Breathe Births

07/02/2025

Many women are offered a 'stretch and sweep' in late pregnancy. But what is this, why and how is it done, does it work and can you say no?

24/02/2024

A very proud day for Midwives Exclusive. You may have been wondering where I vanished to? I’m in Oaxaca, Mexico at the Goodbirth.net Birth Centre Conference. The very special midwife practice we call home has just been awarded the very first global birth centre accreditation. This comes after many years of hard work and finally putting it all together knowing we can confirm we not only offer safe birth but also sacred birth (according to international standards) to the woman who choose us to care for them. Thank you to my entire team, those who have moved on but were a valuable asset to Midwives Exclusive and those who are still here. This absolutely could not have been achieved without your hard work and support.

05/05/2023

I have loved Sarah Ockwell-Smith ‘s wisdom for many years now. This book is a must for any parent who wants to understand their child’s sleeping patterns and find ways to improve and support sleep in their household.

Without a doubt, the top question I get asked by parents of toddlers, preschoolers and children in the early school years is:

"How can I get them to sleep alone?"

This question means different things to different parents, e.g::

* how can I get them to go to sleep at bedtime, without sitting next to them the whole time?
* how can I get them to sleep in their own bed all night?
* how can I get them to stay in their own room and not keep coming out?

Whatever the meaning though - the underlying concept is the same. Why don't young children happily sleep independently?

To answer this question we have to understand that children are no different to the young of any other mammal - and virtually ALL mammals sleep next to their young until they are almost fully grown. For animals this is important, because it keeps their offspring safe from predators. For human offspring, they may not be eaten by predators in the night, but this doesn't stop them from feeling vulnerable and scared of being alone. Similarly, the close proximity to their parents at night helps them to feel safe and secure - and for good sleep, children need to NOT be in fight or flight mode, full of anxiety and cortisol.

What's the solution? Most importantly, I think we need a harsh reality check (sorry!). As much as society tells us that we shouldn't mollycoddle children and that it's weird and somehow wrong for them to need cuddling to sleep, or contact with us all night, we have to cut through the noise and go back to animalistic basics. It's hard for children to sleep independently because every cell in their being is screaming that it is wrong.

This is tough for us, it is exhausting, it is draining, it is frustrating...but if we reset our expectations and hold a realistic viewpoint it is SO Much easier - because we stop fighting our children and nature too.

(more later on today for a few little pointers that can gently (and at the child's pace) help to encourage the emergence of some sleep independence, because sometimes you just can't meet their needs for attachment at night!).

For more on the realities, psychology and physiology of infant and child sleep (and how to gently improve it) you can grab a copy of the new edition of my 'The Gentle Sleep Book' for only 99p for the rest of this week. Note: DON'T BUY THE PAPERBACK FROM AMAZON, they will send you the old, outdated edition which is significantly less helpful! The ebook is the new version though (and much cheaper!):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gentle-Sleep-Book-toddlers-pre-schoolers-ebook/dp/B00SRXR47Y/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Alternatively you can get the updated paperback here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/sarahockwellsmithauthor

16/06/2022

Come and book your pregnancy (or not) massage with us. We are offering a super discounted not to be missed price as we launch this new additional service. It’s a real treat I can assure you.

06/04/2022

Brilliant information!

05/04/2022

It's International Caesarean Awareness Month! With this in mind, here are some lovely tips to use for your Caesarean birth 💜

23/03/2022

“We completely accept that a caesarean section is a life-saving intervention when medically indicated, but the growth in caesarean section rates is a cause for concern given the associated risks for women and babies", the assistant professor [Dr Siobhán Corrigan] in organisational psychology said.

'Risks include a threefold or higher increased risk in maternal mortality, an increased risk of postpartum infection and an increased risk of haemorrhage...

"Some midwives stated that in their experience, more than half of mothers had their labour induced daily.

"Midwives felt the high rate of inductions was influenced by an American research paper called Arrive, which supports induction of birth at 39 weeks."

As doulas, we have also seen the correlation between elective induction at 39 weeks and increases in Cesarean sections and other complications as a result of the ARRIVE Trial. If your doctor or midwife recommends an elective induction at 39 weeks, it is crucial to understand why they recommend this option. We encourage you to have an open discussion about your options, including the risks and benefits of each, and make a decision only when you are 100% comfortable.

