Meet Katie & Leila, qualified NHS midwives, friends and co-founders of Better Births London. BBL is the one thing you never need to remember to pack in your hospital bag because once you sign up, they’re quite literally everywhere you are. They are two midwives in your pocket – at all times helping you to navigate your pregnancy, labour and early postnatal period. So, of course we just had to ask this dynamic duo of birthing experts to share their Top Tips for a ‘Better Birth’.
1 – Always remain upright
Gravity is your best friend! Labour is hard enough on the body as it is, why not get all the help we can by remaining in upright positions. Your body will naturally push the baby down into the pelvis but if we stay in upright positions gravity will help us, so our body doesn’t need to work as hard!Â
2 – Be an active participant in your care
Question the care giver regularly and frequently!! The midwife is there to be your advocate at all times. Your birth is not a scene from ‘Lost in translation’, the midwife is your interpreter for all things medical jargon. They will help explain thoroughly anything you don’t understand and will ensure you are happy with all the information given to you, and the plan advised by the healthcare provider. So, don’t be afraid, ask as many questions as you need.Â
3 -Take pictures and videos
This one is a BBL favourite. Birth photos don’t need to be of the parts of your body you never wanted to see, or need to see from that angle again! They can be selfies, pictures of the room, little moments you wish to cherish or look back on and laugh. Take as many pictures and videos as you can, create a birth photo album and video reel and look back on it whenever you want. Remind yourself and your children in the future of how much of a badass you are!!
4 – Don’t be afraid to speak up
If you don’t get on with your midwife or doctor, never be afraid to ask for a different one. It’s so important that you click with them, as they will be your advocate, advisory and friend during the process. Many people don’t know you can ask for a new midwife, but if you’re ever in that situation, ask your birth partner to speak to the midwife in charge and kindly ask for a swap. No reasons need to be given; the customer is always right.
5 – Sign up for Better Births
Lastly, sign up to the Better Births group chat package during your pregnancy. Having 2 midwives in your pocket to answer any questions 7 days a week will prove invaluable, especially when your care giver doesn’t have the time to lay out all your options on the table. Katie and Leila will be the ones to help you understand all your options and will help you make an informed decision every step of the way.
Signing up with BBL means you sign up to the infamous Group Chat Package – a private group chat that includes, you and them both. No one else. If your birth partner wants to join in on the chat, they’re more than welcome to at any point, but chances are that somewhere along the way Katie will ask for a picture of the mucous plug that one of you asked about, and Leila will convince you to buy a Gucci bag in the name of a push present. It’s like being in a group chat with your best friends, friends who are absolutely clued up on pregnancy and birth and just happen to be midwives with 21 years experience between them.
No more Google, no more unsafe or unsolicited one-sided opinions or advice. Katie and Leila will quite literally be your voice of reason in times of anxiety, fear or just anything unknown. Any question answered, 7 days a week, from the moment you sign up till 28 days after birth. You’ll never feel alone and will walk into your birthing experience with confidence and clarity.
Find out more about Better Births packages here
