Birth Prep With Joy

19/01/2026

Did you hear “Your Bishop’s Score is low” or “Your score is favourable” without being told what that actually means?

The Bishop’s Score is a clinical tool used to assess how the cervix is responding at that moment. It looks at a combination of cervical changes (such as softness, length and position) and the baby’s position in the pelvis, and was originally developed to help clinicians estimate how likely the cervix was to respond to certain induction methods.

What it doesn’t do is predict whether labour will start on its own, how long labour will take, or how someone will cope with either spontaneous labour or induction.

This is where confusion and anxiety often creeps in.

Cervical change is dynamic. It can shift significantly over hours or days, particularly once labour hormones are active. A low score today can look very different tomorrow, especially if the body hasn’t yet received the hormonal signals that labour is approaching.

A low Bishop’s Score is no a judgement on your body as if it means something isn’t working properly. In reality, it often simply means that labour hasn’t begun yet.

Used appropriately, the Bishop’s Score can be a helpful piece of information, but it works best when it’s understood as part of a wider picture.

Understanding what the score does and doesn’t measure allows parents to ask clearer questions, feel less alarmed by a single number, and engage more confidently in conversations about induction and options.

17/01/2026

🤔 Is it possible for labour and birth to feel manageable?

From a physiological perspective, labour is largely driven by oxytocin, a hormone that’s supported by feelings of safety, familiarity and emotional connection. When someone feels frightened or overwhelmed, adrenaline increases as part of the stress response. That response is protective, but it can interfere with oxytocin’s effectiveness.

What I hear speaking with pregnant people is that fear is rarely just about pain. Much more often, it’s about not knowing what sensations mean, whether what’s happening is normal, or what might happen next.

When people understand why contractions feel the way they do, what intensity is doing, and how labour typically progresses, those sensations are often experienced very differently. They don’t necessarily become easier, but they become less threatening.

This is why antenatal education that explains physiology, rather than just listing ways to deal with pain can be much more empowering. Understanding supports coping even when birth doesn’t follow a neat or predictable path.

Preparation isn’t about control. It’s about understanding enough to feel steadier if you have to action your plan B or C. 👍

16/01/2026

I’m Joy. I’m an antenatal educator, hypnobirthing practitioner and perinatal support specialist based in West Lothian.

I work with expectant parents who want clear, evidence based information and the chance to properly understand what’s happening, rather than being rushed or talked at. I care a lot about how information is shared and how language is used, because those things shape how people experience pregnancy, birth and early parenting.

My work sits between physiology and emotional wellbeing. I spend time explaining things, answering questions, and helping people make sense of what they’re being told so they feel steadier and more confident in their decisions.

I run local group antenatal courses and also offer 1:1 online support for birth preparation, feeding and emotional wellbeing, because support isn’t one size fits all.

Most of my work is quite quiet. A lot of reading, writing, thinking things through and choosing words carefully. Usually with a cup of tea nearby.

It matters to me that parents feel informed, respected and supported. That’s what underpins everything I do.
💜

15/01/2026

Preparing for birth isn’t just about your body - it’s also about the system you’ll give birth in.

UK maternity services are under significant pressure, through no fault of the midwives working within them and that reality shapes how your care is delivered.

Evidence from maternity research consistently shows that understanding care pathways, decision-making processes and what’s flexible can help people feel more confident and less overwhelmed - especially in busy systems.

Preparation isn’t about being difficult or demanding.
It’s about knowing how things work, so you can navigate them more calmly. Your voice really does matter.

13/01/2026

Antenatal classes don’t just give information. They change behaviour.

🏥 Research into antenatal education suggests that preparation can influence when people choose to come to hospital in labour not because their bodies are different, but because their understanding and confidence are.

Feeling clearer about what’s normal in early labour, and when hospital care is helpful, can support people to stay at home longer and arrive later in labour and there are many benefits to this.

Midwifery researcher Mary Nolan has written about how antenatal education supports confidence, decision-making and timing - not just knowledge.

This isn’t about being brave or “doing labour better”.
It’s about preparation that shapes choices.

💚 That’s the approach I take in my antenatal courses - preparing people not just for birth, but for the decisions around it.

