Steph Kidd - Pregnancy, Birth & Parenthood Support

Did you know that Monday at Do It Like A Mother HQ we have Clair from In the Club Midwifery running her baby clinic?
It’s like the normal baby clinics, but better! ✨👌🏻
You bring your baby to be weighed during a full 1:1 consultation where you have plenty of time to discuss any worries, access feeding support and pick Clair’s brains for any other parenting support you may need. It’s all in the comfortable surrounds of our lovely HQ, with hot drinks and snacks on tap, a play area for the babies, and chance to connect with other families either side of your consultation.

Are you 20+ weeks pregnant wishing you felt calm and confident about your upcoming birth?
Perhaps last time things didn’t quite go how you’d hoped, a loss of control or a lack of understanding about your care can make approaching labour again a daunting prospect, where you feel like you may as well just submit to the inevitable.
Let me tell you now, it doesn’t have to be that way again!
... When you understand the mechanics, and needs of healthy labour, you can support that to the best of your ability and change the path of your birth completely. Your birth partner can be equipped to guide, cheer and advocate on the day, and literally use their magic hands to minimise your pain!! ✨✨
If you’re curious, feel free to drop me a DM for more info, or if you already know that you need this in your life, grab the last space for July or get booked on for August as spaces are filling.
I can’t wait to give you the tools and techniques you didn’t even know you needed last time 🙌🏻💫👑
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🤰🏾 Baby growers... you are awesome 💪🏻🙌🏻🤘🏻

