Birth Story – Holistic support for pregnancy, birth and new parenthood

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Holistic support for pregnancy, birth and new parenthood.

Our birth stories aren’t just the telling of our births. They’re about who we are, how we were born, how we were parented, and most importantly, how we feel about ourselves.

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About Anna

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birthstoryanna

So the nights are drawing in 🍂🍁 and there's

So the nights are drawing in 🍂🍁 and there's a wee nip in the air...
It feels like a pretty glum kind of time, and right now there is, what can only be described as a crisis in the maternity world (staff shortages and burn out to name but a few reasons).

**Check out #marchformidwives group on Facebook. There's a nationwide vigil on Nov 21st at 2pm**

Time maybe for a link to my Birth Story playlist baby. It's been gestating for well over a year and features the most soothing, uplifting, calming, and beautiful songs. Some are added by previous clients from their birth playlists (which feels rather special 😭 💕).

🎶Music is a tonic in these times, whether preparing for birth, healing from birth or remembering birth🎶

Enjoy X

Link to Spotify playlist in stories (hit top left corner) and my highlights 💥

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3zyPRynElKdKYDDPLi9Swq?si=NitBOgOSTtmGVvnsi5wWWw&utm_source=copy-link

📷: Me in 2012

#birthplaylist #preparingforbirth #musicforbirth #healingfrombirth #birthandmusic #doula #antenatal #postnatal #birth

First baby homebirth 😍 These beautiful words m

First baby homebirth 😍

These beautiful words make me catch my breath when I remember Nahana's birth.

Because she found me (I always believe that the right people for me will find me for the right reasons).

Her and her partner trusted me to be a guide through their pregnancy and birth.

Because she birthed completely on her own terms - after having to deal with (in labour!) the completely unnecessary pressure and scare mongering from the system (to have antibiotics, start induction, be monitored etc, etc) 🤬

She knew exactly what she wanted for her and her baby. What strength and power this takes! 💥

She had a GREAT team around her supporting and protecting her birth space 😁

Another oxytocin bursting birth memory for me 😊💫🤩

#birthdoula #northlondondoula #undisturbedbirth #protectbirth #physiologicalbirth #understandingbirth #protectingbirth #homebirth #withwoman #birthsupport #ownyourbirth #knowledgeispower #informedbirth #instinctivebirth #birthhowyouwant #positivebirth #birthteam #preparingforbirth #birthkeeper #birthpartner #reclaimbirth #homebirthteam #firstdonoharm #birthasitshouldbe

What do we do about the shocking mess the maternit

What do we do about the shocking mess the maternity system is in? It feels like we're in free fall and people's hopes and needs for their births are being demolished.

Historic poor working conditions, systemic bullying, lack of support for midwives and the mistrust, misunderstanding and medicalisation of birth and women's bodies have created this almighty mess.

We can make our voices heard. Go high up as far as you can, starting with your hospital trust's Head of Midwifery (HOM). Call, email or write to ask WHY, if they are offering 'gold standard care', 'a birth centre' and a 'homebirth service', can they not staff them? WHAT are they doing to make sure services run? Are they actively employing Independent Midwives (IM's) on proper contracts? (see @emma_ashworth_birth_rights)

'the personal is the political'
as @doulamaddie so rightly says. Every voice causes a ripple and makes a difference.

For template campaigning letters and advice about your rights head to aims.org.uk @aims_uk and birthrights.org.uk. @birthrightsorg

Please link up with @the_holistic_midwife for details on signing the petition to government and for listening to the midwife voices on the ground (also @amity.reed @leahhazard )

💓

Anna X

#homebirth #hospitalbirth #physiologicalbirth #undisturbedbirth #birthdoula #birth #knowledgeispower #birthteam #northlondondoula #londondoula #birthsupport #ownyourbirth #birthonyourownterms #joyfulbirth #birthwithoutintervention #respectforbirth #trustbirth #birthpartner #firstdonoharm #firstbirth #secondbirth #healingbirth #birthasariteofpassage #birthkeeper #midwife #supportmidwives #birthrights #birthcentre #midwifecrisis #aimsuk

