Birth Story – Holistic birth preparation, birth and postnatal doula

Holistic support for pregnancy, birth and new parenthood.

Our birth stories are vivid, powerful and vital chapters in our lives, so let’s honour, support and celebrate them!

About Birth Story

About Anna

Birth Preparation – Group and One-to-One

Doula – Birth and Postnatal

Postnatal Massage

Birth Trauma Recovery

Dads and Partners

birthstoryanna

Spring babies! Made in lockdown, born in lockdown,

Spring babies! Made in lockdown, born in lockdown, all the parents I've worked with this year and those who I'm still working with are just amazingly resilient - mahoosive socially distanced high five to you all 🤩

#madeinlockdown #borninlockdown #newparents #newmum #newdad #resilience #birthdoula #preparingforbirth #pregnancyjourney #postnataldoula #supportaroundparents #cakehelps #trustinbirth #covidchallenges

It seems fitting at the end of World Doula Week to

It seems fitting at the end of World Doula Week to give a bitova mention to the uber doula Liliana Lammers. 💫 I first met her at her (and Michel Odent's) Paramana doula course in 2018. I thought she was formidable - in a good way! I listened intently for 3 days, I learnt a lot. So much of what she said made sense. I'd just stepped off a midwifery degree course and was feeling pretty disheartened and disturbed with what I'd witnessed and experienced within the hospital maternity system. So hearing her (and Michel) was music to my ears and food for my soul. I've most certainly carried her words into my own practise supporting birthing women 😊🌟

Have you met Liliana? Have you worked with her or was she your doula?

#doulasaroundtheworld #worlddoulaweek2021 #lilianalammers #michelodent #paramana #undisturbedbirth #doulatraining #doulalearning #physiologicalbirth #homebirth #birthundisturbed #birthkeeper #lifeafterstudentmidwife

Doing Doula-ing ☀️ Of course it's lovely to s

Doing Doula-ing ☀️

Of course it's lovely to snuggle up with newborns but it's actually more about giving mum a break and tuning into her needs.....that might be having a chat, eating a cake, having a cry/sleep/wee undisturbed, working out ways to 'carry on with life'... 💫

My doula service is pretty flexible. I can come three times a week or once a week , whichever works for you 😊

#doulasupport #postnatal #newborn #newparenthood #worlddoulaweek2021 #doulasaroundtheworld #supportingmums #supportingdads #newfamily

#birthpreparation #birthwithoutfear #antenatal #po

#birthpreparation #birthwithoutfear #antenatal #postnataldoula #3steprewind #walkandtalkwithadoula #birthworker

#birth #birthcentre #hospitalbirth #homebirth #und

#birth #birthcentre #hospitalbirth #homebirth #undisturbedbirth #physiologicalbirth #positivebirth #birthjourney #birthstory #birthplan #birthpreferences #birthpreparation #birthsupport #doulasupport

Motherhood.....unfiltered! 🥀 I'm not a fan of

Motherhood.....unfiltered! 🥀

I'm not a fan of chocs, cards and flowers on one designated day of the year (every other day is fine! 😉)

I like to think about motherhood without rose tinted specs 🌹🚫

Shit gets real in motherhood, it's raw, hard, challenging, painful, soft, fuzzy, beautiful....woooah! 🎢

I've been supporting a new mum, who doesn't have her mum around anymore, that hurts her deeply. Now, after transitioning to mother she has to mother her new baby "but it's so one sided, no-one said it would be this hard".

It's one helluva transition....one rocky ride....it's awe inspiring...messy...ugly....gorgeous... 🤯

📷: pic of my mum and me taken by my dad. Clissold Park, 1971.

#motherhoodjourney
#motherhoodunfiltered
#mother
#motheringthemother
#buildavillage
#postnatal
#mumssupportingmums
#transitiontomotherhood
#womenarestrong
#honouringthemother
#honourmotherhood

These are rhetorical questions that I often ask m

These are rhetorical questions that I often ask my birth clients....they don't demand an answer but instead invite the birthing woman to think about these vital elements for her birth.
Safety can look and feel wildly different from one person to another.

