At this time of year every primary school across the UK puts on a nativity performance, with Mary giving birth in a stable, surrounded by animals. The stable is usually imagined as a wooden structure, but that's not quite how it happened. There’s even some evidence that Jesus was born in a cave. The Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, marking Jesus’ birth place, is built over a cave. In that area, at that time, caves were used as pens for animals, to keep them safe. It was

Why do birth rights matter? I am having a baby, surely I just trust my care givers to help me have my baby. I don’t want to become some militant activist. Right? But birth rights aren’t about being antagonistic. Mostly asserting your rights is just a gentle nudge to an already caring profession to stop their automatic responses and deliver individual care. Knowing your birth rights gives you confidence to say, ‘I politely decline’, or to ask for something off the usual rou

And so do their mums and dads. I had two conversations with women this week about frustrations with the current maternity system that seems to value compliance with guidelines over proper discussion and consent. The current maternity system full of wonderful staff, genuinely trying to do their best. But there are a number of things that stop it working well. 1. Doctors and midwives have different training and different approaches. Doctors are taught that birth is only norma

How many times have you been told, or felt, you are selfish or unreasonable for seeking a positive birth experience? Perhaps because you are planning a home birth or a water birth. If you're labelled 'high risk' you can particularly feel as if you are being awkward, or even unsafe, when you try to keep birth as normal as possible, perhaps by declining continual monitoring, or asking to be on the midwife led unit. Hiring a doula, using hypnobirthing, putting up fairy lights, o

Here are some common water birth myths. Which have you come across? You can’t birth the placenta in the pool Why not? Most places it is the norm. You still get a few midwives who say you should get out – they need to get educated. If you want to get out, get out; if you want to stay in, stay in. It is your choice. If you want to have the injection to help the placenta out, you’ll need to be out of the pool but why not wait and see. If it doesn’t come after a while, and a

To start my new blog off I thought I’d start with something about being a doula as this coming year I will complete my training and hope to have a number of clients – I already have one for late March/April. What doulas do is a mystery to many people so why not give a practical insight via the contents of a doula’s bag. At this point I should give credit to the online doula forums that helped me create the list. Just like expectant mums and dads who have their own ‘birth ba