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Black Lives Matter. Black Maternal Health Matters.

Simone Dyer photo

By Simone Dyer, Nurturing Birth Doula

Black Lives Matter. Black Maternal Health Matters. These realities are both so close to my heart, firstly as a black/mixed woman myself and secondly as a Doula.

Take a deep breath.

After the horrifying murder of George Floyd in the US, the voices, the anguish and the exhaustion of the black community have echoed loudly across the world and cannot be ignored. What has been encouraging to see is that many non-black people have also used their voices and platforms in support. Growth is, of course, to be celebrated but I want to also be clear that we have barely scratched the surface. This is not a sprint, it is a MARATHON! Now you may be wondering how this is relevant to birth work. I’ll do my best to briefly explain.

Racism within the medical world is prevalent and therefore has a very direct effect on birth work. There has been much research (please refer to MBRRACE UK Reports) to show that maternal death rates are higher in black women. Black women are in fact 5 TIMES MORE AT RISK of death during pregnancy, childbirth or in the early postpartum period in the UK than white women, in the US the numbers are even greater. I don’t know about you but that weighs so heavy on my heart.

Whilst there may be little evidence on paper by way of reports from official bodies as to the exact reasons why, there is, vast evidence in front of our eyes, in the way black mothers and birthing people are treated and listened to throughout pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. As a black community, for hundreds of years, we have carried, birthed and nurtured babies through such deep trauma, abuse and oppression and that resides in our DNA, whether we are even conscious of it or not. Whilst we are a beautiful people of great strength and determination, this means that black birthing people are still more vulnerable, physiologically, mentally and emotionally. We are hearing harrowing stories of racism, microaggressions, incorrect diagnosis, wrong doses of medication being administered, discrimination and black birthing people being put at risk during pregnancy and postpartum and sadly, the list goes on. We are far too regularly witnessing and hearing of them receiving substandard care in comparison to their white counterparts.

Culturally, for many years, there has been an idea and label of ‘the strong black woman’ and YES we are strong, we have had to be to survive, even when we didn’t feel that way, however, NEWSFLASH!! We are also soft. We cry. We need nurture just the same because we DO feel pain and our blood bleeds red too. This is a label that is a struggle to rise beyond within our community, one that is also made considerably harder as it is continuously perpetuated and reinforced in society and in particular, by some medical professionals. This has to change. The white woman’s body and experience should no longer be centered as the “Normal”. We cannot keep being traumatised and dying because we were not listened to. It may sound harsh to some but it is nothing but raw truth. This is the reality that the black community faces every day all over the world. When a black birthing person is dead it’s too late, families are affected forever and the trauma runs deeper. How long we will stand by and watch basic human rights be neglected and disregarded because of skin colour and cultural differences. Who does that make us? Who do we really want to be as people that have chosen to support black birthing people and families?

Take a moment. Take a deep breath. Take it all in…

I really want to highlight that pity and sympathy are not what is needed here, those expressions are not progressive for change or upliftment, however, active listening, understanding and compassion are expressions that will better support the black community. The most important thing we can do is take ACTION in whichever ways we can, big or small, the measure is not what is important here but it is the heart and intentions that fuel our efforts and actions that count.

Below are a few offerings on some possibilities of ACTION. Please, of course, do your own research and feel into what feels right and authentic to you, I do not have all the answers but I do want to encourage us towards more regular self-inquiry, honest observation and free-thinking. Not everybody is called to be an activist shouting from the rooftops and marching in protest and that is ok. The conversations and micro-actions we can have in our day to day worlds are so valuable too and will all feed into the macro, the bigger picture of the transformation and journey to racial equality and freedom that is long overdue. We can sew and scatter seeds of love and life in so many ways.

Self Enquiry & Awareness ~ Make a conscious effort to really see what is happening in the world around you and take an even closer look at the world your in as a birth worker. Take time to reflect on experiences you’ve had, seen and heard about with black families. Consider ways you may have even contributed to racism or discrimination in and outside of the birth world. Observe, practise self-awareness and offer yourself forgiveness and make choices to do better going forward. This is not about guilt in any way, we all have flaws and imperfections, our power lies in our ability to be honest with self so that we can move forward with more conscious intention and awareness.

Educate ~ Make the time to educate yourself on black history as well as what is currently going on in and outside of the birth world. It’s not about knowing it all but having some understanding will only better support us in supporting black families and watching out for the signs of discrimination and substandard care.

