OUR LABOUR &
BIRTH CARE
Birth is Powerful! Women are Strong!
Growing a tiny human is miraculous! It changes every aspect of your life & it is such a privilege to support my clients throughout their journey. I will be with you every step of the way & it brings me so much joy, to be part of your amazing adventure.
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Pregnancy is often such an exciting time. So many things are changing all at once! But, it can also be an anxious & worrisome time. You may feel vulnerable or a little overwhelmed. Whether pregnant with your 1st baby or your 10th baby, it is normal to need individualised care & support to prepare for your baby's arrival.
Going into labour, feeling empowered, knowledgeable & with your own, known & trusted Midwife at your side, gives you the best chance of achieving your perfect birth. Although, a positive birth experience, often has little to do with the way your baby is born. More important, is having the tools to remain calm, in control & to be able to make truly informed decisions. This enables a positive birth experience, regardless of your birth journey.
The NHS is an amazing thing. But sadly, it is a very broken system. Maternity units are often under staffed, over worked & over medicalised. The staff, provide the best care possible, under these circumstances. However, there is often very little continuity & an ever increasing intervention rate. Induction of labour & Caesarean birth is rapidly becoming the NHS norm.
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For your body to labour well, it is really important to maximise your Oxytocin (your natural labour hormone) & Endorphins (your natural pain killers) & minimise your Adrenaline (your fight or flight hormone). Strangers looking after you & unfamiliar environments, often cause fear & anxiety, especially when at your most vulnerable. When accessing NHS care for your labour & birth, a stranger looking after you is very likely. This can be really damaging to your body's labour response.
Fear & anxiety causes your body to release lots of adrenaline, & this is the anti labour hormone! It causes blood to race to your arms & legs, so you can fight, or run away. This is actually a really useful process! It enables all mammals, if threatened, to stop labour! If they are in danger, adrenaline is released & labour stops! They run to a place of safety & their baby is not born & eaten by a predator. But sadly, this fear response happens too frequently. Dramatized stories in the media, friends & family's terrifying accounts of birth & lack of continuity, start a spiral of fear, which often leads to intervention, feeling out of control & birth trauma.
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But there is another way!!! This is where Independent Midwifery comes into it's own! Our holistic care & purposely small caseloads, ensure we are available when you need us. We only take on 1 or 2 clients a month, to guarantee we are available for you. You get more appointments, longer appointments & much richer appointments. The content is guided by you. We focus on supporting you to have a healthy pregnancy. We encourage (with consent) to learn & practice Hypnobirthing techniques; this enables your body to labour unhindered by your conscious mind & to listen to your body.
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As much time as you need to prepare for your birth, feeling ready for your labour, empowered, prepared, positive & safe. Your own Midwife with you. Supporting you to trust your instincts & listen to your body.