Gaslighting vs. Greenlighting in Maternity Services: Honouring a Mother’s Instinct

by | May 22, 2025 | Antenatal appointment, Antenatal Course, Birth Compass, Birth Manifesto, consultant obstetrician, Doula, Empowered Birth, gaslighting, greenlighting, Labour and Birth, Sovereign Birth

In the realm of maternity care, women’s intuition and instincts are often sidelined in favour of well-intentioned, but sometimes fear-based, interventions. Over the years, I’ve witnessed the impact that gaslighting can have on women during their pregnancy and birth...

Why a Physiological Birth in 2025 Requires More Than a Birth Plan

by | Apr 23, 2025 | Antenatal Course, Birth Manifesto, Birth Partner, Discover Your North Star Course, Doula, Empowered Birth, Homebirth, Hormones, Hypnobirthing, Neurodiversity, North Star, Physiological Birth

In today’s world, planning for a physiological birth is no small feat. Many pregnant women believe that attending a standard antenatal course and jotting down a birth plan is all it takes to achieve their desired birth experience. But let’s be honest – if you...

I Can’t Protect You from the System – But I Can Protect You from Yourself

by | Mar 31, 2025 | Back to Back baby, Birth Partner, Breastfeeding, Breathing and Relaxation, Doula, Empowered Birth, Homebirth, Hormones, Hypnobirthing, Informed Decision Making, Instincts, Labour and Birth, Latent Labour, Long Labour, Posterior Birth, Prodromal Labour, Sovereign Birth

Many people hire a doula, believing that our role is to shield them from the broken maternity system. I understand why. The system is flawed – riddled with coercion, unnecessary interventions, and a culture that often strips pregnant women of their autonomy. But...

Do You Have The Audacity to Birth on Your Own Terms?

by | Mar 16, 2025 | Empowered Birth, Homebirth, Hospital Birth, Hypnobirthing, Informed Decision Making, Instincts, Intentional Birth, Labour and Birth, Normal Birth, Physiological Birth, Sovereign Birth

There is an unspoken expectation in maternity care that women will comply. That they will nod in agreement, follow instructions, and place their trust entirely in the hands of those deemed more knowledgeable. But what happens when a woman dares to challenge this...

I Can Get Any Woman Through a Physiological Birth – If She Lets Me

by | Mar 12, 2025 | Antenatal Course, Birth Compass, Birth Manifesto, Birth Partner, Breathing and Relaxation, Discover Your North Star Course, Doula, Empowered Birth, Informed Decision Making, Instincts, Intentional Birth, Labour and Birth, North Star, Physiological Birth, Sovereign Birth

As a doula, I’ve walked alongside countless women as they navigate the intensity, beauty, and raw power of birth. I’ve seen it all – the quiet, instinctual labours that unfold like poetry, and the births that are clouded by fear, doubt, and external pressures....

Understanding Prodromal Labour: What It Is and How It Differs from the Latent Phase

by | Mar 6, 2025 | Antenatal Course, Back to Back baby, Birth Compass, Birth Partner, Breathing and Relaxation, Doula, Empowered Birth, Homebirth, Hormones, Labour and Birth, Latent Labour, Posterior Birth, Prodromal Labour

Labour can be full of surprises, especially when it comes to early contractions. Prodromal labour, often called ‘false labour,’ involves contractions that can feel intense but don’t lead to dilation of the cervix. It can go on for days or sometimes even...