Reading the full Ockenden report today has been tough going. My heart goes out to all the families impacted by the Shrewsbury & Telford maternity trust’s poor care.

I was also, however surprised by the report.

I had expected there to be more damning evidence blaming midwives who were obsessed by a...

This Sunday I will dusting off my placard again to join midwives, other perinatal professionals and parents in Parliament Square in London. I will be there to show solidarity with midwives who are increasingly seeing their profession eroded, their working conditions untenable and their futures as mi...

I have been very privileged to witness many parents recover and even transform after different traumatic perinatal events. Although the context of perinatal trauma can vary for each person the steps towards healing the trauma symptoms that remain are always the same.

The first step is always in ack...

Dear NICE,

As a perinatal professional who has dedicated the last 10 years of my career to supporting parents' recovery from traumatic birth experiences I am extremely concerned to see that NICE will soon be issuing a guideline of induction at 39 weeks for all black and brown women.

 Is this reall...

The other day I was having one of those conversations that happens from time to time on social media about 'who' is best placed, most qualified, most appropriate to support parents who are struggling after a traumatic perinatal event. 

There was lots of hemming and hawing from a fellow mental healt...

Day 0 writing challenge - Theme is change

I was such an accident prone child growing up that I was always in and out of the local hospital A&E department. Family used to joke that I would do anything to see my mother who worked the night shift there as a humble receptionist at what used to be refer...

My own anxiety, struggles and fears surrounding my first pregnancy are what ultimately led me to be doing what I do today.

If I am honest the signs of an emotional breakdown were there long before I found out about my pregnancy.  A 10 year career in media to that point had left me spiritually voide...

As the NHS turns 72 this month I think we need to talk about where it is heading, what our expectations are and how we will become increasingly disappointed as service users if we don’t wake up to painful home truths about the way we are cared.

What the Covid19 pandemic has shown us is how grate...

When I first started teaching the TBR 3 Step Rewind technique to other birth professionals a fellow hypnotherapist messaged me. She said ‘Do you know if midwives and doulas are actually allowed to use the rewind technique? I don’t want you to get into trouble for teaching it if you’re not allowed or...

What is this quiet revolution in perinatal mental health?

Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a real fascination for the history of health and medicine, particularly when it comes to birth and maternal health. I love learning about common medical practices, beliefs and outcomes of yesteryear. ...

I am very thankful that there is more awareness of birth trauma now than what there was even 5 years ago. The internet, social media and the contribution of blogger’s real life experiences of birth trauma have really helped many women to recognise what they were experiencing. They can begin the proc...

Have we normalised a bad birth experience?

When I originally met Sarah* she had come to see me for treatment for anxiety. I had no idea when she booked the appointment that she was a new mum, and had a baby just 5 months beforehand, she didn’t mention this in her original email. She had said she wa...