Here are some great resources as a place to start

blackhistorystudies.com

IG: @blackhistorystudies

blackbreastfeedingweek.com

IG: @blkbfingweek

makechangebook.com

IG: @shaunking

Mrimhotep.org

IG: mister_imhotep

Books

Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts

Birthing Justice by Julia Chinyere Oparah

Women of Color by Jennifer Nelson

Birth Work as Care Work by Alana Apfel

Call it out ~ Do not be afraid to speak up and call out racism, discrimination, microaggressions and anything else that is oppressive and/or harmful to the black community, again in and outside of the birth world. If we speak up on the outside of the birth world and call it as we see it, it will become more and more natural to call it out as a birth worker. The more we live in truth and make each other accountable, leading with love, the greater chance we have at seeing a new future where the black community are seen and treated equally to that of non-black communities.

In my opinion, there is so much space for us to use our common sense as we hold space for black mothers & birthing people. As recently highlighted in a Nurturing Birth newsletter, listening and building rapport is a vital part of the doula-mother connection. So here is my invitation to us all, from my heart ~

Please do your part in whatever way you can, especially to all NON-black birth workers, please take the time to research and educate yourselves about the history of the black community so that you are better equipped to hold space. Get even more present. Listen to your clients and families with a new ear and with clearer vision. Listen from your heart with a new understanding from the education you have taken time to seek for yourself because you care. It takes putting aside excuses, ignorance and egos. It is the coming together of each of us, doing our part that makes for a greater future where black people are seen, heard, felt and treated as a human with rights. A future where black lives really do matter and no longer has to be just a hashtag…

Breathe in Love, Breathe out Love…

In loving service,

Simone xxx

What joining a Nurturing Birth course FEELS like

Sam Sheppard

This post is written 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 the Distance Doula Course with Sophie and I’ve really enjoyed it.  No, actually I’ve loved it.  I’ve loved the new excited faces at the start of their journey. I’ve loved seeing women connect, connect in ways I wasn’t totally sure I’d witness to the extent that we did, over Zoom… I’ve loved seeing and feeling the excitement, passion, nerves – the overflowing emotional moments unfolding as the doulas bloomed and realised not only could they do it, but that they had been doing it over the week.  They were doulas!

Now the beauty of these courses, like with the birthing women or people that we support, is that not only did they feel like they were learning and experiencing new things, but I did too. I learnt so much.  Watching the invigorating conversations, the questioning, the beliefs and support they all organically flowed with, the highs and lows of the week as everyone became more comfortable and trusting of their companions … Wow!  What a gift to behold.  The strength of community, of that village, never ceases to amaze me.  How it can raise and support, how it can nurture and challenge. All the while holding that sacred safe space.  It’s truly inspiring and it’s given me so much joy I can’t quite describe it. 

I’ve also loved the transitions. The transition from “Hmmmm can I even do the course” to “Ooh crikey I can actually do this“.  There’s a gentle, sometimes rapid, unravelling of thoughts and long-held beliefs.  It’s amazing what we can tell ourselves, and it’s also amazing how differently we can look to others. 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.  

Now those that follow me know I’m pretty unapologetic about being me.  They also know I’m not one to follow the crowd and seem quite confident in my being.  But, I’ve held on to the belief that I can’t write and I can’t do podcasts … hmmm now I’m not about the “can’t”, so I’ve been looking at what this is about and where it came from, and have shifted into the “doing something about it” phase.  So, here’s the first tick (yes, I’m smug – I even put my hand up to offer to write one of the weekly emails for Sophie over the holidays…I did panic a bit). The next tick is a podcast I’m guesting on this week. Don’t ask me what I’m talking about yet.  Small steps, right?

The reason for my rambling is that we never stop learning, growing, reflecting or adapting.  Life is always shifting – it has to. We never arrive.  We never get there.  Once we’re there another target comes to light, another feeling needs exploring, another trigger needs addressing, our bodies need more/less rest, a change in food, a challenge that takes action, something else needs reflection, or a change in perspective maybe.  It’s all about the journey, right?

So what journey are you on and how’s it looking? 
Much love
Sam
x

 

Duped as a Digital Doula

Nikki Barrow describes her experience with a ‘client’ who made up a traumatic birth and baby loss.

