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Inductions do not have to mean the end of a positive birth experience

Pregnancy & birth

20 Sep

The room is scented with uplifting citrus, music played softly and coloured battery powered candles flickered around a beautiful birth vision board. Calmly and quietly the mother gently nudged her baby girl into the birth pool and into the world, so ready to meet her at last. As she lifted her up she cried to her baby “Oh wow, I love you, you are so beautiful!” So proud and so happy.

This beautiful birth started like 1 in 5 of births in the UK, it was an induced labour, something this mother had worried so much about and it was magical. We did not see the ‘cascade of intervention’ she had feared. She did not have her waters broken or receive a hormone drip. She was not restricted to a bed or continuously monitored or even unnecessarily disturbed. She did not require an assisted delivery and in fact most of her birth plan remained in place and she birthed in the pool just as she had envisioned. Her induction had not been the death of her empowered and positive birth experience, quite the opposite.

Now of course this will not be the case for everyone and it’s no secret that induced labours are statistically more likely to result in an assisted delivery or in interventions, induced labours are also usually more intense than a spontaneous labour. The suggestion/offer of induction of labour can feel scary, especially with the spread of misinformation in the media and the simple fact that medical language doesn’t sound very friendly especially emotions are already quite tender! There is soooooooo much information out there and it can be hard for mothers to navigate and to make informed and empowered choices, especially if those around you have been filling your head with negative induction stories and ‘facts’. Another barrier to making an informed choice can be if you feel that your care provider isn’t very supportive, something that can be hard to feel from a 10 minute appointment but regardless, everyone deserves to have good, up to date information about ALL of their birth options so that they make informed decisions that FEEL right for them. Distance yourself from negative people who have nothing helpful or supportive to say (they will get over it) and if your care provider is pressuring you or just generally not being very helpful request a change (again they will get over it). I have included some helpful links on this topic, I recommend Sara Wickham on the subject, she has even written a very helpful book on induction. The most important thing to remember is that even with all the information and statistics is that it’s YOUR birth YOUR body and YOUR experience and you are ultimately in charge of it. Always ask yourself in any birth choice, what are the benefits, what are the risks, what if I do nothing? and lastly what does my intuition say/how do I feel?

https://www.sarawickham.com/topic-resources/post-term-pregnancy-and-induction-of-labour-resources/

https://www.cochrane.org/CD004945/PREG_induction-labour-women-normal-pregnancies-or-beyond-term

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/induction-labour/

As well as seeking out information seeking out positive induction stories from real mothers can be super helpful. Instagram, birth without fear, tell me a good birth story and positive birth are all wonderful resources for real life positive birth stories. Read them and take what you need from these inspiring women.

So what helped the mother I mentioned above feel safe entering into her induction date, what did she put into place? Firstly she had already ensured that she had a wonderful and positive support system in the form of me, her doula and her husband. She got all of her fears and concerns out surrounding induction for post term pregnancies (this was her reason for being offered an induction) and we looked at evidence based information around these fears and concerns, the benefits, risks and alternatives. What was very important was that she made plans to manage them if they came up. For instance making peace with the need for pain relief, how we could use a peanut ball, rebozo scarf and massage techniques if mobility was restricted due to monitoring or a non mobile epidural, the ease in which she could organise childcare for her son on the day. One revelation was that so many of her comfort measures would remain in place and another was that she would be walking along the Brighton sea front with her husband after her pessary and not restricted to a bed. Conversations with her care providers provided a lot of relief as most of the people she spoke with where very helpful and supportive. She declined the first two dates she was offered, something she was not aware was an option until she asked. In the week leading up to her decision she enjoyed a couple of acupuncture appointments and a blissful reflexology session before deciding, “ok, lets give it a go, I’m ready, I feel ready.”

After a couple of pessaries, a beach side lunch, walk and some magazines later labour was well under way and I was at her side! This is something that a lot of women don’t picture. No hormone drip, no continuous monitoring! It wasn’t an easy journey for this mother, emotionally and physically it was hard, occasionally quite boring! Another thing you don’t picture when thinking about inductions is…that it’s kind of boring sometimes!