It is ok to ask for more time. It is also ok to choose elective induction. The most important thing is that you are the one making the ultimate decision surrounding your care and that your decision is made with confidence and not coming from fear.

We have a details blog about the ARRIVE trial, how it relates to , and what organizations such as and the have to say about it on our blog. Find it at https://www.thevbaclink.com/the-arrive-trial/

Source: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/midwives-worried-over-health-risks-as-the-number-of-caesarean-section-deliveries-soars-41466820.html

Referenced stufy: https://www.womenandbirth.org/article/S1871-5192(22)00002-6/fulltext

17/03/2022

Hypnobirthing is a birthing method that claims to promote a pain-free delivery. Sound too good to be true? We'll tell you what it's all about and what the research says.

05/03/2022

“At the age of 10-12 months when a child begins to walk, the bones of the foot are only partially ossified, are in reality but an orderly arrangement of cartilaginous masses.” - Functional Disorders of the Foot by Frank D. Dickinson, MD 🦶🏽

The implications of this are that little feet are extremely malleable, and will adapt to whatever environment they are put in. We want our children to grow up with natural shaped feet, not shoe-shaped feet. Keep those little paws out of shoes as long as possible. 🐾

📸 .plasencia

Learn more: https://returntonow.net/.../stop-forcing-kids-to-keep.../

16/02/2022

Our culture has really embraced the idea of due dates.

We accept that they are a ‘thing’ even though they are totally man made.

We allow due dates to dictate many of our actions, thoughts, conventions and conversations around pregnancy.

But many women and families will tell you that they and everything that goes along with them can be a source of considerable stress.

It’s really disheartening to know your due date but to have a professional (or, worse, a machine) insist on changing it.

It’s immensely stressful to have to fight to not have an induction when you KNOW your baby isn’t ready to be born.

As I wrote in In Your Own Time, “Assigning a due date, allowing a machine to change it and then using that date to determine the end point of pregnancy sends a very clear message. It conveys the idea than medical science knows more about when a baby should be born than either the baby herself or the woman whose body has created, grown and nourished her baby.”

But, when you look closely at what we know about the length of pregnancy, you find something rather curious: you find that it isn’t based on good evidence. In fact, you find – as I have done over the two decades that I have been researching this area - that, “the policy of induction at a certain point in pregnancy is largely based on fear, tradition, fashion and some outdated, misogynistic ideas rather than sound evidence.”

If you’d like to know more, visit www.sarawickham.com/time

13/02/2022

You read that right.

Per the American College of OB/GYN's 2019 VBAC guidelines, the risk of maternal death during a planned vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is 0.0019%.

Expressed another way, that is a risk of 1 in 52,600.

Did you have any idea the risk was that low?

Whereas the risk of maternal death with an elective repeat cesarean after one cesarean is 0.0096% or 1 in 10,000.

Again, both really small numbers but the risk of maternal death is five times higher in a repeat cesarean.

This is why when pregnant people are threatened with "you could die if you plan a VBAC," it falls flat.

But it is often really successful in coercing someone into a repeat cesarean... as well as eroding patient autonomy and any trust when the birthing person learns the facts.

As a L&D nurse told us, "There is no real informed consent anymore."

This is just yet another example.

ETA: Some people asked in the comments about the risk of fetal death. We discuss that here: https://vbacfacts.com/2012/04/03/confusing-fact-only-6-of-uterine-ruptures-are-catastrophic/

Others have asked about vaginal birth after classical cesarean: https://vbacfacts.com/2021/08/10/vbac-after-classical-t-j-incision/

… or after two cesareans: https://vbacfacts.com/vba2c

… or after three or more cesareans: https://vbacfacts.com/vba3c

Also, you can download our free resources including:

- a report debunking the top 5 uterine rupture myths: https://vbacfacts.com/report

- a handout busting the top 3 VBAC myths using national guidelines: https://vbacfacts.com/acogmyths

- and a VBAC planning checklist: https://vbacfacts.com/checklist