Bloom With Jacqueline Doula Care

11/08/2026

🌿 A little pause🌿

Tomorrow I’m heading off on holiday with my boys, and I’ve made a decision that, as someone building and running her own business, it doesn’t always come easily, so I’m taking the week off.

Properly off. 💜

No pressure to create content.
No feeling that I should be posting.
No squeezing work into the gaps because there’s always something else I could be doing.

Just a week to be Mum.

As my boys get older, I’m increasingly aware of just how precious these family holidays are. The years of us packing our bags and heading away together aren’t infinite, and I don’t want to spend this one with half of my attention on my phone or my business.

I love Bloom With Jacqueline. I love what I’m building and the families I have the privilege of supporting. But I also know that a business should fit around a life - not consume it.

So for the next week, I’m giving myself permission to step away.

To be present.
To laugh with my boys.
To eat far too much good food.
To soak up the sunshine. ☀️
To make memories.
And hopefully to come home rested, recharged and ready for everything that’s ahead.

The emails, posts and admin will still be there when I get back.

This week with my family won’t. 💜

So I’m choosing to be where my feet are.

See you on the other side. 🌿✈️☀️

11/08/2026

One of my toxic traits has always been telling myself “I can’t do that” before I’ve even tried. 🙈

Over the years, though, my mindset has shifted a lot.

I’ve realised just how powerful the way we speak to ourselves can be. If we go into something convinced we can’t do it, sometimes we’ve already put that barrier in our own way.

But when we change that inner voice from “I can’t” to “maybe I can…” something shifts.

And this comes up so often in birth.

There can be a point in labour, often when things are incredibly intense and baby is getting closer, when a woman says:

“I can’t do this.”

And in that moment, having someone you trust look you in the eye and say:

“You absolutely can. And I’m right here with you.”

can be incredibly powerful. 💜

As a doula, part of my antenatal preparation - particularly with first-time mums - is talking about these moments before they happen.

Knowing that there may be a point where you feel like you’ve got nothing left doesn’t mean you’re failing or that you actually can’t do it.

Sometimes you just need someone beside you who knows that too. Someone calm. Someone who believes in you. Someone to remind you of what you’re capable of when you’ve temporarily forgotten.

And the photo accompanying this post?

That’s me last weekend doing something my son challenged me to do.

My immediate response was basically “Absolutely not, I can’t do that!” 😂

Then I decided I was going to try.

I changed “I can’t” to “I can.”

And, of course, I bloody did it. 🙌

Sometimes our minds need a little encouragement to catch up with what our bodies are capable of. 💜

Bloom With Jacqueline
Antenatal • Birth • Postnatal Doula Support
🌿 www.BloomWithJacqueline.co.uk

10/08/2026

Tomorrow is going to be a particularly busy day, so today I made the conscious decision to take things a little slower. 🤍

I’ve still got things done, some admin, this week’s blog post written, and a few jobs around the house before we go away on Wednesday.

But I could feel my anxiety starting to creep up. That familiar feeling of my mind getting busier, my body feeling more tense and everything starting to feel just a little bit too much.

And instead of ignoring it and pushing through, I listened.

I slowed down.
I stopped.
I breathed. 🌿

Sometimes self-care isn’t about doing nothing. Sometimes it’s simply recognising when your body is asking you to ease off the accelerator.

There will always be another job to do, another email to answer, another thing on the list.

But today, I’m reminding myself that I don’t have to tick everything off to have had a productive day. 💜

Sometimes slowing down is productive too.

10/08/2026

It really does take a village. 💜

When people talk about “the village”, they don’t just mean extra pairs of hands.

They mean someone who listens without judgement, checks in when you’re having a hard day, celebrates the little wins, reminds you you’re doing an amazing job, and helps you feel less alone.

As a doula, that’s what I hope to be for every family I support. Not to replace your village, but to become part of it, offering calm, reassurance, evidence-based information, practical support, and a safe space throughout pregnancy, birth and beyond.

And here’s something I think we don’t say often enough -

Mothers don’t just need a village in the first few weeks after birth. They need one long past the newborn stage. Long past the first few months of motherhood.

Because the challenges don’t simply disappear once the meals stop arriving and the visitors go home. Motherhood continues to evolve. Sleep deprivation gives way to new worries. Babies become toddlers, toddlers become children, and the mental load, the emotional labour and the need for support remain.

Every mother deserves people who will continue to ask, “How are you?” long after everyone has stopped asking about the baby.

A village isn’t just for birth. It’s for motherhood.

💜 Every mother deserves to feel seen, supported and never alone at every stage of her journey.

09/08/2026

I asked ChatGPT to create an image of me based on what it knows - do you think it has captured me?

08/08/2026

If you are local to Thornbury and have a child aged 7-11 who is into music & theatre I can recommend you take them along to Minims 😍🎶

🎭 The curtain is nearly up on our brand-new Minims term…

This autumn, we’re going full SHOWTIME! 🌟

Expect technicolour dreams, a very famous musical scale, a warm welcome, plenty of smiles, big ambitions, proudly flying flags and enough electricity to light up the stage. ⚡

Can you guess any of the songs?

At Minims, we don’t just learn the words. We explore pitch, rhythm, harmony, expression and everything that makes musical theatre so magical.

New singers aged 7-11 can join us for a free trial session this September. 🎶

07/08/2026

Today I had the most amazing session with Katerina Newbury. She gave me the time, space and support to really delve deep into my body and sit with my emotions and work through them.

This image depicts what I worked through, breaking through that heavy ‘rock’ weighing on my heart and bringing in the light to break it down and let the light back into my heart.

Of course there is a lot more to this visualisation that I need to continue to work through but it was a powerful session which brought me a lot of clarity on how to move forward step by step, day by day 💜

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

Up to 40% of parents stop breastfeeding earlier than planned, often due to lack of partner support. While breastfeeding is between mum and baby, a supportive partner can make a major difference to success.

👉 Breastfeeding is a learned skill, especially in the early days when it can feel overwhelming.

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🤱 It can be harder than it looks
Early breastfeeding challenges like sore ni***es, cluster feeding, and worries about milk supply are common and usually part of the learning process.

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🍼 Your support matters more than you think
You can’t breastfeed, but encouragement like “You’re doing amazing” and emotional reassurance can make a big difference.

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💜 Protect her space and recovery
Focus on creating a calm environment where she can rest, feed, and bond with baby without pressure or distractions.

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🥪 Feed and hydrate her
Bring food, drinks, and snacks without being asked - small actions help sustain her energy and recovery.

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👶 Take care of everything else
Handling nappies, settling baby, and household tasks gives her more time and space to focus on feeding and healing.

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💬 Learn together
Attend antenatal classes and learn about feeding, latch, and support options so you both feel more prepared and confident.

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❤️ Know when to get extra help
If feeding feels painful or overwhelming, encourage early support from a midwife, lactation consultant, or feeding team.

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💡 Most importantly
Breastfeeding is not a measure of parenting success. What matters is that baby is fed, mum is supported, and your family is okay.

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💜 It takes a whole team to support breastfeeding, even if only one person is doing it.