**Healing undisturbed 2nd birth at home after a tr

**Healing undisturbed 2nd birth at home after a traumatic first induced birth**

Oh my heart 💓 My client went through a challenging journey where she needed to tell her story, process what had happened to her and then come to a place where she could make decisions that were right for her second birth. It's fair to say there was a LOT of pushback against 'the system'. A lot of pressure put on her was completely unnecessary BUT derailment was avoided. She was incredible. The birth was incredible. I feel honoured to have supported her 😊

#birthdoula #northlondondoula #undisturbedbirth #protectbirth #physiologicalbirth #understandingbirth #protectingbirth #homebirth #hospitalbirth #withwoman #birthsupport #ownyourbirth #knowledgeispower #informedbirth #instinctivebirth #healingbirth #vbacbirth #birthaftertrauma #positivebirth #birthteam #preparingforbirth #birthkeeper #traumaticbirthrecovery #3steprewindforbirthtrauma #3steprewind #traumaticbirth

Speedy birth! ☺️ Last week I had the honour of

Speedy birth! ☺️ Last week I had the honour of supporting a woman and her partner through the birth of their second baby. I knew that we would make a good team. I understood her need to make this birth the birth that she wanted, and to do right the wrong that had been done first time round (all manner of interventions and coercion). We talked, we laughed, I listened carefully, held her space and gently nudged her to consider different options. Our bond grew quickly and I transitioned into one of her trusted birth partners.
Frustratingly, her plans for a homebirth were scuppered due to staffing shortages/reduced services at her chosen hospital. With the options and information that she had, she changed care provider, prepared for different scenarios and then switched off from the noisy world....
Labour was quick and intense, she knew exactly where she wanted to be, with whom and at what point.
The transition to the birth centre was 'interesting'. It featured an Uber driver who crossly declared "you should have called an ambulance" to which I replied "It's not an emergency! - it's a perfectly normal event!" (as I lowered down the window so she could roar out to the empty streets of Hackney). Empty, apart from the character who approached the car at the traffic lights (another story for another time)...
The hell hole of triage was bypassed (thankfully) as baby was very much on its way!
We were met by two lovely, calm, knowing young midwives (hooray!)
The baby's head emerged as the birth centre doors were barged open, no time for gloves, or notes....just one healthy baby, very happy parents and an Uber driver somewhere out there who now might be less panicked by a roaring labouring woman in his car.....trust in birth...next time - homebirth!
X

#homebirth #physiologicalbirth #undisturbedbirth #birthdoula #birth #knowledgeispower #birthteam #rockyourbirth #northlondondoula #londondoula #birthsupport #ownyourbirth #birthonyourownterms #joyfulbirth #birthwithoutintervention #respectforbirth #trustbirth #birthpartner #firstdonoharm #speedybirth #fastbirth #secondbirth #healingbirth #birthasariteofpassage #birthkeeper #midwife #birthrights @homerton_birthcentre

#Repost - @debsagos by @get_regrammer *YOU SHOULD

#Repost - @debsagos by @get_regrammer
*YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DISCLOSE TRAUMA TO ACCESS THE CARE THAT YOU NEED ☺️*

People who live with previous trauma often (always?) have a hard time accessing pregnancy/birth/postnatal services appropriate and safe for them 😢.

Gestational care is NOT trauma informed across the board, though some individual practitioners are EXCELLENT at providing everyone with sensitive trauma informed care. The current maternity system is not set up to make this universal unfortunately 🤯

To get the care you need after trauma, you often have to disclose WHY exactly you require specific adjustments (oftentimes things that ought to be standard anyway), and even then, your needs are often questioned and not prioritised.

THIS IS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE (unless you actually want to talk about your trauma and feel safe and comfortable doing so) 🤔.

