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There are few ultrasound findings that generate as much anxiety as the words “true knot of the umbilical cord.” For many...
26/07/2026

There are few ultrasound findings that generate as much anxiety as the words “true knot of the umbilical cord.” For many parents and sometimes professionals too it can quickly become synonymous with danger, intervention and caesarean birth.

But does the presence of a true knot automatically mean that something is wrong? Well, not at all.

True knots occur in around 1% of pregnancies and are thought to form early in pregnancy, when the baby is small enough to move freely through a loop of cord. Although they can look alarming, most are discovered only after the birth of a healthy baby.

The umbilical cord is an extraordinary structure. Its blood vessels are protected by Wharton’s jelly, a resilient, gelatinous substance that helps prevent compression. A true knot can exist without significantly affecting blood flow, which is why the finding itself is not necessarily a cause for concern. As always, what matters is the baby’s wellbeing, not the presence of an anatomical variation alone.

Having attended more than 200 births, one thing continues to surprise me: no two births are ever the same, remarkably diverse.

One baby is born with a true knot. Another with the cord wrapped around their neck once, twice or even thrice. Another arrives with a hand tucked beside their face, a nuchal arm, an asynclitic head, or a long loop of cord around their body. These are all variations that I have encountered, often more than once, and in the overwhelming majority of cases they have simply been part of that baby’s unique journey into the world.

The more births I witness, the less I expect them to follow a textbook. Of course, some variations do become clinically significant and require intervention. The skill lies in recognising when physiology is coping well and when it genuinely isn’t, not in assuming that every departure from the “ideal” is a pathology waiting to happen.

Perhaps that is the real question. Are we sometimes fearing the finding more than we are observing the physiology?

Every birth reminds me that nature is endlessly creative. Our challenge is to learn the difference between variation and complication and to avoid mistaking one for the other.

“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of ...
19/07/2026

“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.”
Thich Nhat Hanh

As I wait for the final two births of the month to unfold, I find myself returning to these beautiful words. They remind me that when I walk through a front door to support a woman in labour, I am never really meeting just one person.

I am meeting her mother, her grandmother and generations of women whose lives have quietly shaped the one now preparing to give birth.

The maternal line is so much more than genetics. It is connection. It is history. It is love. It is grief. It is resilience. It is the stories we grew up hearing, the stories that were never spoken aloud, and the beliefs that found a home in our bodies long before we knew they were there.

Perhaps this is why birth has always felt like sacred work to me. A baby is born, of course, but something else is always happening too. There is an opportunity to honour what has been lovingly passed down, to recognise what has been carried for too long, and sometimes, with tenderness, to lay it down so it does not have to travel any further.

The longer I witness birth, the less I see it as a single event and the more I see it as part of an unfolding story. Every woman is both a daughter and, in time, a mother. She stands at a unique point in the lineage, receiving from those who came before her while shaping the inheritance of those who will come after.

Connection … love … history… healing … they all matter.
And perhaps this is why I still believe, after all these years, that birth has the power to change far more than a single day.

When a woman experiences birth with dignity, safety and love, the ripples extend far beyond her. They move backwards through memory and forwards through generations.

We can heal world, one birth at a time.💕

And thank you to TarnEllisArt for creating this beautiful piece, which inspired today’s reflection.

The details for the events and classes in July-Aug are here, 🔖save the post for the future.Group Yoga online classes:🪷 Y...
17/07/2026

The details for the events and classes in July-Aug are here, 🔖save the post for the future.