Vaginal Birth After Caesarian .... There’s a lot of confusion, misinformation and fear about giving birth after a previous c-section (well, in fairness, there’s a lot of confusion, misinformation and fear about birth full stop these days!) but if you had a C-section in a previous pregnant it does NOT automatically mean you must have another this time. You have 💫 OPTIONS 💫 . You can of course choose to have an elective C-section if that feels right for your circumstances this time. If you go for this know you can specify things to make the experience your own. Perhaps it’s important to you that the room is quiet with gentle music playing, or maybe you’d prefer something more upbeat and laughter in the air as your baby is being born. You can decide who announces baby’s gender if it’s a surprise, ensure you have skin to skin contact, delay cord clamping, consider vaginal seeding, use a cord tie and more. Own your experience! . You may prefer to go for a vaginal birth this time - the outlook for VBAC success is great. Around 75% of women who have delivered via C-section previously will go on to have a vaginal delivery, this success rate increases to 85-90% for women who have also had vaginal delivery previously! Achieving a VBAC usually results in an easier recovery, fewer complications and a speedier return home to rest. . There is always the chance that you may need to change your plan during labour and accept a C-section if circumstances change for you or baby - this is NOT failing, it’s accepting help in the moment when it’s needed, and it takes great strength. If this happens you can still make the experience your own as described above. . Whichever choice you make you are ✨AMAZING✨ growing life and bringing it into the world! . If you want to join me for a full antenatal and hypnobirthing prep which can be used in ANY birth scenario to improve the experience, I have one space for July and spaces for August at @do.it.like.a.mother_hq - get in touch for more info ❤️ . #doitlikeamother #doitlikeamotherhq #vbac #csectionrecovery #caesariansection #vaginalbirth #vaginalbirthaftercesarean #postitivebirth #essexmumstobe #southendonsea #leighonsea #westcliffonsea
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Who’s got your back when you’re giving birth? . Your birth partner(s) are SO important: ❤️ To have unwavering, loving support whatever comes up 👐🏻 The gentle touch of someone you know and trust... 👌🏻 Someone who knows your birth preferences, likes & dislikes 📣 Someone to hold the space, and advocate for you and your baby 🎉 Someone to cheer you on and remind you of how flipping incredible you are when pass through a tough patch . You might choose to have your partner, mum, a sister or friend there. . We know that for men it can be especially difficult stepping into a very modern role in terms of the history of birth - they have few good quality role models or sources of info on how best to support you. . Many female relatives (especially those who had babies a few decades ago) had difficult experiences themselves and don’t realise you can be empowered and autonomous in birth (my gran asked if we still had enemas before being shaved in labour - I was able to reassure her that I could birth on my own terms and neither happened as standard today!) . If you want to work fluidly with your team, consider a group or private hypnobirthing course at @do.it.like.a.mother_hq - when you are on the same page knowing why you’re aiming for things, and how best to achieve that, your increasing the odds of that being your experience! It’s amazing how frequently I see 💡 moments from those who have experienced birth in a less than optimal way previously as we work through the course! . You might also consider hiring a doula - a professional -but loving- birth partner. She’s not there to provide medical advice, but emotional support, jargon busting, cheerleading or whatever else you need on the day! She’s seen birth, and trusts in the process, her calm brings calm to you too. . If you fancy getting your team prepped I’ve got one space left for July’s group course and spaces for group and private for August and beyond. Drop me a DM with any questions - interest free payment plans available. . 📷- @elliana_allon . #doitlikeamother #birthpartner #support #cheerleaders #doula #birth #hypnobabies #empoweredbirth #birtheducation #antenatal #20weekspregnant #24weekspregnant
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👶🏼Cloth nappy intro / demo👶🏼
👀What is a Close Pop in? 🤷🏼‍♀️When are they best used? 🤯How do I use them?
... #clothnappiesmadesimple
Hit me with any questions, or requests for other cloth nappy demos
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A repost from local mama @heidijanetrask who I saw when she was still pregnant for cloth nappy advice. How gorgeous is this photo, and her words are so wise! Who else has a lovely pic of their first baby with their new bump?! 😍 ・・・ Due Time not Due Date ⏰
I love the concept of a women’s ‘due time’ as unique and special as her monthly cycle. Some women are bang on 28 days, and others (like me) can have a 46 day cycle. ... A baby can appear anytime between 37-42 weeks within a woman’s due time. This time around I am trying to focus all my thoughts into this and as D day approaches, remembering it is just that- another date, another day. The frustration as pregnancy comes to the end is felt by almost every expectant mother. I know with my first baby I felt it’s itch from 37 weeks. I won’t let it rob me this time of the last precious days where my girl is happy in my tummy and my boy has all of me. I cried yesterday after seeing my midwife as my second sweep didn’t seem to be ‘favourable’ (another awful terminology) and I felt completely deflated and started to doubt myself and my body. But all in due time (that phrase has an entirely different meaning now), all in due time Mama⏰
This photo is a bit wanky but how lovely are baby bumps?!? ❤️ I also make a really great horsey horsey 😊
#secondtimemum #39weekspregnant
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New and expectant parents - get yourself summer sling sorted with Lizzie!!

Brilliant to see UNICEF using the great work of The Analytical Armadillo - an essential source of breastfeeding information and support for me with my first baby!

Twin mama / mama to be? Alll the support and solidarity you need for this journey can be found here 👌🏻

