MEET THE BIRTH KEEPER
Siobhan Ridley
I've realised that I need to give this blog some umph instead of writing for other people. So, inspired by the welcoming response to my tentative little introduction post on instagram (you can follow me here @yourtinyhuman), here's an expanded 'howdie' public service post.
So this is me, I’m Siobhán. 👋
Birth doula, Pregnancy Coach (hypnobirthing), Closer of Bones and all round BIRTH KEEPER.
I’m a mama to two feral boys who rock my world and I am a wifey to an even more feral husband who is my teenage sweetheart.
I came to the Birth world like so many women do: by experiencing the whole mind bending journey of pregnancy and birth for myself and suddenly awakening to a series of realisations.
My realisations were these:
- Birth CAN BE PLEASURABLE.
- Your body’s default in birth is NOT suffering.
- Our culture does not value women in pregnancy, birth and motherhood, so WE DO NOT VALUE OURSELVES.
- Knowing how your psychology and physiology works awakens a dormant intuition and reconnects you with your body. You KNOW intrinsically how to give birth to a human.
- EVERY WOMAN AND EVERY BIRTH IS UNIQUE.
After having those realisations I remember sitting in a circle of newish mums at a playgroup. As we wearily clutched our shiny new babies and hot cups of tea, we began sharing birth stories. I wanted to cry. In that circle of 10 women, 9 of them were deeply traumatised and physically damaged by their birth. I cried all the way home from that playgroup. I lay awake all night. I think my heart actually hurt.
One sentence swam around my head: That’s not fucking OK!
It isn’t fucking OK. It doesn’t have to be that way and those women were failed by society, by cultural attitudes and by a medical system. So I decided I wanted to try and be part of the solution. Having experienced first hand the power of hypnobirthing tools at my own birth, I trained to be a hypnobirthing instructor with The Wise Hippo. I believed whole heartedly in their common sense approach and the evidence based science behind it all. It didn't take long before I took my passion further and trained to become a birth doula .... and did a whole load of other stuff in between (because I'm basically addicted to skills loading!).
I’m still learning, discovering and navigating this landscape and doing what I can to support, nurture and love women and their partners whilst also striving to do my small part in changing birth culture.
I count myself extraordinarily lucky, I have worked in two massive vocations: teaching art and birth work. I adore spending time with women and their families, I fall head over heals with my clients and they occupy my thoughts almost as much as my own family does. My heart aches when they do and it soars with them when they do too.
I have big ideas for the future. I’m excited about getting there but the path I am walking now is just such a privilege. Every damn day 😍.