Group Yoga online classes:
🪷 Yoga for Postpartum recovery, Monday, 11.00-12.00
🪷Yoga for Pregnancy and Birth, Monday, 17.15-18.30
🪷Therapeutic Yoga, Monday, 19.30-20.45
🪷 Weekly meditations on Mondays and Thursdays at 21.00 ( link in bio)

Monthly events and workshops (registrations in bio):

🍀 Women circle - Autumn Equinox, Tuesday 22 Sep, 20:00-22:00, please register interest
🍀 Unlocked Series: positive birth stories - IG Live TBC
🍀 Ask doula a question or two - IG TBC
🍀Pregnancy Yoga with Mindfulness Teacher Training (Oct-Dec 26) - register interest

🌸 Services offered (in SW and central London):
♡ Yoga and Mizan-based Therapy Programmes (female centric)
♡ Birth and Postpartum Doula Programmes - fully booked until Nov where I have one place in late Nov and early Dec. Otherwise from Jan 27.
♡ Breastfeeding Support - clinic or home visits
♡ Closing Ceremonies (across women’s lifecycle)
♡ Signature Antenatal Preparation with Hypnosis and Mindfulness Course
♡ Birth and Postpartum preferences planning sessions

To book all of the above, please DM me.

We can heal the world, one step at a time.💕





#доулавлондоне

I was looking after one of my lovely postpartum clients this week, and we found ourselves reflecting on her birth. She t...
16/07/2026

I was looking after one of my lovely postpartum clients this week, and we found ourselves reflecting on her birth. She told me that many of her girlfriends were asking exactly the same question: “How painful was it? How did you cope?”
She was pondering that there were times when she genuinely thought she couldn’t... and then somehow she could again.

This is not a random resolution. These are the moments in labour that Rhea Dempsey describes as a crisis of confidence.

The walk up the spiral staircase perfectly captures those moments. Like labour which is not linear you walk up and sometimes it feels as though you are walking in circles. The view barely changes, the climb feels endless, and you begin to wonder whether you are making any progress at all. Yet with every turn, you are moving to another level, even if you can’t see it yet.

These moments arise around 3/4 cm, return around 6/7 cm, and become especially powerful during transition (8–10 cm), when many women become convinced they have reached the end of what they can endure.

This is when I hear: “I can’t do this.” “I need the epidural.”
“I want it to stop.” And yet, more often than not, this is not a sign that birth is failing. It is a sign that birth is unfolding.

Physiologically, as contractions intensify, there can be a short period where the intensity outpaces a woman’s ability to cope before her own pain-relieving hormones begin to exert their full effect. With reassurance, encouragement, change of position, warmth, focus on breathing and just a little time, the hormonal balance shifts again, endorphins are released and many women find themselves coping again.

This is why I believe we should be very cautious about reaching for an epidural at the height of a temporary crisis of confidence. Not because epidurals don’t have a place but because this particular moment can be deceptive. It is often the steepest part of the climb, just before the body and mind find the new rhythm.

Birth isn’t about feeling confident every minute, but being able to navigate these moments of doubt, one step, one breath at a time💕.

I have recently reread Into Thin Air. Once again, it left me wondering whether the tragedy of deaths on Everest can ever...
24/06/2026

I have recently reread Into Thin Air. Once again, it left me wondering whether the tragedy of deaths on Everest can ever truly be avoided (I will leave the debate on commercialisation for another day).

At first glance, the comparison with birth may seem strange. They are, of course, entirely different experiences. Yet I couldn’t help noticing some striking parallels.

Over the years we have developed better equipment, more reliable weather forecasting, satellite communications, bottled oxygen, experienced Sherpas and sophisticated rescue capabilities. Yet people still die on Everest.

In maternity care, we have developed extraordinary medical knowledge, advanced fetal monitoring, safer surgery, powerful medications and access to highly trained professionals. Yet women and babies still die.

The comparison is not direct. But it raises an important question. Is more of …. always the answer?

People climb Everest with oxygen and without. Some are supported by highly experienced Sherpas. Some climb independently. Some reach the summit. Some turn back. Some never come home. Why? Rarely because they simply lacked support. More often because they underestimated the mountain, overestimated themselves, ignored changing conditions, failed to prepare adequately, or believed that paying for the best expedition somehow transferred responsibility for their own safety.

The Sherpa cannot climb the mountain for you. The oxygen cannot make you fit. The guide cannot make every decision on your behalf. Ultimately, every climber remains responsible for every step they take.