Navigating the maternity care system should NOT mean:

* retraumatising yourself by rehashing what EXACTLY happened to you

* explaining why you are still struggling with your previous experience

* getting pushback from HCPs because your needs are inconvenient to them

* having to have the SAME discussions everytime you need a new HCP

* having to compromise your needs because HCPs are not well versed in trauma informed care

What accessing care SHOULD look like:

* time to have an unrushed discussion

* being able to state your needs, however specific they might be and having them MET

* being asked what you need from your care to feel safe and comfortable, even if you have not disclosed previous trauma

* IF you have disclosed trauma, no assumptions about what you need, but an invitation to tell your HCP exactly what you might need, what needs to be avoided specifically and COMPLETE respect for your actual needs

* honest discussions about situations in which potential retraumatising scenarios might unfold (perhaps if birth doesn’t go to plan and becomes an emergency) and how to navigate this

* continuity of care so you can be sure your caregivers know what is necessary for you, and if this is lacking, very clear documentation for other HCPs who may be involved in your care
*CONTINUED

Repost from the brilliant @birthtimeworld Thank y

Repost from the brilliant @birthtimeworld
Thank you Professor Soo Downe 🙏

#birthtrauma #traumaticbirth #perinatalmentalhealth #firstdonoharm #perinatalanxiety #birth #postnatal #pregnancy #roarbehindthesilence

What do I need to attend a birth? This is a pict

What do I need to attend a birth?

This is a picture of the sum total of my belongings from the last birth I attended. I do have a doula bag full of bits and bobs (mainly survival snacks for me for particularly long labours!) but when I got 'the call' I was on a bus going to a postnatal clients house, there wasn't time to go home. However, during this straightforward, powerful, beautiful, healing birth, nothing else was needed apart from my quiet and reassuring presence, my focus, hands to hold and my arms to embrace....simple* 😊

Being a doula means being very present in the moment and very tuned into the birthing person and partner (if present). The best chance of this happening is in a home setting, with minimal disturbances and faffing around from other people. The tuning in still happens in hospital birth settings but with so many distractions it has to take on a different form, to match the medical management setting. It's hard to feel intuitive when you're on-guard to ward off birth derailment!

Keeping it simple, if all is well, feels like the best option all round 😍

*Plus a mobile phone that stores almost everything else I may have needed 😅

#birthdoula #northlondondoula #undisturbedbirth #protectbirth #physiologicalbirth #understandingbirth #protectingbirth #homebirth #hospitalbirth #doulabag #doulakit #withwoman #birthsupport #ownyourbirth #knowledgeispower #informedbirth #instinctivebirth #healingbirth #vbacbirth #birthaftertrauma #positivebirth #birthteam #preparingforbirth #birthkeeper

🏵️Do you feel alone with the memory of your b

🏵️Do you feel alone with the memory of your birth story?

🏵️Are you troubled by elements of your birth story?

🏵️Would you like to share your birth story?

🏵️Sometimes sharing your story helps to heal and process what happened to you.

🏵️I would love to hear your story.

🏵️I'm an experienced birth and postnatal doula based in North London. I also work with parents who feel that they've had difficult births or are experiencing symptoms of birth trauma.There's more about me, my services, testimonials and more on my website ➡️ www.birthstory.co.uk.

🏵️We can walk and talk in a park, just get in touch via email anna@birthstory.co.uk or you can message me here on Insta or Facebook @birthstoryanna 👌

#northlondondoula
#stroudgreendoula
#doulasupport
#birthdoula
#postnataldoula
#walkandtalk
#birthstory
#parents
#birthtrauma
#birthtraumarecovery
#3steprewindforbirthtrauma
#3steprewind
#postpartumsupport
#fourthtrimester
#community
#parentsupport
#birthtrauma
#difficultbirth
#traumasymptoms
#mentalhealth
#pregnancy
#miscarriage
#perinatalanxiety
#perinatalsupport
#newmum
#newdad

We are strong - we feed our babies. Sadly too man

We are strong - we feed our babies.

Sadly too many elements harm the likely-hood of successful breastfeeding. Negative stories, lack of support, conflicting advice, stress, fear, trauma, medicalised birth being just a few.

How can we change this?

Form a strong circle of support around these women and birthing people so they can learn from other women and can themselves feel nurtured.

Find support. Find a doula. There are lots of amazing organisations and charities which have phone lines and meet-ups too.
@assocbfmothers
@nationalbreastfeedinghelpline
@lalecheleague_gb

#worldbreastfeedingweek #breastfeeding #feedingsupport #newmum #doula #postnataldoula #community #circleofsupport #nurturenewborn #motherthemother
#nurturethemother #learningtobreastfeed #fourthtrimester #postpartum

Artwork @magdalenacreative

🏵️ Her birth 🌱Where she feels safe and ha

🏵️ Her birth
🌱Where she feels safe and happy

Thank you 🎥 @annaelisafalch

#birthonyourterms
#birthrite
#birthrights
#physiologicalbirth
#birthwithoutharm
#birthonmyterms
#safebirth
#naturalbirth
#birthchoices
#protectbirth
#undisturbedbirthadvocate
#undisturbedbirth
#birthdoula
#birthkeeper

It's so, so crucial to seek out trauma informed bi

It's so, so crucial to seek out trauma informed birth professionals who understand your story and are well equipped to help, or signpost you to the right help.

