choices

You are the Expedition Leader

Preparing for Birth is like preparing to climb Mount Everest, but with much more chance of success and a lot more warmth! When climbing Everest, a Sherpa is an essential part of your team. They know the landscape, the climate and remain calm and alert. In Birth, a doula is like a sherpa. The doula is familiar with the location, the people and the physiology, remaining calm and alert, guiding and supporting you.

Humanised Birth: the minimal standard

Our current approach to maternity is far short of what the minimal for maternity should be. In a society that values mothers, we would see a minimal standard based on compassion, connection and confidence. We would be celebrating and honouring the transformation, and doing everything we could to ensure women transition whole and powerful. We …

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The con in consent

As the sexual revolution expelled it’s sex positive culture with ‘compulsory sexuality’, devoid of morals and responsibility, all we need is a yes and anything – anything- goes. Choking, and other violent acts of violation are becoming normalised as the pornification of society screams yes…even when they want to say no.

meanwhile, in maternity, The medicalisation of birth is marching fast towards complete dehumanisation. We can do anything, so we now redefine normal and slip all too willingly into a capitalist approach to reproduction. No longer about birth and transformation, women or mothers; babies are a product of an industry so focussed on yes, they have forgotten that no is an option. Just as the sexual revolution made sexuality compulsory, modern maternity has made medicalisation compulsory.

From Bolam to Montgomery: a tale of consent

There was a time, not so long ago, when doctors were supported in law to withhold details that might influence your decision making, or that they thought might scare you. This was Bolam’s Principle. Basically this principle states that as long as the collective of doctors reckon you ain’t negligent, then you ain’t negligent. Afterall …

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Danger, Risk and Opportunity

Birth is Dangerous! or is it? ‘Danger’ and ‘Risk’ are sometimes used interchangeably, but they actually mean very different things.  To use ‘danger’ when you mean ‘risk’, could be very damaging.  The Nocebo Effect is a very real phenomenon, and the words we use are very powerful. Using ‘danger’ when you mean ‘risk’, and ‘risk’ when you …

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