Ten Moons Birth Wisdom

26/11/2025

Thanks to Dr Kirsten Small Birth Small Talk there is now wonderful evidence to show that CTG monitoring during labour does not improve outcomes for babies.

This is significant on its own.

However, when we add into that the impact of CTG monitoring on women’s labours and the consequent morbidity as a result of the cascade of interventions from the use of it, this adds a second heavyweight reason to use intermittent monitoring (by a midwife using a handheld monitor).

Using a water pool for pain relief during labour enables an unofficial ‘protection’ against having your baby’s heartbeat monitored.

Your regular reminder that the evidence doesn't stack up...

22/11/2025

In my opinion the birth of every baby, regardless of how they entered this world, should be marked with a celebration of some kind.

I hear lots of clients imagining the day they get home with their babies and can once again eat soft cheese, sushi, eggs with a runny yolk or pate…sometimes all of these!

And women who have given up alcohol for the duration of the pregnancy can be secretly looking forward to a small glass of wine at some point in their postpartum journey.

For those women I always suggest that the first arrival home is marked with a glass of champagne 🥂

This couple, who had an incredibly challenging journey to full term pregnancy, took the suggestion happily and tagged me in their WhatsApp group chat 🥳🙌🏻🥂

21/11/2025

A fab new offering from Laura at Dragonfly Wellness has come to Gilden Park 🙌🏻

A wonderful de-stressor and time for yourself, away from hectic schedules

💙Start your day the right way with a SOMA Breath journey.
See below for details and book at

https://www.dragonflywellnessuk.co.uk/booking-calendar/soma-breath-the-hub-gilden-park-harlow

21/11/2025

Helen Ball has been part of Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre for over 20 years and is an expert in how babies sleep.

She’s recently published a book on sleep patterns of babies and it’s fascinating reading!

If you’re in the throes of early parenthood and could use something shorter than a whole book, check out BASIS website for information sheets for parents. All evidence-based and quick and easy to read.

We have refreshed the Basis website this summer, updating and streamlining the evidence summaries, and making the layout more 'mobile friendly'. Come take a look, and as always, please share! Link in comments.

09/09/2025

10/06/2025

PLEASE SIGN THIS ABSOLUTELY VITAL PETITION TO STOP THE UK GOING BACK IN TIME ON WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS!!

This is my gorgeous mum - she’s now 87 and in the early stages of dementia. But she is still vibrant and happy.

I’ve included her in this post because she is from an era where women were shamed into marriage if they got pregnant beforehand as they had no contraception and no access to safe pregnancy termination.

She also had to leave her first job when she married - in the 1950s many firms refused to employ married women because they knew they would become pregnant and leave because of the lack of reliable contraception.

Thankfully things changed but unbelievably in 2025, thanks to far right male extremists who sadly have been given a huge amount of power (without, in my opinion, the wisdom or compassion to help them use it wisely) we are being forced back to a time even before the 1930s when my mum was born.

Although we have come a long way in the UK to equalise life for women in 2025 did you know abortions are still technically criminal in England and Wales?

A vote is happening soon in Parliament which could change that. But just like Trump, Nigel Farage is rallying his troops to roll back women’s rights!

Will you sign the petition to the Government asking them to do the right thing and protect women’s rights?
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/decriminalise-abortion-and-make-it-a-protected-human-right?source=whatsapp-share-button&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_source=whatsapp&share=1dc161aa-67a9-4f7a-be64-18152eeee03b

09/06/2025

I missed international home birth day last week so wanted to share again this amazing photo of a wonderful client.

Her story is inspiring and I am overjoyed that she shared it with me.

After a first birth in hospital that was utterly rail-roaded by hospital policy-led care (not evidence based, midwifery led care) and the consequent physical and mental scars, this incredible woman decided things were going to change for her next birth.

And the result of her gutsy determination and confidence resulted in a wonderful home birth - although her face is covered you can see and feel the joy, relief and almost disbelief that she had actually done it.

Pregnant women and their birth partners must start to believe in midwifery led care in either a birth centre or at home as the first choice for low risk, straight forward pregnancies.

I truly believe it should routinely be the first choice for everyone, including all of these:

🌟 First time mums
🌟 VBACs
🌟 Suspected ‘bigger’ babies
🌟 Suspected ‘smaller’ babies
🌟 Slightly higher BMI
🌟 Post dates
🌟 Ethnicity
🌟 Anxiety about birth
🌟 Women who want control
🌟 Women who want to avoid induction
🌟 Birth partners who are nervous about it

And midwives need to be confident too - a confident woman teamed with a confident midwife can change the world 🙌🏻

05/06/2025

Reposting from and

Our maternity services are sliding at a rapid rate into a dark and frightening place.