⭐birth at home - alone or with health professionals
⭐in a hospital with or without medical management
⭐with partner - or without (some people do NOT feel safe with their partner)

It's all good, if it comes from a decision made without fear and coercion.

Birth without fear.

#birth #birthsupport #birthpreparation #birthdoula #londondoula #safetyinbirth #positivebirth #birthwithoutfear #safetyinbirth #hospitalbirth #freebirth #homebirth
#physiologicalbirth #medicalbirth

Time to get the doula birth bag out! #doulaoncall

Time to get the doula birth bag out!

#doulaoncall #birthdoula #doulasupport #birthsupport #birthteam #prepareforbirth #supportingfamilies #birthstory #confidentforbirth #calmbirth #massageinlabour #birthenvironment #doulasnacks

I'm often asked by dad's and dads-to-be, if there

I'm often asked by dad's and dads-to-be, if there are any dad groups - just for dads.....uh uh...not many.... though I do have a selection of fave courses that I signpost too (including the rather fabulous Mark Harris's online course @birthing4blokes ). But what do I offer? I hear you holler! 😊

🧔Well, as a birth and postnatal doula I act as a gentle guide for dad's to learn how best they can support their partner during pregnancy, birth and life as a new parent.

🕺I offer a '3 Step Rewind' for dads wishing to neutralise the symptoms of past traumatic experiences and also a debriefing service (in person or online).

🌰 In a nutshell, I am here for dads as much as I am for mums 👫
🙌

#birthpreparation #newdads #newparent #dadssupportingdads #dadgroups #dadsmentalhealth #3steprewind #birthdebrief #birthdoula #postnataldoula #perinatalmentalhealth
#supportingdad's #supportingfamilies #fatherhood #parenthood #youngdads #paternalmentalhealth #fathersmentalhealth #dadsrock #howareyoudad #dadtobe #supportingbirth

Some clarification on terms used when 'prolonged p

Some clarification on terms used when 'prolonged pregnancy' is being discussed, particularly women being put under pressure to be induced. Taken from Dr Rachel Reed's (@midwifethinking) blog 'Post-Dates Induction of Labour: balancing risks'.

#induction #postdatespregnancy #prolongedpregnancy #42weekspregnant #41weekspregnant #40weekspregnant
#informedchoicepregnancy
#birthpreparation
#spontaneouslabour
#waitingforlabour
#homebirth
#hospitalbirth
#birthdoula
#antenataldoula

Let's not sugar coat the birth experience or bury

Let's not sugar coat the birth experience or bury problematic experiences 'under the carpet'. Birth trauma is real, is being experienced by many, many birthing women, partners and health professionals. It can be really difficult to accept to yourself and to others that you are struggling. Feelings of shame and guilt are rife. Many traumatised parents blame themselves for something that they did wrong BUT the system has failed them, with a lack of trauma informed care, and practises in maternity care which leave women feeling frightened, helpless, out of control , unsupported and that their autonomy has been as stripped from them.

There's some fantastic support out there.

Check out the following links and pass on to someone you think might be struggling.

@makebirthbetter
@birth_trauma_association_uk
@traumatic_birth_recovery

https://everymumshouldknow.wordpress.com/2018/11/29/10-ways-to-recover-from-birth-trauma/

https://thebirthhub.co.uk/2018/12/21/birth-trauma-the-emotional-ripple-effects

Birthtraumaassociation.org.uk

makebirthbetter.org

Traumaticbirthrecovery.com

Xxxx

#birthtraumarecovery #birthtraumahealing #birthdoula #postnatalmentalhealth #postnatalanxiety #postnatalptsd #postnataldoula #birthpreparation #birthtraumaprevention #birthtraumaawareness #3steprewind #3steprewindpractitioner
#antenatal #prenatal #dadsupport #mumsupportingmums #dadssupportingdads #birthstories #parentsmentalhealth #birthcommunity #northlondonbirthpreparation #newparent #newmum #newdad

I waded across a muddy field yesterday with a preg

I waded across a muddy field yesterday with a pregnant woman and her partner. At one point in a particularly treacherous part of the field, we all stopped and turned our faces to the sun, took a deep breath in and then let out a big sigh.....we squelched on ......sometimes you don't need words to convey understanding 😊🍃🌳

