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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It's just not good enough is it? You prepare for a

It's just not good enough is it? You prepare for a homebirth, gathering all the knowledge you need, and then your maternity service provider gives you a limp, half baked service. You have empathy for the midwives who are struggling to keep what service they can going. BUT, it is not your job to worry about them, not now.
There are alternatives. This week I've been busy discussing birth alternatives with a couple of clients. The situation isn't great, but there is a way to take back control of your birth. Sometimes, you may just need to talk it through, consider the options and then make decisions.
🧡 I offer a free 'walk and talk' service to discuss such issues. I'm away first week of June but feel free to ping me a message for my return
👉anna@birthstory.co.uk

#homebirth #birthchoices #supportingmothers #supportingparents #birthsupport #pregnancysupport #babylosssupport #traumasupport #birthcommunity #communitysupport #sharingbirthknowledge #haringeybirth #stroudgreenbirth #finsburyparkbirth #northlondoncommunity #birthsupportforeveryone #walkandtalk #birthoptions #birthrights

There's obstetric nursing which is fabulous when w

There's obstetric nursing which is fabulous when we really need it and there's true midwifery which is fabulous and we need it.

They are two very different roles.

I aim to shed light on this when I work with clients preparing for birth 🧡

#midwiferytraining #studentmidwife #obstetricnurse #truemidwifery #institutionalbullying #maternitycare #holisticmidwifery #birthcompanion #birthdoula #birthsupport #birthpreparation #northlondonbirth #toxicmaternitycare #damagingmaternitycare

#postnatal #fourthtrimester #motheringthemother #s

#postnatal #fourthtrimester #motheringthemother #supportingparents #newmum #newdad #newparent

Naomi Stadlen says..'Rarely is it necessary to tel

Naomi Stadlen says..'Rarely is it necessary to tell a mother what to do. It may demoralise her even further, and certainly does not help her to learn. A mother needs to feel safe enough to risk feeling uncertain. People who offer advice cannot know all the details of her situation. They also don't have to live with the long-term consequences of their advice. A mother needs time to 'grow' into parenthood, together with her partner. She needs enough confidence to experiment and change her mind a few times. She needs to learn that some of her ideas work. The most uncertain and underconfident beginner can gradually turn herself into a unique mother...The miracle is that mothers manage to survive at all in such an expert-ridden climate. After lonely periods of confusion, they suddenly discover that they are starting to understand their babies. As their babies grow, so does their confidence.'

'What Mother's Do - Especially When it Looks Like Nothing'

#newmother #newparent #postnatal #fourthtrimester #postnataldoula #supportingmothers #newmotherhood #uniquemother #parenthood #motherinstinct

It's worth putting the work in! 🧡 #birthprepar

It's worth putting the work in! 🧡

#birthpreparation #birthchoices #birthrights #informedbirth birth #birthcompanion #pregnancycompanion #birthstory #antenataleducation #northlondonbirth #eastlondonbirth #pregnantinnorthlondon #pregnantineastlondon #pregnancyjourney

Sometimes birth teams (partners, doulas, midwives,

Sometimes birth teams (partners, doulas, midwives, students) feel CONNECTED! It just happens - with the right combo of personalities, experience, attitude and skill. Everyone tuned in and focused on the woman and the baby emerging. Saying or doing what's needed to help her in this moment.

Understanding between knowing women, no words needed. Trust and belief are powerful emotions that fill the room. This equilibrium is incredibly delicate and vulnerable to unwanted or unnecessary interruptions or intervention. The space has to be protected.

I've felt this genuine connection a few times, homebirths, in a hospital setting and through a baby loss. Birth without a midwife and with.

📷 A few years ago I was lucky enough to experience this connection with my amazing clients. For certain reasons she birthed in hospital, and birthed like a queen. He stood back in admiration and awe to capture this moment. The respectful, skillful midwife and the student did their work and brought a dynamic that was well needed in that moment.

#birthphysiology
#birthdoula
#birthteam
#midwife
#studentmidwife
#birthpartner
#trustbirth

🍊With my pregnancies, I had insatiable craving

🍊With my pregnancies, I had insatiable cravings for baked spuds and baked beans, blood orange San Pellagrino and meringues 😋

🥬Not my normal diet choices but these high carb/high sugar foods were what I wanted and what I felt I needed to fuel me through a day of work.

🍌No surprises that my blood sugar levels got a bit high and wham bam, I had a Gestational Diabetes diagnosis. I did sort myself out and blood glucose levels were normal again, due to making simple adjustments to my diet. I had to ditch the white spuds and form a new loving life-long relationship with sweet (ironic) potatoes. Ripe bananas were my enemy, as was fruit juice, and obviously any sweet or highly processed food.

📖 I find that clients of mine quite often begin to get led down a GD pathway but sometimes a bit of research and reading/listening around the subject can really help to put your mind (and body) at rest.