WORKING WITH CLIENTS ONLINE, ARE YOU REALLY READY? AND ARE YOU SAFE?

Some subjects within this post may be triggering – related to mental health and baby loss.

Due to the Covid19 pandemic it’s now become a necessity to offer Birth Work support ‘virtually’. What a learning curve it has been for those of us that have never worked in this way! What actually is ‘Zoom’? This change has been thrust upon us and as a result, setting it up may have been done in rather a hurry? For those of you who aren’t yet offering this way of working you most likely will want to soon! Our potential clients/students will now expect us to work in this way even after ‘lockdown’ has come to an end. So how do you navigate all this as a lone worker in the online world?

My experience

My first ‘digital’ experience was with a ‘hoaxer’ – a woman who faked her pregnancy and birth with me, over the phone and then ongoing into hours of video/text/phone support.

I was contacted initially by text, by a woman who was 34 weeks pregnant and looking for antenatal and emotional support via text and phone, up until the birth of her baby. She told me she was looking for text/phone support in order to answer basic questions she might have during the final weeks of her pregnancy. She was a first-time single mum-to-be, with hardly any friends, and her boyfriend/one night stand was still over in New Zealand where she had met him.

On day 2 we had some more contact via text and phone – she sent me some of her photography work to look at. It looked great…and I was thinking that we could definitely work towards a skill swap for my support. I continued to type up a contract for support. Day 3, I got a call from her to say that her waters had gone, and she was going into labour early. She immediately asked if she could scrap our original plan and would I be available to support her that evening during her labour – using the Digital/Virtual Doula Package I had listed on my website. At that time, my fees were completely different – and way too low…anyhow, verbal agreement was given.

I felt under pressure to agree there and then, she sounded anxious and distressed – vulnerable…..I agreed to be there for her on the phone. She said: “Tell me you won’t leave me! tell me you’ll be there for me tonight – i need you, I am totally unprepared”. So obviously, there was little time to put together a contract of any sort as she needed help from that very moment. After I agreed, I told her she should probably get her bag organised and get to the hospital….So at around 7pm, before I knew it, I was with her on the phone, involved in her labour, in this ‘virtual’ capacity.

The support I gave: Regardless of the fact that this woman faked her pregnancy and birth, I helped support her with breathing techniques over the phone, helped suggest different positions to labour in, helped with ideas on what to eat and reminded her to stay hydrated. I assisted with emotional decisions – such as when to ask her parents to leave her, and to go home, also talking through what clothes she felt most comfortable while birthing. I felt as though I may as well have been in the birth room with her.

In the morning I texted her to see how she was. She said that at 2am she had given birth to a boy – she was gushing about the support I had given her….She then told me that the baby wasn’t very well though. She said that he had been taken moments after birth to Great Ormond Street as he had a bad bleed on the brain and his lungs weren’t working properly. She didn’t seem at all worried, but was off to see him soon. I told her I would check in in a few days to see how she and baby were doing….I was left feeling worried.

That afternoon she then texted me to ask if I would be up for supporting her postnatally as she felt she would need help. Money was tight ….but given the fact her baby was so ill, and, after going through her birth with her….I told her to just message or call me if she needed to.…I then went on to support her everyday for hours per day, usually in the evenings when I was trying to get dinner for my children, with her plugged into my headphones so I still had my hands free to do things in the kitchen…over the course of hours it felt like I was entwined in this woman’s life.

Her baby was very ill, it was unlikely he was going to make it. He was supported to come home with regular care visits in place. There were lots of dramatic event that occured over the following weeks – her Dad died of a heart attack, she had a big bleed, and fainted…I was intimately involved in messaging with her concerned mother as well (text) and also her brother (again via text).

Her video calls with me were always in the evening, after her baby had fed. He didn’t move much as his condition ‘maple syrup syndrome’, plus other conditions with his heart and lungs, meant that he was sedated.

After supporting her for around 8 weeks, there were 2 nights she felt it might be her baby’s last night….I braced myself for this event as I knew it would be hard to go through….on the 3rd night, her baby passed away. We lit a candle for him. I cried.

I then gradually tried to pull away slowly. She had a ‘crisis team’ involved, social workers etc….all of which were poised for her committing suicide. I needed to let go as I was exhausted by this point.