One example of this is from a client I supported who was induced with pre eclampsia. She made the choice after finding peace with the fact that she was making this decision with love for her baby and trusting that it was the safest and most informed choice for them. Her acupuncturist also attended her at the hospital if I remember correctly and she used her hypno birthing techniques. It took quite a while for things to get going, a good while, which she was well prepared for! I would visit her in between her partners visits and we would talk, eat, listen to music and I would massage her legs and feet to ease the oedema she was experiencing. At one point when we thought further intervention may be considered we researched it all in depth from her room and talked it over with her partner, all with no pressure from her midwives. Birth is never easy and these women’s births are just a couple of several well supported and informed inductions I have had the pleasure of attending as a doula. Every mother deserves to be supported, respected, held and informed throughout her birth experience and induction does not have to mean the end of this, there is no need to enter an induction from a place of fear, you deserve to meet your baby in the most loving way possible.

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❤️ Raw vegan brownie ❤️ Good fats & magnes ❤️ Raw vegan brownie ❤️ Good fats & magnesium a plenty here.
Date full and soooo good, the perfect birth room snack for energy and a perfect treat for your postnatal nest. So easy to prepare even for those who claim that they can’t cook, and this freezes well too. I make these for my love to take to work as well as for my clients. If I’ve served you you’ll likely recognise them! 
I’m not one for measuring but that doesn’t matter here as you just adjust this until you reach the right amount of squidgy ness for it to press into the pan. Today I used pecans for the base but have used other nuts and oats before. 
❤️Ingredients
2 cup pecan 
2 cup dates (I used medjool) 
6 tbsp cacao powder 
2 tbsp maple syrup 
100g bar dark choc 
❤️Method 
Line a square pan with grease proof paper.
Put 2 cup nuts in blender and blitz until fine.
Add the rest of the ingredients and blitz until it kind of comes together. Test it by scooping out a small amount and see if it all sticks together well. 
Spoon into the pan and press down with the back of a spoon until even. 
Freeze for 30 mins. 
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. 
Pour onto the brownie *optional* top with crushed toasted nuts, a sprinkle of sea salt and dried rose petals. 
I happened to have a little of the trail mix I made left so used nuts from that but I recommend you get playful with it. Grated orange zest and coconut is good, any edible flower looks divine, goji berries or nothing at all. 
#rawbrownie #rawvegan #postnatal #the4thtrimester #theforst40days #brownies #recipeshare #feedwithlove #fooddoula #postnatalpantry #easyrecipes
I am absolutely disgusted by todays news and my he I am absolutely disgusted by todays news and my heart goes out to the people of the US most of who do not want this. But here they are, forced back to a time that should never have to be experienced again, the rights that so many women fought for over so many decades undone . Abortion is health care and restricting access to it does not make it go away, it only makes it more dangerous and life threatening as history has already shown, definitely most dangerous to the most vulnerable in society. This is just criminal, cruel and inhumane, people will die thanks to this vile decision. Just chilling really, We could see it coming and yet I am still shocked. You know all this and everything else I want to say of course and many could put it more eloquently but wow. Maybe one day women in America will have as many rights as a man that wants to carry a gun on his waistband?? 
To echo @hannah.dahlen , to those who say ‘only in America’ Since when has America not influenced the world?
“We are not without actions that we can take. We need to have hope, but we need to hang on to this anger because we can use that anger to fuel change,” ~ Elizabeth Warren 
#abortionishealthcare #womenshealth #roevwade #reversingroe #abortionrightsarehumanrights #wombwisdom
❤️Horchata where have you been all my life!? L ❤️Horchata where have you been all my life!?
