The Wise Women Practitioners

NHS Maternity care has been getting a public battering lately, what with Jeremy Hunt's erroneous Times piece, and Baroness Amos's recent maternity report. Having vice-chaired a local Maternity Voices Partnership for several years, with the 'beyond the veil' access that gave, seeing the midwife experience, with the lack of funding/resources and burnout, this hasn't surprised me... I've struggled to put into words my feelings about the latest report, but @stockportbirth has done it very well 👇 The ‘interim’ maternity and neonatal investigation report is out today. This has cost how many thousands of pounds and it’s telling us…what we already knew? Nice one 🙄 It’s costly, it’s late (remember - Wes told us it would be done and dusted after 6 months), it’s not giving us new information. What a fantastic use of resources 🙄 I literally can’t eye roll enough. It’s very telling that in the report there’s an entire paragraph of concerns raised about the report methodology that's swept away with a shrug of the shoulders. Even more telling is that two of the units being reviewed as part of the report had to be removed from the programme of work because of ongoing court and legal action. I mean, that alone should be ringing the alarm bells in Starmer’s offices. I fully agree with all the issues that Amos has mentioned in her interim communication. But I agreed with the findings of the last review, and the one before that, and the one before that, and… Had this have been an investigation into *why* no meaningful action has been taken then perhaps there wouldn’t be so many people upset at the waste of time and resource that’s been diverted to replicating what we already know. And let’s not forget the backdrop that this review sits in. Service Development Funding for maternity services was reduced by 98%. ICBs have been asked to reduce their budgets by up to 50%, meaning Local Maternity & Neonatal Systems and Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnerships are being eradicated. Meanwhile Caesarean and inductions have increased and, regardless of any other factors, are significant medical procedures which cost a lot of money to perform. See full post at @stockportbirth1 day ago

Thank you to these wonderful folk who donated to the Women Supporting Women Fund in November. We currently have a waiting list of women in our community who would like to make use of the WSW Fund, to access support. So, if you're able to, when you make a booking with Moon, tick the box that'll add £2.50 to your booking - it's as easy as that. You can also make a standalone donation, follow the link in our bio. Thank you x2 days ago

A warming Moon Wise Woman Practitioner gathering this morning. We shared food, laughs and connection as we found out more about each other. We heard from both Amanda Davie and Anna Lawton on how they support our local community, through their offerings. It's always such a pleasure to meet one another, coming together as a practitioner community. ❤️❤️❤️4 days ago

Three magical sessions on this early December weekend. On Saturday afternoon, Mary Sheppard helps us conjure a magical and playful world, with games, partner-yoga, stories, music, dancing, art, mindfulness and relaxation. At this month’s Family Yoga session, we’ll celebrate the joy of the holidays - Christmas, Hanukkah, and co-create some fun holiday family yoga poses such as Christmas trees, snowmen, reindeer, elves, Santa, and sipping hot chocolate. On Sunday afternoon, Heidi Alden creates a safe and relaxed space for conversations about death, helping us to reflect on life’s great mystery together. This is a small gathering where we drink tea and eat cake, in a warm, welcoming environment. A Death Café is a discussion group with no agenda, objectives, or themes - the conversation simply flows from what those present bring on the day. On Sunday evening, Kerry Miller and Christel Stanfield Bruce guide us in a calming breath work workshop designed for all levels. In this gentle session, you’ll explore the power of conscious breathing to calm the mind, relax the body, and reconnect with yourself. Come as you are - no experience needed, just a willingness to breathe. You can find more details and book via the link in our bio.1 week ago