Latest Blog Posts

The risks of premature cord clamping

September 16, 2026

We hear a lot about optimal cord clamping and the benefits associated with it but I’d like to take a moment to flip the script slightly. When we are talking about any kind of intervention we should really be looking at the risks of that intervention, rather than trying to justify letting nature do its job. Language is important! So let’s look at this standard-practice intervention for what it really is: premature cord clamping.

May 12, 2025

How can we support you at each stage?

We are Greater Manchester Doulas. We’re a small team of experienced, full-spectrum doulas meaning we support women from pre-conception all the way through to postpartum, covering all of Greater Manchester. It can be difficult to figure out what kind of support is on offer and what fits with your plans, so we wanted to simplify some of our offerings for you!

April 7, 2025

Is induction ever an informed choice?

If girls were brought up surrounded by women who gave birth undisturbed and breastfed openly, would they ever doubt their body’s abilities? If a woman was taught to trust her intuition, to listen to her body and trust in the birth process, would she ever feel that medically forcing her body into labour before it’s ready is a better option than staying pregnant?

March 11, 2025

Sarah is awesome!

Sarah has been carrying out work for GMD for nearly three years, and it’s her birthday this week, so we are celebrating her and her achievements today. If you’ve ever hired a pool, asked a question about breastfeeding, or needed someone to hold the most sacred space while you process and explore something that’s been […]

November 20, 2024

Response to another article about “the dangers of freebirth”

This morning the BBC shared an article online with the somewhat familiar headline “Medics warn of dangers of freebirth”. Of course we know what is coming because this kind of article comes out periodically in order to whip up some more fear around pregnancy and birth, as if women aren’t dealing with enough coercion as it is. Here are my thoughts on the themes of the article.

October 3, 2024

Freebirth is not just a reaction to the medicalisation of birth. Freebirth came first.

If you google freebirth or unassisted birth (which I don’t recommend doing!) you will be met with article after article describing this choice as a result of being “between a rock and a hard place”, “a new trend caused by poor maternity care” or women being “left with no other option”. And whilst the maternity system absolutely has had a part to play in leading women to this path, birthing unassisted is not “the lesser of two evils”, it is a return to the biological norm. For many women it is their first, instinctual choice. Why? Because it makes perfect sense.

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