https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs daily 0.75 2026-03-06 https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/support-the-campaign-to-fund-future-midwives-in-the-uk monthly 0.5 2026-03-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/49b04904-373a-4e8f-941a-9fd569c0dbae/London+Doula+Amisha+the+Birthworker+advocates+for+student+midwives.jpeg North London Doula - Blogs - Support the campaign to fund future midwives in the UK On March 3rd 2026, student midwives, qualified midwives, doulas and advocates took to the streets on Parliament Square Gardens to demand change for future midwives. I was invited to speak amongst and incredible line-up of activists to make our voices heard. Below is the speech I shared. “Today, at the Fund Future Midwives demonstration, we stand not just for students, not just for jobs, but for the future of maternity and perinatal care in this country.” “A year ago, Birthrights published findings from a survey into the experiences of student midwives. The themes were clear then. Today, they are louder, sharper, and more urgent. Things have not improved. They have worsened. Let me remind you what students and qualified midwives are saying.” https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/concerns-over-racial-inequalities-in-maternity-care-amisha-abeyawardene-on-sky-news monthly 0.5 2026-02-20 https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/exploring-birth-as-a-queer-and-trans-journey-join-our-queer-birth-workshops-in-london monthly 0.5 2026-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/fea6f2b7-ca33-4649-8c79-6585399bb4ac/Queer+doula+london+Birth+and+Pregnancy+support.png North London Doula - Blogs - Exploring Birth as a Queer and Trans Journey: Join Our Queer Birth Workshops in London We’re creating a space for queer and trans people to learn about birth and doula support. Amisha the Birthworker is collaborating with Amniotic Archives to host a unique series of Queer Birth Workshops in London hosted in partnership with Queercircle, a vibrant queer arts, culture, and community hub in Greenwich. Whether you’re trans, non-binary, gender-diverse, or queer and curious about birth in the future, or you simply want to understand this part of life on your own terms, these workshops are for you. This is a space for learning, reflection, and reimagining what birth could look like outside of cis hetero-normative spaces. Across two thoughtfully designed sessions, you’ll explore birth from perspectives that traditional antenatal classes often overlook. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/what-wunmi-mosakus-sinners-pregnancy-reveal-teaches-us-about-ritual-protection-and-cultural-pregnancy-traditions monthly 0.5 2026-01-13 https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/10-powerful-effects-of-oxytocin-in-pregnancy-birth-and-the-postnatal-period monthly 0.5 2026-01-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/ef73661d-0b50-4a4f-a3f1-0da190e6bd58/oxytocin+blog.jpg North London Doula - Blogs - 10 Powerful Effects of Oxytocin in Pregnancy, Birth and the Postnatal Period - 1. Oxytocin Powers Uterine Contractions in Labour Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for the rhythmic contractions of the uterus during labour. These surges work to thin and open the cervix and guide the baby down and out. During spontaneous labour, oxytocin is released in pulses, creating a wave‑like contraction pattern that allows rest and recovery between surges. This pattern is most effective when labouring people feel safe, private, and supported. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/international-lesbian-day-birth-belonging-and-the-right-to-informed-choice monthly 0.5 2025-10-08 https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/boots-on-the-ground-rooted-in-breastfeeding-success-grounded-in-community-support monthly 0.5 2025-08-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/249189ed-103c-4f49-bb88-90c78367e939/Black+breastfeeding+week+doula+north+london+pregnancy+birth+postnatal North London Doula - Blogs - Boots on the Ground: Rooted in Breastfeeding Success, Grounded in Community Support - Why “Boots on the Ground” Matters Ground-Level Impact The "boots on the ground" phrase brings to mind actual, active community involvement from doulas, family members, lactation groups, and peer networks all contributing to a mother's confidence and success. This resonates deeply: success in breastfeeding isn’t solitary, it flourishes in connection and allyship. Connecting History to Hope The theme also carries weight in acknowledging history. Generations of forced wet-nursing and systemic racism have cast long shadows over breastfeeding in Black communities. Today’s gathering of community support, rooted firmly in cultural awareness and healing helps to reclaim and reshape that narrative. