It is sometimes the smallest things that make all the difference to a labouring mother, concerned partner or new parent. Approaching these scenarios with compassion and an open heart is at the core of everything I do as a Birthkeeper.

From the first contact with the parents to-be, I endeavour to nurture honest communication to gain a clear understanding of the woman's desires for her birth and how I can nurture those needs. There is nothing more inspiring than being part of a woman's journey into motherhood. Being involved with such wonderful intimacy as it unfolds is what inspires me the most and motivates me to never stop evolving. This work is far from a job, it is a calling.

Being pregnant in the modern world can feel daunting. On the one hand there’s unlimited access to information, classes and resources, but what’s missing is connection. To our bodies as women navigating huge physical and emotional transformations, to our partners as they transform without the buffer of pregnancy hormones and to our community. Humans were never meant to raise families separated from community and yet modern urban living has created just that.

One woman can’t feasibly ‘be the village’ but i’m often told by the families I have supported that they felt held and listened to on their parenting journey. I feel it’s important to listen more than talk and that ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’ has value - especially in a sacred birth space.

As with many major life events it's not just the final result, but rather the sequences and process of how we arrived there that etches its way into our memory. The empathetic presence of an experienced birth attendant throughout the birthing process has shown to have more favourable outcomes for mother and baby, but most importantly mothers claim to have an increased sense of personal control.

I am constantly moved by birth stories and still cry at every birth I attend. I’m an avid reader and inspired by the works of, Michel Odent, Sheila Kitzinger and Dr Rachel Reed to name a few. My former mentor and birth activist Mars Lord, impressed upon me the importance of evidence based research within the field of birth and newborns. It's not good enough for me to lean on my experience, I make it my goal to provide new families with up-to-date gold standard information, whilst also encouraging them to include their growing intuition in all of their parental decision making.

Mars lord is a mother, speaker, birth activist, doula educator, writer and Jo’s former mentor. She has over twenty years experience as a birthkeeper and now works as a life coach, using her growing and multiple platforms to raise awareness about racial inequalities in health and maternity services.

She has this to say about Jo…

“Jo is an incredible birthkeeper, who fiercely guards her clients' space when necessary. She knows how to sit back and be in the moment, ready to respond to their needs. This is an incredible strength in a world where so many feel compelled to move and act. I remember the mentee that came to me, fresh from training with her 'nanny' hat on. We soon sorted that and I watched as she grew in her postnatal support of her clients, centring them continually. I have no hesitation in recommending her to people, and have done so over the years. She holds the families firm enough so that they know they are safe, and loosely enough that they recognise all the decisions are theirs.”