General News Archives

MBRRACE “Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care” highlights shocking inequalities

The fifth annual MBRRACE-UK report: Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care was published this month. While the number of women dying as a consequence of complications during or after pregnancy remains low in the UK (fewer than 10 of every 100,000 pregnant women die in pregnancy or around … [Read more...]

National No Bra Day

October 13th is a day where women all over the nation are encouraged to not wear a bra in order to promote awareness of breast cancer. On social media the tag #nobraday is used to highlight the importance of regular breast self-examination, screening tests and also to encourage gender … [Read more...]

Birth of a New Brain – Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder

Dyane Harwood has a B.A. in English and American Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz. As a freelance writer she has interviewed acclaimed authors including Kay Redfield Jamison, SARK, and Anthony Bourdain. Dyane’s memoir Birth of a New Brain – Healing from Postpartum Bipolar … [Read more...]

European Doula Network Conference 2018 – Report from Vienna

By Hazel Acland Tree, Doula UK's EDN Rep Every year the EDN conference is hosted by a different member country, often in the capital. This year was no different with doula associations sending their representatives from 19 countries, namely; Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, … [Read more...]

Why Black Breastfeeding Week?

Black Breastfeeding Week was on the 25th - 31st August 2018, and 1-2-1 Doula & Breastfeeding Support celebrated Black Breastfeeding Week for the first time in the UK. There has been a look into what has been happening in the breastfeeding community of black families. It has been documented … [Read more...]

Caesarean birth – why the language we choose matters

Lisa Casson (mother, doula and Placenta Specialist) writes about her #caesareanbirth #birthisbirth campaign. After several years of personally trying hard to use the term ‘caesarean birth’ within the birth worker world and beyond, I began to increasingly feel it wasn’t enough, and felt the pull to … [Read more...]

A report from the 2018 Doula UK conference

Here Doula UK Member Siobhan Ridley, from Norwich, reports on the 2018 conference, which took place in London on 24th March. Huge thanks to Siobhan for sharing this in depth review. The Sixth Annual Doula UK Conference...my first Doula UK Conference. My first thought upon being asked to write … [Read more...]

PRESS RELEASE: Doula UK conference to focus on supporting survivors of trauma and abuse

In this its sixth year, the 2018 Doula UK conference will focus on how doulas and other birth and postnatal workers can support women who have experienced trauma or abuse. Keynote speaker, Kicki Hansard, drawing on the training she has completed with Penny Simkin, will talk about nine challenges … [Read more...]

Keeping the Better Births vision alive

This guest blog was written by Jo Dagustun, Greater Manchester birth activist 23rd August 2017 Following the publication of Better Births (the 2016 National Maternity Review report), each area across England is now in the process of drawing up a 5-year maternity service vision and … [Read more...]

Obstetrician Florence Wilcock’s #MatExp 2015 Lithotomy Challenge

Take a look at this great read from the MatExp archive by obstetrician Florence Wilcock - whose Lithotomy Challenge enabled her to understand her patients' experiences, and to gain some insight into the role doulas play in maternity care and the unique support they offer to their clients. Writing … [Read more...]