Love what this woman can do - take a look at this:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11866448

Wonderful for educating children - maybe preparing older siblings for being at a homebirth?

Linda and I seem to have successfully put a group together for doula training in September. It looks like we have 7 or 8 wonderful women coming, so room for one or 2 more...

The groups seem to come together in the same way every time - we worry that we won't get anyone enquiring, then boom we get 3 or 4 bookings in a week! I'm beginning to believe that the women who are meant to start their doula journeys with us just find us, somehow.

The women we meet on the course are always so loving and committed to being the best doulas they can possibly be - it's such an honour to be able to give them a helping hand on their way.

Actually, I feel very maternal towards them and can't help worry about them when they get their first clients. Doulaing can be painful both physically and emotionally and I do worry that we just can't prepare our girls for being with a woman in labour for 30 hours straight, only to see her carted off to theatre.

All we can do is make sure they look after themselves too and turn to other doulas and their mentors for support during those dark moments - and celebrate the wonderful births with us too!

Well, we've exchanged contracts! We have a moving date of Friday next week. I do really hope this is the last time we move for a good long time; I'm tired of packing, unpacking and carting the children from pillar to post. Now I've got the major nesting urge I never really got when I was pregnant and can't wait to make a nice little sanctuary for us all.

On the doula front I have a lovely new birth client, who is due in December. She's having her first baby and is extremely intelligent and keen to research all her options. She's reading Ina May already - in fact everything she can get her hands on! I'm going to have a fine ol' time supporting her, I think, and already feel protective and 'bonded' with her and her husband.

One of my best friends is hopefully going to have a baby in the spring. She will be a special doula experience for me, as the father kindly donated his part of things, so it will be me and her mum supporting her through the whole pregnancy and birth.

I'll be going with her for her first scan on Monday - am keeping my fingers crossed for her that it's a singleton (as she has a higher chance of twins with assissted conception) so she has more chance of having the lovely, hands-off homebirth she dreams of.

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2 million quid...

...to support and promote breastfeeding. How lovely, I hear you say; so nice to see how the Government supports nursing mothers.

Before you applaud too loudly though, remember that this is probably what just one artificial milk manufacturer spends in a couple of months on advertising and insidious forms of promotion.

Want to know more - see www.babymilkaction.org

I'm moving House!

It's pretty stressful, this moving thing. Solicitors seem to be on a go slow, then all of a sudden it's full steam ahead and you have to drop everything to sign various incomprehensible pieces of paper.

Anyway, it looks like we'll be in by the end of the month and I'm so looking forward to putting down roots in our new village. I already know a couple of people there so, if we can get places at the village school, it looks like we'll have no trouble settling in.

Any offers to help pack gratefully received!