Demeter Retreat - Celebrating Motherhood!

A huge thankyou to all the wonderful mothers who came along to the Demeter retreat yesterday and shared a wonderful day all together - celebrating motherhood!

We shared a lovely breakfast, lunch and evening meal together and took part in activities that made us think about our lives as women, mothers, lovers, wives, daughters.. the list goes on.. !!

A special moment for me was the barefoot outside yoga under the light of the full orange moon - the largest full moon in 18 years - beautiful! :-)

The next womens retreat will be a 'red tent' event.. email me or Rebecca for details...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Demeter Retreat - Celebrating Motherhood!

Do you have to give up your life when you become a mother and settle for a life of domesticity and servitude? Only if you want to! Yet it is enormously difficult in Western Culture to find a balance between a mother’s needs and the needs of the family. This retreat aims to uncover hopes that were locked away with the arrival of our babies and to seek this elusive balance.
In times gone by, women supported each other, gathering to... tell their stories and to craft. Research now shows that these activities lead to stronger mental health and better problem solving ability. I believe that we can reclaim this community of women and make our lives richer for it.
Where do we start? Certainly telling our own stories is a powerful beginning. We might also look to myths and fairy tales to find role models and illumination for our lives. The first goddesses were all powerful and ruled all aspects of the heavens and earth, gradually they became diluted and were divided into several gods and goddesses, however we can learn from the attributes of each character. Demeter was the goddess of the harvest and a mother herself, which is why the retreat has been named after her. She divided her time between motherhood and ensuring that the grain grew and the rain fell, pretty fulfilling work!
The retreat will use nature, craft, storytelling and discussion to consider how we can retain our individual identity and dreams whilst nurturing our children, regardless of their age.
We look forward to seeing you there.
A day to explore and celebrate your life as a mother, whether your child is a baby, adult or somewhere in the middle.
Through storytelling, craft, yoga and discussion we will look at aspects of motherhood and consider how to retain our individual identity and dreams whilst nurturing our children.
£65
To include three meals and refreshments.
Payments in installments available, full cost to be paid 28 days in advance of event
Overnight accommodation available Friday & Saturday nights @ £30 per night.


Contact Rebecca @ rebeccacoates74@gmail.com or myself @ fay@sacredspiraldoula.co.uk for a booking form or more information

.......Welcome Baby Finley!.......

A huge welcome to Baby Finley born on Christmas day at home!

Well done to his fantastic mum who decided to have her first baby at home where she felt safe and in control.

Gorgeous Finley was born at 4.09am Christmas morning 2010! What a wonderful and special day that was!

I will always treasure the memories of this very special Christmas, and huge thanks to new mum for giving me the honour of being her Doula. Congratulations and welcome to the world Baby Finley!!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Welcome to the world Baby Ariadne!

Welcome indeed to this little princess, born at home, in the bath on the 25th September 2010
Congratulations to Kayleigh and Antony for the lovely birth of their first daughter!
Thank you for sharing your precious moments with me - you were awesome!
xxxxx

.........Welcome to Baby Lilia!.............

Congratulations to Anna who gave birth to baby Lilia on the 12th August 2010, Well done Anna, you are amazing!!!

.......Welcome Baby Alfred......

Welcome Baby Alfred, born in water, in the hospital birthing pool. A really lovely, sacred, peaceful and completely natural labour and birth.

Well done to his mum, Sarah for achieving something so beautiful! and thank you for giving me the privalage of supporting you. xxxxx

a doula experience...

A lovely article written for a magazine...


My Magical Doula Experience

New Mum Jenny Winser shares her birth story

When Jenny Winser had her first baby, she knew a little about doulas: enough that is to know that she didn’t need one. Jenny tells us here why she changed her mind and how, after a difficult first pregnancy, doula Fay Thomson helped her to have a really positive birth experience the second time around.

I emailed Fay 3½ months into my pregnancy after suffering severe sickness and feeling really depressed about things - I just wanted someone to talk to other than family. In the main, my issue was a feeling of being disconnected from the child I was carrying. I am sure most women who are expecting their second child worry about having enough love for two children but for me it was more than that. I had an extremely difficult first pregnancy and nearly lost the baby on a number of occasions. Because of this I was extremely protective of my son early on. Whilst I was suffering severe sickness with this pregnancy, it was not in danger and so for me the protection instinct wasn’t so strong. Having previously been told it was medically unlikely that I would have any more children, I had focussed on the benefits of having an only child which increased my worries about bonding and of suffering from post-natal depression.


Birth Preparation
After meeting Fay I knew I had made a good decision. She was reassuring and supportive to both me and my partner. We talked through my previous birth experience and my fears for the birth. We talked about how my partner felt during the birth of our son and what role he wanted to play this time. We talked about breastfeeding which did not happen with my son due to problems during his birth and my confidence at the time. I would not have breastfed this time around if it wasn’t for Fay. Fay also introduced me to hypno birthing techniques through a CD which I was really sceptical about at first but actually worked to give me a really positive birth experience. Fay was also at the end of the phone at any time throughout the pregnancy.


The Birth
On the days leading up to the birth I contacted Fay on a regular basis with updates. I went into labour 5 days late feeling ready to face it. I don’t really know when my Braxton Hicks transferred to true labour and I genuinely believe this was because I was able to remain calm thanks to my birth preparation. In the early hours my partner called Fay and she came to the house where we prepared to go to hospital. It was reassuring to have someone with us who knew the hospital procedures and who could help my partner keep calm. It felt nice to know that there was someone there for him so that he could be there for me without being too stressed. After being at the hospital for less than 3 hours my beautiful baby girl Ella Grace Rose was born. Fay was there the whole time and helped me control my breathing which resulted in a really positive birth experience. Shortly after delivery Ella attached to the breast and was able to feed.

To those that worry about sharing the intimacy of birth with a stranger I would say firstly a doula is not a stranger. By the time I gave birth, both I and my partner had built a strong relationship with Fay. Secondly, a doula is not a physically intimate role - they are there for emotional and/or practical support. My partner certainly felt the benefit of this support which cannot be given by hospital staff in the same way.


Back at Home
Once at home Fay continued to provide me with support on breastfeeding and by just coming round in the mornings for an hour while I had a bath. I did bond with my beautiful daughter but did still feel vulnerable after the birth so it was nice to have someone checking in on me. The only downside I can think of with having a Doula is saying goodbye. Fay has to go on to help other women and she has her own family to look after but I do hope that we don’t lose touch and that I have made a friend. I will certainly tell my daughter about the special person that was there on her journey into the world.

http://www.toddleabout.co.uk/articles/misc/doula.php