Anyway….to cut the story there…she was ‘discovered’ after making lots of other enquiries in my area …She had been dealing with two other doulas at the same time as me. All different tragic scenarios, all involving baby loss.

There are, as you can imagine, lots of emotions that you go through after finding out that this was all a lie…..

The enquiries received by other doulas from this particular hoaxer date back as far as the past four to five years, usually under different names.

My own experience with her is so complex. I spent hours on video chat with her. I cried with her when she was crying. I lifted her up when she was down. I texted with her most days for weeks, and spoke on the phone for sometimes 3-4 hours a day. I was totally engulfed in her story. Unfortunately with such clever concealment of her identity, numerous personas (my dealings with her brother and mother were all in fact HER), Social Media accounts, numbers, and email addresses, it’s almost impossible to locate her, and get her the real help and support she needs.

This woman had a huge impact on my life, and my family life… I have learned the hard way, and I will not support any client in this way in the future, without confirming ID, and a contract being signed. I hope that by raising awareness we will all be more vigilant in the future.

Keeping yourself safe

I cover more of this in my training sessions (see below), but some important factors are:

  • · limit your initial contact
  • · move to video chat asap! collect some ID
  • · make sure they look pregnant
  • · if supporting postnatally – make sure you see a baby, and that the baby is awake

Things to think about when creating your own online offering

  • 1. Consider how you might offer your client reassurance in who they are dealing with – what would build confidence in your interactions with them?
  • 2. How will you feel confident in who you are speaking with? will you ask them for ID?
  • 3. How will you progress further? Ask for a video chat? or for an agreement / contract to be signed and fee received before going ahead?
  • 4. How will you deal with someone who is in emotional distress from the start of your contact with them?
  • 5. Do you have relevant helpline numbers and other signposting support to offer to them?
  • 6. Do you have your T’s and C’s clearly stated on your website/accounts etc?
  • 7. What level of support are you comfortable to offer?

Of course, there is never going to be a completely foolproof way of confirming identity, however, hopefully by having clear boundaries and measures in place, you will only attract genuine clients. I know it’s inconceivable to think you could be duped – however unfortunately there is a high probablility that you might receive some fake enquiries now that there is so much online support being offered. These individuals are unfortunately craving the attention of anyone that will listen.

As a final point, please PLEASE check out who you become friends with on Social Media…it’s recently been discovered that my hoaxer was friends with over 200 Birthworkers….they had all become friends with her because she had been clever enough in building a great profile a while ago, befriending Birthworkers, and then those Birthworkers over the years allowing her as a friend, purely because they saw that she had ‘ 53 mutual friends’ for example….when you actually visit that profile now, it’s very sparse looking, with little info and a stock photo. So, please, don’t just accept people as a friend or follower, until you have visited their profiles and checked out their company websites etc.

I am now offering training sessions (online based) which cover key practical steps on how you can stay safe when working online as a birth worker. I have also set up a support group on Facebook to help support those dealing with difficult enquiries.

Thank you for reading and stay safe online

Doula Love xx

Consent in birth and the Montgomery ruling: why doulas need to understand it

Emma Ashworth is a Nurturing Birth doula, a trustee of AIMS and she is currently the AIMS Journal Editor. She has a special interest in consent and has written extensively on women’s rights in birth.

What is the Montgomery ruling?

‘Montgomery’ 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 Montgomery’s son was severely injured during his birth. During pregnancy, Mrs Montgomery was very concerned about her forthcoming birth because she felt that her baby was too big for her to birth vaginally. She had diabetes, was very small herself, and the baby appeared to be large. However, her obstetrician did not offer her a caesarean birth as an option to consider.

During the birth, Mrs Montgomery’s son experienced a very severe shoulder dystocia. After a variety of interventions he was born by caesarean, and now lives with cerebral palsy and a damaged shoulder.

The injuries that occurred during his birth are rare, and, statistically speaking, were unlikely to occur even with the risk factors that Mrs Montgomery had. However, the legal case came about not because of the complications themselves, nor how they were handled, but because the obstetrician made the decision to not share the information about the possible outcomes of a vaginal birth and a caesarean with Mrs Montgomery, thus stopping her from being able to make an informed decision herself over what was right for her. Ultimately, the case came down to whether or not information was shared to support informed decision making – and, the case found, it was not.

What did it change about consent and birth?

