workshops

All of the workshops below will run for one day and are offered in Edinburgh, London and elsewhere in the UK and overseas regularly throughout the year. We run them on demand so if you do not see one listed in your area please do get in touch to see if we can bring one to you. Please use the title in bold when booking. Underneath the title are some of the areas explored during the workshop. Please note all workshops are £75- unless stated otherwise. You can book tickets emailing nicola. Details in get in touch To find out when the next one is hit the dates link to your left – if you want us to bring one to you get in touch – see contact us 🙂

Grandmothers medicine

Over the years i have chosen to treat myself, my family and those i support in birth and parenting naturally and recently have been repeatedly asked to lead a workshop on these natural remedies so here we are.

day workshop learning how to keep your family and those you work with out of the GP’s office
help strengthen your immune system and alleviate your toxic load
homeopathy, herbs, food, oils, bathing and all sorts of techniques
by the end of the session you understand how to organise a natural medicine cabinet
lots of childhood medicine included
support women into their wellness especially when there is no allopathic remedy available due to pregnancy or breastfeeding
learn how to harvest and use your natural resources
learn how to make tinctures, balms, oils and dry your herbs

Postnatal belly wrapping

(also available by skype as a one to one – get in touch – not regularly scheduled)

This workshop is suitable for mothers to be as well as birth keepers. We honour the grandmothers who have preserved these traditions and make this workshop a sharing of what we have learnt from them thus far.

two hour workshop learning how to wrap mama’s belly in her postnatal rest period
helps strengthen the tummy and back
brings the stomach muscles back in which helps them heal back together in a stronger, flatter less protruding way
by the end of the session you understand what’s happened to the physiology during pregnancy and how to strengthen and retain core stability in the postnatal period

NB this workshop costs £60- for the workshop and the wrap which you will take away.

Rebozo and womens shawl tradition sharing session

This workshop is suitable for mothers to be, birth partners as well as birthkeepers of all varieties. We honour the grandmothers of all nations who preserved this knowledge for us and explore worldwide traditions.

this workshop covers learning how the rebozo scarf is utilised during pregnancy and birth
provides insight to use for massage and positional support
we are looking at the rebozo as a magical tool and womans ancient knowledge not an intervention or a mere physiological prop
fun, easy, physical workshop which will bring some more magic to your practice
closing ceremonies of the world

We can put you in touch with an authentic traditional rebozo producer in mexico to purchase your scarf. It’s important that it is long enough, handwoven and from cotton to truly work as it should.

Motherwarming – decolonising the postpartum – postnatal support workshop

Day workshop exploring traditional postnatal techniques from around the world. We honour the grandmothers who have preserved these traditions.

suitable for mothers, birthkeepers and anyone else who’ll be loving the mother postnatally
warming foods
massage
herbs, tonics and oils for healing and restoring
bengkung and other traditional postnatal abdominal wraps
closing the bones
vaginal steaming
strategies for keeping the resting and warming going

Herbs for Birthworkers

A day learning about and creating herbal remedies and products for use around birth with Kate Scott Bsc (Hons) Herbal medicine – Medicinal Herbalist and Doula.

£65 pp with handouts and ingredients provided!

Winter Ills and Hedgerow Berries

Herb Walk and workshop learning about and making herbal remedies for winter ills, with elderberry syrup, thyme and liquorice, decongestant rub and much more!

£60 pp including Handout and all course materials.

Christmas Herbal Workshop

A day packed with making lovely herbal gifts such as salves and infused alcohols to take home. We will also cover some Christmas first aid such as hangover and over indulgence herbal remedies!

£80 pp to include all course materials.

Loving the Multiple Mamas

You want to be all clued up when it comes to working with multiple mamas.
You want to know how they can be born, how they can be fed and how the hell anyone gets any sleep.

This workshop is for you.

It’s a day devoted to the doulas who want to support the families who are expecting more than one.

You’ll walk away with a good overview of what it’s like to work with and support multiple mamas. You’ll be ready to take on twin clients, without needing to make a ‘what the hell do I do next?’ phone call to me.

As the ‘go to doula’ when it comes to twins, I’m used to hearing from doulas who want answers to their questions and all the tips and tricks I’ve accumulated over the years. As a mother of five, with twins of my own, I’ve had the privilege of supporting lots of multiple mamas and have seen many variations of twin birth, from 25 weekers to 41+3 weekers. Vaginal, caesarean births, you name it, I’ve done it. Postnatally my multiple mamas have kept me very busy. The majority breastfeed beyond 6 months.

I want you to feel confident in supporting twin families – it’s fun and they need you!

When you leave you won’t be thinking ‘double trouble’, you’ll be thinking ‘double blessing’.

£85- per session

For booking details, please email: abueladoulaspa@gmail.com

Developing spirituality around birth
Last year I was invited by the Italian doulas summer school to run a day for them with the remit spirituality around birth – it was an incredible day I enjoyed so much that I wanted to hang with birthkeepers talking spirituality more often!

how are you developing your spirituality around being a birthkeeper
what are your traditions around birthing
how to support families developing their understanding of the Divine around birth
motherblessings and fatherblessings
traditional spiritual understandings of birth and motherhood
we will bless each other as part of this day – onward with our journey as birthkeepers

Birth Art sessions
(available to arrange on demand or one-to-one – not regularly scheduled)

particularly good for those working with parents to unpick their own story
interactive and varied
using all sorts of art medium – we’ve sewn, used pastels and made a giant labyrinth on the grass to walk amongst many other things
you do not need to be “an artist” or “artistic” its just about using a different side of your brain to be creative and see what happens

see here for more on birth art and what it is

Oils for the Childbearing Year

suitable for anyone who works around birth

by the end of the day you’ll have a basic understanding of oils around birth, pregnancy and early postnatal days
you’ll leave with a blend for hand massage in pregnancy, back massage in labour and a jar of postnatal bath salts

Costs £65 (£15 is for materials)

Going Deeper …. New Beginnings
(available to arrange on demand – not regularly scheduled)

how do you deal with things that don’t go to plan? Long pregnancies, breech presentations, augmentations, episiotomies and more
loss
we’ll revisit our cherish yourself activity
support and where you find it from
the day ends with a blessingway for the beginning or continuation of your journey supporting families around birth

Holistic Breastfeeding Support for Birthworkers and Parents

“The Breastfeeding workshop last week was really wonderful and I left with such a uplifted feeling being present in a room of such diverse and intelligent women”

language
what happens with breastfeeding support when you can take a holistic approach?
how nutrition, the birth impact and rest work
advice vs information
your breastfeeding experience
how does it work?
trouble shooting
knowing when you’re in further than you should be
boundaries
nurturing the mother
what can you do to support?

‘Unpacking’ workshop
(available to arrange on demand – not regularly scheduled)

birth – whose is it?
what is it?
what is your family’s legacy
how was your own?
birth stories
listening skills
keeping your own birth out of others’
exploring why you want to do this work

Antenatal support workshop