Birth feels remarkably similar. Whether a woman chooses a hospital birth, birth centre, homebirth or freebirth, nobody else can give birth for her. Not the obstetrician. Not the midwife. Not the doula. Not her birth partner.

Support matters. Expertise matters. Intervention can save lives. But none of this removes personal responsibility. The willingness to understand the journey, prepare for it, respect it, adapt when circumstances change, and accept responsibility for our choices. The true autonomy starts when you are ready to climb without oxygen and everything else is a gift.

Share your comments?👇

The last few expected and unplanned homebirths have reminded me once again why I speak so often about the basic needs of...
23/06/2026

The last few expected and unplanned homebirths have reminded me once again why I speak so often about the basic needs of a woman in labour. In all of them, basic needs were protected and the labour simply unfolded. Not because home is magical, but because nobody interrupted the physiology.

☘️ Darkness ☘️ Quiet ☘️ Warmth ☘️ Privacy ☘️ Safety

These are not preferences. They are not “nice to haves”. They are our biological blueprint. But I hear what some of you will say now … “I needed lights” … “I wanted conversation”… “I needed to be in the hospital surrounded by medical equipment and people” I get it, nothing happens in isolation. But I would like to ask you an alternative question: did you truly need those things, or have we become so disconnected from our biology that darkness, silence and privacy now feel uncomfortable? Have you investigated why you need those things?

Birth preparation is not simply learning breathing techniques or writing birth preferences. It is peeling away layer after layer of modern conditioning until you can meet something much older within yourself so you can trust, surrender and welcome intensity rather than fear it.

Because the moment a woman feels watched, judged or unsafe, her brain changes gears. The neocortex becomes active, adrenaline rises, oxytocin is inhibited, and labour can slow or stall. Not because her body has failed, but because her body is doing exactly what it evolved to do: protect her.

Birth is not only about the body. It is about the brain, the hormones, the emotions and the environment. Emotional intelligence is not a luxury in the birth room. Knowing when to be quiet, when not to observe and how to become almost invisible. These are much needed physiological skills.

Perhaps my greatest sadness is watching this understanding quietly disappear. Increasingly, I meet dedicated professionals who know how to follow protocols, complete observations and manage risk, but have received very little education in protecting the emotional environment that physiology depends upon. Somewhere along the way we confused authority with safety…

Thoughts?👇

We can heal the world, one birth at a time💕

It is the time of alignment - Summer Solstice, International Yoga Day, and my birthday - in a rather beautiful triple wh...
21/06/2026

It is the time of alignment - Summer Solstice, International Yoga Day, and my birthday - in a rather beautiful triple whammy.😉

As I celebrate another turn around the sun, having done a long walk across Winnie-the-Pooh forest, I feel deeply grateful. Grateful for my family, my teachers, my friends, the incredible families who have entrusted me with their births, the challenges that have shaped me, and the countless lessons that continue to guide my path.

For more than 30 years, yoga has been my anchor.
It has carried me through joy and loss, through the corporate boardroom and the birth room, through motherhood, through supporting hundreds of women and families, and, time and time again, back to myself.

The Summer Solstice reminds us that light reaches its fullest expression before it gently begins its journey inward. It reminds us that life moves in seasons, and that growth isn’t about endlessly striving for more, but about fully embracing where we are, with gratitude and humility.

As I celebrate another birthday today, I don’t wish for more years. I wish for deeper presence. Greater compassion. The courage to keep learning. The wisdom to know when to act and when to simply be. And above all, more opportunities to serve.

My wish for you on this Solstice is simple:

💗May you remember that your brightest light has always lived within you.

💗May you trust your body, your intuition, and the quiet wisdom that so often gets drowned out by the noise of the world.

💗May you find moments of stillness, even in life’s busiest seasons.

💗May you have the courage to let go of what no longer serves you, and the strength to step towards what truly matters.

💗May your heart remain open, your spirit curious, and your path illuminated by kindness, purpose, and love.

💗May you never forget that sometimes the smallest acts of presence and compassion can change another person’s world.

With gratitude for another year.

