Welcome

As promised…. time to write a blog on nothing new for 2020! From September, I decided to challenge myself not to buy anything until January 2020 – which I just about managed! Full disclosure here!  Bob and I did have a wing-ding wedding to go to in November, which I bought a new dress for…. but apart from that I didn’t buy a thing, and it wasn’t so hard!  To that end, I thought I would try to go for the whole of 2020 without buying anything new and think more about sustainable shopping……

Some context here, I was a fully paid up member of the fast fashion club, ASOS premier member – delivery next day, Zara app scrolling, popping to Bluewater, dipping into Primark, and my ultimate guilty pleasure – 20 minutes child free in TK Maxx – I like new clothes and I like spending money.  But was it necessary?  It certainly had no positive impact on my bank balance, and the impact on my wardrobe I would say was minor.

Since having children, the spare cash is sparer than ever, priorities have changed, and those damn swimming lessons must be paid for!  With this in mind – I am going headlong into the challenge of #nothingnew2020.  In addition to this, whilst I am no Greta Thunberg, I would like to make a more conscious effort with less waste/eco friendly choices about doing what I can for the environment. 

So, I am going to focus myself on really trying not to buy much at all and what I do buy must be sustainable fashion.  I have two sets of clothes, Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer so that’s a positive start for me I think – there will be a change up in about March/April to prevent me from getting bored.  I have had an eBay account for years, buying and selling bits and bobs, especially in recent years, the children’s outrageous selection of clothes.  

I love the buzz of eBay, researching, watching, waiting and bidding and hope that eBay will be my saviour this year.  Women like me list clothes/shoes/accessories for women like me and for the most part the transaction is always a pleasure, and the same buzz as handing over your card in a shop or getting a delivery through the post.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/ebay-protection/

I am yet to be drawn in by charity shops…this is a difficult one for me to reconcile both in my heart and my head.  Am I being a snob? Short sighted? Lazy? I’m not sure. I have donated bags and bags of things over the last decade, clothes, shoes, children toys, but is this is a convenient and quick way of getting rid of my old stuff and feeling superficially good about myself for 10 mins?  I’ll get back you on that one….

So, who else is joining me this year? A quick scour of Instagram and twitter will bring up some amazing accounts, that I have started to follow with inspo for buying more sustainably, some people do “wear counts” and those who know will know I do love a cost per wear conversation!

This week’s Guardian had a great article which has inspired me – linked below

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/jan/05/could-i-go-a-year-without-buying-any-new-clothes

Anyone else in it with me?  See you on the other side, probably darning my socks and the knitting a nightie!

Happy New Year and Thank You

29 December 2019
I hope you have all had a lovely time this Christmas, with loved ones and friends.  Those with new babies and older ones, first Christmases or little ones who are filled with excitement I hope it has been wonderful.

I am writing to say thank you to you for all your support in the first year of The Placenta Connection.  Whether you have had a baby this year, are due to have a baby in the new year, or have connected with me for another reason – I am truly grateful.

Those of you reading this, whom I have had the pleasure of encapsulating for you – thank you for allowing me to be a small part of this precious time in your lives and I truly hope you have felt that the investment has been worth it.

If you are booked in with me for 2020 – I can’t wait to hear from you!  The process now is simple – let me know when you are in labour, take your chill pack with you if you are planning to birth your baby in a birth centre or hospital, and then let me know ASAP after the placenta is birthed.

Put my number in your birth partner’s phone now so that’s one less thing for you to worry about.

If you have enquired with me for a 2020 baby – please do get in touch to confirm your booking (https://form.jotformeu.com/90435909327361) .

January will be my busiest month to date – which of course I am delighted about – but I can only take on a certain number of clients in a month to ensure a first class  service.

Capsules
————————————————————
Simple Capsules have been my most common service this year!
https://theplacentaconnection.co.uk/faqs


** Tincture
————————————————————
For when your capsules run out – this is the liquid for of them and can last a life time – my 2nd most common service


** Mother and Baby Balm
————————————————————
The skincare has proven to be so popular this year!  Watch this space for a new branch coming soon The Skincare Connection will be launching in 2020 due to the popularity of some of the products.
read more >>


** Reflecting on 2019
————————————————————
I have connected with such an amazing range of women in the birth world this year and have been a member of the North Kent Birth Network meeting midwives, hypnobirthing instructors and doulas. These women have enriched both my working life and that of my clients, having people I can trust to recommend is a win win for all concerned.  The word of mouth has been reciprocated and I have worked with many women this year who have heard about me through their doula or birth preparation class.

Earlier in the year I was delighted to be approached, with Kym from the Daisy Foundation, to collaborate exclusively with John Lewis Bluewater at their newly reinstated Bump and Baby Events.  These monthly events alternating between an antenatal or post natal focus, with a range of fantastic local experts offering parents to be the best in support and advice alongside the reputation of the John Lewis Nursery Department and their skilled and knowledgeable staff on hand to help. Here I have had the pleasure of meeting lots of mums to be and their birth partners with people often booking in on the night to take advantage of the 10 % discount I offer at these events.

