Suffolk Woman's Wellness

Suffolk Woman's Wellness NHS Midwife Woman's Health Practitioner. Massage, Scar Therapy, Core Pelvic Floor Recovery, Exercise My drive has always been to care. Nina x
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Hello and welcome to my page, a place where I aim to keep you informed about what is happening and how I can help you in your health and wellness. I feel that women are exceptional in what they achieve and how they can make a positive difference to everyone around them, when they are feeling empowered and in control of their lives. I feel that the groundwork of happiness is health, and th

at is why I am committed to supporting women physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually through the feminine life’s cycles. My philosophy for caring for women during pre-conception, pregnancy, postnatally and through the menopause is that:
I care about the mental and emotional health of women. I hold the space for the women I support. I show kindness and compassion to women in my health community. I transform live using simple solutions that create powerful change. I create nurturing environments in which women feel safe to share and express themselves freely. I love to learn and grow from each other through constructive peer support. I embrace a supportive and collaborative community. I offer a wide range of massage therapies, fitness courses, classes, and workshops. Check out the website to find out more. www.swwcuk.com I hope to meet you soon.

Last night, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Louise Newson speak about her mission to improve women's access to hormon...
10/06/2026

Last night, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Louise Newson speak about her mission to improve women's access to hormone treatment and education.

One of the most striking messages of the evening was how often women's symptoms have been misunderstood, dismissed, or treated without addressing an underlying hormonal cause. Women have historically been told that symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, poor sleep, recurrent urinary tract infections, and other health concerns are simply something they must endure.

This is not a new story.

Dr Katharina Dalton, a pioneer in women's hormonal health and the doctor who first identified and researched Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), faced significant criticism for her work. She was brought before a medical tribunal, yet her dedication to understanding women's hormones ultimately helped improve the lives of countless women. It serves as a reminder that progress in women's healthcare has often been met with resistance.

Dr Newson highlighted the fact that many healthcare professionals receive very limited education on female hormones during their training, despite hormones influencing almost every system in the body. Whether relating to menstrual health, fertility, endometriosis, postnatal wellbeing, perimenopause, menopause, or healthy ageing, hormones matter.

For many women, appropriate hormone treatment can be life-changing, helping to improve energy, cognition, sleep, mood, joint health, and overall quality of life.

Like many pioneers before her, Dr Newson's work has attracted both support and criticism. However, her determination to improve education, challenge outdated beliefs, and advocate for women has undoubtedly changed the conversation around hormonal health.

When I think of women who have shaped healthcare, I think of Florence Nightingale, Virginia Apgar, Elizabeth Blackwell, Katharina Dalton, Rosalind Franklin, and many others who challenged convention and improved care for future generations. I believe Louise Newson's name will sit alongside these women as someone who has helped transform the way we understand and support women's health.

Women's symptoms deserve to be heard. Women's experiences deserve to be taken seriously. And every woman deserves access to evidence-based information so she can make informed decisions about her own health. Folllow Dr Louise Newson to be informed. love, Nina x

Let's keep raising our voices for women's health.

This page is not intended in any way to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always...
10/06/2026

This page is not intended in any way to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read within our content. If you think you may have a medical emergency, speak to your doctor or contact the emergency services immediately.

07/06/2026

🌸 Come and Say Hello Today! 🌸

We are delighted to be at the John Lewis Family Event today, Sunday 7th June, from 11am–3pm.

If you’re out and about with your family, pop in and meet some wonderful local businesses who are passionate about supporting parents, babies, children and families throughout Suffolk.

You’ll find:

✨ Mini First Aid
✨ Jasmine Blossom Birthing
✨ Nina Parnham’s Suffolk Woman’s Wellness Centre
✨ Life is Beautiful Photography
✨ Drowsy Sheep Sleep Coach
✨ East Anglian Midwives
✨ Toddle About Events

Whether you’re planning a pregnancy, expecting a baby, navigating parenthood, looking after your own wellbeing, or simply want to connect with local services, we’d love to meet you.

Come and have a chat, ask questions, gather information, and discover the amazing support available right here in our community.

