About

Birthing Grounds is having its own early birth, in response to COVID-19, and proudly in association with Hygieia Health in order to assist pregnant women connect with the birth support they need.

Hygieia Health is a not-for-profit organisation responding to the COVID-19 crisis with a ‘Protecting Mamatotos in crisis’ initiative. Hygieia Health has a clear mission: to honour and safeguard birth and protect Mamatotos (mother and baby as one). It is the brainchild of four birth workers and teachers, Sequoia Glastonbury, Bo Kowalenko, Raven Abulhawa, and Jane Hardwicke Collings and supported by a large group of birth workers, volunteers, doulas and professionals.

The conception of Birthing Grounds.

Falling pregnant was a challenging journey for me and after an 8-year path through the full range of fertility care, I am very grateful to say that I am now Mama to a beautiful boy.

During that time, I sought out a variety of natural health practitioners in different modalities, was in the care of two different fertility clinics, and attended many diverse classes and courses to help try and support and navigate my emotional, physical & spiritual wellbeing on the road to Mamahood.

And then, my amazingly, gorgeous dear friend offered to be our egg donor and I became pregnant!

Joyfully entering the realm of pregnancy, birth & motherhood coincided with moving house to a completely new area, resulting in me having no local birth community contacts and starting again.

When searching for someone or a service, I discovered most databases were painfully out of date, so it took a lot of time and effort ; an experience that continued post birth in my search to find classes, mother groups and some kind of local post-natal community.

So I decided to create this directory to help others in their birthing journey.

Birthing Grounds is a directory to connect the fertility, pregnancy, birth & post-natal communities and a resource for articles to help you along your path of Mamahood.

As in labour, you never really know how the birth will go, and sometimes it all comes earlier than planned.

With the current COVID-19 situation it was clear that my directory could be of service to Hygeiea and Mamatotos and support current pregnant mothers and new babies, so I am going to put this “baby” out into the world and we shall see what it will grow into.

Trust your journey to Mamahood is perfect for you.
Wishing you all the best.

Melissa x