Holistic Services for the Childbearing year

Post natal Doulas, Shiatsu and Acupunture for pregnancy & labour, Bellycasting and Blessingways...

Postnatal Doula Service

We also offer a postnatal service, to support and guide new Mum's and Dad's. This service is available either hourly or live-in and can be booked to run straight after your birth, allowing continuity of care and a sense of support in those early days/weeks.

Postnatal care includes; Guidance in establishing breastfeeding, light housekeeping chores, shopping, night care for Mum and baby and help establishing a routine if necessary, support in learning to bathe and nappy change babe and many other tasks. Please see below reference.

Kate offers this service within Somerset and is available to travel to your home also.

Postnatal Reference; live-in position January 2009

Kate is an absolute natural with children. She was fantastic with our daughter Cecilia, and I learned so much from watching her. Kate has a very calm aura about her, and Cecilia responded to that. While she is a naturally calm and contented baby, I feel sure that Kate contributed to her contentedness by the way she talked to, held, sang, smiled at and reassured Cecilia.

Kate was also a very reassuring presence for me. As a first-time mother, I had endless questions for her, which she answered very patiently and thoughtfully. Kate is extremely experienced with babies, and has two children of her own, and I felt that she had seen so much and had a very sensible, down-to-earth approach. At the same time, I appreciated the way that she never imposed her own theories or methods onto me. I noticed that she allowed me to come up with answers and to handle things in the way I thought best. Kate would support me and guide me but never bossed me around or tried to take charge, like some maternity nurses or doulas might be tempted to do.

Kate was also very helpful around the house, which was so important in the first few weeks, when everything revolved around caring for our baby. She anticipated mine and my husband’s needs to an extraordinary degree, and was tireless in trying to make things easier for us. She made me healthy juices and delicious flapjacks, prepared lovely salads and cooked meals for us, made endless journeys up and down our stairs to sort out laundry and other household chores. She encouraged me to take a rest in the afternoons, and looked after Cecilia, so I would be able to switch off. She was a very tactful presence too, and would quietly leave the room if she felt that my husband and I needed some time to talk on our own.

Kate has a great sense of humour, a very strong sense of service and a kind heart.

She is very experienced, very calm and extremely good with children, and a very easy person to live with. I cannot recommend her highly enough as the right person to help parents of a newborn baby at this most momentous and precious of times.
Caroline Shaw.

Holistic Therapies

Shiatsu

Jady Mountjoy is a Shiatsu practitioner specialising in prenatal, labour and postnatal techniques and she is based in Somerset. Jady trained with Suzanne Yates of Well Mother and Amanda Rayment of the Holistic Birth Trust Foundation.

Fees

Consulation and first treatment (2 hours) £50
Prenatal or postnatal shiatsu sessions (1 1/2 - 2 hours) £40
Concessions available

Jady also practices as a Doula within Conscious Birthing. Please visit our Doula Services page for more information.

Acupuncture

This part of the webpage is under construction. Please contact us in the meantime for details of Acupuncture for the childbearing year.

Bellycasting Service

Have your pregnant belly casted for the future.

Kate Woods offers this unique three dimensional cast which brings much pleasure in times to come, when your 'bump' is a child and the memory of these pregnant days are hazy.

The session takes around 40 minutes to one hour and can be done at your home, at my home in Somerset, or you can even find me at some Festivals!

Bellycasting is also offered as a part of the Blessingway Ceremony, please see below for details.

Fees
£40 (includes all materials)
Travel expenses may apply

Bellycast at a Conscious Birthing Workshop

Bellycasting 2006

"The heartfelt inspiration, real support and the utmost faith in birthing as a natural, sacred journey are just a few of the many reasons why Conscious Birthing has greatly assisted my deeper embracing of myself as a mother, and my babes as lifelong friends - Thankyou!"
- Mica, Somerset

Bellycasting 2007

Blessingway Ceremonies

A Blessingway ceremony creates a sacred environment where a mama-to-be is celebrated and supported as she approaches the gateway to motherhood. Coming together with the most important women in her life, mothers, grandmothers, sisters and friends, she can take the time to truly acknowledge this rite of passage.

Modern culture has become preoccupied with the physical aspects of birth preparation, whilst a blessingway ceremony opens us to explore pregnancy and birth in its full emotional, spiritual and ancestral qualities.

At Conscious Birthing, we offer a full and comprehensive ceremonial package, which can be tailor-made to your specific needs and wishes. We can take care of everything from the design of your invitations, catering and decoration of the venue to bellycasting, ancient blessingway songs and bead threading ceremonies.