Resources
For Relaxation
Free Yoga Nidras here that I recorded here that you can listen to at any time.
Yoga Nidra is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘yogic sleep’ and is a state where the body is completely relaxed somewhere between being awake and asleep. I practice Yoga Nidra when I can’t sleep, when I feel stressed, depleted, anxious or even before a big challenge that I need to prepare for. I have used it for so many moments in my life and I really value this practice.
Here are free recordings you can pass amongst friends who may also find it useful. See how it is for you, sometimes it really allows the body and mind to rest - other times you may be unable to relax and that’s OK too.
It’s ideal if you can get as comfortable as possible and feel like you are in a safe place. But I’ve also known people practice on public transport like an aeroplane what works for you may be different to someone else. It’s not advisable to practice it whilst you are driving however! Practicing Yoga Nidra in nature can be wonderful too.
Yoga Nidra Club happens once every month also - you’re so welcome to join.
Winter Solstice Yoga Nidra - a practice for the winter solstice. Recorded from my therapy room with the sound of rain on the windows. The breath as waves, as the sea, the bones of our body, deep inner listening and deep rest. Tending to the warming flame within us. It weaves in poetry: The Guesthouse, Rumi; Clamming, Mary Oliver; Bone, Mary Oliver; and I said to my body. softly. 'I want to be your friend'. it took a long breath. and replied 'i have been waiting my whole life for this' - Nayyirah Waheed.
Yoga Nidra - A Heart Centered Practice - This is a 20 minute long Yoga Nidra that doesn’t ‘wake you up’ at the end so it could be used to help you get back to sleep or go to sleep. The other two do bring you back into a more wakeful like sleep although, of course, you could use any in any way you like.
For more information on yoga nidra and for many more Yoga Nidra recordings please look into the work of Uma Dinsmore-Tulli! The website Yoga Nidra Network has many yoga nidras to support you in different ways and also in different languages too. It’s truly a wonderful resource and she has such an astonishing amount of knowledge and experience. Highly recommend.
Please also see below a healing practice from the Qi Gong traditions as taught to me by the wondreful Mimi Kuo Deemer. She taught me that this can be a very relaxing and healing practice; allowing the five elements to be balanced. I very much enjoy teaching and listening to this guided meditation myself. You can do it seated or lying down. I nearly always choose lying down and making sure I am very comfortable and warm so that the body can fully relax.
Further Support
The below section is a work in progress - please bear with me! I have a lot more links and people to add- getting there slowly!
The below is a list of people and brilliant organisations that are doing great things. You’ll also find a Sheffield specific list of people that I have personally worked with and trust. Some are people I worked with at the Sheffield Maternity Cooperative and others are those that I’ve worked with as a client and received wonderful care.
More additions in perinatal care will be added - from feeding support to postnatal mental health support.
I’ll also be adding people, organisations and wonderful work done outside of perinatal support too.
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Abortion Talk - A pro-choice and pro-voice helpline
Abortion Support Network - practical advice and support for those that need to travel for an abortion
Abortion With Love - A brilliant podcast series, telling stories about abortion from the heart.
Shout Your Abortion - Abortion stories & More
DOPO - a collective on a mission to provide holistic stigma free abortion care and education.
ARC - National UK Charity providing independent information and emotional support through antenatal testing and its consequences.
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Lenny’s Legacy - Support for baby loss and child death in Sheffield and South Yorkshire. I love their inclusion of physical and emotional recovery and accessible, considered local spaces and communities https://lennyslegacy.uk/
Sands - An International Charity https://www.sands.org.uk/support-all-types-baby-loss
Tommys - Another International Charity doing brilliant things https://www.tommys.org/
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Everyone on this list go above and beyond to help the local community. Please do reach out to them if you’re struggling or just want to educate yourself further!