Just like the quote from the doula in these slides the birth stories I’m hearing from women are repetitive, often traumatising and almost identical.

A woman in labour being left unattended on the floor of a corridor for hours.

Labouring women and partners being ignored or their requests dismissed, leading to undiagnosed infections and, in some cases, life threatening sepsis.

More and more babies spending time in NICU.

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS!

Midwives are fighting every single day to be ‘with woman’, to be able to do their work and to re-establish midwifery led care.

Our local Better Births lead midwife is fighting hard to make sure this voice is not taken away from women and birthing people.

Doctors are performing one caesarean after another, after another often on the same day.

When will this tide turn?

We all have to work together to make this happen.

Join your local Maternity Voices Partnership and add your weight and support to the parents having to navigate this minefield and to the healthcare professionals trying to make the changes so urgently needed.

is the account for parents who have used Princess Alexandra.

Women’s bodies are amazing.
Midwives are amazing.
Doctors’ knowledge of pathology is amazing.

03/06/2025

02/06/2025

If you or someone you know experienced postpartum psychosis (approx 20% of women) Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP) have in person and online support groups all over the country

Join our postpartum psychosis lived experience café groups, where mums and families can meet together.

📆 June dates:

UK wide
• Thursday 26th June, 7.30-9pm (online, via Zoom)
Email: app@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-srut-20250626193000

Birmingham
• Friday 6th June, 10.30am-12.30pm (in person, Birmingham)
Email: natalie@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-s4mw-20250606103000

Lancashire and South Cumbria
• Friday 6th June, 10.30am-12pm (in person, Blackburn)
Email: lancsandcumbria@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-s2sf-20250606103000
• Monday 9th June, 7.30-9.30pm (online, via Zoom)
Email: lancsandcumbria@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-sxnu-20250609193000
• Friday 13th June, 10.30am-12pm (in person, Blackpool)
Email: lancsandcumbria@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-s9m1-20250613103000
• Wednesday 18th June, 10.30am-12pm (in person, Lancaster)
Email: lancsandcumbria@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-s2bf-20250618103000
• Friday 20th June, 10.30am-12pm (in person, Preston)
Email: lancsandcumbria@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-s8wk-20250620103000

London
• Saturday 7th June, 11am-1pm (in person, London)
Email: app@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-spz9-20250607110000

Manchester
• Friday 27th June, 10.30am-12pm (in person, Manchester)
Email: manchester@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-s2vc-20250627103000

North East
• Saturday 7th June, 11am-1pm (in person, Newcastle)
Email: app@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-suwv-20250607110000

Northern Ireland
• Thursday 12th June, 7.30-9pm (online, via Zoom)
Email: app@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-shz6-20250612193000

Scotland
• Saturday 21st June, 11am-1pm (in person, Edinburgh)
Email: app@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-sn5m-20250621110000

Sussex and Hampshire
• Next date coming soon.

Wales
• Saturday 7th June, 11am-1pm (in person, Wrexham)
Email: app@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-svtz-20250607110000

Yorkshire
• Next date coming soon.

APP group – mental health difficulties after postpartum psychosis (PP)
• Next date coming soon.
Email: app@app-network.org

APP LGBTQ+ group
• Next date coming soon.
Email: app@app-network.org

Muslim mums group
• Tuesday 1st July, 12.30-1.30pm (online, via Zoom)
Email: Muslimpeersupport@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-s9qt-20250701123000

APP neurodiverse group
This group is for those who have experienced psychosis in the perinatal period, and are neurodiverse.
• Thursday 17th July, 7.30-9.30pm (online, via Zoom)
Email: app@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-s0bc-20250717193000

Dads and Co-parents group
• 8-9pm, every 3rd Wednesday of the month (virtual).
Zoom joining link: bit.ly/PARTNERMEET. Or email Simon: simon@app-network.org

Grandparents group
• Monday 2nd June, 6-7.30pm (online, via Zoom)
Email: app@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-s5l9-20250602180000

APP book club
• Thursday 19th June, 8-9pm (online, via Zoom)
Email: app@app-network.org or reserve your place here: https://bookwhen.com/apppeersupportgroups/e/ev-sxno-20250619200000

💜 We’re here for you. We hope to see you soon.