Tag: BirthWorker
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Call me a Chameleon!
I realised through my own personal experience the true value of having birth support who can comfortably switch birth settings, who can effortlessly adjust to the mood and atmosphere as birth unfolds and everything shifts dynamically. For me the ability to be a chameleon seems intrinsic to the nature of a birth keeper…to be a…
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My Very First Brelfie (in honour of World Breastfeeding Week 2016)
I’m often torn between sharing my personal stories or not – torn from a professional perspective and torn from a personal perspective. From a professional perspective as doulas we are taught that in the name of providing non judgemental and unconditional support we must be cautious when sharing personal stories so as to keep things…
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Caesarean Birth Recovery – 45 Tips for Healing
I’m guessing you are here because your birth story included a Csection. Perhaps it was planned, perhaps not. Either way you are now healing from major surgery. OK, I know that technically speaking a Csection is not “major surgery” because the uterus – the giver and nurturer of human life – is not considered to…
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Caesarean Birth Recovery – 45 Tips for Healing
Now, as many clients and friends will testify, I am a great believer and fan of the body’s ability to heal itself miraculously – but given that there is so much going on for you after having had a baby, a major surgery and a major rite of passage – a little helping hand to…
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What to pack in your hospital/birth centre bag: the quirky edit!
There are so many list out there for packing your bag for taking to the birth centre or hospital. Often the hospital or birth centre will issue a list of their recommended bag contents and so what I include in the list here is the “other” stuff; that as a doula in Amsterdam I see…
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Are we unwittingly perpetuating fear of C-sections; and contributing to birth trauma outcomes by doing so???
You’ve all read the headlines, the sensationalist introduction to link to new studies on the latest medical research, the byline underneath the headline: “Moms beware! C-section may harm your baby’s ‘concentration’ “ “Mother’s agony as anaesthetic wore off during C-section” “Are women losing ability to give birth naturally? They’re relying too much on C-sections and…
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I wish I had…
I wish I’d been more prepared… I wish I had read more about what to expect… I wish I’d known that I could say no… I wish I had known that I could question their decisions… I wish I’d made a birth plan… I wish I’d asked them to follow the birth plan… I wish…
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Doulas are for Dads too!!! A father shares…
And then all the pursuing, the hustling, the meditation, the love, the fear, the struggle and the efforts to make your dream a reality is worth it….when you receive jaw droppingly lovely feedback from a dad you supported; a man of few words. “I would like to have on record that I was initially sceptical…
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Prenatal Relaxation, Visualisation and Meditation
Source: Prenatal Relaxation, Visualisation and Meditation As detailed in this blog post I wrote, taking some time regularly during pregnancy to meditate and connect to baby can be a really helpful way to help you develop the bond with baby prenatally. Through writing the blog post I decided to finally record some audios myself, after…
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Ina May Gaskin comes to Amsterdam – and YOU are invited!!!
Maybe you have heard the rumours??? Often described as “The Mother of Authentic Midwifery”, “America’s Most Loved Midwife” and notorious for her practice’s exemplary results and low intervention rates, Ina May Gaskin has gained international notoriety for promoting natural birth: and it is true – she is coming to Amsterdam!!!! Maybe you thought, “Tickets will…
Ilena - doula, matrescence coach, course leader 