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/11-black-amp-brown-celebrities-who-birthed-their-babies-at-home monthly 0.5 2025-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/2c9c46d5-76c7-49b6-a818-a94b8a047886/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Kehlani+unmedicated+home+birth+story North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - KEHLANI Kehlani gave birth to her first baby, at home in 2019. She was upright in her bathroom and birthed without pharmacological pain relief. Kehlani posted on instagram saying, "unmedicated home birth was the absolute hardest yet most powerful thing I’ve ever done." They also stated, “Using my experience to shame another’s isnt what i want,” Kehlani continued. “Power to anyone who brings life forth, it’s a next level journey whichever way ” Image source: @kehlani’s instagram https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/dd2e6203-dbe1-42ae-a6fc-6f234f4c991f/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Summer+walker+twin+home+birth+doula+placenta North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 2. SUMMER WALKER All three of Summer Walker’s babies were born at home. Her first baby was born in 2021 and her twins were born in 2022. She wrote in a caption under a video clip of her giving birth to twins during a home birth. “Just sharing to inspire other women ’cause I know once you carry twins to almost 42 weeks with (one breech), people will try and steer you towards induction or c-section (which there’s nothing wrong with these. I just didn’t want it for myself.” Summer also ingested her twin placenta! She had her birth team supporting her including her doula Erykah Badu and her daughter (a trainee doula) there to witness the birth too. Erykah stated, “a doula must be like water, follow your instincts” Image source: Essence Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/92ab7b46-df28-4157-a10b-aeba56f6c2de/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Gigi+Hadid+Home+birth+pregnancy North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 3. GIGI HADID Gigi Hadid gave birth to her first daughter at home in 2020 during the Covid 19 pandemic. She opted for a home birth as she would have had her birth partners severely restricted in hospital. Gigi had her mother, Yolanda, sister Bella, a local midwife, and the midwife's assistant in addition to Zayn during the birth. Zayn caught the baby when she came out: "It didn’t even click that she was out," Gigi said. "I was so exhausted, and I looked up and he’s holding her. It was so cute." Image source: Us Weekly https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/476cdc21-f88d-425f-9e58-02a6a36999a3/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Teyana+Taylor+home+birth+pregnancy+bump North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 4. TEYANA TAYLOR Teyana Taylor had a home births for both of fast labours in her bathroom with her husband Iman Shumpert as her only support without any medical professionals present. Her first was an unplanned home birth in 2015 and her second was born in 2020. She described Iman clamping the umbilical cord using a pair of red headphones before the ambulance arrived five minutes later. Iman wrote, “Now…when we buy homes, we always find a bathroom with great energy… but not in a million years would you be able to tell me we’d deliver both of our daughters in a bathroom without the assistance of a hospital!” Image source: BabyGaga https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/5bc8e77f-b0a4-4075-9969-55e7414a5eac/Amisha+the+Birthworker+jodie+turner+smith+home+birth+black+maternal+health+pregnancy North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 5. JODIE TURNER-SMITH Jodie gave birth in 2020 and in her essay with British Vogue recounts, “We had already decided on a home birth, because of concerns about negative birth outcomes for Black women in America – according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of pregnancy-related deaths is more than three times greater for Black women than for white women, pointing, it seems to me, to systemic racism. We never imagined that in the coming weeks, hospitals around the country would begin restricting who could be present in the birthing rooms, forcing mothers to deliver without the support person or people of their choice. Delivering at home ensured that I had what every single woman deserves to have: full agency in determining my birth support.” Image Source: The Today Show