Inner West Births

05/03/2026

Scandanavia leading the way again! ♥️💜

Denmark is taking a major step by moving to end the “cry it out” method for babies after a nationwide study revealed potential harms. Over 700 psychologists warned that this sleep training practice could negatively impact brain development and parent-child attachment. The findings emphasise the importance of responsive caregiving during the early stages of life for healthy emotional and cognitive growth.

The study examined the effects of letting babies cry for extended periods and found links to elevated stress levels and possible long-term impacts on brain function. While some parts of the U.S. continue to recommend the method, Denmark’s decision reflects growing concern among experts about the risks versus the benefits of this approach. Advocates of alternative sleep strategies stress nurturing and gradual methods to promote better sleep without compromising developmental outcomes.

This move is sparking viral attention globally among parenting and health communities. It highlights a shift in understanding early childhood care and the need for policies informed by psychological research. Parents and caregivers are now encouraged to explore safer, evidence-based sleep strategies that support both healthy brain development and secure emotional bonds with their children.

24/08/2025

Since 1993, Denmark has required all children aged 6 to 16 to participate in weekly empathy classes as part of the national school curriculum. According to BrightVibes, these sessions are called Klassens tid or “The Class’s Hour.” For one hour each week, students gather in a relaxed setting to discuss personal or group problems, listen to one another, and work together to find solutions. The goal is to teach children how to understand others’ feelings, resolve conflicts respectfully, and build emotional intelligence.

Empathy is treated as a learnable skill, not just a personality trait. As noted by My Modern Met, these classes help reduce bullying, strengthen relationships, and foster a sense of community. Children learn to value each other’s perspectives and grow into more confident, emotionally aware adults.

Denmark’s approach is often credited for its consistently high rankings in the UN’s World Happiness Report. By embedding empathy into education from an early age, the country has created a culture where emotional well-being is prioritized alongside academic success.

21/08/2025

We are deeply saddened to hear news of the passing of Michel Odent, whose vision and writing reshaped the way we understand human birth.

Michel Odent reminded us that birth is not a medical procedure to be controlled, but a primal rythm to be respected. He advocated for home-like maternity units, warm water births, protecting the birthing woman's privacy and honouring her instincts, undisturbed contact between mother and newborn; he was among the first to discuss the importance of the microbiome, and question many of the practices that had (and have) become normalised in overmedicalised maternity systems globally.

"The first intervention in natural childbirth is the one the woman does herself when she walks out the front door of her own home in labor". - Michel Odent.

We thank you, Michel, for your passion, vision and committment to women and newborns.

13/07/2023

Dear All,
My Inner West Face Book page was horrendously hacked in the weekend. it’s seems the hacker made the page vulnerable by making multiple reports to facebook regarding a breastfeeding image. Hacker then posted extremely distressing images on to my page as me, in what e-safety believe was an attempt to suspend my account. They have encountered similar incidents.
I immediately deactivated my page.
Facebook restricted both my personal and Inner West Birth pages. Some of the restrictions continue for a few weeks.
I am really hoping no one else saw these images as they were disturbing and have distressed me. If anyone did, please feel free to message me for a chat.
Much Love
Thérèse

23/06/2022

Love Kahlil Gibran’s words…

“Your children are not your children.
They are sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth....."
Khalil Gibran

Henri Cartier Bresson - Rue Mouffetard, Paris, 1954.

04/05/2022

So Saddened by the shameful decision made by American men to take away the human right of American women to choose whether or not to have a child 😔 How dare they! 😡

09/02/2022

Does your baby like tummy time? Most don’t, for good reason. Until infants are able to roll into the tummy position on their own, most of them find it uncomfortable, immobilizing, and no doubt highly discouraging. But rather than listen to our babies, we are asked to put our faith in recent studie...