Little Tides Wellness

Little Tides Wellness Hypnobirthing & birth preparation �
Gentle support for calm, confident, informed birth choices

26/08/2026

Just because they’re the professionals, doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions. 🤍

Your midwife or doctor has the medical knowledge and experience, but you know your body, your circumstances and what matters to you.

Being informed means understanding what’s being recommended and why, rather than feeling like you simply have to say yes because someone in a white coat told you to.

And asking questions doesn’t make you difficult, awkward or “that patient”.

It means you’re involved in your care.

You can ask:

✨ What are the benefits?
✨ What are the risks?
✨ What are my options?
✨ Is there an alternative?
✨ What happens if we wait?

You might not always choose the option you expected.

You might decide that the recommendation is absolutely right for you.

Or you might decide you need more information before making a decision.

That’s the point.

Understanding your options gives you a voice in your birth and can help you feel more confident, prepared and in control.

So if you hear “you have to…” or “you can’t…”

It’s okay to ask why. 🤍

19/08/2026

You don’t have to get through the whole of labour at once. 🌊

Just this surge.

Contractions, or surges as we often call them in hypnobirthing, build in intensity, reach a peak and then ease away again.

And the bit people sometimes forget? There are breaks! 🙌

Between surges you might…

💧 Have a drink
🍪 Eat a snack
😂 Have a laugh with your birth partner
🚽 Go for a wee
🎶 Change the song
😴 Close your eyes and rest
💬 Have a completely normal conversation

Then another surge comes. You breathe, focus on that one and let it pass.

And then… another break.

Labour can be intense, but you don’t experience that intensity continuously for hours on end. There are pauses in between where you can rest, reset and gather yourself for the next one.

You don’t need to think about how many more there might be or how long labour might last.

Just this surge. Then the next. One at a time. 🌊🤍

11/08/2026

Hypnobirthing isn’t for one type of birth. 🤍

It’s not just for home births, water births or completely unmedicated births.

It’s for your birth, whatever that looks like.

Hypnobirthing is about helping you feel informed, prepared and empowered. It gives you tools to stay calm, understand your choices, ask questions and feel confident making decisions that are right for you.

You might choose an induction.
You might want an epidural.
You might plan a hospital birth.
You might have a caesarean.
You might change your mind completely.

None of those things mean you’ve somehow “failed” at hypnobirthing.

Because the goal was never a particular type of birth.

The goal is for you to feel empowered in yours.

06/08/2026

Hi, I’m Josie 👋

If you’re new here, I thought it was about time I properly introduced myself.

I’m the face behind Little Tides Hypnobirthing.

Like many people, before I became pregnant I’d mostly seen birth portrayed as something to fear. I worried about the pain and whether I’d be able to cope.

It wasn’t until I discovered hypnobirthing that I realised it wasn’t about trying to eliminate pain or guarantee a certain type of birth. It was about learning practical tools to help me navigate whatever birth brought my way.

For me, that meant understanding what my body was doing, learning what the evidence actually says, and feeling informed enough to make decisions with confidence. Knowing how to weigh up the risks and benefits of different options, ask questions, and express my own views completely changed how I approached the birth of my daughter.

That’s exactly what I hope to give the families I work with.

Whether you’re planning a home birth, birth centre birth, hospital birth or caesarean birth, my goal isn’t to tell you what to choose. It’s to help you understand your options, ask the questions that matter to you, and feel confident making the decisions that are right for you and your baby.

Because when you understand your options, you’re better equipped to make informed decisions and confidently express your wishes throughout your birth journey. 💚

I’d love to get to know you too.

✨ Tell me in the comments: What’s your biggest question or worry about birth?

🦁 Why do some women roar during labour?If you’ve ever watched a birth and wondered why some women make deep, low sounds ...
04/08/2026

🦁 Why do some women roar during labour?

If you’ve ever watched a birth and wondered why some women make deep, low sounds during labour, the answer is fascinating…

Those sounds aren’t a sign that something is wrong. In fact, many women make them instinctively.

Making low, deep sounds can help to:
🤍 Encourage relaxation.
🤍 Keep the jaw soft (your jaw and pelvic floor are closely connected).
🤍 Help you work with your surges instead of fighting against them.
🤍 Keep your breathing slow and controlled.
🤍 Support the release of oxytocin, the hormone that helps labour progress.

High-pitched sounds can sometimes be a sign that we’re feeling frightened or tense, but there is no “right” way to sound in labour.

Every birth is different.

Your body often knows exactly what it needs. If low moans, humming or even roaring feel instinctive, don’t be afraid to let them out.

Save this post for later and share it with your birth partner, they might be surprised to learn that making noise can actually be helpful during labour.

22/07/2026

MYTH: Your placenta begins to fail after 40 weeks.

❌ Not true.

Your placenta doesn’t have an expiry date, and it doesn’t suddenly stop working when you reach 40 weeks.

Every pregnancy is unique. Some placentas may become less efficient earlier in pregnancy, while many continue to function well beyond 40 weeks.