Likely the roots of the plant milks we use a lot these days Horchata is a popular and often vegan drink usually served over ice throughout Spain, Puerto Rico, Central America & Mexico. It’s essentially a spiced and sweetened nut milk, traditionally tiger nuts it seems and strained just like other plant based milks. It struck me that a lot of the healing, comforting recipes I love from around the world include milk and rice, how comforting this would be alongside congee. During my self nurturing time I got a little playful with it and prepared a herbal Horchata for lung health, energy and immunity. It takes a while with the overnight soaking but is so worth it, I had mine this morning in my smoothie and will likely incorporate it into a few different dishes! I look forward to experimenting with variations on this gorgeous creamy drink, rose would be divine! 
Herbal Horchata - 
make an 8 cup serving of Mullein tea/ tonic (6 tbsp mullein 1tbsp dried ginseng root 8 cup boiled water steep 20 min) strain and set aside
❤️Ingredients 
1 cup cooked white or brown rice
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup marshmallow root 
6 tbsp dried mullein 
2 cinnamon stick 
1tbsp dried ginseng 
8 cup boiled water for the tea
4 dates or a couple tbsp maple syrup ( I used magnolia syrup)
1 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk
❤️method 
Soak the rice, nuts, cinnamon marshmallow root in the strained tea in the fridge overnight. 
In the morning transfer all the ingredients except the coconut milk to a blender and blitz. 
Pour through a mesh then a plant milk bag (I found this easier and less messy!) Then whisk in the coconut milk. 
Taste and add sweetness to your own taste but for me this was perfect dusted with cinnamon to serve. 
Enjoy! 
#horchata #herbalhorchata #comfortfood #herbaltea #plantbased #healing #nurturing #plantwisdom #mullein #ginseng #selfnurture #selfcare #radicalselflove
Happy birthing day to this absolute goddess! The s Happy birthing day to this absolute goddess! The surprise, joy and bliss in these pictures says it all. She waited so long and worked so hard to achieve the home birth of her dreams and achieved it. During the peak of covid lockdown #1 no less! 
I’ll celebrate you every year @s1naed and your absolute glory as I know you’re going to be busy with the double birthday! (Yes this mama only likes to have her babies on June 22nd )😆
This queen waited so long to meet her baby. When your 1st born arrived unexpectedly early going ‘post dates’ feels endless! So she waited, so full of baby in the heat and with the unique never before experienced challenge of parenting during the restrictions of a pandemic. We joked about baby choosing his siblings birthday to arrive on and of course it happened, the birth goddesses have a great sense of humour 😆
To support you on your journey as you achieved the birth you deserved was an absolute honour. I remember you saying that your biggest wish was to just go about your day and meet your baby. No fuss, no interference and I’d say you exceeded that. You took what you needed, left the rest and birthed your way, like an absolute goddess worshipped by your love and served by us just as it should be. Sending some big love out to you today, 
@s1naed YOU. ARE. AMAZING! 
#homebirth #birthworks #empowered #empoweredbirth #positivebirth #birthstory #waterbirth #birthdoula #birthingday #sacredbirth #birthyourway
💖Summer solstice essences 🌞 There couldn’t 💖Summer solstice essences 🌞
There couldn’t be a more perfect morning than summer solstice morning to lovingly gather blooms and make some flower essences and plant remedies. I believe that there is so, so much nature wants to teach and gift us if we are open and curious. After all we do not just live in nature we are nature. Having missed a trip to London today to see an exhibition on the divine feminine I found it in my garden. 
The radiant nourishing energy of the rose and sun are what I need to embrace right now so in the gorgeous light of today these soft divine flowers sit with local spring water in this crystal bowl for a while before the quiet ritual of bottling the essence at sunset. The appropriately named queen of flowers, Rose is such a heart opening, feminine and divine flower, i’m quite in love with her! There are a few reasons, the scent being just one that this magical flower is used so heavily in sacred art legend and poetry. you’ll see it revered, honoured and appreciated throughout time and across the world, attached to mother Mary, Aphrodite, Venus, Joun, Lakshimi and more. This year I have resisted gathering my roses for all my recipes and remedies right away, I have instead practiced patience and appreciation but today felt right to gather… not to mention I finally had the energy after being unwell. The energy of the solstice certainly worked for me today! 
Some of you that have been served by me through summer months might remember these roses and their gorgeous scent as I would often gift them and treats made with them 💖