https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/6b655c26-9d9f-4d5e-9986-ed056ddbda47/Amisha+the+Birthworker+thandiwe+newton+home+birth+independent+midwife North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 6. THANDIWE NEWTON Thandie had all three of her babies born at home in her house in London in 2000, 2004 and 2014. She wrote on instagram, “My 3rd home birth with brilliant independent midwife Caroline Flint - and Carole Goddard @PhoenixMidwives. Keep independent midwifery alive! Image Source: MadeForMums https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/a293306e-353f-4af2-971b-21b735fbef02/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Patirica+Bright+home+birth+london+doula North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 7. PATRICIA BRIGHT Patricia’s second baby was born in her hallway at home in 2019 when she realised her labour was progressing very quickly and there wasn’t enough time to get to hospital. In her youtube vlog she describes how she was “roaring like a lion for all her neighbours to hear.” Image source: @patriciabright’s instagram https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/13d3f7b9-2c47-4194-ac0c-7ea8b786ca14/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Montana+Brown+home+birth+breech+birth+doula+midwife North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 8. MONTANA BROWN Earlier this year, Montana Brown had her second baby at home and it was a breech birth. She said, “"I feel like consultants like to point you towards an elective instead of a vaginal breech birth but it is possible and also it can be safe to do with an experienced team around you”. She also said, “Thank goodness for Mark being my rock throughout, my amazing doula reading me a birth meditation when I felt uneasy and my lovely midwife Heather telling me I’m safe and baby was happy and moving south and on her way!” Image source: @montanabrown’s instagram https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/358ea9e6-4066-413a-9cba-9c7b26b4743f/Amisha+the+Birthworker+erykah+badu+doula+home+birth+london+birthworker North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 9. ERYKAH BADU Erykah Badu (aka Erykah Badoula) gave birth to all three of her babies at home in 1997, 2004 and 2009.. For her first birth Erykah said she had a “very wise doula” and midwives who gave her the “freedom” to continue living her life while she laboured. “I didn’t have to uproot myself,” she explains. “Maybe to some it’s scary, but preparation is the whole key.” Image source: Pinterest https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/7c3831d0-4d87-4f0c-978b-5cbbef7c34f0/Amisha+the+Birthworker+north+london+doula+Maya+Rudolph+home+birth North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 10. MAYA RUDOLPH Maya had her second baby at home in 2009. “A homebirth was not my plan, but that’s what happened … because the baby came out really fast,” Rudolph recalls. “Luckily, she just kind of glided into her father’s arms.” She also said, “It was scary, but it was kind of awesome,” she says. “Hospitals make me nervous because I feel like hospital equals death, like it smells like dead people and weird fluids that pickle people.” Image source: Pinterest https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/4a51dd11-91d9-4d91-b0c1-17dbc0d831c4/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Lisa+Bonet+home+birth+with+baby North London Doula - Blogs - 11 Black & brown celebrities who birthed their babies at home - 11. LISA BONET Lisa Bonet gave birth to all three of her babies at home in 1988, 2007 and 2008. In an interview from 1990 on David Letterman, Lisa stated, “I think they make it too technical nowadays and I don’t think you need all the things they say you do…I think you should be in a comfortable surrounding. Lenny was there, my mum was there and I was able to crawl around my floor.” Image source: @80sradical’s instagram https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/portrayals-of-breastfeeding-in-sri-lankan-temple-art monthly 0.5 2025-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/e14e7cad-eb74-447a-bcbf-a951570bc895/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Beastfeeding+queen+sri+lankan+mural+north+london+doula+pregnancy+birth North London Doula - Blogs - Portrayals of Breastfeeding in Sri Lankan Temple Art Breastfeeding queen Culla-dar-mapala Jataka, Velikotuwa PV, late nineteenth century https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/e0bb3b78-f693-47c4-a3f7-2c7f684c75eb/Breastfeeding+princess+sri+lankan+mural.