Month: May 2013

I have recently been hugely inspired by conferences attended by doulas, midwives, obstetricians and other birth workers.  The passion and positivity that comes from these events is so rewarding, but also it brings new challenges.  In so many workshops/study days/seminars I attend the speakers are preaching to the converted – we know just how important where, with whom and how a woman gives birth is.  So, I have been thinking about how to extend this – how to get those all-important messages out to the people who matter – the women giving birth, and the people supporting them.

Many people will have heard of the Red Tent Movement – women coming together to share all things female – pregnancy, birth, menstruation …  I would like to start something in the spirit of the Red Tent, but not exclusive to women – it is important that the men are on board too!!!  I propose to organise bimonthly get togethers at my home in Wandsworth for anyone who is interested to talk/share/listen and discuss subjects around birth.  At each of these get-togethers I will most likely screen a relevant film, and the first I propose is Birth Stories, the new film made by Ina May Gaskin.   Ina May is a revolutionary midwife, author and activist whose birthing centre, The Farm, in Tennessee has been so instrumental in reminding us what is important in the supporting of women during birth.  For more information about her visit http://www.inamay.com/biography

So, if you would like to come along to one of these get-togethers (and I will come up with a better name for them!) then please let me know via the contact form on my website.  I look forward to hosting the first of what I hope will be many interesting and stimulating evenings.

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Stop the presses – we know when Princess Kate is going to give birth.  Or do we?  Actually the only time we can ever be certain of when a baby is going to arrive is if there is a scheduled caesarean, and there is no denying that in some cases that is a positive thing.  However, I have come to really loathe the concept of the 40-week due date for a number of reasons:

Firstly, it seems such an arbitrary figure to pluck out of the air.  In medical terms a baby is believed to have reached full-term from 37 weeks gestation … and anything up to 42 weeks is considered absolutely normal.  In France the “due date” is given as 41 weeks, so our international friends cannot agree with us.  As a birth doula I tend to go on-call from 38 weeks, but I make sure that all the women I support are aware that the majority (65%) of first-time Mums (primips) go past 40 weeks.
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