Postnatal Planning and Coaching sessions

What is Postnatal coaching? I offer coaching support sessions and workshops to women and couples during pregnancy (and the postnatal period). This involves learning about the postnatal period (also called the ‘fourth trimester’), why it’s important and what the universal needs are at this time, for you and all other members of the family. Through finding the ‘essence’ of how you would like this time to be, we can create a postnatal plan which is based on your individual family’s needs. I then support you to put this in place, step by step. I also offer postnatal support sessions to check in with you about how things are going, to offer birth debriefing, to address any current issues and to offer support, referrals or advice.

Why is the fourth trimester so important? Birth is an intense physiological process, followed by a cascade of hormones that support bonding and breastfeeding but which can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. Birth is physically, emotionally and spiritually very opening and this can mean that mothers feel more sensitive. Establishing breastfeeding is not always straightforward and it takes time to get into a rhythm and find comfortable ways of feeding. It takes about 6 weeks for the uterus to shrink back to its original size and for the organs to go back into place. Integrating the birth and transition to motherhood and getting to know the new baby also takes time. Birth is considered by many to be a rites of passage, but it is up to us how much we engage with it, and this is not always easy in our fast-paced way of life and without the support and witnessing we need from our community.

In cultures where traditional ways of life are still intact, there is still a system of care for postnatal mothers. It is recognised that not only is the baby vulnerable but so is the mother. It is acknowledged that the baby’s wellbeing is completely dependent on her wellbeing and so the emphasis is on supporting and nourishing the mother. Though each culture has its own definition of how long this care is given and what it looks like, there are some common themes:

The universal needs of the mother

Rest
Food
Warmth
Community
Bodywork

In traditional cultures, the mother is supported to take time out of her usual roles and responsibilities and have a ‘lying in’ period. This supports her to rest and recover from the birth, give her body an opportunity to heal and space to integrate the birth experience and her transition to motherhood (whether she has had children already or not). She has time to bond with her baby, get to know their cues and establish breastfeeding. This time also enables the family to adapt to having a new baby and for the father and siblings to bond and transition as a family in their new configuration.

Food has a central role as this nourishes the mother and supports milk production through receiving herself she can focus on giving to her baby. Many cultures consider warmth to be necessary to help the mother rebalance after birth where they consider that there is a loss of heat. Mothers are advised to keep warm (also called ‘mother roasting’ and can involve belly binding), to have only warm foods and drinks and to be given emotional warmth from those around her.

A mother needs to be surrounded by her community and to have the companionship of female friends, relatives and midwives who offer their care, wisdom and support. Massage, belly binding and herbs are commonly offered to new mothers as well as support with breastfeeding and infant care. This connection and care supports her nervous system to stay in regulation, which allows her to stay in loving connection with her baby. These cultures also offer massage and other forms of bodywork as well as rituals/practices that honour and witness her in this transition through a Mother’s Blessing during pregnancy, and/or after the birth such as Ritual Bathing, Sweat Lodge or Closing the Bones Ceremony.

Whilst our culture no longer has this system of integrated postnatal care, there are ways we can offer this to mothers and families that fit in with their individual circumstances, the level of support you have, your finances and any other needs you might have.

Why I am drawn to working with families during the fourth trimester: Having given birth to three children and experienced different levels of support during the postnatal period, I was inspired to support families during pregnancy and the postnatal period. In 2020, I completed my training as a postnatal coach and doula with Olivia Seck at Birthing Wisdom Holistic Trainings.

Through my journey as a mother, I have wrestled with the conflicting information and opinions that are out there in books and what we are told by those around us. I know how challenging it is to find balance between our needs and those of our children and how confusing it is at times to apply the information in our own families. Having navigated this myself, I believe that getting to know ourselves and our needs is the key to finding balance and maintaining our sense of self and personal wellbeing. By having time to bond and get to know our babies and taking the time to listen and understand their cues builds our confidence as a mother and our ability to sense and tend to their needs. I don’t believe there is a one size fits all approach to parenting. This is not always easy, as following someone else’s approach can seem simpler and give clarity and ease. However, this can be at the cost of our own inner knowing. Seeing through the lens of someone else’s parenting approach can mean missing the opportunity of sensing what might really be going on and intuitively finding a way forward.

My approach draws on my own journey of self-enquiry and integration of life’s challenges as well as my on-going interest in non-violent communication (NVC), Hand-in-Hand Parenting, Mindfulness, Self-compassion practices, attachment theory, knowledge of trauma and the nervous system, child development and conscious parenting in general.

I believe in finding a balance between trusting our innate body wisdom and educating ourselves in a way that supports us in making informed and conscious choices. I feel that cultivating self-awareness, mindfulness and having space to process our own childhood experiences are fundemental in this process. Although not always an easy journey, I have found this to be essential in growing my capacity to love and meet my children where they are at each stage of life.

I am passionate about holding a non-judgemental and empathic space where you can be with where you are, connect with what you are longing for personally and as a family and find ways to meet that together.

Postnatal planning and support sessions

Through a series of three 1.5-hour sessions (or in a group workshop) we will explore how you would like this postpartum time to be and identify the steps needed to make this happen. I will support you to create an environment for this time that enables you deep rest and recovery, bonding and time to get to know your new baby. The postnatal plan is designed to support you to stay centered and resourced whilst you make this transition and support your baby to have a gentle start in life.

