Good Enough Mama - Birthing & Baby

Sarah Harcombe does amazing work as both a Breastfeeding Counsellor and Bowen Therapist. See her in pregnancy or postnatally.

This week is the 12 year anniversary of me becoming a breastfeeding counsellor 🎉🎉🎉.
In this time I have supported hundreds of women and babies working through breastfeeding difficulties, trained other mums to enable them to provide breastfeeding peer support, and volunteered at the local breastfeeding support group, Nourish .
If you are finding breastfeeding difficult and would like some support, please DM and we can work together to help you achieve your breastfeeding goals.

Just a couple of spaces left on my next term (1 March - 5 April) of holistic birthing classes starting on Tuesday evening at Staplegrove Village Hall. I have 8 years experience running empowering classes locally (check out my reviews). Come and learn hypnobirthing breathing, active birth movement, and meet others who are pregnant. You will leave feeling much calmer and more prepared for birth ☺️

Online booking: https://www.goodenoughmama.co.uk/birthing-classes

As well as being an amazing midwife, Elly Copp can help with so much before and after birth.

Rebozo : I work with these Mexican shawls called rebozo in pregnancy and after a birth . They are brilliant and in pregnancy have multiple advantages : they help to calm and relax , to stay in connection with your baby and to help baby move into the best position for a smooth birth . It’s good to start using a rebozo from the start of the third trimester .
After the birth I wrap with them which is not only extremely comforting but helps support the back and pelvis which took the strain when carrying the baby or babies.
I have worked With mums of all ages , it doesn’t matter when you had the baby. ,the pelvis will feel better after the wrapping which is also called bone closing .
It is an amazing thing to experience . I have worked with mums who had induction , epidural , twins , c section IVF and mums who have adopted children . It is especially helpful when a mum feels shocked or traumatised by her birth , had a previous miscarriage or baby who died . It helps honour the body and the baby who is not here . If a mum lost a lot of blood had a big tear or struggled with feeding she can feel better too . No mum is exempt
Do get in touch to find out how I can help you .

This is one of the main reasons why I do what I do… everyone should be able to make truly informed choices about their birth.

I can help you have a better birth experience with tools, techniques and evidence to help you navigate the system.

New term of Holistic Birthing Classes coming up on 7 Dec and Active Hypnobirthing Workshop on Sat 11 Dec.

https://www.goodenoughmama.co.uk/birthing

It is utterly devastating to see these figures in black and white, but sadly it comes as no surprise. I have been in the birth world as a Midwife, Doula, Hypnobirthing Teacher and as pregnant and birthing women for 27 years and I'm not going to pretend it's ever been ok. The level of intervention back in the 90's when I trained as a Midwife and again in 2010 when I hung up my Midwife's uniform were high, in fact it was a key reason in me leaving the profession that I adored.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But these statistics go beyond anything we have ever previously witnessed and it's shocking. In 2020-21 less than half of women & birthing people went into labour spontaneously and there was NO significant reduction in adverse outcomes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Hearing these statistics has floored me, as I sit here close to tears I wonder how the f---k do we come back from this. How are we failing women and babies in such a catastrophic way.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As a Midwife I can with deep regret recognise that I was complicit, I was part of a system that was controlled by obstetrics, I was in no way an 'Independent Practitioner'. As Midwives, and yes even during the horrendous crisis in Midwifery, we have got to reclaim birth. We have got to take it back. We have got to start to question what has become normal practice, we have to give women their voice, we have to listen, we have to advocate, we have to empower and support.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As an antenatal educator I have to shout louder, I have to scream from the rooftops that you are powerful, strong capable, your body, your baby, your decisions ... every bloody one of them. I will point you in the right direction of accurate evidence based information and I will never stop sharing that birth is incredible and so are you. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As a pregnant woman, I needed to take ownership of my own experience, I needed to get educated and informed, I need to ask questions and then ask some more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Together, we must take birth back.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Wendy x

Is your baby due early next year? The time to prepare for your birth is now!

Feel calmer and more in control about your upcoming birth and make lasting local friendships.

Join me for this 6 week Holistic Birthing programme (7 Dec - 25 Jan with a break for Christmas).

Sessions include:
… antenatal education
… hypnobirth breathing and relaxation
… active birth movement

You will leave feeling far more confident and empowered about your birth, knowing how best to navigate the system and work with your body to have as positive an experience as possible.

