Everyone Has A Story, This Is Mine.

My name is Fiona, and I am mum to two beautiful children. Both children were, and still are, so different but my first was a real baptism of fire. I found myself struggling to breastfeed (understatement!), having not slept longer than 45 minutes in one go for weeks on end, incapable of getting my baby to nap, and physically, emotionally and identity-wise being blown wide apart. But, unbeknown to me at the time, I believed that to be a good mum I had to put the baby first, do it all and be it all without asking for help, like nothing had changed!

Deep down, I knew this couldn’t be right, so I did what I do when faced with a ‘problem to fix’ I devoured books, blogs and podcasts and sought guidance from various experts. I started to piece together that many other cultures do things so differently from the UK. New mothers are nurtured; children are raised in communities; and the fourth trimester is respected, with rest, nourishment and healing practices honoured. Slowly I realised that the problem wasn’t me or my baby, but rather the sheer lack of guidance, information and support available to women in the fourth trimester.

This has led me to train as a doula as part of my journey to mentor and guide women through this rite of passage. It’s given me a clear idea of the power of women supporting women, and how that can look in pregnancy, birth and postpartum. And for me personally, it has enabled me to bridge the gap that was once filled by family, women and communities where both knowledge and care was passed down.

My wish is to shine a light on all aspects of becoming a mum to ensure no one ignores their own needs and feelings, as I once did.