Kris McKeown - Birth Doula, Birth Trauma Specialist, Feeding Specialist - offers one to one support. https://www.krismckeown.co.uk/
Phoebe Pallotti - Independent Midwife (IM) based in Sheffield with extensive experience supporting the queer community as well as refugees and those in the asylum system. https://www.phoebethemidwife.org/
Kate Robinson - Chiropractor - extensive experience of helping people with aches and pains in pregnancy such as PGP but so much more also.
Emily Elgar - Based at Katie Bell Physio - a very good women’s health physio based in Sheffield. https://katiebellphysio.com/our_team/emily-elgar/
I’ve also heard that the NHS are booking people in very speedily now and have heard (albeit mixed) much better things.
Jo Moon - Acupuncture - I saw Jo when I was pregnant and now regularly again many years postpartum. Utterly brilliant and wise. Not just perinatal specific http://moonacupuncture.co.uk/
Rochelle Clark - Based at Fiveways in Sharrow Rochelle is a highly experienced pregnancy massage therapist and postnatal massage therapist with scar tissue experience. She also used to be a midwife. fabella1960@yahoo.co.uk
Aimee Barnes - not just pregnancy specific but a wonderful, kind bodyworker and acupuncturist https://www.aimeebarnesholistics.co.uk/
Someone I’ve worked with recently has really recommended the work of Melinda Pagden who is a registered Midwife, massage therapist and hypnobirthing insturctor. melindapagden@gmail.com
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Now more than ever I think it’s imperative that we equip ourselves with information and knowledge. Lean into local, researched and brilliant support that cut through the noise and help you feel empowered.
Birth and parenthood is an unknown - AND yet there is so much that we can prepare for.
I do believe in going above and beyond your usual NCT courses and being proactive in seeking the information that you need to have a better experience of birth - however it goes, and however it happens.I know that money is often tight but here is what I’d do if I had unlimited resources…
I’d get an Independent Midwife
If I couldn’t get an IM I’d absolutely work with a doula
If I couldn’t do that I’d do an online birth prep course like the one with Birth_Ed (listed below).
I’d also choose perhaps more than one birth partner - who else can advocate for you? What kind of presence do you want? This may help reduce the pressure on your partner (who is also being birthed as a parent!)
Understanding and getting to know your body intimately is important. From understanding birth biomechanics to how your body responds to stress to how you are with sounding or making noise. It all comes into it! IDo get in touch if you want to lean into this.
Birth Rights - important to do your homework. And if you’re anything like me I need some support to fathom them. https://birthrights.org.uk/
Read books by Sara Wickham https://www.sarawickham.com/ to help make choices and also read other books like Your Body, Your Birth by Hollie De Cruz.
A brilliant online Birth Prep course is by Megan Rossiter: https://www.instagram.com/birth_ed/
Also follow Deborah Neiger - another local-ish Independent Midwife with a hugely informative instagram account https://www.instagram.com/debsagos/
If you’d rather speak to someone and get one to one support then I do recommend someone like Phoebe or Kris. Book in a one to one session - you aren’t being ‘too much’ for doing so! You’re reaching out for support, in a very confusing, biased world and being informed.
Read birth stories - lots and lots of stories. All types of stories - read books by Ina May Gaskin. Listen to podcasts about birth and birth stories. Although there is an element of being mindful of what stories you want to listen to I do think reading a range of experiences can be really helpful. Birth is So specific to YOU and your individual circumstances - no two births are the same. You’re allowed to want the birth you want.
Pregnancy After Loss - if you have experienced loss or abortion before then pregnancy again can bring so many feelings and emotions. Reaching out for some support throughout pregnancy could be really helpful. Kris is a great person to speak to for specific pregnancy after loss (details above!). You could also work with the body through something like Biodynamic Massage or seek talking therapy -
Your Body - getting to know your body. Looking at events or experiences that have impacted your relationship to your body and to pregnancy and birth. Beyond this looking at your relationship to power, understanding the narratives you’ve been told around birth and inherent beliefs, what’s your relationship of being a ‘good girl’, of saying yes, or no, do you have perfectionist tendancies, do you listen to your body or know how to, how do you feel about making noise or moving with no inhibitions?