One reason this myth persists is that we can’t directly measure how well an individual placenta is functioning during pregnancy. While there is research into the placenta, there is limited evidence on accurately assessing placental function in real time, particularly in healthy pregnancies at term. Instead, healthcare professionals assess your baby’s wellbeing using factors such as your baby’s movements, growth, amniotic fluid levels and, where appropriate, fetal monitoring.

So why is induction often offered after 41 weeks?

It’s because research shows that the overall risk of complications gradually increases as pregnancy continues beyond 41 weeks—not because every placenta starts to fail.

📊 Understanding the statistics

You may have heard that the risk of stillbirth increases by 64% between 40 and 41 weeks. This is the relative risk.

But what does that actually mean?

* At 40 weeks, the risk of stillbirth is approximately 1.5 in 1,000 pregnancies.
* At 41 weeks, the risk is approximately 2.4 in 1,000 pregnancies.

This is a 64% relative increase, but the absolute increase is around 0.9 additional stillbirths per 1,000 pregnancies (or approximately 1 extra stillbirth for every 1,449 pregnancies that continue from 40 to 41 weeks).

Both ways of presenting the data are correct, but understanding both relative and absolute risk gives a much clearer picture and supports informed decision-making.

✨ Knowledge, not fear, empowers informed choices.

This information is intended to support informed decision-making and is not a substitute for personalised advice from your maternity care team.

19/07/2026

Being told you “need” an induction can feel overwhelming, especially if it feels like there’s no time to ask questions.
The truth is, an induction isn’t a single procedure. It’s a process, and understanding what that process might involve can help you feel more prepared.
Depending on your circumstances, induction may include one or more methods to encourage your body into labour. It can take hours or sometimes days before labour becomes established. Some methods may not work on the first attempt, while others may lead to contractions becoming strong and close together quite quickly. Every experience is different.
If induction is being recommended, it’s okay to ask:
✨ Why is it being recommended for me?
✨ Is this recommendation based on my individual circumstances, national guidance, or my hospital’s policy?
✨ What method of induction is planned, and what does that involve?
✨ What are the benefits and risks in my situation?
✨ What are my alternatives, and what happens if I choose to wait?
Being informed isn’t about refusing an induction. It’s about understanding what it involves, why it’s being recommended, and feeling able to make the decision that’s right for you and your baby.
Knowledge gives you confidence not because it tells you what to choose, but because it helps you understand your choices.

07/07/2026

Routine shaving of p***c hair was once considered best practice during labour.
At the time, healthcare professionals believed it would reduce infection and make repairing tears easier. It became routine because it was thought to improve care.
But maternity care doesn’t stand still.
As research developed, we learned that routine shaving offered no benefit and could even cause unnecessary discomfort. So, practice changed.
It’s a reminder that what is considered “standard practice” today may continue to evolve as new evidence emerges.
That’s why understanding why something is being recommended is so important.
You deserve to know your options, ask questions, and understand the benefits, risks and alternatives before agreeing to any procedure.
Whether your answer is yes, no, or “I’d like to know more first,” your voice matters.
Feeling informed helps you feel confident, involved and in control of your birth experience even if your birth doesn’t go exactly as planned.
✨ Get informed.
✨ Know your choices.
✨ Have birth confidence.

05/07/2026

Twilight Sleep was once considered a breakthrough in maternity care.
At the time, healthcare professionals believed it was the best way to make childbirth less traumatic. But as research and evidence evolved, so did maternity care. Today, Twilight Sleep is no longer used routinely.
It reminds us that birth care is constantly changing. What is considered best practice today may not be considered best practice in the future.
That’s why it’s so important to understand what your body is designed to do during labour, know your options for medical care, and feel confident asking questions. Your role isn’t simply to have birth happen to you, it’s to be an informed participant in your own birth experience.
A positive birth isn’t defined by whether everything goes to plan. It’s about understanding your choices, making informed decisions, and feeling involved in the care you receive.
✨ Know your choices.
✨ Get informed.
✨ Have birth confidence.

This is the first in my Birth Practices of the Past series.
Follow along as we explore the maternity practices that shaped birth care today and why understanding your choices can help you feel informed, comfortable with the care you receive, and confident in the decisions you make during labour and birth. If you live in Calderdale and would be interested in a Hypnobirthing course, send me a DM or I’m always open to a chat with any questions you may have

30/06/2026

If you’ve watched the news or seen the headlines about the maternity review, you may be feeling worried, overwhelmed, or even frightened.

It’s completely understandable.

The review highlights important areas where maternity services need to improve, and those conversations matter. But it’s also important to remember that these headlines don’t define what your birth experience will be.

One of the most powerful ways to feel more confident and in control isn’t to consume more worrying stories—it’s to become informed.

When you understand your options, know your rights, and feel confident asking questions, you’re able to make informed decisions about your care. Even if your birth doesn’t go exactly to plan, understanding what’s happening and being an active participant in decisions can make a huge difference to how you experience your baby’s birth.

You don’t have to navigate this journey alone.

If you’re wondering how to prepare for birth in a way that feels right for you, get in touch. We can chat about where you are in your pregnancy, your goals, and your timescale, and explore the hypnobirthing support option that best meets your needs.

Because every woman deserves to approach birth feeling informed, supported, and empowered. 🤍

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