Birthjourneys Midwifery

11/11/2025

I am a midwife.

I am a supporter and specialist of normal birth.

If the birthing environment isn’t optimal, and the physiological process is disrupted, birth will become complicated and damage will occur.

Birth!
Let’s break this down.

….the emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being…

And in general, ALL mammals, for ALL of time, do this best when they are safe, private, and without distractions, so the physiological process can happen.

Midwives understand the process, and have knowledge and experience to know when that normal process veers towards being abnormal, and escalate care appropriately. That is our job.

But we find ourselves in a situation where almost 50% of human birth now ‘requires’ caesarean section. In fact, many student midwives in their whole three years of training, don’t get their required experience of 40 ‘normal’ births. The system is failing us as mothers… and midwives. Government, NMC, RCM are failing us all.

Women’s bodies DO still work. It’s the system that’s broken.

Art by Tarn Ellis

09/11/2025

You may not yet have had the benefit of Nadine’s support. But it’s still worth looking into any work on birth recovery such as prolapse prevention and recovery.

04/11/2025

Update. OMNVP have got back to me, and shared the email address of the investigation group. It’s public to all. The investigation team responded very quickly after I emailed, to say there will be a call for more evidence in the new year. They will send me a link when they have one, but until then, they’re still welcoming anyone who would like to get in touch.

The email address is matneoinvestigation@dhsc.gov.uk

There are a couple of vacant seats for the maternity investigation sessions on Thursday 6th November.

If you have an experience of really good care, they’ll want to learn what made it good. If you have experience of bad care, they’ll want to learn how to make it better.

I have asked OMNVP if there is another route to sharing experiences, other than through themselves (I know some will not consider the group to be acting independently or without bias), but I’ve yet to hear back. I will share as soon as I know.

I know there is a group collecting experiences, called something like Failed by OUH Maternity. I’ll see if I can find it. This group might be another route for getting your experience shared.
…. The group is called Families failed by OUH maternity services.

If real change is going to happen in maternity services, this listening and understanding of poor experiences needs to be totally independent and available to all.

02/11/2025

One of the most common statements I made as a midwife, was ‘nothing can ever truly prepare you for parenthood’. Yes, you can learn to bath babies, change nappies, feed them, and to understand they sometimes cry and you’ll not know why.

But who prepares you to leave so much of your old life behind? Values and priorities change overnight. The world becomes a hard place and things, even people close to you, even yourself, become a threat. The one time you really need your tribe around, you realise you’ve been hurled towards a new one, but vulnerability and isolation have already taken a hold and it’s so hard to step outside.

For all the absolutely exquisite love a new baby brings, it can open the door for chaos. Being able to get your own needs met during each new phase, each day, and sometimes on an hourly basis, may require new skills. Keeping your relationship strong and mutually supportive is vital.

Be prepared, with good communication skills. Gain knowledge on how best to help each other. Understand how the tumbles into that downward spiral can happen, and when to get help if they do.

With many years of midwifery experience, and now psychotherapy training, I can share my knowledge and tricks to make the transition into parenthood smoother. We can meet in person for one to one sessions, or in a small group of your own peers, or online.

Book a session with me before your little bundle of joy arrives, or in the early days when reality has hit you a bit hard, or when you’ve come out of that baby moon phase and want to keep yourselves afloat to avoid tumbling into mental ill health.

Call me for a chat, on 07823770858. Or email me, and I’ll reply quickly.
trudy@birthjourneysmidwifery.com

Another popular saying? ‘If you don’t look after yourself, you can’t look after anyone else’

Art by Chloe Trayhurn

30/10/2025

Having taken a bit of a break for family matters, I’m back into the psychotherapy seat, and able to accommodate one or two mothers (or dads, or couples!) who would like to leave their birth trauma behind and create space for better peace of mind.

If you’ve had a difficult birth or have experienced events that have now created fear around childbirth, I can work with you to start the ball well and truly rolling towards a calmer and more positive mindset.

For the last part of my training, I can continue to offer these therapy session free of charge. Please do get in touch if you feel you could benefit from this combined midwifery/psychotherapy support. No waiting lists. Days and times negotiable. An average of 4-6 sessions can be expected. Why not take that first step forward?

Message me on 07823770858 or email me at trudy@birthjourneysmidwifery.com for a free, totally unbiased, chat about what I can offer.

Art by Gioia Albano

16/10/2025

Nadine, you’re so right. Thus is fabulous info for all breastfeeding mums. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

One of the things that amazes me most about breastfeeding and pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is that breastfeeding can actually help PGP recovery.

05/09/2025

We could do a lot worse than have 6:1 ratio here.

04/08/2025

Pelvic girdle pain? Take a read of Nadine’s work.

Free guide for Pelvic Girdle Pain Recovery. Expert advice. Inexpensive strategies to help yourself. Feel reassured and get help now.

02/08/2025

21/07/2025

I’m going to be taking a break from the Tuesday morning baby feeding cafes in Emmanuel church. From tomorrow, and after 3 years of providing weekly feeding support, I’ll not be around.

The sessions started when I had some free time following early retirement from NHS midwifery. I moved the ‘cafe’ from Bicester Tesco community room 8 months later, to the Emmanuel Church. Cheryl and the church team have been amazingly supportive and provided space every single week since then.

Separate to the feeding support, the current new parents group, Bicester New Mums Support Network, will still be meeting there.

But the feeding sessions aren’t so busy at the moment, and I’m finding it increasingly difficult to single handedly commit to them each week, knowing they’re benefiting so few.

The break may well be temporary, while I focus more time on my general midwifery and psychotherapy services. You never know, another qualified and eager feeding supporter may decide to continue the free sessions. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

If you know any new or expecting parents who were hoping to come along, please share this news with them. I’ll ensure the health visiting team, midwives, OBS and infant feeding team are aware.

In love and kindness,
Trudy