We can heal the world, one step at a time💕

☀️ 🧘‍♀️

Before the ARRIVE trial was published in 2018, England was not an international outlier. Six years later, after inductio...
18/06/2026

Before the ARRIVE trial was published in 2018, England was not an international outlier. Six years later, after induction of labour became increasingly recommended and widely adopted across maternity care, England has one of the highest caesarean rates among high-income countries.

The ARRIVE trial was widely interpreted as evidence that elective induction at 39 weeks could reduce caesarean birth. Its influence extended far beyond the original study population and reshaped maternity practice around the world, becoming the most quoted research in obstetric machine.

Then, in 2024, a population study of over one million births (!) asked a simple question: “Do the ARRIVE findings hold true in everyday maternity care?” Surprise, surprise - the answer was somewhat different to what ARRIVE predicted.

Unlike the tightly controlled ARRIVE trial, this study examined the real-world clinical practice and found that induction of labour was associated with a 23–43% (!) increase in the adjusted odds of caesarean birth from 38 weeks onwards. The authors then concluded that women should be informed of ALL potential risks and benefits of non-medically indicated induction.

Now look at England. Record induction rates (from 25% in 2014 50 to 33%), only 42% of women go into spontaneous labour (compared to 62% a decade ago). Record-high caesarean rates- both elective and emergency CS rates are on the rise from 11-12% to 20% and 14-15% to 25.1% respectively. I refuse to believe that every second woman needs to have a CS.

It is difficult not to make an obvious causation link… yes induction may save lives when medically indicated, but NOT on this scale. The 2024 study was clearly an early warning of exactly what England’s latest maternity statistics are now showing. Women deserve evidence that reflects real-world outcomes, not just ideal research conditions.

👇 I really think it is time to re-examine the assumptions behind one of the biggest changes in modern obstetrics and roll back this madness?👇

We can heal the world, one birth at a time.💕

Over the past 17 years, I have supported hundreds of births alongside husbands, partners, mothers, sisters, friends and...
17/06/2026

Over the past 17 years, I have supported hundreds of births alongside husbands, partners, mothers, sisters, friends and doulas.

One thing has become impossible to ignore.

Some people seem to help labour unfold effortlessly. Others, despite the very best intentions, appear to make it harder.

This isn’t simply my observation anymore. Neuroscience is beginning to explain why.

Mirror neurons, co-regulation, cardiac entrainment and the neurobiology of safety all help us understand why the people surrounding a labouring woman become part of her physiological environment.

In this carousel, I explore why who you invite into your birth room matters and how it links directly to the fundamental needs of a woman in labour: to feel safe, warm, undisturbed and free to surrender to the process.

We can heal the world, one birth at a time.💕

On 4 June 2026, the long-awaited Infant Feeding Survey 2024 was finally published. It the first national survey of infan...
13/06/2026

On 4 June 2026, the long-awaited Infant Feeding Survey 2024 was finally published. It the first national survey of infant feeding in England in over a decade.

I have pulled out some of the key findings in this carousel, and overall there is much to celebrate.

Whilst the survey only covers England and not the whole UK, breastfeeding rates have improved significantly over the past generation. More mothers are starting breastfeeding, more are continuing for longer, and support for breastfeeding is more widely available than ever before. The work of infant feeding teams, peer supporters, charities, healthcare professionals and countless parents has made a real difference.

But the survey also highlights where challenges remain.

Most mothers who stop breastfeeding say they would have liked to continue. The majority experience difficulties along the way, and many still feel they need more support, particularly in the early weeks after returning home.

Progress has been made, but there is still more we can do.

If we want breastfeeding rates to continue improving, we need to move beyond simply encouraging mothers to breastfeed and focus on creating the conditions that make breastfeeding more achievable: better antenatal education, timely skilled support, realistic expectations and a culture that truly welcomes breastfeeding both at home and in public.

Every family deserves the support to meet their own feeding goals.

We can heal the world, one step at a time💕



Full report:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/infant-feeding-survey-in-england-2024/infant-feeding-survey-2024-full-report

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