Birth Reclaimed

Birth Reclaimed Bristol & online hypnobirthing and birth preparation classes. Lots of focus on VBAC support

One of the biggest blocks to a to homebirth is “what if something goes wrong” We hear stories from others whereby the id...
25/02/2026

One of the biggest blocks to a to homebirth is “what if something goes wrong”

We hear stories from others whereby the idea of birth being inherently dangerous keep popping up but did you know a lot of those things we hear are either not actually an emergency OR less likely to happen at home?

True emergencies are rare really rare… don’t believe everything you hear. Plus with well over 30% of labours induced and more being augmented (Labour being helped along after starting in it own) these interventions are well known to cause issues and even emergency situations, yet they simply wouldn’t happen at home as those interventions are not available there.

If you’d like to explore worries and risks around home vs hospital spending a hour chatting it through can make such a difference- I offer stand alone chats where we can delve into what risk means for you, what stories your carrying and how to work past them.

I’d love to chat! 🩶

Becca x

18/02/2026

Hindsite is a wonderful tool isn’t it!

Here’s 5 things that could really help you as your prepare for your first birth.
Building solid foundations, understanding how birth really works, understanding how the maternity system locks into/interferes with this process. Ensure your partner truly understands what’s important to you & can advocate.

Your birth and your baby are too important to wing it. If you’re looking for emotional and educational support id love work with you.

Bespoke 1:1 hypnobirthing and antenatal education to help your prepare for this most important day and season as you enter parenthood.

Becca🩶

13/02/2026

Guys I see this A LOT and it’s only going to become harder to talk about as our caesarean rates rise.

All types of birth carry risks for you AND your baby. Why then do people get so defensive when discussing risks around caesarean?

Sometimes the benefits of a CS will massively outweigh the risks. But 40% of the time? Absolutely not.

I’ve had 2 caesareans. I’ve sat through the discomfort of exploring these risks. Do I feel shame? No. Will every risk apply to me and my children? Of course not.
Do I wish I had all the facts and could discuss them openly? Always.

Some risks (not guarantees!) you may not have been told about:

⚡️painful s*x (more reported at 18 months PP the after a vaginal birth)
⚡️painful ovulation due to scar tissue
⚡️lower fertility
⚡️higher rates of subsequent miscarriages
⚡️risk of preterm birth if CS was at 10cm
⚡️increased risk to placenta heath with each surgery
⚡️increased risks of haemorrhaging
⚡️greater risk of maternal death (though very tiny)

For baby, increased risks of:
💫 asthma
💫respiratory infections
💫being overweight
💫 effect on microbiome
💫needing to be admitted to nicu (10-20%)

If you had a caesarean and non of these things affected you or your baby that’s fantastic! They do affect thousands of others though and we owe it to ourselves and our children to have these conversations.

They are real risks and talking about them is not shaming your birth choice or outcome.

➡️ I’m sick of the infantile notion that a caesarean is inherently safe. In many cases it’s not safer. Your desire for a vaginal birth is valid, even with the associated risks there.

I’d love to know how many if these you were advised about in your dr appointments and if any have affected you or your babies?

Becca 🩶

I know this comparison might ruffle a few feathers. It’s so hard to unpick actual risk from conditioning from cultural/p...
21/01/2026

I know this comparison might ruffle a few feathers.

It’s so hard to unpick actual risk from conditioning from cultural/patriarchal expectations.

Making personal choices can feel very hard when they don’t follow the norm EVEN if the offered options lack solid evidence.

Through all of this difficult to navigate pressure is one clear fact. YOU birth your baby. Understanding that process and building your trust in that is crucial.
You absolutely need to have faith in your self and your ability (and so does your partner)

Empowering you to make decisions when things get tough. Understanding how when and why, the questions to ask & realistic expectations around maternity care.

My new half day group course is coming soon, or can be booked as a private session in your home now.

You deserve to head into your birth feeling confident and empowered, not just about yourself but also around making choices about your care.

And I’d love to know your thoughts on the perceived risks in maternity care vs much higher risks in older men… 👀

With love becca 🩶

16/01/2026

I’ve been obsessing over VBaC for 8 years now, and nothing makes me more sad than the constant stories that YOU are somehow to blame for not having a vaginal birth or that you can’t have one in the future. That your body is somehow faulty.

There’s very few guarantees in life… and that includes someone being sure you somehow can’t birth your baby. It’s almost impossible for someone to know that.

I was told minutes after my first failed forceps, leading to caesarean birth I would never be able to birth vaginally. I chose to ignore that.