+pregnancy+birth+doula North London Doula - Blogs - Portrayals of Breastfeeding in Sri Lankan Temple Art Breastfeeding princess Vessantara, Jataka, Nagavimana PV, early 19th C https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/ectopic-pregnancy-awareness-day-supporting-families-through-hidden-loss monthly 0.5 2025-07-31 https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/kiri-amma-dana-a-blessing-for-motherhood-and-new-life monthly 0.5 2025-09-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/5660ecb7-14a1-43e6-92a3-f5971f0559a3/Kannagi-Pattini-1-Amisha+the+Birthworker+pregnancy+birth+postnatal+doula+london North London Doula - Blogs - Kiri Amma Dana: A Blessing for Motherhood and New Life - A Promise to the Divine Feminine The Kiri Amma Dana (Milk Mother’s Offering) is more than just a ceremony, it’s a vow. Families, hoping for a safe pregnancy and birth, make promises to Goddess Pattini, offering alms in her name to seven mothers once their wishes are fulfilled. These mothers, known as Kiri Ammas, are women who have given birth and breastfed and they are considered assistants, followers, or even earthly manifestations of Pattini Amma herself. Through this offering, we see a beautiful connection between the divine feminine and earthly motherhood of nourishment and protection. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/57a840d0-303f-4f43-a808-76a3e211ef77/South+Asian+Doula+Support+London North London Doula - Blogs - Kiri Amma Dana: A Blessing for Motherhood and New Life - Boiling Milk: A symbol of abundance The most visually powerful part of the ritual is when a pot of milk is boiled on an open flame. As the milk rises and spills over, it symbolises abundance, blessings, and fertility. At that very moment, the Kiri Ammas begin to chant pirith. Each is then served a portion of the milk in coconut shells, sweetened with jaggery or hot water if preferred. The dawn breaks just as the ceremony concludes, and each Kiri Amma is given a bundle of food and gifts to take home as a final act of gratitude and exchange. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/reclaiming-breath-amp-presence-a-buddhist-reflection-on-world-yoga-day monthly 0.5 2025-06-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/2ee34abe-b79e-4a5f-87dd-cf549d8ce564/world+yoga+day+blog.png North London Doula - Blogs - Reclaiming Breath & Presence: A Buddhist Reflection on World Yoga Day As a Buddhist and a doula, World Yoga Day is more than a celebration of movement or flexibility, it's a sacred invitation to return to what we’ve always known. For centuries, our ancestors understood the deep wisdom of the body, the breath, and the mind. Yoga, mindfulness, and breathwork were not foreign imports or wellness trends, they were part of our spiritual fabric, woven into our rituals, our healing practices, and yes, even our births. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/cervical-screening-awareness-week-a-guide-to-cervical-self-exams monthly 0.5 2025-06-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/f373ca2b-35b3-4a6e-8127-499814f81ab6/Amisha+the+Birthworker+pregnancy+birth+postnatal+doula+north+west+london North London Doula - Blogs - Cervical Screening Awareness Week: A Guide to Cervical Self-Exams - Step-by-Step: Performing the Self-Exam Clean your speculum with warm soapy water and rinse well. Apply lubricant to the speculum and/or vulva. Find the vaginal opening with your mirror and separate the labia. Hold the speculum by the handle in your dominant hand. If you are right-handed the handle should be facing right. Insert the speculum gently, angled toward your lower back. Once inserted, turn the handle facing up towards the ceiling. Open the bills slowly, using the handle mechanism. Adjust the angle if you don’t see your cervix right away. Try tilting, wiggling your body, or even coughing to shift the position. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/what-is-menstrual-health monthly 0.5 2025-05-28 https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/5-common-misconceptions-about-preeclampsia monthly 0.5 2025-05-22 https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/-smoke-spirits-and-sorrow-black-baby-loss-and-spiritual-traditions-in-sinners- monthly 0.5 2025-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/63726128-cc38-45dd-a0e7-20f21061cdc7/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Sinners+movie+north+london+doula+pregnancy+birth+postnatal+baby North London Doula - Blogs - Smoke, Spirits, and Sorrow: Black Baby Loss and Spiritual Traditions in Sinners - Spoilers ahead! In Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Black baby loss is not just a tragedy, it’s a spiritual crisis, a familial rupture and a reckoning with legacy. For Annie (played by Wunmi Mosaku), a Hoodoo practitioner and