#walkandtalk #pregnancy #doulasupport #northlondondoula #northlondonparents #birthstories #birthexperiences #pregnancyduringcovid #homebirthuk #homeorhospitalbirth #birthsupport #birthpreparations #parentsmentalhealth #pregnancymentalhealth #birthtrauma #unobservedbirth #activebirth #informedchoicebirth #newmum #newdad #positivebirth #sharingbirthstories #motherhood #storytelling #birthcommunity #parenthood

Lovely words from an amazing mum of twinnies 🤜😊 👶👶

#mumoftwins #doulasupport #londondoula #postnataldoula #twinpregnancy #dadoftwins #teamtwins

My happy place....😊 I'm hoping this year I'll m

My happy place....😊
I'm hoping this year I'll make time to read some more books on the bookshelf 🤓, and welcome in people to my birth preparation groups when hopefully we're all vaxed up to the max 💉🤞 xxx

#birthpreparation #antenatal #doula #northlondondoula #northlondonbirthprep #postnatal #supportingparents #3steprewind

And relax....Happy Christmas everyone, let's hope

And relax....Happy Christmas everyone, let's hope 2021 brings us more cheer! 🥴 X

#christmasinlondon #candalsandholly
#lettherebelight

TECHNO BLIP 🤯 Best stick to the old communicati

TECHNO BLIP 🤯 Best stick to the old communication ways!

So, so sorry to all the people who tried to contact me via email between October and early December for my doula and trauma recovery services. I've replied now to you all personally.

This technical blip has been sorted and won't happen again. I'm off to book myself into a techno know-how bootcamp (if it exists) for the New Year! 🥴

Anna x

#gettingtogripswithtechnology #technologyfauxpas #typewritersrock
#doula
#birthdoula
#postnataldoula
#birthrecovery

ARE YOU DREADING XMAS? For whichever reason - new

ARE YOU DREADING XMAS?

For whichever reason - newly separated or divorced, away from your kids for the first time, in a toxic relationship, or suffering a loss..
Xmas can be bloody hard and the pressure to be jolly can hurt like hell.

I see you.

I've been there.

I'm here if you need to reach out.

You can message me here.

I'm an experienced doula and work with parents after birth trauma. I'm also a parent.

www.birthstory.co.uk

❤️

#parents #relationships #singlemum #singledad #family #parenthood #emotionalsupport #northlondondoula #doula #birth #postnatal #birthrecovery #traumaticbirthrecovery #babyloss #miscarriage #pregnancy #griefandloss #griefawareness #anxiety

🍁Do you feel alone with the memory of your birt

🍁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👌

#northlondondoula
#stroudgreendoula
#doulasupport
#birthdoula
#postnataldoula
#walkandtalk
#birthstory
#parents
#birthtrauma
#birthtraumarecovery
#3steprewindforbirthtrauma
#community
#parentsupport
#birthtraumacovid
#difficultbirth
#traumasymptoms
#mentalhealth
#pregnancy
#miscarriage

☀️OUR BIRTH STORIES COUNT☀️ Our grandmoth

☀️OUR BIRTH STORIES COUNT☀️

Our grandmother's birth, our mothers and our own birth form an imprint for who we are, how we manage life, how we mother our own children, how we look after ourselves and those around us

☀️Listening to others stories, sharing and telling our own is so important, not only to get them out in the open, but to learn and pass on knowledge and to feel that our stories are honoured☀️

☀️ I would love to hear yours ☀️

☀️I offer a birth story listening/sharing service, email anna@birthstory.co.uk to book in☀️

📷 Photo by my dad: Me pregnant with my first child 2007 😍

#birthstory #honouringbirth #birthstories #mum #dad #grandmother #parent #community #storytelling #shareyourbirthstory #birth #pregnancy #prenatal #antenatal #postnatal #postpartum #motheringstories #traumaticbirth #makebirthbetter

A heart warming review from a lovely birth client

A heart warming review from a lovely birth client 🥰

#birth #honouringbirth #doula #postnatal #birthsupport #family #mum #dad #baby #parents #birthstory

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