A nourishing day of connection, skill-sharing, Qigong, treatment swaps and honest conversation with fellow doulas and birth workers. Why local, in-person community matters so much when so many of us work alone — and why resourcing ourselves is part of supporting women well.

Why do I use the word Yoni? Rooted in ancient Sanskrit, Yoni can mean source, womb, origin and place of creation. In this piece I explore why language matters, the importance of knowing our anatomical terms, and why reconnecting with pelvic wisdom can support women through birth and throughout life.

An incredible weekend of traditional birth skills, sisterhood and deepening what it really means to be ‘with woman’. Learning alongside a Native elder, holding a Village Prenatal and Closing of the Bones ceremony, I came home profoundly changed — with more skills, more trust, a stronger village around me, and an even deeper understanding of what it means to truly be of service to women, families and babies.

When I discovered that my son and I both had threadworms while I was pregnant, I chose to research natural ways of treating them. Here I share the complete two-week routine that worked for us—including raw garlic, carrots, pumpkin seeds, dietary changes, homeopathy and the essential hygiene measures that helped prevent reinfection.

After hearing women’s experiences of being dismissed by healthcare services at Matt Bishop MP’s women and girls event at Speech House, I reflect on menopause, oestrogen, the role of the adrenal glands—and why women need community, meaningful information and genuine choice.

From fish skin tanning and animal craft to a Closing the Bones circle shared by thirty women from around the world, Medicine Festival became a powerful experience of remembering—our instinctive knowledge, our relationship with death and the wisdom already held within our bodies.

This week I experienced something profound — being shrouded. For thousands of years, families cared for their loved ones in this way at home, just as naturally as we swaddle our babies or wrap women during pregnancy and after birth. These simple acts of wrapping are not just rituals, they are deeply human ways of offering support, love, and closure.

This past weekend, I crossed a profound threshold during an experiential workshop led by Samara Hawthorn of Wellmama CIC. Among the many powerful rituals, the women-only sweat lodge stood out as a sacred space to explore the seasons and cycles of our lives as women.

It’s hard to put into words the transformation that happens when women come together in this way. Perhaps that’s why it’s referred to as the “blood mysteries.”

A recent BBC article highlights an ongoing crisis in maternity services. Despite years of warnings and recommendations, little has changed. Depersonalised, intervention-heavy approaches dominate, leaving many women feeling unsupported during pregnancy and birth. The result? Rising intervention rates, birth trauma, and an overall lack of trust in the system.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

After my first birth, I found myself replaying the events over and over in my mind. I had felt like a rabbit stuck in the headlights—surrounded by watching eyes, unsupported, and unable to communicate. I didn’t know that wasn’t normal, and on paper, everything about the birth looked fine.

The notes, the outcome—it all seemed like a completely normal birth, like those I’d been reading in the home birth group!

I was delighted to have achieved a home birth, but inside, I felt stuck and didn’t feel able to reach out for support.

For those of you who knew me before, you’ll know how passionate I was about making meaningful changes to maternity services. Becoming a parent opened my eyes to so much, and I threw myself into spreading evidence-based information, training, and networking. I truly believed it would make a difference.

In a world where childbirth has increasingly shifted into hospitals and medical settings, the role of continuous, non-judgmental support during labour has never been more crucial. For centuries, women were surrounded by other women during birth—offering reassurance, guidance, and care. Today, doulas are reclaiming this vital role, and the evidence for their impact on birth outcomes is clear and compelling.