We look forward to seeing you today! 💕

MiniFirstAid Hypnobirthing WomensWellness BirthPreparation PostnatalSupport SuffolkBusiness FamilyEvent CommunitySupport EastAnglianMidwives DrowsySheepSleepCoach

✨ Conscious Preparation for Birth and Beyond Antenatal Course✨Starting Thursday 2nd July6:00pm–8:30pm4 consecutive weeks...
05/06/2026

✨ Conscious Preparation for Birth and Beyond Antenatal Course✨

Starting Thursday 2nd July
6:00pm–8:30pm
4 consecutive weeks taught by Nina Parnham

Are you pregnant and looking for an antenatal course that offers more than information alone?

Our Conscious Preparation for Birth and Beyond course was created because we believed parents deserved something different.

This isn’t a course where you simply sit and listen to facts.

It’s a warm, supportive space where you can build confidence, explore your options, ask questions, connect with your baby and prepare emotionally as well as practically for birth and early parenthood.

You’ll learn from a course written by two experienced professionals:

🤍 Nina Parnham, Registered Midwife with over 30 years of experience supporting women through pregnancy, birth and beyond.

🤍 Jasmine, NCT Educator, Breastfeeding Counsellor and Baby Massage Teacher, supporting families through feeding and the transition into parenthood.

Together we cover birth physiology, hormones, breathing and relaxation, informed decision-making, birth choices, feeding, newborn care, recovery and life beyond birth.

What makes us different?

✨ Birth partners are actively involved and supported throughout.

✨ Small groups allow time for discussion, reflection and questions.

✨ Meet other local expectant couples and build your support network.

✨ Evidence-based information combined with practical tools and hypnobirthing techniques.

✨ A supportive, non-judgemental approach that helps you feel informed, calm and confident.

We believe preparation should feel empowering, not overwhelming.

Because birth preparation isn’t just about having a baby.

It’s about becoming a family.

Limited spaces available.

Message us to book or find out more.

Nina & Jasmine xx

NCTEducator BreastfeedingSupport BirthPartner ExpectingBaby PregnancyJourney NewParents SuffolkParents PregnancyClasses ConsciousBirth BirthConfidence ConsciousPreparationForBirthAndBeyond

✨ Conscious Preparation for Birth and Beyond Antenatal Course, Ipswich ✨Starting Thursday 2nd July6:00pm – 8:30pm4 conse...
05/06/2026

✨ Conscious Preparation for Birth and Beyond Antenatal Course, Ipswich ✨

Starting Thursday 2nd July
6:00pm – 8:30pm
4 consecutive weeks

Are you pregnant and wondering how to prepare for birth without feeling overwhelmed by information, fear stories or conflicting advice?

Our Conscious Preparation for Birth and Beyond course was created because we believed parents deserved something different.

This isn’t a course where you sit quietly and absorb facts.

It’s a warm, supportive space where you can explore your options, build confidence, ask questions, connect with your baby and prepare emotionally as well as practically for birth and early parenthood.

Together we will cover:

🤍 Understanding how birth works and the physiology of labour

🤍 The hormones of labour and birth

🤍 Breathing, relaxation, visualisation and mindset

🤍 Birth choices and informed decision-making

🤍 Induction, caesarean birth and navigating the unexpected

🤍 The role of your birth partner

🤍 Feeding your baby

🤍 Newborn care and the postnatal period

🤍 Recovery, wellbeing and becoming a parent

Why choose us?

Because you will be learning from two experienced professionals who are deeply passionate about supporting families and preparing you for real life, not just birth.

I am Nina Parnham, a registered midwife with over 30 years of experience supporting women through pregnancy, birth and beyond. I have worked in both hospital and community settings, attended countless births, and spent many years teaching antenatal education, hypnobirthing and postnatal recovery.

Jasmine is an experienced NCT educator, breastfeeding counsellor and baby massage teacher who has supported hundreds of families through pregnancy, feeding and the transition into parenthood. Her knowledge of infant feeding, newborn behaviour and early parenting brings an invaluable perspective to the course.

Together we bring a unique combination of clinical knowledge, practical experience and compassionate support.

Unlike many traditional antenatal classes, we don’t simply provide information. We create opportunities for discussion, reflection and meaningful conversation.

We believe parents need more than facts.

They need confidence.

They need practical skills.

They need connection.

They need space to explore what feels right for them and their family.

Birth partners are actively involved throughout the course. We help them understand their role during pregnancy, labour, birth and early parenthood so they feel informed, confident and able to provide meaningful support when it matters most.

You’ll also have the opportunity to meet other local expectant couples who are on a similar journey, creating friendships and a support network that often continues long after the babies arrive.