Before the Montgomery case, what doctors shared with pregnant women depended, basically, on what other health care providers were sharing. They could decide to limit what information they shared with women as long as other doctors were doing the same. This was known as the ‘Bolam Test’, and it states, “If a doctor reaches the standard of a responsible body of medical opinion, he is not negligent”. This applied to all areas of medicine, and led to many outdated principles still occurring (eg immediate cord clamping) because, from the practitioner’s point of view, if they did what most other doctors did, they had more protection against being sued.

With Montgomery, all this changed. Rather than just relying on what most other people did, practitioners are now obliged to share information on ‘all material risks’, meaning any risk (of an intervention or NOT intervening) that might be important to that pregnant woman or person, irrespective of what was normally done by their colleagues. If followed, this gives the pregnant person information they need to be able to make an informed decision about their own care.

Why do doulas need to know about it?

Sadly, no single legal ruling can resolve all of the problems that we have within the maternity system. Montgomery has given us a hugely valuable legal framework to support informed decision making.  It means that the pregnant woman or person must be offered information to ensure that they are able to make an informed decision about their care. If your client isn’t experiencing this, you can suggest that they raise this as an issue with their health care provider, and remind them that they alone can make decisions about their body.

Unfortunately, there are downsides to this ruling in practice, if not within the aims of the law. The ruling states that providers should ensure that they take “reasonable care” to ensure that “patients” are aware of “material risks”.

The text reads, ‘The test of materiality is whether, in the circumstances of the particular case, a reasonable person in the patient’s position would be likely to attach significance to the risk, or the doctor is or should reasonably be aware that the particular patient would be likely to attach significance to it.’

What this should mean is that individualised care is offered, with doctors and midwives ensuring that women are given information that is relevant to them, personally, depending on their personal needs and wishes. What is happening in reality is that doctors and midwives misunderstand this to mean that they have to tell women of every possible horrific outcome that might happen if they decide to decline an intervention, or birth outside the hospital. They seem to be forgetting that their obligation is to offer a balanced picture of all of the material consequences of interventions and non-intervention (when was the last time that you heard all the potential risks of an induction, for example?), and they also seem to be forgetting that women are not obliged to listen to any of this!

Pregnant women are still autonomous beings, and they alone can decide what they want to hear. Our clients do not have to attend meetings with doctors or midwives who they don’t feel are supportive of their rights or decisions if they don’t want to. They don’t have to listen to a stream of possible horrific outcomes if they don’t want to. If they want the information, they can choose to ask for another midwife or doctor, and they can point out that being told only one part of the picture is coercion, not informed consent, and is going against the Montgomery ruling just as much as not being offered information is.

Further reading

The online content of Nurturing Birth’s Expansive Doula Course has a video on consent which includes information on Montgomery.  This presentation is also available to Nurturing Birth graduates who purchase the online modules after completing their Intensive Doula Course. 

AIMS has published a helpful article on the Montgomery ruling by a solicitor who looks at the ways it can be used in medical negligence cases within maternity: https://www.aims.org.uk/journal/item/montgomery

The MDU (Medical Defence Union) has a web page on Montgomery which clearly explains the legal situation: https://www.themdu.com/guidance-and-advice/guides/montgomery-and-informed-consent

Birthrights is continuing its work on consent, following the Montgomery ruling, by offering workshops to midwives and doctors on this topic, and they are part of a team launching an app for women to use in labour: https://www.birthrights.org.uk/campaigns-research/montgomery-and-consent/

Birth and consent: the basics!

Emma Ashworth is a Nurturing Birth doula, a trustee of AIMS and she is currently the AIMS Journal Editor. She has a special interest in consent and has written extensively on women’s rights in birth.

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 your body? Did you know that it’s only you who gets to decide whether you have any of the tests, checks or interventions that are offered in pregnancy and while giving birth? Did you know that they are an option, even if they’re not presented to you in that way?

If you’re told that you “have to” do something or you’re “not allowed” to do something, remember that they can’t allow you any more than you can allow them. If you are told what to do, try to change it in your head from, “do this” to “I’m suggesting that you do this and you’re welcome to ask me more about it if you wish, before making your own decision.”

Making your decisions about tests in pregnancy

You have the right to ask as many questions as you want to before you make a decision, and often this is necessary as some of the decisions we need to make are complicated, and need serious thought about the pros and cons. In many cases, it isn’t solely about taking the test, it’s about what the consequences may be, of how your care may change, if you take it and you’re diagnosed with whatever they are testing for.