💡 I offer a '3 Step Rewind' service
💡 I offer a 'Walk and Talk' service

🌟Save the post for yourself or share to someone who you think might need this help🌟

➡️ You can email me at anna@birthstory.co.uk

➡️ Lots more info on my website www.birthstory.co.uk

And here...

➡️ www.traumaticbirthrecovery.com

Illustration by @majasbok

#birthtraumaawarenessweek #birthtrauma #postnataltrauma #birthanxiety #perinatalanxiety #postnatalanxiety #dadbirthtrauma #partnerbirthtrauma #mumbirthtrauma #birthptsd #birthtraumarecovery #postpartumrecovery #threesteprewind #traumaticbirthrecovery
#birthsupport
#postnatalsupport
#doula
#healingfrombirth
#firstdonoharm

Now more than ever we need people around us who ca

Now more than ever we need people around us who can help us to feel confident to grow, birth and nurture our babies.

🌟You may need to explore your feelings about birth and look at your options for where and how you give birth.

🌟You may need to feel released from past trauma and fear. So that you can go on to feel confident about birth and your role as a mother/parent.

🌟 You may need practical and emotional support after having a baby.

🙌 I provide all these services and there's lots more info about them on my website www.birthstory.co.uk.

📧 anna@birthstory.co.uk

☎️ I'm also happy to have a chat about what you may need.

💞 Anna x

#continuityofcare #birthstory #ourbirthstories #mybirthstory #inheritedstories #antenatalnorthlondon #preparingforbirth #northlondondoula #birthdoula #birthcompanion #postnataldoulanorthlondon #birthtrauma #fearofbirth #trustinbirth #northlondonparents #postnatalanxiety #postnatalsupport #positivebirth #knowledgeispower #parentcommunity #dadsupport #mumsupport #familysupport

Helllooo 👋 With a bit more (summer) time on my

Helllooo 👋

With a bit more (summer) time on my hands I thought I'd come on the 'gram and introduce myself to my new (and older) followers 😊

Firstly, thanks for following me and connecting with my birth work 🙌. It's a rollercoaster ride of a world to be in and connection and community is the way to go! 🌍 I hope to meet some of you in person one day!

I'm Anna, mum of a teen and a tween. I'm also the founder of Birth Story, a local service in North London. I educate, support and advocate for women and birthing people before, during and after birth. I also help parents recover from birth trauma.

🌟 I came to birth work because of my own experiences and really wanting to make a difference.

❗I think our birth stories are woefully undervalued which is crazy - as they are so vitally important.

🌅 I work to encourage parents to trust their instincts and birth and parent in the way they want to.

So who me? and why? 😂

💘I'm a Londoner, 50 years old, raised by young hippy parents. I saw the Rollings Stones play in '76 ✌️, got lost at Glastonbury, hung out with friends in hippy communes ☮️. Then spent my teenage years trying desperately to be 'normal', wearing gold necklaces, 'casual' clothes, smuggling white bread into the house, learning to smoke, going clubbing and saving up for a holiday in Ibiza 💃

💘I love dancing - began with northern soul nights, then funk and house music warehouse parties, followed by raving! Still love disco! ✨🤩

💘I used to work in TV - production then costume
styling.

💘 I lived in Paris for 6 months🍷🥖

💘I had a market stall

💘I had an out-of-body experience in the jungle at Tulum, Mexico 🏜️(could have been sunstroke 😆)

💘 I was a student midwife for a year

And here I am, half a century on!