Our course combines evidence-based information, hypnobirthing tools, practical skills, discussion and reflection so that you leave feeling calm, informed and empowered.

Preparation should feel supportive, not scary.

Our aim is simple: for you to feel confident navigating birth and early parenthood, whatever path your journey takes.

Because birth preparation isn’t just about having a baby.

It’s about becoming a family.

Spaces are intentionally limited to allow plenty of discussion and individual support.

We would love to welcome you.

Nina & Jasmine xx

Have you ever needed several injections at the dentist before you could feel numb?Had a local anaesthetic wear off far q...
02/06/2026

Have you ever needed several injections at the dentist before you could feel numb?

Had a local anaesthetic wear off far quicker than expected?

Needed repeated top-ups during a procedure?

If so, and you are hypermobile, have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD), you are not imagining it.

Many people within the hypermobility community report that local anaesthetics do not seem to work as effectively for them. Emerging research and clinical observations suggest that some hypermobile individuals may experience reduced effectiveness or shorter duration of local anaesthetic medications.

The research is still developing, and this does not happen to everyone. Many people with hypermobility have completely successful local, spinal, and epidural anaesthesia. However, it is common enough that it deserves discussion and planning.

This becomes particularly relevant during pregnancy and birth.

If you are hypermobile, it may be worth discussing the following with your midwife, obstetrician, or anaesthetist:

• Have you previously had difficulty becoming numb with local anaesthetic?
• Have you needed additional injections at the dentist or during medical procedures?
• Have you experienced an epidural or spinal that was less effective than expected?
• What options are available if additional pain relief is needed?
• How can this information be documented in your birth plan?

Your previous experiences matter. One of the most helpful things you can do is tell your care team about any difficulties you have had in the past. This allows them to consider your individual needs and make a plan alongside you.

Birth preparation is not just about learning what might happen. It is about understanding yourself, your body, and how to advocate for the care that feels right for you. Knowledge is not about creating fear. It is about creating informed conversations.

If you are hypermobile, have EDS, or suspect you may, have you ever noticed local anaesthetic working differently for you? I'd love to hear your experiences below.



Love Nina xx

I wonder who finds this relatable.You wake up already thinking about the things you need to do.The email.The washing.The...
30/05/2026

I wonder who finds this relatable.

You wake up already thinking about the things you need to do.
The email.
The washing.
The phone call.
The form.
The coursework.
The post you keep meaning to write.

None of them are impossible tasks, and yet somehow they begin to feel enormous. Overwhelm creeps in.

So instead, you find yourself making tea, tidying a drawer, scrolling your phone, or starting five small things but finishing none of them. All while the task sits quietly in the background getting heavier and louder.

And eventually shame creeps in.

“Why can’t I just do it?”
“Why does everything feel harder for me than everyone else?”
“What’s wrong with me?”

But often, this is not laziness. It is not a lack of intelligence. And it is not because you do not care enough.

Many people who struggle with procrastination care deeply. Sometimes the brain becomes overwhelmed by the emotional weight of a task before the task has even begun.

This can happen with ADHD, executive functioning difficulties, burnout, anxiety, chronic stress, trauma, perimenopause, nervous system overload, or simply carrying too much mental load for too long.

The brain no longer experiences the task as:
“Reply to one email.”

Instead it experiences:
“This feels overwhelming, endless, and too much.”

And that is why the Pomodoro Technique, created by Francesco Cirillo, can help so many people.

As a struggling university student, he began using a tomato-shaped kitchen timer and challenged himself to focus for just 25 minutes at a time.

Not forever.
Not perfectly.
Just 25 minutes.

Sometimes we do not need harsher discipline.
Sometimes we need gentler ways to work with overwhelmed brains and overloaded nervous systems.

Things that may help:
• Break tasks into tiny starting points
• Focus on beginning, not finishing
• Use short timers rather than endless pressure
• Let go of perfection
• Alternate focus with movement and rest
• Work with your nervous system, not against it

Love, Nina x

Why Is It So Hard for Some Women to Relax During a Massage?One thing women often apologise to me for during a treatment ...
26/05/2026

Why Is It So Hard for Some Women to Relax During a Massage?

One thing women often apologise to me for during a treatment is not being able to “switch off.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t relax.”
“My mind won’t stop.”
“I don’t know why I feel emotional.”