I will offer information and resources to support you to make informed choices on feeding, sleep, crying, nutrition, the ‘baby moon', building community support and other key areas that will help you to feel prepared for the months following the birth of your baby.

I believe that how you approach the fourth trimester (the postnatal period) is as important as the practical preparation. I will include the space for you to connect with how you feel and what you need during the sessions as well as practices that help you to feel grounded and centred and those to promote nervous system regulation. Having a calm mind, body and emotions will support you, your baby and your family to thrive and to be resourced for this transition and to meet any challenges you may face along the way.

The sessions, information and resources I offer will be tailor-made to suit your individual family’s needs. These sessions can be on zoom if in-person session are not possible and I offer additional support via emails between sessions.

I also offer follow-up postnatal visits (or zoom/phone sessions) after the birth of your baby to check in how things are going and any additional support you may be needing. These are in addition to the three sessions and are available on request. See bottom of page for fees.

Testimonials

Postnatal planning sessions:

We were very fortunate to have Annie's support in helping us to envision our postnatal period after the birth of our daughter. She helped us to uncover the essence of what was important for us in those days / weeks following the birth, no matter how the birth itself unfolded. With a gentle, deep listening, she offered areas of consideration and support that we may have otherwise overlooked. In this way, when I came to birth my daughter, I felt deeply grounded in and held by something much larger than myself, and I knew I could relax into a sense of holding beyond the birth too.
Often, so much attention is given to the birthing of our children that we can forget to consider what happens next. The post natal period, as I have experienced, is so important; for the potential of bonding with baby and the transition into a new family constellation, and also for the body's return to health and vitality in the long term after birth. It is a beautiful time for nesting into a slow and listening pulse that can be so rare in our culture. I highly recommend Annie and the support she can offer in envisioning this time and giving yourself permission to experience it.

Hayley

We are so grateful for the calm and grounded space Annie created and how this facilitated us to deeply explore our hopes, fears and expectations about our baby's arrival in the world. We felt Annie had both knowledge and wisdom, alongside a curiosity about our unique family life. This generated lots of further conversation and exploration after the session, as well as more concrete plans for the post-partum period. We would recommend to all expectant families!

Lucy and George

Postnatal home visits:

We have both found the sessions with Annie so valuable in taking conscious, protected time to check in with ourselves individually, as a couple and as new parents. Annie has such a gentle and genuine way of guiding and being alongside, which we feel has really helped us navigate the transition into parenthood and build our new family. There is so much support and information about pregnancy and birth, but preparation and communication about the post-partum period is really lacking! We would really recommend the time and space with Annie to other parents who want to thoughtfully consider this momentous journey together.

Thank you Annie!

Lucy

Postnatal Doula Support

I am a postnatal doula and can come to your home to support you in the following ways after the birth of your baby (ideally having worked with you during pregnancy): doing a check-in, birth debriefing, offering practical support with making tea/meals, light housework, baby-care, supporting you to tend to your needs (such as having a shower/bath), help you find the support you need (with cleaning or childcare etc) and referrals to other health professionals as required.

Optional extras

I am a medical herbalist and have particular experience and interest in supporting women in pregnancy, the postnatal period and treating common issues that babies and children can experience.

If you would like herbal advice and support during this time, after an initial consultation I can offer advice as and when required, including over the phone/zoom.

I am trained in Therapeutic Massage, Aromatherapy, Pregnancy Massage and Closing the Bones Ceremony. This can be included in your postnatal care for an extra fee.

Fees

Postnatal plan

1.5 hour session: £60-£45

(sliding scale each x 3 = Total: £180-£135)

Postnatal follow-up sessions: £40-£25 per hour

Postnatal doula support: £25-20 per hour (minimum 2 hours per visit)

Postnatal Planning and Support

Postnatal Planning Sessions

1.5 hour session: £60-40

or 3 for £170

Postnatal Coaching sessions:

£40-30 per hour

Postnatal doula support:

£20 per hour

(minimum 3 hours per visit).

Or £22 for visits less than 3 hours.

I offer a free 45 minute visit (with no obligation to continue receiving support).

Herbal Support

Initial consultation: up to 1.5 hours. If you want just a tea or external preperation let me know and we may not need this much time.

Follow-up consultations:

£30 for 30 minutes, £45 for 45 minutes

Phone/zoom:

£15 per 15 minutes (following an initial consultation and usually for acute issues). Plus I may charge a £5.00 dispensing fee if not with an appointment.

Postpartum Massage

1 hour 15 minutes

- your own home £80-65

- my therapy room £70-50

30 minutes: £30

15 minutes: £15

(as part of a postnatal visit only)

Closing the Bones Ceremony

£160-90 for 2 hours

(see page for more info)

Please let me know if finances are a barrier to receiving support.

Herbal Remedies

Birth preparation tea/or other: £5.50 50g or £10 for 100g

Postpartum tonic tincture/or other: £9 per 100ml

(usually lasts one week at an adult dose).

Bath tea/vaginal steaming herbs: same as for the tea.

Healing spray: for the perineal area

£12.00 for 100ml

Nipple balm/nappy balm: £5.00 for 30g, or £9.00 for 60g