Bye for now 👋 It's been great to share some more personal random stuff! (some of my more frivolous posts - usually 🍔, 🌱 or 👨‍👧‍👦 related go here @anna.haig)

📷👶cute baby client's own

Xxx

#birthwork #birthworker #birthcompanion #birthadvocate #doulawork #doula #northlondondoula #northlondonparents #honourbirthstories #birthundisturbed #trustbirth #postnataldoula #postnatal #birthtrauma #healingbirth

Lovely words from a birth client 😍 Another ama

Lovely words from a birth client 😍

Another amazing woman and her partner who stuck to their guns, trusted their instinct, got all the information and had the birth they wanted.

Protect birth!

#hownottoderailbirth #positivebirth #instinctivebirth
#birthwork #birthcompanion #birthdoula #3steprewind #healingbirth #birthstory #northlondondoula #birthpreparation #birthrights #ownyourbirth #knowledgeispower #undisturbedbirth #homebirth #firstdonoharm #physiologicalbirth #birthadvocate #trustinbirth #rightsinchildbirth #birthingathome #safebirth #protectbirth

#interventioninbirth #rightsinchildbirth #firstdon

#interventioninbirth #rightsinchildbirth #firstdonoharm #homebirth #medicalisedbirth #trustbirth #oxytocin #physiologicalbirth

Just wanted to share the experience , a few days a

Just wanted to share the experience , a few days ago, of supporting a beautiful and healing home birth. This was mum's second birth. The first had been an induction which, two years on, had left her feeling traumatised. With the help of support, a listening ear and some 3 step rewind sessions, she got into a place where she could feel excited about her next birth. Options were talked about and home birth was chosen. Along the way it is no overstatement to say that she had to battle to stick to her wishes. I had prepared her for the fear-mongering and derailing that sadly would happen. It did (with bells on) BUT she stuck to her guns, got the information, sought out people who would advocate for her and then as I always suggest to my birth clients 'batten down the hatches' or in other words, cut out the noise and focus on your birth. She did, and when birth happened it was quick, uncomplicated, effective, healing and positive for her. She hung on to me for the whole time, and I was close enough to let her know how great she was doing and that her baby was soon here. She roared when the baby emerged. Oh my, it made my heart and soul sing 😍

If you are wanting or supporting a homebirth after an induction seek inspirational people and organisations. Here are just a few...

@kemibirthjoyjohnson
@debsagos
@aims_uk
@birthrightsorg

#homebirthafterinduction #homebirth #induction #gestationaldiabetes #birthtrauma #3steprewind
#yourrightsinbirth #birthdoula #doula #humanrightsinchildbirth #positivebirth #healingbirth #physiologicalbirth #firstdonoharm #trustinbirth #haringeyhomebirth

This has to be the BEST birth-y and infant feeding

This has to be the BEST birth-y and infant feeding podcast EVER. I learn SO much from Dr Rachel Reed and Katie James, their knowledge is HUGE and they are HILARIOUS!!

For everyone interested in birth and feeding babies! @themidwivescauldron @midwifethinking

#birth #induction #physiologicalbirth #breastfeeding #infantfeeding #midwifethinking #birthasariteofpassage

Homebirth - I hope so much that it goes back to be

Homebirth - I hope so much that it goes back to being the norm, and hospital birth is only for when absolutely medically necessary.

📷 @dallasarthurbirthstories

#internationalhomebirthday2021 #homebirth #birthasariteofpassage #unmedicalisedbirth #birthwithoutfear #undisturbedbirth

This is not okay. Years ago this sign would've be

This is not okay.

Years ago this sign would've been seen as 'acceptable', no doubt written by a bunch of management men sitting around a boardroom table.

So, here I am two days after supporting a birth, reflecting on how - yet again - my client believed that she could choose her place of birth (midwife led/birth centre) and state her choice for 'no vaginal examinations'....ohhhhhh no...not as simple as that, she was pressurised (in labour) into accepting an examination so that she could gain entry to the birth centre. 'Gold standard care' is not what's occuring on the ground here - just pure and simple coercion.

They might as well put a sign up in triage that says 'Even though it's your right to choose, you will have to have a vaginal examination for entry into the birth centre, we just thought we'd let you know when you're in the throws of labour'

This is not okay.

#coercioninmaternityservices #maternityiatrogenesis #firstdonoharm #humanrightsinchildbirth #birthcentre #vaginalexaminations #overmedicalisationofbirth #birthchoices

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