#roses #divinefeminine #floweressences #giftsfrommotherearth #flowerpower #thepowerofplants #youarenature #plantmagic #greenwitch #keepyourheartopen #plantremedies
Just some beautiful photography from the birth roo Just some beautiful photography from the birth room in honour of Father’s Day. 
How lucky we are in birth work that we get to witness such rare and precious moments of becoming. Sending love to all the dads out there that advocated and held safe space, surrendered, held tired birthing bodies, wiped brows and tears, bravely scrubbed up for c sections, held each other as they became dads together, crouched next to their nicu babes and waited, love to you all ❤️
1. Amelia Lyon - Having a chat with Daddy 
2. Brooke Walsh - “These dads waited for so long for their baby — born via surrogate at a birth center — that they were just completely overcome with joy when they finally got to hold him.”
3. Maggie Trice - “This mother had been laboring for about 12 hours at this point and was absolutely exhausted. She was entering into transition, so each contraction was getting even more intense. Mic, the father, leaned in to pull her in close as she came down from the last contraction, wiping her tears from her cheeks. It was truly one of the sweetest moments I’ve ever captured between a mom and dad.”
#fathersday #dadsinthebirthroom #birthofafather #riteofpassage #dadsinbirth #birthphotography #birth #doula
It’s a hot one today mamas! I’m re sharing tip It’s a hot one today mamas! I’m re sharing tips on how to stay cool if you’re pregnant during a heatwave, this year using a pic of the gorgeous pregnant Rihanna in Barbados! We can’t all take advantage of the sea… or escape to Barbados so do comment with your own tips if you have any! 🌞 Stay hydrated! Keep a bottle of water with you at all time’s and drink regularly even at night. I know frequent loo trips aren’t fun but neither is dehydration!
🌞 wear loose, light coloured clothing in natural fabrics like linen and cotton, synthetics don’t help with heat. if you want to be covered then floaty beach dresses are great. If you’re not too bothered and at home then a bikini, pants or nothing will do! 🌞 Avoid being in the sun for long periods, get shade often and keep a spray bottle or the mist spray fan (in pic 2) nearby. Keep your body spritz bottle in the fridge overnight, rose water is perfect to spritz yourself with on a hot day, a relaxing and luxurious scent and great for the skin on top of being refreshing! If not available then chilled water will do just fine. Relaxing like a beautiful mermaid in a paddling pool is also a fab way to keep cool! 🌞 pregnancy is tiring in normal weather, in a heatwave more so, take it easy and rest with your feet higher than your heart for at least an hour a day. If your ankles and feet are prone to swelling do gentle rotations of the joints and alternate with chill packs on the joints ( the gel kind) and the back of the neck, basically wherever feels good. If you have willing hands don’t be shy, ask for a massage!
🌞 A few tips for a more comfortable nights sleep. Freezer blocks in your sheets for a while before bed can be very refreshing. Putting your sheet folded in the freezer for an hour before bed. A hot water bottle filled with ice cold water on your feet in bed with you can be very soothing. A fan in front of a bowl of ice, its worth noting that thr breeze of the fan can be quite irritating on your skin while pregnant. 
Take care of you and take it easy you beautiful mamas! 
#keepingcool #heatwaveandpregnancy #pregnancytips #pregnantinthesummer #keepcool #pregnantinaheatwave #pregnantgoddess #doulatips #rhianna
Doula down! The Postnatal Pantry and face to face Doula down! 
The Postnatal Pantry and face to face appointments are shut for the week while I practice what I preach and nurture myself. 
I once again tried to ignore the whispers of my body until they became calls ironically in the form of me losing my voice. This is something I have to re learn often as a lot of us do I’m sure but this path is a spiral and theirs always a deeper lesson in the revisiting of lessons. 
In this day of self nurturing after last nights wise full moon 🌕 I’m dipping into my healing plants both fresh from the garden and dried, drinking lots of greens and giving my body some care in the way of gentle stretching, self massage and a good soak with flowers of course. 
How do you care for yourself when your run down? Do you power through until you crash? What little self nurturing practices can you add into your life? 
Something as small as this green smoothie inspired me to take some time to rest and recharge this week. 
#selfcare #selfnurturing #listentoyourbody #youmatter #greensmoothie #plants #healingplants

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