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The Smart Doula| Virtual Doula Blog
Welcome to my Blog page!
You can find all my musings on virtual doula support, my own birth experience and other pregnancy, birth and postpartum topics
Choosing where to give birth - Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Choosing where to give birth. It's entirely possible that if this is your first baby (or even if you have given birth before), that when...
thesmartdoula
6 days ago8 min read
17 views
0 comments
Using your BRAIN - Informed choice in pregnancy
The most important thing to remember as you walk into your pregnancy and birth journey is that EVERYTHING is a choice, once you...
thesmartdoula
Mar 410 min read
35 views
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Crystals for your birth space
As a child I was drawn to gem shops, their shiny stones, and pretty crystal angels, it felt almost impossible not to reach out and touch...
thesmartdoula
Feb 176 min read
22 views
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Is Babywearing Dangerous?
With babywearing in the news recently because of a very sad story about a six-week-old baby who died while being in a sling due to an...
thesmartdoula
Feb 17 min read
120 views
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Nourishing and delicious pregnancy mocktails by trimester
Why drink pregnancy safe mocktails? Well there are a few reasons! You enjoy a cocktail when not pregnant and you don't want to miss out...
thesmartdoula
Dec 30, 20245 min read
79 views
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Should Ultrasound Scans Hurt? What to expect from your 12-week scan in Leeds.
Ultrasound scans or pregnancy scans have become a rite of passage when you are pregnant! From that 12-week scan where you see your baby...
thesmartdoula
Dec 3, 20249 min read
66 views
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My almost Waterbirth in Leeds Lotus Midwifery Unit- Learning from my mistakes from my first birth to have an empowering second birth!
My First Birth was nearly in the Leeds Lotus Midwifery Unit You can't write about one without the other! My first birth was a classic...
thesmartdoula
Nov 23, 20249 min read
87 views
0 comments
Ditch the ice packs - Ways you can use heat in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum! Can I have a hot bath during pregnancy and other topics?
Discover the surprising benefits of using heat in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum! From easing aches to reducing labor pain
thesmartdoula
Nov 19, 20246 min read
55 views
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Curious about Boosting Oxytocin in Labour? Check Out These 5 DIY Items to Make Right Now!
5 things you can do right now to set yourself up for an empowering birth experience
thesmartdoula
Nov 12, 20245 min read
27 views
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How a hypnobirthing course helped sabotage my first birth - and why I now choose to offer it as a service!
My first experience of hypnobirthing When I was pregnant the first time around I honestly felt like I could not be doing more to prepare...
thesmartdoula
Oct 29, 20246 min read
53 views
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Do I have to have Vaginal Exams?
A Brief History of Vaginal Exams, Why They Started Being Used, the Evidence Behind them, and Your Rights
thesmartdoula
Oct 15, 20249 min read
40 views
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Using Positive Affirmations: Pregnancy to Birth.
Have you heard of using positive birth affirmations but feel like they are a little 'hippy' or alternative for you? You might be...
thesmartdoula
Oct 8, 20245 min read
15 views
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Since when was 'Natural Birth' a dirty word? And what even is 'Normal Birth'
What is 'Normal Birth' Normal can be defined as ' the usual, typical, or expected state or condition'. In 2023 31% of births in the UK...
thesmartdoula
Sep 24, 20247 min read
14 views
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The Role of Hormones in labour, and how you can support them!
Discover the unsung heroes and the villain-to-hero story arc of the hormones of labour. Empower yourself to positively influence your birthi
thesmartdoula
Sep 17, 20245 min read
33 views
0 comments
Essential Oils for Pregnancy Nausea
Three essential oils that you might not know can help you in your pregnancy, birth and postpartum
thesmartdoula
Sep 10, 20246 min read
87 views
0 comments
Hospital Bag Essentials
Packing your hospital bag or getting together your items for a homebirth is exciting but can feel overwhelming! There are so many...
thesmartdoula
Sep 3, 20246 min read
43 views
0 comments
How to write the perfect birth plan
unlock-the-secrets-to-an-empowered-birth-how-a-virtual-doula-can-help-you-design-the-perfect-birth Why do I need a birth plan at all? The...
thesmartdoula
Aug 20, 20247 min read
99 views
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This Virtual Doula's cascade of intervention.
What is the cascade of interventions? In most simple terms the cascade of intervention is that one thing, increases the likelihood of...
thesmartdoula
Aug 13, 20246 min read
43 views
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What happens if your placenta doesn't come out (retained placenta)?
Full disclosure this isn't my placenta, I didn't get a picture of mine, I regret it to this day! I think if I had a picture to look back...
thesmartdoula
Jul 30, 20247 min read
73 views
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What is prodromal labour?
How long does labor last - what does Google say? The most important thing to remember is that most of the stats online are calculated...
thesmartdoula
Jul 23, 20246 min read
34 views
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