Postpartum Matters CIC

Postpartum Matters CIC Postpartum Matters is a not-for-profit, supporting women and birthing people through the transition t

New name, new brand coming soon ❤️❤️After four years of setting up and running the CIC, opening the back in 2023, build...
09/06/2026

New name, new brand coming soon ❤️❤️

After four years of setting up and running the CIC, opening the back in 2023, building my doula business and my birth support alongside it, I have decided to step down as a director. I have handed the business over to the amazing Maureen, who I know will do an excellent job of making the role her own and continuing all the wonderful work we’ve been doing in Hartlepool and the surrounding areas.

I’m really proud of all we have achieved together over the last four years. There were so many points where I wanted to give up, where it would have been easier to walk away. I’m proud I didn’t do that, I am so grateful to everyone who has offered help and support and I am happy to be leaving the CIC in a solid place, having secured more funding for going forward.

I’m also super excited to go ahead and build my own thing, for myself. My own doula & massage business where I can work at my own pace and be closer to home ❤️

Thank you so much .illustration for working on the branding for me 😍 I can’t wait to see it all come together.
I’d love to know what you all think 🥰

Sending love,
Zoe xx

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31/05/2026

Half term whilst being on call for a birth is always a bit of a juggle 😆

I’m checking in on your niggles, holding space for you in the waiting, and supporting you through those final days and weeks before meeting your baby 🥰

At the same time, I’m also trying to:

✨ Plan fun days out that are close to home
✨ Make sure my birth bag is packed and childcare is arranged so I can leave at a moment’s notice
✨ Balance my energy so I can fully enjoy time with my own children, whilst still being ready to support you whenever you need me

The on-call period is one part of birth work that often goes unseen, but it can be surprisingly demanding.

When you hire me for birth support, being there when you need me is my priority ❤️ No matter what day, time, or hour labour begins, I want to be ready when you feel it’s time for me to join you.

That means keeping plans flexible, cancelling or rearranging things at the last minute when a birth happens, and living with one eye on the phone for those final weeks.

It’s a commitment that reaches into every part of life — and one that I’m always honoured to make.

If you’re curious about what doula support could look like for you, I’d love to chat ❤️

Pop over to the link in my bio to book a free cuppa and a chat, or send me a DM 😊

I hope you’ve all had a lovely sunny week ☀️.
Sending love,
Zoe xx

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26/05/2026

Our Pregnancy Wellness Retreat is coming soon ✨

A whole day created for you to slow down, be cared for, and to reconnect with yourself before birth.

This weeks weather has been perfect for getting my rebozos on the line drying in the sun 🌿

Soon they’ll be wrapped around pregnant bodies, holding hips, softening shoulders, creating space to rest.

This retreat isn’t about “treating yourself” for a day.

It’s about being cared for before birth asks everything of you.

Space to slow down.
Space to breathe deeply.
Space to connect with your baby, your body, and others walking this same threshold beside you.

Massage.
Rest.
Good food.
Gentle movement.
Deep support.
A chance to feel held before motherhood changes you in all the ways it can.

If your nervous system is asking for softness…
come join us ✨

Suitable from the second trimester, you can book via the link in my bio ❤️ you can also message me directly with any questions you have 🙏🏻

Sending love & dreams of a frozen hot water bottle 😂,
Zoe xx

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18/05/2026

Bodywork & massage in pregnancy is not a luxury ✨

It’s not ‘just’ a spa day.
Not ‘just’ a relaxing hour to yourself.

It’s space for your body to open.

Space for your baby to explore new ways to move through your body.

It’s relief from the pressure, tension, and soreness you might be carrying.

Space and relief that can make it easier to sleep,
easier to walk,
easier to simply be in your body.

Here I’m offering a blend of care for a mam approaching her baby’s birth day ❤️

We began with some rebozo work to help loosen and soften the body, preparing it for deeper massage.

Then into a supported side-lying position, with deeper hands-on massage support alongside gentle biomechanics-inspired movement.

All of this to support soreness in the ribs, tightness in the lower back and hips, ready for birth ✨

If this kind of support feels like something you need, send me a DM ❤️
You can also book a cuppa and a chat about doula support via the link in my bio,

Sending love,
Zoe xx

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12/05/2026

I genuinely can’t wait for this day 🤍

, , and I are coming together to create a really gentle, supportive space for pregnant women to slow down, connect, rest, and just be for a while.

No pressure.
No information overload.
Just a beautiful space, nourishing practices, and people there to hold you through it.

Think pregnancy yoga, breastfeeding support, biomechanics & bodywork and space for deep relaxation ✨

And honestly… this tipi 😭✨

It already feels calming before anyone’s even arrived.

We will be there at Littletown Farm, from 11am till 3pm offering support, connection, and body-based care throughout the day.

If you’ve been craving a softer kind of pregnancy space, we’d love to have you there.

Tickets are available via the link in my bio 🤍 or comment ‘retreat’ below and I’ll DM you it

And if you have any questions at all, feel free to drop me a message 🙏🏻

Sending love,
Zoe xx

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05/05/2026

I wanted to show you some of the work that often doesn’t get seen ❤️

Because it’s not all about the ‘stuff’ but the stuff does often make things feel lovelier and the gathering, cleaning, preparing, packing and managing of the ‘stuff’ can sometimes be a lot. Especially because I love to always do it with intention ✨ holding the person or the family in mind whilst I prepare

Here I am packing for a closing ceremony I will be holding tomorrow at my clients home. We’ve been working together over half a year. I held her as she birthed her baby and supported her in those early days afterwards. I am so excited (and feel so privileged) to be able to wrap, rock and massage her tomorrow as we prepare to close our time together 🥰

Here I am packing:
✨eight rebozos, hand-woven with care and chosen with deep intention and gratitude
✨my Reno drum to add sound to the ceremony
✨two big blankets - one for keeping you warm once wrapped and one to give you privacy during the massage
✨a yoga mat and a thicker yoga mat blanket to make sure you’re extra comfortable
✨a weighted eye pillow, massage oil and my stick to help tighten the scarves if needed
✨two beautiful, handcrafted mugs and a plate to share the homemade snacks and cacao I’ll bring
✨my copy of “To Bless This Space Between Us” which has a beautiful ode to mothers that I love to read over you when we’re done ❤️❤️

What else would you add?

