I had one of those right place and time moments today that actually has left me feeling a little shaken that it could have been possible to miss it and what might have happened if we had.

On this occasion..

Ruth PayJuly 25, 2019postnatal, postnatal depression, postnatal doula, postnatal ocd, make birth better, birth traumaComment

Guest post - A Mum Voice & Mother Mother Doula: recovery from PND

A personal account of postnatal depression and recovery written for A Mum Voice

PersonalRuth PayJune 14, 2019Mother Mother Doulapostnatal depression, anxiety, birth, birth trauma, newborn, breastfeeding, supportComment

Instagram post - what does a birth doula cost?

Doula Business, birth doula kentRuth PayAugust 21, 2018rochester, end of life doula, kent, rochester doula, birth trauma, cost, start of life, doula, birth doulaComment

Interviews with people about doulas, birth and babies - 2. Mother of two adults

Interview with a mother of two children in their thirties about the usefulness of doulas during birth.

Doula BusinessRuth PayJuly 8, 2018support, parents, birth stories, parenting, birth trauma, doula, kent doulaComment

Electronic Fetal Monitoring and the dramatic rise in C-sections

Why do we get monitored during labour? Duh. To check if the baby is OK. If their heart rate is normal, they are probably ok. Right?

But here is the issue with that premise: there has been no drop in the number of births with CP, not even when the lower rate of death rate of premature babies is taken into account. EFM has not prevented or reduced the thing it was meant to do.

Interviews with people about doulas, birth and new born life: 1. Father of a toddler

An interview with a 30 something dad of one about his experience of birth and the usefulness of doulas.

Doula BusinessRuth PayJuly 1, 2018cesarean, dads, birth trauma, doula, birth doula, induction, kent doula, fatherhood, , birth stories, birth, father, fathersComment

Instagram post - partners and maternal mental health

Doula BusinessRuth PayJune 7, 2018pnd, postnatal depression, dads, newborn, ptsd, birth trauma, partners, mums, , families, family, fathers, mothers Comment

International Doula Month - Book Club : Rebecca Schiller, Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan

Starting us off is Rebecca Schiller's, Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan. I met Rebecca (CEO of Birthrights charity, and experienced doula) at the Doula UK Conference a few months ago, joining a workshop on traumatic birth.

Why would anyone pay for that?

The word is spreading and the value of a doula is seen and felt by many more each year, but we have a lot more work to do before a woman's (and her partner's and baby's) right to a birth without trauma is protected as it should be.

Doula BusinessRuth PayApril 9, 2018Mother Motherdoula, birth, antenatal, selfworth, small business, money, benefits, birth trauma, kent doulaComment

Birth Culture - a glance

There is something wonderful happening... somewhere near you people (primarily women) are changing the culture of birth. Actually, by the fact that they are doing it, it is changed (yes...there are some caveats here...but let's go with it for a second).

Doula - Kent & London