Here are some of my go to resources....

https://midwifethinking.com/2018/03/20/gestational-diabetes-beyond-the-label/

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/gestational-diabetes-the-pregnancy-perspective/id1523178579?i=1000527077230

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/gestational-diabetes-the-babys-perspective/id1523178579?i=1000528824858

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/an-interview-with-lily-nichols-rdn/id1523178579?i=1000548443788

https://lilynicholsrdn.com/

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/gestational-diabetes-and-the-glucola-test/

https://shop.aims.org.uk/products/gestational-diabetes

https://www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/induction-for-gestational-diabetes/

Just off to eat an actual orange 🍊 X

#gestationaldiabetes #pregnancydiet #birthchoices #antenatalpreparation #birthpreparation

Lucy, a truly inspiring client of mine from a few

Lucy, a truly inspiring client of mine from a few years ago, gave an interview to RCM magazine back in Jan. She talks about her experience of IVF, VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean), homebirth and BBA (born before arrival). The last paragraph is so powerful and important 🤩
'If I try to verbalise what was so different about these two experiences, I would say it all rests with decent communication and being empowered to make a decision within the realms of safety, rather than being forced into something. Its the difference between feeling passive, like things are happening to you, beyond your control, and having autonomy over your own body and birth'.

Thank you @lucyeackroyd for the letting me share this 🧡

#homebirth #vbac #hvbac #bornbeforearrival #ivfhomebirth #birthautonomy #bodyautonomy #birthchoices #homebirthafterivf #homebirthaftercaesarean #empoweredbirth #healingbirth #rightsinchildbirth #ptsd #pnd #birthtrauma #handsoffbirth #gestationaldiabetes #induction

Oh what a peach 🍑 This gorgeous baby was born

Oh what a peach 🍑 This gorgeous baby was born last September to a client of mine who was so fab. My daughter and I got to visit at the weekend to catch up and share some cuddles with the babs (and dog) and laughter with the parents. Great memories. Here's a snippet of their super speedy second time birth from a past post..
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 #northlondondoula #birthcompanion #birthteam

🧡💛🧡💛 #birthwork #birthworker #birthkee

🧡💛🧡💛
#birthwork #birthworker #birthkeeper #birthdoula #northlondondoula #birthpreparation #birthsupport #birthcompanion #homebirth #birthteam #healingbirth #birthaftertrauma #traumaticbirthrecovery #birthchoicesmatter

🌱My first postnatal visit to a client often inv

🌱My first postnatal visit to a client often involves listening to their feelings about their birth. It's not an opportunity for me to debrief my feelings (if I was there as their birth support), I believe this has to be a very separate process.

🌿It's really important not to cut in, correct or get too emotional myself. I need to listen carefully, without any agenda of my own, sit with the pauses, hear the thoughts flow and acknowledge the questions that come up.
Such questions often centre around interventions and disruptions, language and communication, care and compassion.What could have worked better. Then settling on what worked well.

🌱It takes work to listen well, because naturally as humans we want to try and 'fix' problems and 'make everything okay again'.
To truly listen is a skill I know I, and many of my doula colleagues have honed well 😊

🌿The first few weeks after birth is a very delicate time, physically and emotionally, and everyone is different in how they heal. Some people need information and facts, a hospital debrief of birth may help, debriefing with a birth worker, someone who understands. Some people need to be quiet and go inwards until they feel the need, if at all, to talk about their experience.

🌱Of course I often answer practical questions about newborn care and I do get to hold babies too which is lovely 👼.... but...I'm not in it for the babies 😅 My focus is always the mum, the family and her/their wellbeing 🌻

#birthrecovery #birthhealing #birthdebrief #postnataldoula #northlondondoula #fourthtrimester #lifeafterbirth #newparents #newmother #newfather #newparents #birthstories #postpartum

Women know what's right for them, they know their

Women know what's right for them, they know their limits, and when fully informed and supported, make choices that are right for them and their wellbeing, that includes caesarean sections.

The point is that these women felt in control, so the fact they didn't have a physiological birth is by-the-by.

💥 Educate yourself about how birth works
💥 Take responsibility for your birth
💥 Question everything and always ask what are the benefits, risks and alternatives
💥 Question The System and The Patriarchy and its affect on maternity care
💥 Trust your intuition
💥 Value yourself and your birth
💥 Do not 'hand yourself over'
💥 Take control
💥 Connect with like minded people
💥 Make decisions that are right for you
💥 Surround yourself with a supportive team (friend, partner, doula, mum) or go it alone if that's what helps you feel focussed.

#birthpreparation #caesareanbirth #birthknowledge #informedbirthchoices #autonomyinbirth #body autonomy #mybodymychoices #positivebirth #hospital birth #medicalbirth #42weeks #43weeks

Whaaat? I'm not trying to do myself out of a job o

Whaaat? I'm not trying to do myself out of a job or anything. But when I think about the essentials that make a good birth experience.....these are them...

💥 Educate yourself about how birth works
💥 Take responsibility for your birth
💥 Question everything and always ask what are the benefits, risks and alternatives
💥 Question The System and The Patriarchy and its affect on maternity care
💥 Trust your intuition
💥 Value yourself and your birth
💥 Do not 'hand yourself over'
💥 Take control
💥 Connect with like minded people
💥 Make decisions that are right for you
💥 Surround yourself with a supportive team (friend, partner, doula, mum) or go it alone if that's what helps you feel focussed.