Is there a life event or transition you’re feeling called to be held through in this way?

I love offering this to my doula clients but I do also offer it separately - either in your home or in mine 🥰 do drop me a DM if you’d like to know more.

Sending love,
Zoe xx

P.S. yes all of my content from now on will just be me preparing stuff in my new beautiful massage space 😂❤️🙏🏻

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A collection of photos from the past month ✨❤️I have had a break from attending births and being on call over March & Ap...
29/04/2026

A collection of photos from the past month ✨❤️

I have had a break from attending births and being on call over March & April.

I thought it was to make space -
✨to host an amazing community conversation with in March
✨to enjoy a whole family holiday to a private villa in Spain in April
✨to start my Level 3 Sports Massage course with & to prepare my home studio ready for clients ❤️
✨to not have too much to juggle whilst also wanting to slow down and be with my family during the Easter holidays

It has been all of those things and it has also been a lot of
✨crying in fields in the middle of a run,
✨managing weird post-miscarriage menstrual cycle stuff
✨being broken up with grief and that bringing forth big decisions for the future and for my work

The duality of it all is beautiful ❤️ and also hard

I’ve really loved the support I have received, and the support I have been able to offer - finding reciprocity rather than feeling constantly taken from. I’m hoping to keep leaning into that in the future ✨

For now, whilst I am working with others to rebuild a new brand and a new website and a new name that fits where I am at right now, I am still here for doula support and massage care ❤️

There’s a link in my bio if you’d like to book a cuppa so we can chat more.

I hope you’re holding steady, I’m sending you so much love on this strange corner of the internet,
Zoe xx

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🌻Pregnancy Wellness Retreat🌻Back in January, I walked into ‘s stunning tipi and just thought… yeah. This is exactly how...
07/04/2026

🌻Pregnancy Wellness Retreat🌻

Back in January, I walked into ‘s stunning tipi and just thought… yeah. This is exactly how I want people to feel in pregnancy.

Soft.
Held.
Like you can actually exhale for a minute.

I’m coming together with the wonderful & to create a day that isn’t about doing pregnancy “right”…but about having space to slow down, connect, and be supported.

There’ll be a mix of gentle practices & workshops - think yoga, rebozo massage, infant feeding support, mindful meditation - space to rest, and time to just be - with a group of really lovely women holding it all with you.

It’s going to feel really special. ✨

If you’ve been craving something like this, you’re so welcome to join us 🤍

Tickets are live via the link in my bio (there aren’t loads of spaces to keep it super special) or comment ‘retreat’ below and I’ll message you the link 🙏🏻

Sending love,
Zoe xx

25/03/2026

There’s a lot of money being made from telling you how to have your baby

do this
don’t do that
move like this
heal this part of yourself first
make sure you’ve worked through everything before labour

and it can start to feel like
if you don’t get it “right”
something might go wrong

and I just don’t believe that’s true

I’ve sat with people who were still scared
still anxious
still carrying stuff they hadn’t “figured out” yet

and they still had really powerful, beautiful births

there isn’t one way to do this

and I don’t think more instructions is what’s missing

most people already have a sense of what they need
it just gets buried under all the noise

so when we work together
we slow it right down

we sit together
we talk through what’s coming up for you
your body, your baby, your thoughts around birth

and we build support from there

not from a formula

if you’re looking for someone to lead you or tell you what to do
I’m probably not your person

but if you want to be met where you are
and supported in a way that actually fits you
you can book a free chat through the link in my bio

I have space for one more family ahead of the summer and I’d love to connect with you ✨

Sending love,
Zoe xx

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Everyone talks about community in the birth world.But sometimes I wonder if we’ve made the idea of it too small.Last wee...
16/03/2026

Everyone talks about community in the birth world.

But sometimes I wonder if we’ve made the idea of it too small.

Last week I hosted a community conversation with Birthrights and something really stayed with me.

We talked about how access to community can shape people’s experiences of pregnancy and birth.

When people have access to support, shared knowledge and information, they’re often more able to understand their rights, recognise respectful care and advocate for themselves.

Community can be a powerful tool.

But something else came up too.

Community can also become somewhere we stay within.
A place where we only connect with people who look like us, live like us or believe what we believe.

At this event there were women from lots of different communities. Orthodox Jewish women. Muslim women. Black women. White women.

Different lives. Different experiences.

And what kept coming into my mind was this:

All of those women are my community.

Community doesn’t have to mean people who are the same as us.

It can mean sitting together, listening to each other, learning from each other and recognising each other as people who deserve care and respect.

Maybe part of the work is asking ourselves:

Who do we include in our community?
Who do we leave out?
And why?

Because when we widen our idea of community, we make space for more connection, more support and more care.

And honestly, I think pregnancy and maternity care needs more of that.

If you’re pregnant and looking for support around you during pregnancy, birth or postpartum, you’re always welcome to reach out for a chat.

Sending love,
Zoe xx

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The Women's Health Hub, 79 Park Road
Hartlepool
TS247PW

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