If you, or anyone else you know is expecting a baby in 2020 please do get in touch to talk about placenta encapsulation or to book in, mentioning the code NEWYEAR2020 will give you 10 percent off any new bookings until the end of January 2020.  Please do forward this email to any friends who may be interested.

If you have booked in and would like to upgrade your package by adding another service perhaps a tincture, or a balm please do get in touch for 10% off.  If you have any pills left over that you would like me to use for a cosmetic or tincture – once again please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

It has been a rollercoaster year but I have loved it! Having the unit built and inspected by Medway Council to ensure I am working correctly was so important to me and my business.  I am in there all hours of the day and night, and I love being there.  Seeing mums and their babies, birth partners and their smiles, nanas and their daughter’s chill packs, I am truly the lucky one! Spontaneous hugs with dads, sisters, mothers, and doulas at the door of delivery suites around the South East has been a welcome surprise element to my day to day life. Sometimes with little Juliet along for the ride, I am juggling this still with her at home.

Booking Form – Placenta Encapsulation

Do you follow me on Facebook or Instagram?

http://www.facebook.com/theplacentaconnection 

http://instagram.com/theplacentaconnection

Women are the strength that have helped me bring this business to fruition and I see the strength of women birthing their babies into our world and the power that brings.  An uncertain time for many of us, starting something new; whether that be the journey of motherhood or new ventures, sometimes this uncertainty brings focus, determination and clarity.

The sun comes up every day and if we have had a night of wakings/feedings it can be tricky to feel like keeping on going with the rest of the demands we have – but we do.  And for that I thank you – I have felt so much support this year – here’s to another great year of positivity, thanks and gratitude for what we have and what we are doing.

Lastly – If you have used my services this year and have not done so already, please, if you have a moment to review The Placenta Connection on Facebook, or email or text me a testimonial I can use to help in spreading the word for placenta encapsulation, I would be so grateful – thank you. Alternatively click here to send me some feedback – thank you.

============================================================
Copyright © The Placenta Connection 2019 All rights reserved.

Was it worth it since you ended up having a caesarean?”

“Do you need hypnobirthing? You’re having a caesarean!”

I’ve been asked several times in the past about whether hypnobirthing is relevant or helpful for a mum having a caesarean and my answer is always yes. YES! 

ALL birth needs care, attention and preparation. 

It’s a common misconception that hypnobirthing is just a bunch of breathing and relaxation techniques for labour. It is that, but it is also so much more. It is a complete antenatal education comprising the physiology of birth, tools and techniques to encourage relaxation and positive suggestion and reframing of our perceived notions of birth as a society. It is also guidance on the statistics surrounding birth choices and options as well as tools to help navigate your choices surrounding your birth options. 

For those reasons, it can benefit couples who are planning a caesarean and want to feel calm and confident for the day. It can give them the tools to be able to plan and prioritise what they deem important and talk this through with her chosen care providers. They can learn about their options and potentially discover things about a planned caesarean that they may not have been informed about without seeking education around it (gentle caesareans, skin to skin, delayed cord clamping and so on). 

Likewise, the couple who are planning a natural birth can find it beneficial to receive information about caesarean and how to navigate the changes that can unfold during labour. Birth is not always a straightforward path and, for some, just having the information and tools they have been taught can help them to be able to feel informed and relaxed should their circumstances change. It can be the difference between their birth experiences leaving them feeling empowered or potentially disappointed.

Whenever I work with couples, I encourage them to write multiple birth plans – one for home (if they’re considering a home birth), one for the hospital and one for a caesarean. This way it can help them, as a couple, prioritise what they deem to be the most important factors regarding their birth within any given situation. It’s a useful tool to help them visualise what different scenarios may look and feel like and what choices are the most important for them.

Sharing the information, tools and relaxations with people on their journey to birth and parenthood can be so beneficial:

• It can help mothers to feel empowered and knowledgeable about their choices and how to navigate the ever changing path that birth can take. 
• It can ensure that they have educated themselves about birth and are able to make informed decisions that weigh up the benefits, risks and alternatives in any given situation prior to, during and after the birth. 
• It can help them to feel calm and confident about birth which in turn can make them feel more positive about their experience regardless of how the birth unfolds, because they were in control of the situation.
• It can put them in a place which ensures that they are respected and treated as individuals within a system that sometimes forgets that this is a one time deal for these parents – they don’t get to redo this birth. 
• It can make them feel like they’ve dedicated time to nurturing themselves during this pregnancy, labour and birth.

Ultimately, hypnobirthing is useful in any birth as it can make such a fundamental difference to how empowered a couple feels during their birth experience.

I want you to look back and think, ‘the work we did in preparing for this birth helped’. I want you to feel positive about it.

If you would like to find out more about hypnobirthing and how it can benefit you please visit www.zenbirth.co.ukor you can pop me an email at maxine@zenbirth.co.uk. I’m also on instagram if you’d like to follow what I get up to: max_zenbirth