A doula can certainly add to the mix and help guide you through but all these other elements are ESSENTIAL!!

#doula #birthworker #birthkeeper #birthcompanion #birthautonomy #birthchoices #birthrights #birthispolitical #ownyourbirth #birtheducation #birthwithouttrauma #positivebirth #healingbirth

#41weekspregnant #homebirth #birthworks #vbac #hba

#41weekspregnant #homebirth #birthworks #vbac #hbac #42weekspregnant #believeinbirth

Happy to be working with this lovely lot of inspir

Happy to be working with this lovely lot of inspirational birth workers!

Reposted from @wombandbloomuk Just some of the gorgeous Womb & Bloom team. Photo capture by @msclawrie after a collective catch up this week. So much to share… exciting new project underway… follow our journey here…

From left we have :
🌿Nadia, an experienced independent Midwife.
🌿Anna, an experienced birth & postnatal doula & 3 step rewind practitioner.
🌿Sue, an experienced birth & postnatal doula, massage therapist & blessings ceremony post birth.
🌿Lynn, co-director of the Active birth centre for over 20 years, experienced postpartum practitioner, 3 step rewind practitioner, yoga teacher & teacher.
🌿Emma, a highly experienced Acupuncterist specialising in her conception, fertility, ivf, birth and motherhood
🌿And me, Victoria, a birth doula, active birth & hypnobirthing teacher & breastfeeding volunteer with bfn Islington and founder of Womb & bloom collective.

Some of the other wonderful birth keepers that couldn’t make this picture will include experienced lactation consultants, more doulas, a paediatrician and other holistic therapists.

The intention of Womb & Bloom is to build a village around you through conception, pregnancy, birth and parenthood. As well as a safe space for you, it is a safe place for us as birth workers to connect, share, laugh, cry, hold and love each other as we serve each and every client and family.

Website coming soon. We can’t wait to share it with you all.

#wombandbloom #wombandbloomuk #wombandbloomlondon #midwife&doulacare #doula #birthdoula #independantmidwife #pregancycare #pregnancypackages #pregnancyservices #antenatalcircles #postnatalcircles #pregnancycollectivecare #birthcollectivebirth #newbabycollectivecare #bloomingwomb #birthpreparation

🌟A KEY MEMBER OF MY BIRTH SUPPORT TEAM 🌟 As

🌟A KEY MEMBER OF MY BIRTH SUPPORT TEAM 🌟

As a birth doula I need to go 'on-call' for big chunks of time, which means this guy, Mr Birth Story, Richard, does too. It means when I get called out in the middle of the night, I can disappear and be happy knowing that all is well and taken care of at home. He will reschedule his own very busy workload at the last minute to accommodate a birth.

He knows all about undisturbed birth and hospital birth, hormones, pregnancy and menopause 😊.

Not only that, he has a brilliant listening ear, gives very sage advice and is eternally patient and supportive. He also happens to be the father of my daughter and the very best birth partner I could have hoped for 😍

#birthteam #birthdoula #northlondondoula #doulawork #birthwork #birthkeeper #worlddoulaweek #supportivebirthpartner #birthsupport

#Birthpreparation #northlondondoula #birthchoices

#Birthpreparation #northlondondoula #birthchoices #birthrights #3steprewind #birthtrauma #vbac #birthafterloss #birthloss #homebirth #hospitalbirth #birthsupport #postnatalsupport

Yippee - I really enjoy preparing for birth with

Yippee - I really enjoy preparing for birth with clients. So, you may just book me in for a 3 hour session or a series of sessions. I'm flexible with duration, content and location 😊🤩 To book: anna@birthstory.co.uk 👌

#birthpreparationnorthlondon #birthpreparation #antenatal #birthchoices #birthrights #homebirth #hospitalbirth #physiologicalbirth #medicalbirth #birthautonomy #vbav #hbac #birthaftertrauma #birthtrauma #northlondondoula #birthcompanion #birthpartner

I love being an older mum ❤ I was 35 when I ha

I love being an older mum ❤

I was 35 when I had my son and 41 when I had my daughter. In my younger years, I had a fair few pregnancies that weren't 'meant-to-be', no regrets there. I just knew I would grow into myself a bit later. I knew it would take a lot of self-sacrifice to be a mother, and I wanted to be fully ready to do that.

What now? I'm in my 50's and trying to adjust and grow into being even older 😅, whilst maintaining energy to be enough for my still relatively young children. But I wouldn't have it any other way 😊

📷: with my youngest at an ABBA night out 💃 summer '21

#oldermum #olderparents #abbaoldies #keepinghealthy #mothering #cantstayuptoolate

Re-jigging of birth support options at Birth Story

Re-jigging of birth support options at Birth Story HQ. Also, loving connecting with and meeting some fellow like-minded birth workers 💡

#birthworker #northlondondoula #northlondonbirthcompanion #birthwork #northlondoncommunity #birthpreparation #postnatalsupport

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