💫 I love waking up for brilliant baby news! Recent private clients who came to me close to their due date (we finished up when mum was over 39 weeks pregnant!) threw themselves into learning and the experience. It just shows that it’s never to late to learn, and that first births can absolutely be positive, empowered and knowledgable 💫 . Some of what mum N sent in her own words. Names have been blocked out of privacy. . ‘Thank you so much for all your guidance during our ses...sions... M and I both came away feeling a lot more informed about the birthing process and far more confident about dealing with it. . Labour was very long and intense - far harder than I could have imagined - but I found the breathing techniques really helped and M was brilliant at coaching me through. . It was magical to finally hold baby in my arms. What an experience!’ . If you want to reflect back on your birth feeling this good, I have one space left for July’s group course (plus spaces in August and beyond), and limited availability for private teaching from July / August. All details can be found in my bio link. . #doitlikeamother #doitlikeamotherhq #privatehypnobirthing #testemony #newborn #newbaby #babyupdate #hypnobabies #family #birthpartner #breathingthroughbirth #empoweredbirth #birth #mumtobe #firstbaby #12weekscan #pregnancyannouncement #birthwithoutfear #birthinggoddess #birthchoices #southendonsea #leighonsea #leighonseamums #essexmumstobe #essexmums #chalkwell #westcliffonsea #babyboy #babygirl #betterbirth
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He survived! . Okay, I’m not fully serious - I knew he would survive, but actually what’s awesome is he not only survived but THRIVED, despite me spending a whole 36hours away from him! . I was carrying around a whole bunch of anxiety and guilt about leaving my second born so much earlier than my first. She barely left my side for the first year or more of her life. I didn’t leave her overnight with Matt until she was 2, or with grandparents until she was even older. ... . Lenny was left with Matt for short periods from 7 weeks when I returned to teaching in small chunks, then gradually for longer periods so I could work. I also know he will need to go into proper childcare earlier than her (she was nearly 3, and honestly I could do with a day a week for him already!) and I left him in the safe and capable hands of Daddy on Friday at 14m old. . Turns out - both sets of choices are fine, perfect in fact! . My life is different now - with Flossie I went back to nannying and she was able to come with me, now I can’t bring him to teach group hypnobirthing or as was the case this weekend, to work @thewrapshow in London - he’s too mobile, curious (and allergic to stuff 😬) for me to easily make that work. He’s also a very different child to her - easier to read his cues, to settle, and to keep happy. . What I’m saying is, if you want or need to make different choices about your pregnancy, birth, or parenting for different children - that’s okay. You learn along the way, you gain confidence, or realise what extra support would help your family now, you don’t have to treat them exactly the same to treat them fairly. . So if your first experience of birth and early motherhood wasn’t quite what you’d hoped or would life, it’s safe to explore what changed would improve it this time. Maybe a change in sleeping arrangements, using a sling, spending more or less time with your child, or getting onto a hypnobirthing course to support you as you welcome them into the world. . I can help with the birth 😉 get in touch or follow the bio link for more deets ❤️ . (PS - check out my win from yesterday! @wovenwings TWS Wrap!) . #doitlikeamother #hypnobirthing #secondbaby #siblings
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Honest, inspirational and totally moving - thank you Stacey Solomon for contributing towards normalising motherhood’s ups and downs! ❤️

‘When are you due?’ . . As I was standing waiting for my train today, it struck me again just how powerful the language we use during pregnancy is. ‘ Due date’ is one of the biggies. .... When a train is due, that’s the time is is actually scheduled to be there. A vehicle on a journey, with pre-planned and timed stops, which can indeed be late. There’s no ambiguity about when the 14.41 train is expected to arrive, because that is when it is due. Before 14:41 it’s early, beyond then it is late. . Babies however aren’t due on any one day - at least not one we know about! They all need a different amount of time to grow and fully develop, even subsequent babies from the same parents sometimes require something different to earlier siblings. They aren’t really early, or late, when they’re are born in the window of 37-42 weeks - because that’s what is considered full term and healthy. . Yet we have SO much focus put on the ‘Due Date’ I know it’s officially called the ESTIMATED due date, but it’s never referred to as that by anyone, ever! It creates huge pressure in our minds, and from external sources. . If you can, consider adding a week or two to your due date when people ask - give yourself a grace period. You may not need it, or you may be thankful for it in a few months! . For more on due dates, pre-labour interventions, and remaining calm in the approach to meeting your baby, I have just one space left for the group course in July, and spaces for August - for more info follow the link in my bio ❤️ . . #doitlikeamother #doitlikeamotherhq #birthsupport #gentlebirth #listentoyourbody #wombwisdom #birthchoices #positivebirth #naturalbirth #informedconsent #mumtobe #birthyourway #birthwithoutfear #pregnancysupport #4thtrimester #empoweredbirthproject #childbirtheducation #hypnobirthing #duedate #overdue #earlybaby #southendonsea #leighonsea #chalkwell #chalkwellpark #westcliffonsea #essexmums #essexbumps
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