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My Professional Journey
Weaving cross-cultural awareness with childbirth support
Your pregnancy, birth, and early months of motherhood should be all about you and your needs, so I don't really like to focus on me. But for those who find it interesting to know the background of those supporting them, feel free to keep reading below.
I originally trained as an Anthropologist, receiving my PhD at the University of St Andrews in 2017. However, it was the birth of my first son, now 5, that reignited my childhood fascination with all things birth and babies. Taking time off work to raise my son and delve deeper into my own restorative yoga practice helped me realise my true passion lay in connecting with and supporting women through this hugely transformational time.
My anthropological training has come in handy for researching and valuing non-western childbirth practices. I understand these traditional practices developed for a reason and that there is value in understanding the science behind why they work.
The link between the mind and body is another passion of mine, which I've found a place for in my role supporting mums-to-be and new mums. I have an appreciation for the link between psychology and biology (those beautiful birth hormones that keep the process flowing). From my own practice, I also know the importance of preparing both your body and mind for birth, and I'm talking about training for both stamina and flexibility.
All the services I offer - the yoga, the hypnobirthing, the doula support - all weave through these fundamentals of birth: mental, physical, emotional and community support for pregnant women.
Of course, this work is not about me. This journey you are on is about you and your wishes and choices. First and foremost, I am here to support you and what you want and need from this beautiful and transformational experience.
Research & Sources
'It definitely made a difference': A grounded theory study of yoga for pregnancy and women's self-efficacy for labour
"Analysis of interviews with women at three time points led to a propositional theory that yoga for pregnancy enhances women's self-efficacy for labour by building their confidence and competence through a combination of techniques. These include repeated practice of a variety of pain management strategies, use of affirming language and the telling of positive labour stories, underpinned by yoga practice to lower somatic response to stress."
Cochrane Library's Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth
Cochrane Library is one of Europe's most revered systematic reviewers of medical research. This study assessed 26 studies from 17 different countries. All the studies were randomised-controlled trials, which is one of the least biased types of study. From their research, the reviewers found that having a doula present for your labour could ...
increase your chance of a spontaneous vaginal delivery by 15%
increase your chance of a positive birth experience by 35%
decrease your chance of a cesarean section by 39%
decrease your chance of using any pain relief by 28%
decrease your chance of using synthetic oxytocin by 33%
Wow! Right? The research for these combined stats all focused on women in hospital care, under the normal care of a midwife or obstetrician. The stats are classed as hypothesis-generating findings, but quite a clear indication of the benefits of doulas. In all of the above categories, doulas led to the biggest favorable percentages, when compared to continuous support by a hospital staff member or partner/family member/friend.
So why are doulas so helpful? We're specifically trained for emotionally and physically supporting women in labour, and we can support your birth partner to better support you too. We've done a lot of training and research on birth and it's our job to stay up to date with the latest medical, evidence-based research. We don't have any other patients, so we're always by your side and always on your side, it's our job to advocate for you and your choices. And we want to work with midwives and doctors to help you feel empowered and positive during your birth. And it turns out all this makes a heck of a lot of difference.
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub6/full
The effectiveness of skilled breathing and relaxation techniques during antenatal education on maternal and neonatal outcomes: a systematic review
A meta-analysis of 10 studies (9 of which were randomised-controlled-trials) looking into the efficacy of taught breathing techniques in outcomes for both mother and baby in labour. The results showed that skilled relaxation and breathing techniques could have a positive influence for women and babies in labour, lowering the use of pain relief and epidural use.
https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-022-05178-w
Birthing outcomes from an Australian HypnoBirthing programme
Background and aim:
HypnoBirthing, which is steadily increasing in popularity both in Australia and overseas, is a set programme consisting of 10–12 hours of instruction for couples approaching the later stages of pregnancy and birth. A survey was carried out to investigate how Australian participants attending the HypnoBirthing programme between 2007 and 2010 compared to other studies where hypnosis was used for childbirth.
Results:
The average length for both stages of labour was shorter in the HypnoBirthing group compared to general population figures. Caesarean section rates were lower, as was the use of gas and epidurals. Of the 81 participants, 46 (51 %) did not use any pain medication at all and the overall discomfort level for labour and birth was 5.8 out of 10 with 32 % of the participants scoring under 5.8, including two participants who recorded zero discomfort.
Conclusion:
Women attending the HypnoBirthing programme demonstrated similar results to those found in other research in hypnosis for childbirth. However, the findings also demonstrated some added benefits of HypnoBirthing. The majority of women reported feeling more confident, relaxed, less fearful, focused, and more in control. They also commented on the ease and comfort of labour and birth and the satisfaction of having their partners involved and supportive.
https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/bjom.2012.20.8.558
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering
Dr. Buckley take you through the science behind the hormones that drive the physiological birth process and what helps them flow the best. A great read if you want to know the nitty-gritty of what is going to make your body what it needs to do during labour.
Evidence on Doulas
On her blog, Dr. Dekker reviews Cochrane Library's "Continous Support for Women During Childbirth". A great read if you want to skip reading the systematic review in full.
BASIS - Durham Sleep Lab
Durham's Sleep Lab has been researching safe sleep and baby's sleep for 20 years. They are a great source for parents in a time when sleep can seem like a long lost dream! All their information is evidence-based.
Reclaiming Cdildbirth as a Rite of Passage
"Dr Rachel Reed is a midwife, academic, author and sought after international speaker. Her focus is childbirth physiology, care provider practice and women's rights (and rites). Rachel has published widely in journals, magazines and writes an award-winning blog, MidwifeThinking. Her first book, Why Induction Matters, published in 2018, is a popular resource for women and care providers. As a researcher, Rachel studies women's experiences of birth and the influence of care provider interactions. her work is cited in evidence-based guidelines and textbooks that inform clinical practice."
A great book for those wanting to understand more about modern medical birth culture, how it got this way, and what we can do about it.
Pinter and Martin Publishing
A wonderful source of evidence-based books primarily on the subjects of pregnancy, birth, early parenting and breastfeeding.
AIMS
A source for evidence-based research on pregnancy and birth. They have a 'Birth Information' page, their hand 'search' feature and a number of book written by researchers and academics.