Your Doula

23/05/2026

Let's talk about placenta calcification - aka "the aging placenta"

In this image is a teeny little placenta from a home birth that I attended. The doctor declared the placenta as Grade 3 calcification at 36 weeks, and this precious baby was born naturally at 38 weeks, healthy and at home with zero complications. Was she tiny? Yes. But she was perfect.

A Grade 3 placenta at 36+ weeks is often described as a “mature” or “calcified” placenta on ultrasound. The important thing to understand is that this grading system describes how the placenta looks - not how well it’s functioning.
Research has shown that placental grading alone is a poor predictor of placental insufficiency, fetal distress, or stillbirth. In fact, Grade 3 placentas are commonly seen in healthy term pregnancies and are considered a normal part of placental maturation toward the end of pregnancy.

Likewise, a baby measuring “small” on ultrasound does not automatically mean the baby is unhealthy or unsafe. Ultrasound weight estimations have a fairly large margin of error, AND many babies are simply constitutionally small (just like some adults are naturally smaller than others).

What matters more than placental appearance or baby size alone is doppler blood flow; amniotic fluid levels; baby’s movement patterns, growth trends over time, and overall maternal and fetal wellbeing. A single scan should never be viewed in isolation.
This doesn’t mean that concerns should be ignored, only that decisions around induction and birth planning deserve a full clinical picture, not fear-based assumptions from ultrasound findings alone.

If you want to naturally support the health and wellbeing of your placenta and baby, then consider these options:
🥚 Adequate daily protein intake
🥑 Healthy fats and omega-3s
🌿 Iron-rich foods and mineral support (especially whole-herb options like Nettle leaf and Spirulina)
🚶‍♀️ Gentle daily movement
💤 Rest and stress reduction
💧 Good hydration

There is no consistent evidence that a Grade 3 placenta automatically signals dysfunction. Every pregnancy is unique, and evidence-based care means looking at the whole picture - not just one ultrasound label.

18/05/2026

What an incredibly stunning water birth we attended this Saturday ❤️ it was a busy and beautiful weekend, supporting two special mamas!

What a full and beautiful weekend of birth work. 🤍

On Friday, I spent most of the day with a mommy in labour. By 5pm, she made the decision to transfer to hospital for an epidural. Birth asks so much of a woman. Sometimes strength looks like breathing through one more contraction, and sometimes strength looks like knowing what you need and choosing extra support.

While I was still walking that journey with her, another mommies waters broke… and so Saturday was spent fully in the sacred rhythm of labour again.

This time, it ended in the most beautiful waterbirth. Calm, powerful, and deeply moving.

Two very different birth stories. Two incredibly strong women. Two reminders that birth is not about proving anything. It’s about being supported, respected, and held through whatever path unfolds.

📸 of the exact time baba was born, taken by , while
was capturing the actual birth. Can't wait to see the photos!😍

pretoriamidwife pretoriaeast birthsupport laboursupport waterbirth homebirth birthunit naturalbirth positivebirth empoweredbirth birthchoices birthwithoutfear gentlebirth motherhoodjourney bloomsybaby

12/05/2026

Let's talk about water birth...

It's one of those things that people either absolutely love… or are absolutely terrified of 😅 And honestly, a lot of the fear usually comes from misunderstanding how it actually works.
Warm water during labour can be incredibly calming and regulating for the nervous system. It helps the body relax, encourages the release of endorphins and oxytocin, eases muscle tension, and often helps contractions feel more manageable and less overwhelming. Many moms find that they’re able to move more freely in the water, conserve energy better, and feel more in control of their labour space instead of feeling trapped by it.

And no… babies do not “breathe underwater” during a proper water birth 🙈 A healthy baby in labour continues receiving oxygen via the placenta and umbilical cord, and the baby’s first breath is triggered by exposure to air once they are brought gently to the surface. This is why careful monitoring, proper candidate selection, and experienced support matter so much.

Like absolutely anything in birth, water birth isn’t completely risk-free — but many of the commonly mentioned risks are also very preventable when done appropriately. Things like maintaining clean water, monitoring temperature properly, ensuring baby and mom are both coping well in labour, avoiding unnecessary pulling or handling under the water, and knowing when it’s appropriate to leave the pool all make a huge difference. Water birth should never be about forcing an “aesthetic” experience at the expense of safety.

It’s also important to remember that getting into the water doesn’t mean you’re “locked in” to a water birth. Some women labour beautifully in the pool and birth outside of it, while others only get in during transition or pushing. The water is simply a tool — not a rule.

When used appropriately, water can be such a beautiful comfort measure in labour. Calm environment, reduced tension, more freedom of movement, less pressure on the body, and often a gentler transition into the world for baby too 🤍

09/05/2026

No caption needed 🩷 just my own words...

01/05/2026

Let's talk about monitoring a baby's heart rate without a CTG 🩷

Having a home birth or a birth in a facility that doesn't have a CTG machine or may not use it as the primary option? Then perhaps you're wondering about how you'll know if your baby is okay during labour...