Classes are for pregnant women / birthing people only, however I also run workshops to include birth partners. The next one is on Sat 11 Dec (please message me for details or see the website).

Online booking: https://www.goodenoughmama.co.uk/birthing-classes

I can help you have a more positive birth experience.
Ali xx

Pregnancy Yoga Antenatal Classes in Taunton A 6 week course to feel calmer and more confident about your birth. Holistic birthing classes combining active birth education, pregnancy yoga, and hypnobirth breathing.

Some people think I’m anti-induction, but that’s not true.

My friend Jenny had her labour induced, and I’m delighted. It was absolutely the right decision for her, and for many other women too.

What I’m ‘anti’ is the way that more and more women are being pushed into induction without good reason, and without being given good information about the pros and cons, risks and benefits, so that they – like Jenny – can decide whether or not it’s right for them.

What I wrote in my book was this:

“I’m not anti-induction.

I’m anti using limited and cherry-picked evidence and deceptive claims about risk to try to persuade entire groups of women to hand over control of their bodies and undergo intervention in the name of safety when the recommendations aren’t based on good science or an understanding of the wider consequences of such actions and may cause harm.”

My aim in writing In Your Own Time was to unpack that evidence and spell it out so that everyone can make the decision that’s right for them.

Because it’s not up to me, or the midwife or doctor in the clinic that day, or the computer or sonographer, or your doula or childbirth educator.

Your body. Your baby. Your decision.

My aim - with all my books - is to help explain the evidence so that you can make the decisions that are right for you.

Find out more at www.sarawickham.com/time

Looking for help and support? Or just a cup of tea and chance for your little one to play?

Come along to The MADhouse on Friday's from 10.30am-1.30pm.

We offer a friendly and supportive group for you to come along too. You can drop in any time between 10.30am and 1,30pm but if you are looking for support please attend before 12.30 to ensure you are seen.

Have a carrier you need help getting comfy? Or are you looking for a carrier or sling to hire. We have trained peer supporters on hand to help and offer hire for just £15 for 4 weeks.

Looking into reusable nappies? Want some help with existing nappies and issues? Looking to hire one of our extensive nappy kits. Our volunteers are experienced and knowledgeable about reusable options and can listen and offer support as well as the chance to hire for just £15 for 4 weeks.

We also offer breastfeeding peer support, not just for new mums, but for those looking for advice on night feeds, returning to work or stopping feeding our trained peer supporters can help with these questions and more.

We can also offer evidence based information on many aspects of parenting from feeding, to sleep, to children’s normal development.

Entry is free, if you wish to purchase drinks and snacks from The MADhouse you can.

Towards Tomorrow Together is an amazing local organization supporting those affected by baby loss. Please see their post about meeting in person for the Wave of Light memorial service 🕯❤️

Wave of Light Memorial Service 2021 - Towards Tomorrow Together A short Memorial Service, where we will join in the Wave of Light across the world by lighting candles at 7pm for baby loss.

Are you anxious about your upcoming birth? Does your partner worry that they won’t know what to do?

Come and learn Active Hypnobirthing for a more positive and empowered birth experience.

I’m running an intensive 4 hour workshop on Sunday 10 October in Taunton.

This session will help you both to feel calm and confident about your birth, and learn tools and techniques to navigate any changes to your birth plan.

Booking now:
https://www.goodenoughmama.co.uk/hypnobirth-workshop

You will learn:

* What to expect at each stage of labour
* How to work with your body to ensure it is as positive an experience as possible
* Breathing techniques to help you feel calm and in control
* Understanding and deciding upon various interventions that you might be offered
* Massage and other techniques that your birth partner can use to help you stay more relaxed during labour

I also run Holistic Birthing Classes for women/birthing people on Tuesday evenings. The next term starts on 12 October, so please message me for more info about the classes or the workshop.

I can help you to have a better birth experience.

Ali xx

Active Hypnobirth Preparation Workshop for Parents in Taunton An intensive 4 hour workshop to help you and your birth partner feel calm and confident about your birth. Learn active hypnobirth tools for a positive birth.

Postnatal support. Goodness knows you deserve it. Another wonderful offering from Elly Copp ❤️