I was really fortunate, earlier in the year, to do a study weekend with an extraordinary woman and psychologist, Anna Verwaal. Her work is primarily around prenatal and perinatal psychology – a lot of what she had to say was extremely challenging as she believes that babies are affected and informed by the pregnancy they experience and the birth they go through. Not so great to hear for anyone whose experiences during those times are less than positive. However, the message I took away was that women (and families) need emotional and practical support not just in preparation for birth, but also in preparation for pregnancy. What a lovely idea to have fertility doulas, particularly for those who are treading that difficult path of fertility treatment, exploratory tests and miscarriage.
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