So let’s look at some of the questions that you might want to consider asking your midwife or doctor, to help you to get the information you need to be able to make an informed decision.

  1. What are the benefits and risks of the test itself?
  2. If I am diagnosed, what will the treatment options be?
  3. What changes to care would be recommended, if any, and why?

A commonly used acronym that can also help is “BRAIN”:

B – Benefits
R – Risks
A – Alternatives
I – What does your Intuition say?
N – What happens if you do Nothing?

You have the right to have as much time as you need to make your decision, even if this means another appointment to talk it through again. Usually you can go away to think about it and come back when you’re ready, if you choose to.

Making your decisions about labour

A common decision that many pregnant women and people have to make is whether or not to accept the offer of an induction at the end of pregnancy. Inductions are not a risk-free process, and this should be explained to you before you decide whether or not to accept one. Unfortunately, as induction has become more common, there is often little time allocated to explaining the risks and benefits, and yet without knowing all of this information the health care providers are not fulfilling their legal duty to obtain informed consent for the intervention. In fact, they are obliged to ensure that you have this information, and it must be unbiased, and where possible, evidence-based. If the advice that they are giving is not based on evidence, but their own opinion or something else, this must be made clear.

If you feel that you don’t have the information that you need to make your decision, you have the right to spend the necessary time with your doctor or midwife until you do. This might not be possible in one appointment but you should be given an additional appointment for as detailed a discussion as you wish. When you make your decision, it must be respected.

Making decisions while in labour

While you are in labour, it is sometimes harder to make decisions and for this reason it can be very valuable to think through in advance what you would or wouldn’t want to accept. One important decision is how you feel about vaginal exams. They are not compulsory. Nobody can put their fingers in your vagina without your consent, at any time, ever, and this doesn’t change during birth. Other common interventions include monitoring your baby’s heartbeat, and you might want to find out about options for pain relief and what the pros and cons are of each type on offer at your chosen place of birth.

During your labour, whether you’ve investigated something thoroughly or something completely new comes up, you still have the right to make your own decision about whether or not to accept it. If you want more information to make that decision you can ask for it.

How can a doula help with your birth rights?

While it’s helpful to know that you can ask for more information, not all midwives and doctors are helpful, and sometimes they can feel challenged, and become defensive or dismissive. The situation can sometimes feel confrontational, and that can be very upsetting for many people.

Doulas can be excellent mediators. They can take away the confrontation and instead support positive communication, helping you to ask the questions you need, and suggesting questions that you may not have thought of. Although doulas can’t give medical advice, they can signpost you to information that you may not have been given. They can remind you that you have rights, and encourage you to recognise your own empowerment.

A doula can help you to plan your birth and they will have knowledge about the options that you might want to consider in advance which you may not otherwise think of. So many people come out of birth saying, “I wish I’d known XYZ”. Having a doula means that you know more – and knowledge is power.

During your birth, doulas can help you to stay grounded and strong. If you feel that you are being pushed into something that you don’t want, they can be another voice to remind the staff that they need to listen to you. They can help you to remember what you wanted, and support you in that decision, or, if you change your mind, your new decision. Crucially, they can help to facilitate communication if there’s an emergency, helping you to understand what’s going on even if the staff feel too busy to take the time to talk to you properly.

Sadly, many women who have experienced birth trauma say that the trauma came from feeling out of control of what happened to their bodies. By knowing that we are the ones who can make decisions for ourselves, we know that we can insist on that information before we agree to anything happening to us, and that itself can lead to a much higher chance of a positive birth, no matter how it ends up. And, if we want support with that, our doula will be there for us.

In February I’ll be looking at the Montgomery ruling, and why we all need to know about it

Video interview with Liz Stanford, The Calm Birth School

Sophie caught up with Liz Stanford who recently took over The Calm Birth School from Suzy Ashworth. They chat about Hypnobirthing, the science behind it, the mind body connection and how empowering it is for women approaching birth. They also talk about how the term hypnobirthing can be off-putting for some and dispel some of the myths around it. Liz shares her experiences of using hypnobirthing for the birth of her three children.

To find out more about Liz and the Calm Birth School visit their website, Facebook Page, Instagram

Click here to watch Sophie’s interview with Alex Heath, Hypnotherapist about Birth Trauma recovery.