By Sophie Brigstocke When I first became a doula I joined an online doula forum (shows how long ago it was that Facebook hadn’t gained notoriety yet!) I was an excited new doula, keen to find a tribe of like-minded people, share my experiences of training and ask for support. When I introduced myself to the group…
Training to be a Doula
When a baby dies
By Michelle Every What do you say when someone – a doula client, a friend, a relative – tells you that they have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth? Michelle Every offers some support, information and signposts. When I trained to be a doula in 2007 I was astonished and saddened that supporting baby loss was…
What joining a Nurturing Birth course FEELS like
By Sam Sheppard, Nurturing Birth Facilitator “Sophie, at each course, spoke about what we tell ourselves and what we can let go of. It gave much thought to all, including me.” I’ve been thinking a lot recently … don’t panic, I didn’t hurt myself! Over the last few months I’ve been super lucky to have been co-facilitating…
Racism and the maternity world
By Sophie Brigstocke This week we saw, yet again, that racism is alive and well in the world. Many of us watched or heard of the senseless killing of a man at the hands of another. It was shocking and deeply upsetting. It was also not an isolated incident. How does this relate to doulas and maternity? Sadly, far…
Montgomery & birth rights: what doulas should know
By Emma Ashworth What is Montgomery and how does it relate to birth rights? ‘Montgomery’ is critical to understanding our birth rights. It refers to a legal case, formally known as ‘Montgomery V Lanarkshire’, where Montgomery is Mrs Nadine Montgomery, and Lanarkshire is the Lanarkshire Health Board in Scotland. The case was brought after Mrs…
Birth and consent: the basics!
By Emma Ashworth Your baby… Your body… Your decisions! When we’re pregnant we are offered so many tests and checks, we’re poked and prodded and our bellies are listened to. We’re even told to “leave our dignity at the door”. But did you know that you have the absolute right to decide what happens to…