a doula because she hadn’t had…
Training to be a Doula
When will I know I’m ready to be a doula?
By Sophie Brigstocke Are you waiting for a perfect moment to train to become a doula? For the kids to start school, to have left your 9-5 day job, for your redundancy to be confirmed, for your family to need you less, for your friends to validate your choice, to get pregnant, to leave midwifery,…
What is Mindful Hypnobirthing?
By Sophie Fletcher You may have come across hypnobirthing before, but what is the real difference between hypnobirthing and Mindful Hypnobirthing? Quite a lot really! As a hypnotherapist, my first introduction to hypnobirthing was pure hypnosis with some relaxation, breathing and knowledge about your body, which is brilliant for re-framing. A reframe is when you take…
Birth Rights and Birth Choices
By Sophie Brigstocke This week the press reported a legal case involving a young woman who has agoraphobia. In advance of her birth her NHS care providers went to court to get legal consent to transfer her to hospital (against her wishes and with “proportionate” force) prior to labour. Whilst we can only rely on the media story…
To all Midwives everywhere, Thank you!
By Sue Bryant Musings on Midwifery life: On International Midwives’ Day, Susan Bryant shares her story of being a midwife who has now trained to be a doula.Since qualifying as a post graduate midwife in 1988 I thrived on the variety of work that was the midwife’s role. Rotating around the various specialities of Delivery…
A New Hope
By Sam Sheppard It’s the 4th May: International Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you. Have you ever thought how the links between the hope, positivity, and community of the Star Wars films overlap with those within the birth world? The Force is like our instincts – we can all be guided by…