When people think of monitoring a baby in labour, they usually picture the CTG machine with straps and wires, but that’s not the only (or always the best) option. In a healthy, low-risk labour, midwives will often use a handheld Doppler, which is a small device that lets them listen to a baby’s heartbeat at intervals without restricting your movement... And honestly, that’s one of the biggest benefits: mom can move freely, change positions, labour how and where she wants (including in water)… all the things that actually help labour progress.

What they’re doing with the Doppler isn’t just “checking a number.” They’re listening before, during, and after contractions, tuning into how baby is responding. They’re looking for a heart rate sitting roughly between 110–160 bpm, with a natural, slightly irregular rhythm (not flat or robotic), and also how quickly baby recovers after a contraction. Little dips in a heart rate can be normal, but recovery should be nice and quick, which is a really reassuring sign that a baby is coping well.

There’s this idea that only a CTG is reliable, but that’s not actually true for low-risk labours. Intermittent monitoring with a Doppler is evidence-based and widely recommended, with similar outcomes for a baby (just without the added restriction and higher chance of unnecessary intervention). CTG absolutely has its place when it’s needed, but MORE monitoring isn’t always better… APPROPRIATE monitoring is.

A Doppler not only allows midwives to keep a close, skilled ear on your baby, but it does so while also protecting the natural flow of your labour relating to your movement, position, and also location... and that balance is often exactly what both mom and baby need.

27/03/2026

Some of the things we use in the birth room include a baby doll...

Birth has a way of reminding us that we are not always in control.

Sometimes everything looks perfect for a vaginal birth...and then a baby decides to come in a way we didn’t plan for. Tonight was one of those nights. After 18 hours of determined labour, we made the decision to transfer for a caesarean section so that baby boy could arrive safely.

In moments like these, we can easily ask why this is happening.
Instead, we choose to say:
God is still good.
Even when birth doesn’t unfold the way we hoped.
Even when the plan changes.
Even when the road looks different to what we imagined.
Ultimately, every safe mother and baby is still a miracle worth celebrating!

This was my 15th birth of 2026 and my first transfer for a caesarean section this year. A reminder that birth is powerful, unpredictable, humbling & always sacred.

A big thank you to doula Natalie for her incredible work throughout the day, and to our backup obstetrician and theatre team who came out in the early hours of the morning to assist when the plan changed. Your care and teamwork make such a difference for families.

(📸 The doll we used to demonstrate baby’s position to mom during labour.)

24/03/2026

When you just need to be held - through the tears and the contractions 🩷

Labour has a sneaky way of throwing everything at you - all at once! Sometimes, you're trying to process the news of plans changing while trying to hold back the tears. Then you're trying to shed those tears while a contraction arises - at the wrong time - it can all feel so overwhelming, and that's the moment when you just need to be seen and simply held.

22/03/2026

Your birth matters; it really does.
Each woman has her own idea of her dream birth, and each woman has a right to have a team behind her to help her achieve the birth her heart desires.

It does not matter whether that birth is completely natural, with intervention, or a cesarean, what matters is that you feel respected, loved, supported, encouraged, and you have a team you can trust to bring you closer towards the birth you're aiming for.

Your birth matters. It's a deeply personal, memorable and intimate day that will be imprinted in your memory and your heart for a lifetime: it's the day you discover yourself, you meet your baby and you become a family with your partner. It's a moment that few words can describe, but your heart will forever feel.

Regardless of your type of birth; it still matters.

07/02/2026

It's the little things 🩷

02/02/2026

Hey sexy lady, how sexy have you been lately? 😜

Did you know that there is a super beneficial physiology behind intimacy and labour? Oh yes! 💪

With a multitude of intimacy techniques to choose from - from sensual massage to getting *wolf whistle* with your partner - all of these can help to prepare your body for labour.

But how?

Well, firstly, there's that gorgeous love hormone called oxytocin that your body (actually your uterus) needs for good strong contractions, and it's also important for forming deep emotional bonds 👍

Then there's those fantastic feel-good chemicals called endorphins, which help to give you that sense of euphoria... oh, so good 😌
These chemicals are actually responsible for triggering the op**te receptors in the brain, giving you a natural morphine-like high 🥳
Okay... but so what?
Well, it's all of the 'whats' actually!
Did you know that oxytocin THRIVES off of these chemicals and vice versa??? Oh yeah!!! More endorphins mean more oxytocin, and more oxytocin means more endorphins...
I'm sure you can see the beneficial cycle beginning to spin here 😁

Both of these together - oxytocin and endorphins - are really the magic trick behind that feeling of total bliss and release. Now, doesn't that sound good for the labour room?

Then there's also a whole bunch of other benefits connected to intimacy for labour such as cervical ripening from stimulation and prostaglandins (which are naturally found in semen); stress relief and tension release; deep bonding with your partner, building body confidence and great exercise 💪
So why wouldn't you want to explore the world of intimacy?

Now, how sexy is too sexy? No such thing! 🙌 so get your sexy suit on, you wild woman you, and have yourself one jolly good time 😉 baby belly and all 😁