Postpartum Matters CIC

12/11/2025

A year ago today, one of my wonderful doula clients birthed her baby at home after a previous caesarean, supported by NHS-funded independent midwives 💫

She fought so hard throughout her pregnancy to access that care, and it was an absolute honour to walk alongside her. 🥰

Her determination helped us push for better home birth support across Sunderland, Durham & Darlington, and for a little while, we made real change ❤️

What we all thought would be a huge step forward (the NHS funding private midwives) turned out not necessarily to be the gift we hoped for. And a year on, I’m still supporting families facing the same barriers and heartbreakingly limited options for home birth.

The landscape has shifted so much in 12 months, a lot of it not in a good way. At times it has felt heavy and hard, but looking back at photos from that incredible birth reminds me why we keep going ❤️.

Because every time a woman stands for what’s right for her, it ripples outwards and benefits us all ✨

Happy birth-day 🥰 sending you so much love

Zoe ###

10/11/2025

When I first started this work, I wanted to change things.
I wanted to campaign, gather evidence, fight to make things better.

But over the years, I’ve just watched outcomes get worse.
And that immense energy I put in just felt wasted.

Recent headlines - home birth being labelled dangerous, midwifery courses being told not to teach ‘normal birth ideology’ - are a reminder of that.

I have strong opinions about it all. I’ve seen how fear and over-medicalisation can lead to poor outcomes.
But I can’t bring myself to shout about it anymore.

Physiological birth is not an ideology.
It’s real. It happens. I’ve seen it many times - and I’ve lived it myself.

I’m not here to convince you. And I’m not here to fight the system anymore. That will play out how it does.

But I am here to support anyone who wants something different - anyone who wants to birth undisturbed, in trust, connected to their body.

And I’m here for all the others who stand with me 💛 - especially those who are still shouting about it 🫂

We can still make a difference.
One birth, one family, one moment of trust at a time.

Sending love,
Zoe xx

🌻

05/11/2025

This year has been really hard when it comes to funding. Grants have been hard to find, competition feels endless, and the politics of local funding continues to feel tricky.

There’s so much amazing work happening out there, and so many people doing incredible things for their communities ❤️ it’s just been a tough space to navigate.

Honestly, there have been so many moments I thought I’d have to tell you all we’d be shutting our doors in the future.

But today we won one 🙌🏻

Thank you so much for believing in us 🙏🏻🥰

This support has reminded me why we keep going, and it means we can keep doing what we love—holding space, supporting our community, and showing up for each other.

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. To everyone who’s been with us on this journey, your support keeps this little dream alive. 💛

And if you’re new here and wondering what I’m going on about - head to the Women’s Health Hartlepool 🔗 in my bio to see all the wonderful, free peer-support we have available 😊

Sending love,
Zoe xx

30/10/2025

27/10/2025

In the second session of Elixir - a group programme I am participating in about the pelvis - Katy from asked me to write the story of my pelvis in a few sentences.

The story of my pelvis came out like a poem
Refined and reflected on during my morning pages today, facilitated by the lovely Kate from .circlesessions

I thought I’d share 🙏🏻❤️
My poem and my gratitude to all of the wonderful women in my life. Who have held my hips, my pelvis, my sadness and my joy. Who continue to hold me as I shapeshift and grow into all the women I’m still meant to be.

Sending love ✨,
Zoe xx

24/10/2025

There’s been a lot of noise about home birth lately… and I just want to say this.

It doesn’t actually matter what I think about home birth being safe (though for the record — I do 100% do believe it is ❤️).

What matters is what you think.
What you feel in your body.
What helps you feel safe.

My role as your doula isn’t to convince you that home birth is the best or safest option — it’s to help you figure out what feels right for you.
To hold space while you find the information, support and confidence that help you feel grounded in your choices — wherever and however you birth.

Because safety isn’t just about statistics or settings.
It’s about feeling safe in yourself, in your environment, and in the people around you.

So if you’re pregnant right now and thinking about where you might want to give birth, maybe take a quiet moment to check in:
✨ How do I actually feel about birth?
✨ What do I need to feel safe in labour?
✨ What thoughts or fears do I need to release to feel safe in birth?
✨ Who can support me with that?

No need to overthink your answers ❤️. No need to feel like you even need to have all the answers. Because these things are often messy and complex and that is okay 🫂.