And I didn’t get my vbac with my second. I had a suspected scar rupture and a second caesarean. That was a hard pill to swallow. So much self doubt and grief.

But I knew birth can and does work. I did a huge amount of work to disspell the idea that birth didn’t work for me.

In my essence I am *just* a human, and like any other I can birth a baby. Such simplicity.

BUT It was a huge journey of learning and trust and uncomfortable realisation and work upon work to get there. My 3rd birth was not perfect, but it was life changing. My baby born peacefully at home on my terms & his terms.

I want you to feel confident, proud, supported, validated in your choices & sadly i see and hear this less and less.

I’m bringing everything I’ve learnt, everything I’ve felt, everything I’ve absorbed over the last 8 years into several special VBAC offerings, launching in 2026.

We’ve never needed vbac support so much as now. It’s not too soon to start healing, learning, rebuilding & reclaiming.

I really hope you’ll join me, with love & belief in YOU - Becca 🩶

Are you looking for in person birth support in and around Bristol? Hey! 👋 I’m Becca a full spectrum doula offering supp...
16/01/2026

Are you looking for in person birth support in and around Bristol?

Hey! 👋

I’m Becca a full spectrum doula offering support for your birth journey, be that at home, a Caesarean, or anything in between. I have a special love for vaginal birth after caesarean, I understand just how important it can feel to achieve it.

I’m looking to work with families who want more from their birth experience, who know birth IS a special & profound event. Those willing to dive deeper into their preparation, who want to delve into the ancient wisdom of birth that exists inside, while navigating the current maternity system with realism and strategy.

Weather you want to bring a more holistic and spiritual element of support to a planned caesarean or you want to work on your mindset after a previous difficult experience, your truth is that you KNOW there is more to birth the the standard NHS offering, you are ready to make those decisions but want some extra support and belief… that’s where I can step in.

Every partnership starts with a free get to know too call where we can explore if I’m the right doula for your family.

I’d love to chat about how my support could work for you, either head to my website or send me a DM for more info, I’ve got pretty good availability I’ve the next 6 months 🩶
Becca

07/01/2026

Raspberry leaf tea & VBAC….
Jury’s out some people will drink it and get their vbac others won’t. Fact is truly the tea is unlikely to be the cause either way.

It is so helpful to look at your relationship to these interventions: are you placing hope and trust in it, maybe even more then you place in yourself?

➡️ you are the person with the power to brith your baby - when your having a vbac is is so important to work on that believe. Especially in a system which can rarely feel like has any belief in you.

⏹️ Stop outsourcing your capabilities to birth your baby. Your body holds the wisdom, can you allow your mind to accept this & work in unison to have a powerful birth?

Ultimately it’s your choice to make, and there are many herbal and holistic benefits to raspberry leaf tea which have been forgotten about. Perhaps it’s worth exploring if those things ring true for you rather then framing it as something which will or won’t help you get your vbac.

Let me know are you planning on drinking it? Did you get your vbac?

Becca 🩶

It’s been quite the year, and i know it has for many others. Sending love & healing and all the best for 2026 becca 🩶
31/12/2025

It’s been quite the year, and i know it has for many others. Sending love & healing and all the best for 2026 becca 🩶

18/12/2025

💥Christmas is not a good reason to be induced early.
💥Pressure from family who “really want to meet baby” is not a reason to pull forwards a c-section
💥Staff holidays and shortages are not good reasons to end your pregnancy early.

These are all external reasons, not relevant to your individual circumstances, when we know from all evidence that if you and baby are healthy and well then you are safest to remain pregnant.

Inductions can take many days there is no guarantee your baby will be born by Christmas… arguably spending an extended period on an induction ward over Christmas is less ideal because there will be less staff, and so “emergencies” will be prioritised. Certainly less appealing than just being pregnant at home for a few more days.

⚡️there can be HUGE amounts if well meaning pressure from families at this time of year. Daily… hourly questions around any signs? Well meant messages saying how much they hope baby arrives so they can visit when they are in the area. People planning if you’ll be there for X meal or party.

It can be overwhelming! And you can’t control when baby arrives . As best you can step away from all the messages. Mute the group chats. Focus on yourself.

You’ve got this - you don’t need to change your plans simply because of the time of year. You can politely decline interventions that don’t serve you.

Enjoy resting a mince pie on your bump and watch a favourite Christmas movie - soak up the festive vibes before your new baby steals the show.

Becca 🩶

Address

28 Kennion Road
Bristol
BS58BZ

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Birth Reclaimed posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category