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Articles and posts on all things pregnancy, birth and parenting.

Topics include: pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, formula feeding, co-sleeping, any kind of sleep, newborn babies, newborn mothers, 4th trimester care, tongue-tie, silent reflux, attachment parenting, mothers mental health, PTSD, PND, birth trauma etc. I support births in Medway, Rochester, Rainham, Chatham, Strood, Maidstone, Faversham, Canterbury, Dartford, Gravesend, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Ashford, North Kent, Mid Kent, East Kent, West Kent, Herne Bay, Folkestone.

Instagram post - protecting your bubble, pulling up the drawbridge, filling up your cup

PersonalRuth PayMay 13, 2018skin to skin, pnd, c-section, , SCBU, newborn, NICUComment

International Doula Month - book club: The first forty days, Heng Ou

My thought as I put the book down was that it was so necessary to have all these words dedicated to the mother. And that if I had replaced my 3am panic forum scrolling with this book, I might have avoided a little bit of down time.

Professional developmentRuth PayMay 25, 2018mother the mother, bookreview, book club, postnatal doula, mother mother, postnatal ocd, fourthtrimester, postnatal, 4thtrimesterComment

International Doula Month - book review: Gentle Birth Companions, Adela Stockton

Professional developmentRuth PayMay 23, 2018positive birth, bookreview, book club, birth stories, birth, parenthood, doula, beautiful birthComment

Instagram post - Paternal Mental Health Week

PersonalRuth PayMay 21, 2018support, mentalhealth, families, ptsd, doula, suicide, partners, suicide prevention, fathers Comment

International Doula Month - Book Club : Steve Biddulph, Raising Boys

My mum sent me Raising Boys after we spoke about the challenges of childcare. Looks like it might help us on this mission to raise a strong, gentle, happy, healthy, kind, feminist man. Also, it'll be nice to have someone to blame when we cock it up.

PersonalRuth PayMay 19, 2018boys, feminist, , bookreview, book club, family, parenting, men, motherhood, fathers, feminismComment

International Doula Month Book Club - Maddie McMahon, Why Doulas Matter

Includes an excellent use of the phrase "lady parts". Need I say more?

A little bit? Ok.

Doula BusinessRuth PayMay 16, 2018pregnancy, bookreview, breastfeeding, book club, birth, birth partner, pregnancy plan, doulaComment

Instagram post - 7 months old

Oh my god. I am so tired. I don't believe in demon possessions...but what the F is going on.

PersonalRuth PayMay 13, 2018pnd, frustration, sleep, ocd, happy baby, sleep regression, 7 months old, weaning, sleeptheifComment

International Doula Month - Book Club : Patty Brennan, The Doula Business Guide

I bought this book because I couldn't work out how you can make money doing a self employed caring profession.

Professional developmentRuth PayMay 12, 2018Mother Mothersmall business, bookreview, postnatal doula, book club, internationaldoulamonth, Doula UK, baby, birth doula, penny simpkin, patty brennanComment

Choosing a Doula Training Course - call with Kicki of Birth Bliss

Kicki Hansard is kicking doula-business arse.

Professional developmentRuth PayMay 9, 2018Mother Motherbirth bliss, postnatal doula, mother, birth, training, Doula UK, newborn, baby, birth doulaComment

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.

Professional developmentRuth PayMay 6, 2018Mother Motherbook club, birth, postnatal, pregnancy plan, birth trauma, birth plan Comment

Doula UK introduction workshop 14th April / leaving your baby for the first time

I'm writing this on the train on the way to London for the introduction to being a doula day, led by Ali Edwards.

Professional developmentRuth PayApril 29, 2018Mother Mothermanual pump, , breastfeeding, doulaintraining, Doula UK, baby, selfcare, babysitting, bottle feedingComment

Breastfeeding and Bottles

I wanted to write about how we got our breastfed baby to take a bottle and how I feel about that. Maybe you are struggling to get your baby to take a bottle, looking for a rest from breastfeeding once in a while, having a tough time pumping much milk.

There has been a bit of pressure on me to make sure that my baby takes a bottle.

postnatal support, birth doula kentRuth PayApril 16, 2018Mother Motheris my baby getting enough milk?, breastfeeding, rochester breastfeeding, am I breastfeeding right?, how long should I breastfeed?, babyComment

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).

Antenatal SupportRuth PayMarch 30, 2018Mother Motherbirth, birth trauma, doula, Whitstable, Kent, Positive Birth Movement, Mia Scotland, Doula UKComment

Co-sleeping AKA sleeping

In pregnancy I became a champion napper, won gold for my county. I could have a morning nap, have lunch and then just lie down for a little afternoon nap to set me up to make it through for a 7pm bedtime. NOT KIDDING. But it was in preparation for something I feared parental sleep deprivation...

Ruth PayMarch 23, 2018sleep, family bed, co-sleeping Comments

Feed me: the impact of a mother's choice to breastfeed. Or not.

I want to talk about feeding babies. More specifically about how mothers want to feed their babies. How they want to feed them but don't.

Ruth PayMarch 18, 2018Mother Motherbreastfeeding, doula, mother, motherhood, rochester doula, london doula, rochester breastfeeding, kent doula, formula feeding, is my baby getting enough milk?, am I breastfeeding right?, how long should I breastfeed?Comment

Well, let's start then

It feels eminently sensible to make sure that I have a profitable company before breaking away from a regular pay check. I have two reservations about that. Scrap that, three reservations;

Kent & London

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