Please do reach out if you feel that speaking to someone would help 🙏🏻

With love,
Zoe x

⸻

P.S. Ways I can support you —
✨ Doula support through pregnancy, birth and postpartum — my availability is from March 2026
🌸 Closing ceremonies, pregnancy massage and other ceremonial bodywork
🫶 Free creative journaling at Women’s Health Hartlepool every other Sunday

You can book a free cuppa & chat through the 🔗 in my bio if you’d like to connect more ❤️

22/10/2025

The day after you give birth, I give myself space too 🌀

I take it slow — no rushing, no moving straight on. Just space to breathe, to feel into how things unfolded, and to sit with the emotions that might have came up for me

Sometimes that looks like journaling about what I witnessed, and how that made me feel. It’s important for me to process those feelings first, because they’re mine and not yours and, as your doula, I need to be able to hold you postnatally too ❤️

I like to reflect on the things I want to remember, and the things I want to learn from.

It’s how I tend to myself and my practice — gently weaving what happened into reflection and growth, so I can keep meeting you with presence and care.

There are also little rituals that help me come back to centre: a warm cup of tea, yoga, baking something nourishing (usually for a door-drop for you 🥰)

And there are ways I’m held too — by meeting with other birthworkers, sharing stories, receiving mentorship and listening support, remembering that this work is never done alone. (Sending love to & for yesterday ❤️🙏🏻)

Because birth doesn’t end when the baby arrives — it ripples through all of us.

And part of my role as your doula is to honour that — the integration, the slowing down, the deep exhale after all that energy and love and witnessing. 🌿

With love,
Zoe xx

⸻

P.S. Ways I can support you —
✨ Doula support through pregnancy, birth and postpartum - my availability is from March 2026
🌸 Closing ceremonies, pregnancy massage and other ceremonial bodywork
🫶 Free creative journaling at Women’s Health Hartlepool every other Sunday.

You can book a free cuppa & chat through the 🔗 in my bio if you’d like to connect more ❤️

17/10/2025

There’s been a lot of heavy stuff in the news about birth lately — and it’s completely understandable if it’s left you feeling anxious or unsure.

So much of the support I offer — in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum — is about gently exploring those fears and helping you find calm and trust in yourself.

Because you are the one experiencing this — and you are capable of birth. ❤️

I know this in my bones. I know this without ever having met you.
You are capable of growing, birthing, and nourishing this baby — safely, wholly, and beautifully.

Even if you never read a birth book, never do a hypnobirthing course, never go to a single antenatal checkup…

You can birth your baby. ❤️

Birth doesn’t have to feel terrifying or unsafe.
It can be supported, grounded, and deeply your own.

If you’ve been feeling worried — from the news, from family stories, or just the weight of it all — you’re welcome to book a free hour-long consultation with me. 🥰
It’s a space to talk things through, share a cuppa, and breathe a little easier.

You can book via the link in my bio. ❤️

Sending love,
Zoe xx

P.S. these cards from are so beautiful 😍 I can’t wait to share them with clients at antenatal sessions next week ❤️

⸻

06/10/2025

Five years ago, I walked this path every day, pregnant in the middle of the pandemic.
The world felt unsafe. Out of control. Lonely.
Those walks were the only moments I could breathe — where I could hear myself think, and start to trust my own instincts again.
Where I could figure out what I actually wanted and needed - away from the noise and global fear.

That time taught me so much about what it takes to feel safe in pregnancy.
Not just physically, but emotionally too.
How to take back a sense of control when everything around you feels uncertain —
and how hard that really is to do on your own.

It’s one of the biggest reasons I do what I do now.
When the world still feels so unsafe. So uncertain.
To help others find that same sense of safety, trust and support in their bodies, their births, and their becoming. 🌿

🕊️
If you’re pregnant or in the tender postpartum and want to feel more grounded, confident and supported, I offer gentle doula care, whole family support and ceremonial bodywork across the North East.

You can book a free chat through the link in my bio — I’d love to hear where you’re at and what you need ❤️

Sending love,
Zoe xx

03/10/2025

Our shared lunch yesterday for the Pool Together week of action 😍❤️ pulled together by our wonderful Women’s Health Coordinator, Maureen and supported by our Engagement Leads, Ngozi & Sammi from 🥰 with Jess from and Katie from and service users too 😊

You can find the 🔗 to our timetable full of free peer-led sessions in my bio ❤️

Sending love,
Zoe xx

29/09/2025

I had to cancel this in August because of everything that was going on and because I’m really not great at marketing events

But I feel so strongly that we need these quiet spaces to be with ourselves and each other ❤️

It will be a magical day ✨ and the perfect way to set yourself up before the mayhem of December

Pregnant folks are welcome, it will all be individualised and self-paced, an exploration ❤️ and you don’t have to live in Hartlepool - we’re easy to get to by car and public transport

The 🔗 to book is in my bio 🥰

Please share with anyone you think might benefit / be interested in coming 🙏🏻 I’d really appreciate any support getting this in front of the people who need to be there 🌀

Sending love,
Zoe xx

25/09/2025

That’s probably not all I’ve got to say on the matter but it’s all I’ve got the energy to verbalise 🙏🏻❤️