11/01/2026

🐣 You can’t spoil a newborn.

Research in infant development and attachment consistently shows that responding to a baby’s needs supports regulation, reduces stress, and helps build a sense of safety.

Newborns don’t yet have the neurological capacity to self-soothe or manipulate behaviour. They rely on adults to help regulate their bodies and emotions.

Responsive care such as holding, feeding and comforting your baby when they need it isn’t “giving in”. It’s how babies learn that the world is safe and predictable.

That early sense of security is linked with healthier emotional development over time.

💚 Understanding this can take a lot of unnecessary pressure off new parents.

If your instinct says I want to pick up and cuddle my baby then pick up and cuddle your baby!

09/01/2026

👬This is something people often underestimate in pregnancy.

One of the most valuable parts of an antenatal course often isn’t the information ... it’s the people you meet.

Midwifery researcher Mary Nolan has written about how antenatal groups can support connection beyond the sessions themselves, something I was trained in and have seen matter again and again in practice.

Having others around you who are at a similar stage, asking the same questions, awake at the same hours, can make the early days feel less isolating.

👭Support doesn’t always look like advice or answers.
Sometimes it looks like shared experience and feeling less alone.

06/01/2026

💜 Something antenatal courses don’t always prepare you for is what comes after the birth.

Research suggests that antenatal education is most effective when it supports not just labour, but emotional wellbeing, decision-making and practical preparation for early parenthood.

💜 Studies show antenatal education can reduce fear and anxiety, increase confidence, and help parents feel more prepared for postnatal challenges - which matters because the early weeks are often when people feel most unsure.

That’s why my antenatal courses include newborn care and postnatal wellbeing alongside birth preparation.

💜 My next in-person antenatal course starts TOMORROW in Linlithgow.

05/01/2026

https://www.nestle.co.uk/en-gb/media/sma-infant-formula-follow-on-formula-recall if you are using this brand of formula or have friends and family with babies, please share.

The safety and wellbeing of babies is our absolute priority. As a precautionary measure, Nestlé is voluntarily recalling specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula.

04/01/2026

⭐️ A lot of people assume this without ever questioning it... that when a doctor or midwife recommends something, it’s the right answer for them personally.

In reality, recommendations are shaped by clinical guidelines, population-level evidence, and professional experience, including past cases that have stayed with a clinician.

I saw this first-hand myself, outside of maternity care. A doctor recommended removing a mole “just in case”, explaining that a previous patient on the same immunosuppressant medication had been reassured and later diagnosed with cancer. That experience understandably influenced his caution.

My mole was not cancerous. But the learning stayed with me.

The recommendation wasn’t wrong, but it also wasn’t neutral - though he was very open in telling me the story and letting me make my own choice.

In pregnancy and birth, understanding how decisions are made and knowing you can be part of them - is an important part of preparation.

This is something we spend time on in my antenatal courses, alongside birth preparation, early parenthood and newborn care.

⭐️ My next course starts 7th January in Linlithgow, with a few spaces still available.⭐️

02/01/2026

After many years of supporting parents, this is what I know helps most.

Yes, understanding labour, birth and the early days matters, but what makes the biggest difference is feeling supported, reassured, and helped to make sense of what’s happening - emotionally as well as physically.

My antenatal courses prepare you not just for birth, but for early parenthood too - including newborn care and postnatal wellbeing.

So many people arrive feeling they should feel more confident by now. Often, what they actually need is space, reassurance, and calm, down-to-earth preparation. Meeting other expectant parents who are also feel the same is also incredibly bonding.

That’s the heart of my antenatal work.

My January in-person antenatal course takes place in Linlithgow.
To find out more: www.birthprepwithjoy.com/birthandbaby

01/01/2026

As the new year begins, a gentle reminder:

You don’t need fixing.
You don’t need a new version of yourself.
You don’t need big goals, fresh energy, or answers right now.

If you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, feeding a baby, recovering, navigating anxiety, loss, or simply feeling tired, starting the year gently is enough.

This year:
Small steps count.
Rest counts.
Support counts.
Self-care counts.

Wishing you a calm, kind start to the year.
Joy x