But many women are not struggling to relax because they are doing something wrong. Often, their nervous system has simply become used to staying alert.

So many women spend years carrying the mental load of life. Caring for children, managing homes, working, supporting everyone else, thinking ahead constantly, pushing through exhaustion, and ignoring their own needs.

The body adapts to that and it learns that softening no longer feels familiar.

And this can show up physically in ways women do not always realise:
A clenched jaw.
Shoulders that never fully drop.
Holding the tummy in all day.
Pelvic floor gripping.
Shallow breathing.
Restlessness.
Feeling emotional when someone finally stops and cares for them.

I see this often during massage and bodywork.

At first, the body can feel watchful. The breathing stays high in the chest. Muscles resist letting go. Some women keep talking because silence feels uncomfortable. Others feel guilty simply lying down and receiving care.

And then slowly, sometimes the body begins to trust. The breath deepens, the shoulders soften and the jaw unclenches. Sometimes tears come unexpectedly.

Not because anything is “wrong,” but because the body has finally been given a moment where it does not have to hold everything together. This is one of the reasons I believe massage, movement, breathwork, scar therapy, and pelvic health support are about so much more than muscles alone.

For many women, it is not simply relaxation. It is relearning safety inside their own body. Love, Nina x

Hello! I wanted to post a gentle reminder that voting for the Muddy Stilettos Awards closes next Thursday 28th May.I’ve ...
21/05/2026

Hello! I wanted to post a gentle reminder that voting for the Muddy Stilettos Awards closes next Thursday 28th May.

I’ve been nominated for Best Wellbeing Specialist in Suffolk & Cambridgeshire and I still feel incredibly touched every time someone takes a moment to vote for me.

Running a small women’s wellness business is deeply personal work. Behind every class, treatment, workshop, message, blog post, or late-night admin session is simply a genuine desire to help women feel more supported, informed, stronger, calmer, and more connected to themselves.

So if my work has ever helped you, or a friend or family member, whether through pregnancy support, pelvic health, massage, movement, scar therapy, nervous system work, coaching, or simply making you feel seen and heard, I would be so grateful for your vote.

And if you already have voted, thank you so much. Truly, it means so much. Link to vote is here https://suffolkcambs.muddystilettos.co.uk/awards/vote/
BEST WELLBEING SPECIALIST

Love, Nina x

Breastfeeding is natural, but for some women it can also come with unexpected changes that nobody warned them about, esp...
17/05/2026

Breastfeeding is natural, but for some women it can also come with unexpected changes that nobody warned them about, especially around bladder and vaginal health.

Many breastfeeding women experience symptoms that feel surprisingly similar to menopause: Dryness, burning, recurrent UTIs, bladder urgency, irritation, discomfort with s*x, pelvic heaviness, or feeling “not quite right” in their tissues after birth. This is often linked to hormones.

When we breastfeed, prolactin rises to support milk production. At the same time, oestrogen levels can remain lower than usual. Oestrogen is incredibly important for the health of the vaginal tissues, v***a, urethra, and bladder. Without enough of it, tissues can become thinner, drier, more sensitive, and more vulnerable to irritation and infection.

For some women, this can contribute to recurrent UTIs postpartum, even if they’ve never struggled before.

One option sometimes offered is local vaginal oestrogen. This is not the same as full HRT. It is used in tiny doses directly into the vaginal tissues as a cream, pessary, or ring and is designed to work mainly locally.

It may help:
• Improve tissue healing and hydration
• Support bladder and urethral health
• Reduce dryness and irritation
• Improve comfort with intimacy
• Lower recurrent UTI risk in some women

Current evidence suggests low-dose vaginal oestrogen is generally considered compatible with breastfeeding, particularly once milk supply is established, because absorption into the bloodstream is very low. But every woman’s situation is individual, and this should always be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.

There are also non-hormonal ways to support recovery:
Pelvic floor rehabilitation, scar therapy, hydration, nervous system support, bladder retraining, managing constipation, vaginal moisturisers, and looking at the whole picture of postnatal healing.

Too many women are told these symptoms are “just part of having a baby” or are left silently struggling with recurrent infections, discomfort, and fear around their bodies. You deserve support, information, and options. Love Nina

Address

Fen View Washbrook
Ipswich
IP83EU

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7pm - 8:30pm
Thursday 9am - 9:45pm
Friday 9am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447985220333

Website

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