Birth is earthy.⠀It is life-changing.⠀It is strength. Beginnings. Ripe fruit.⠀In birth lies sex. And power… but maternal power. Female led power.

No women should be made to feel that touching her own body, her own unborn baby is wrong in any way.

It isn't.

Mammals move in labour.⠀Mammals also make sounds in labour.⠀This is normal.⠀ ⠀

Birth in a safe space. Trusted. Revered. Supported in the knowledge of their inherited capabilities.

Imagine that you are lowering yourself into a free flowing river. You know where it will take you eventually but you are not yet privy to the twists and turns, the snags and eddies that this journey contains.

The first is your head.
The second is your body.
The third is your surroundings.
They all feed each other. ⠀

For nearly all women in the UK, USA and Australia who go past a certain date without having had their baby the induction question will come up. And this is an adulting decision that you do not wish to pass on to someone else.

… and really, that is alright.

I have assisted many dads-to-be who have passed out or been sick in the past when having a blood test or seeing someone else have a blood test. If this is you, please do not attempt to wing-it for your birthing partner!

During this triage your midwife may ask if you would like to have an internal, vaginal examination to check how dilated you currently are…

…and here we sometimes hit a problem.

Should you choose to birth at hospital you will at some point during your labour need to transfer in.

I remember hearing this from a client a long time ago and it popped back into my head again today when another teacher asked for some advice on Tokophobia - the dread & fear of pregnancy and childbirth that some women may experience.

I read an interesting bit of research the other day that said it is more effective to switch from 'I' when creating affirmations to 'you'.

Empirical evidence shows that women want and benefit from continuity of carer. The Cochrane review (2016) found that women who received midwife-led continuity of care were less likely to experience preterm births or lose their baby in pregnancy or in the first month following birth.

Something strange is going on. I've been struggling for a while to put my finger on it though.

Here are my thoughts...

I say again and again to all of the lovely women I teach - Your body knows how to birth a baby & your baby knows how to be born.

There is so much I want to tell you. So much that fills my head that I want to spill onto the page for you.

About birth. About parenting. About feeling invincible...or a bit broken.

When you are calm and confident you can truly listen to your body. Without fear or concern move the way your baby and body wishes you to.

Just breathe. Just breathe.

Through stress or anxiety. Through pain. Through loss. Through love so great it takes the breath from you.

We are selling everyone, including our children, a fake Valhalla. A place or state that can be achieved if you just try hard enough.

Well, here's the deal. Some days are just going to be rubbish.