conjure woman in 1930s Mississippi, the death of her baby is a loss that ripples through the land of the living and the realm of the dead. During Black Baby Loss Awareness Week, Sinners offers a powerful meditation on grief, faith, and the question many grieving parents silently scream: Why couldn’t I save them? That question is voiced by Smoke, Annie’s partner when he asks Annie why the magic didn’t work on their baby. It reflects the deepest kind of guilt and helplessness. Annie, who spent her life calling on ancestral wisdom and divine protection, couldn't save her child. And yet, Sinners challenges the idea that death is necessarily a failure of spiritual power. Hoodoo is a spiritual tradition that originated among enslaved African Americans in the United States, drawing from a blend of various indigenous African spiritualities, as well as elements of Native American and European folk traditions. It emerged as a way for enslaved people to express their spirituality and resist the constraints of enslavement. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/unveiling-shame-in-birth-where-it-comes-from-and-how-we-begin-to-heal monthly 0.5 2025-05-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/dd7f5388-9510-42b4-8f6f-4b73f445433f/Amisha+the+Birthworker+shame+in+birth+blog+north+london+doula+pregnancy+birth+postnatal North London Doula - Blogs - Unveiling Shame in Birth: Where It Comes From and How We Begin to Heal - Where Shame in the Birth Space Comes From Shame is not the same as guilt. Guilt says, “I did something bad.” Shame says, “I am bad.” And in the birth space, it often whispers, “I’m not enough,” or, “I should have done this better.” 1. Childhood Conditioning and Vulnerability Many of us grew up in environments where vulnerability wasn’t welcomed. Perhaps we were praised only when we were compliant, quiet, agreeable and non-confrontational. We learned early on that being “good” often meant not rocking the boat, even when something didn’t feel right. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/black-maternal-health-week-what-every-black-mother-should-know-about-adenomyosis-fibroids-and-newborn-jaundice monthly 0.5 2025-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/890db907-429a-4c33-9010-febba3ef541b/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Jaundice+pregnancy+birth+postnatal+doula+london+north+west+london North London Doula - Blogs - Black Maternal Health Week: What Every Black Mother Should Know About Adenomyosis, Fibroids, and Newborn Jaundice - 3. Jaundice in Black and Brown Babies: Spotting the Signs Early Jaundice, or newborn yellowing of the skin and eyes due to high bilirubin levels, is common but harder to detect on darker skin tones. Without early detection, severe jaundice can cause brain damage (kernicterus). What to Look For: Yellowing in the whites of the eyes, gums, or palms/soles Dark urine or pale stool Drowsiness or poor feeding Unfortunately, medical training often focuses on how jaundice looks on white skin. That’s why parents and healthcare professionals must be taught how to spot it in Black and Brown babies. Check out the 10 Steps to Spot Jaundice in Black and Brown Babies to protect your little one. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/a-fruit-bowl-of-pain-fibroids-black-bodies-amp-the-fight-to-be-believed monthly 0.5 2025-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/889703f4-5e11-4c64-8238-c9f59c57b5bf/Amisha+the+Birthworker+Fibroids+blog.png+doula+in+north+london%2C+pregnancy+birth+postnatal+black+maternal+health North London Doula - Blogs - “A Fruit Bowl of Pain”: Fibroids, Black Bodies & the Fight to Be Believed On May 8th, 2018, FKA twigs revealed in an Instagram post she underwent a laparoscopic surgery in December of 2017 to remove 6 fibroid tumours from her uterus. The tumours were roughly the size of 2 cooking apples , 3 kiwis and a couple of and FKA twigs described her experience with fibroids as being “a fruit bowl of pain.” For many Black women and birthing people, that metaphor resonates deeply. Fibroids are non-cancerous tumours growing in or around the uterus that can silently reside in the body for years, causing pain that's often dismissed, symptoms that are normalised, and a healthcare system that frequently fails to listen until it's too late. During Black Maternal Health Awareness Week, it's imperative to shed light on fibroids, a condition that affects up to 60% of Black women and people by the age of 35, yet remains under-researched and under-discussed. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/honouring-lesbian-visibility-week-2025-fertility-birth-and-family-justice monthly 0.5 2025-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/b60ec996-3379-419c-9e57-dee0872c85ca/lesbian+love+in+birth+is+transformative+queer+non-binary+lesbian+doula+north+west+london+pregnancy+birth+postnatal+support+Amisha+the+Birthworker North London Doula - Blogs - Honouring Lesbian Visibility Week 2025: Fertility, Birth, and Family Justice - 3. Lesbian Birth is Sacred I shared an illustration honouring the beauty of lesbian love during birth. I feel so privileged to see the unconditional - I love you with my whole heart and the universe - love that lesbians pour into their partners in the birth space. Sometimes I see this in the way they hold each other as one person roars through a surge. I see this in the glance of 'fuck no' they give each other letting the birth partner know it's time to advocate. I see this in the way they make decisions out of love for themselves, each other, their unique journey and their babies. 4. The Lesbian Flag x Doula Support Finally, shared a special carousel exploring the colours of the lesbian flag — and how each one mirrors a part of the pregnancy, birth, and parenting journey: https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/book-review-birth-in-focus-by-becky-reed monthly 0.5 2025-04-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/b54d8910-0ca0-4a0a-87ed-2886401500ca/Birth+in+Focus+by+Becky+Reed+Book+Review.png+north+west+london+doula+pregnancy+birth+postnatal+Amisha+the+Birthworker North London Doula - Blogs - Book Review: Birth in Focus by Becky Reed - The Power of Continuity and Relational Care Birth in Focus highlights why a midwifery model based on continuity and relational care is a key tenet that’s missing from maternity services in the UK. Through the stories, it becomes evident just how much Becky cared for the women she supported. She knows what’s most important to them, their fears, their past experiences and has built a level of trust with them that is often absent in today’s maternity culture. These midwives had a sense of autonomy and felt rewarded in terms of their high level of skill in supporting complex birth in a home setting. They were also able to build lasting relationships with the women they supported, being asked to care for some of them through multiple pregnancies. A critical takeaway is that the Albany Practice was not a homebirth service, despite its 40% homebirth rate. Women weren’t pressured to decide their birthing location before labor. Unless someone explicitly chose a hospital birth, an Albany midwife would attend them at home when labour began, allowing the birthing person to decide whether to stay or transfer to the hospital. Unsurprisingly, in a safe and supportive home environment with a midwife they respected and trusted, most people opted to remain there rather than travel to an unfamiliar, clinical setting. https://www.amishathebirthworker.com/blogs/palestinian-birth-practices monthly 0.5 2026-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/c62551b9-e7e4-4d9a-aa2b-23088f3ea9d7/1.jpg North London Doula - Blogs - Palestinian birth practices: Accounts from dayat (traditional birth attendants) in Palestine - Make it stand out https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/6208f0c2-c2f4-4caa-a688-608e79ea3a83/Untitled+design+%287%29.png North London Doula - Blogs - Palestinian birth practices: Accounts from dayat (traditional birth attendants) in Palestine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/a35830dc-0438-4bdb-80cf-64062bdf9ed4/Untitled+design+%286%29.png North London Doula - Blogs - Palestinian birth practices: Accounts 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/614c4029df86507743d13ce6/40df2ce6-a607-4fbd-a81e-11802eaea493/Amisha+the+birthworker+doula+birthattendant+birthkeeper+birthsupport+laboursupport+traditionalbirthattendant+midwife+mumsgroup+newmum+north+london+lgbt+queer+breastfeeding+bottlefeeding+infantfeeding+freebirth+motherhood+parenthood+queer+parenting+perinatal+newborn+postnatal+trans+southasian+obstetric+abueladoula+homebirth+birthrights+maternal+birthworker+London+North+London+Tottenham+Haringey+Seven+Sisters+Crouch+End+Islington+Finchley+Muswell+Hill+Bounds+Green+Highgate+Archway+hypnobirthing+postnatal+Southasian+SriLankan+Gestationaldiabetes+Labourinduction+Duedate+inductionoflabour+csection+vaginalbirth+naturalbirth+gentlebirth Doula Services - Homebirth support I am happy to support those giving birth at home, whether that be with NHS community midwives or an independent midwife. I collaborate and work alongside local independent midwives in North and West London. I am also happy to support those who choose to give birth without medical assistance (freebirth). Please get in touch to learn more.