Pregnancy Circle at the Woodland WOOM
What is a pregnancy circle?
A pregnancy circle is a safe space for women to open up about their journeys into motherhood and find support in other women. This pregnancy circle is always followed by an informal birth preparation chat led by two independent midwives.
NEXT CIRCLE
No further circles planned
Main information
We gather once a month on Saturday morning from 1000 to 1200. Doors open at 9:45 until 1230.
The circle will run on the following dates: 27 of July 2024, 24 of July 2024 and 14 of September 2024.
At the Woodland WOOM in Danbury, Essex. A beautiful community space that has a converted barn situated on 22 acres of land. The pregnancy circle will generally happen in a small cozy room and the birth wisdom chats in the cafe but if the weather is nice we might move the circle outside, to the forest area. See the map at the end of the page for directions.
£12 drop in for the pregnancy circle
Bottle of water, notebook and pen, slippers (the floor is cold in autumn/winter, there will be some slippers available), vegan snacks if you want some extra food as the Woodland WOOM is a vegan space. Please do not bring non-vegan foods such as meat, fish, eggs or diary products. Thanks!
We have limited spaces to 15 women to keep the event intimate. A minimum of 5 women are needed for a pregnancy circle to go ahead. Bookings need to be made at least 24h in advance. If an event is cancelled due to lack of participants all costs will be refunded.
All circles are lead by myself and each Saturday I am accompanied by a different independent midwife (Beth Rose, Cheryl Samuels,) for the birth preparation chat.
Yes, after the first hour we will have a 15 minute break to use the toilet, have a tea and eat a delicious vegan cake. These come at an additional charge that you can pay at the venue (cash only). You will be supporting the Woodland WOOM by doing so. There will be water, tea and fruit to welcome you at the beginning of the circle, free of charge.
Where to book?
You can book your drop in space following the link above.
Booking is essential, we cannot take walk-ins at the moment.
The Circle
We start the pregnancy circle with an introduction followed by a short song or meditation to ground ourselves and become more present in the space. For the first 1h we sit in a circle and we each take turns to talk about how we feel and whatever is going on in our lives. The rest of the group listens without interruptions nor giving advice. There will be a topic for the circle but you may talk about whatever comes, there is even no need to share anything deep. You do not need to share anything at all if you don´t feel like it.
Generally women´s groups can be quite powerful support groups as emotions emerge through this shared vulnerability. The act of holding space for each other, of feeling safe and free to share without judgement can be a magical opportunity for self reflection, exercise compassion and feel connected to others through our authentic selves. We close the circle with another song or meditation and take a break before the second part of the event. You may wish to remain in the space for longer to journal, meditate, reflect.
The Birth Preparation Chats
After the circle we will have a break for tea and cake and follow this up with the birth preparation chats. When you book you will be asked if there is anything you will like to learn about during the session. We will select some questions that align with the topic of the month and let the participants lead the conversation. We will then sit in the cafe area and discuss the topics.
We are hoping to complement what you are already getting in birth preparation classes or these circles are particularly suited for second time mums that feel they do not need a whole course.
And don’t forget independent midwives Cheryl Samuels or Beth Woodger will be with us every month sharing their childbirth knowledge.
Cheryl will lead a hypnobirthing session on her day.
Where to find us?
FAQS
No it is not. It is not structured like a birth preparation course. It is more like a support group with the bonus of being able to ask midwives questions.
The space is designed so we can all sit on the floor at the same level in comfy mattresses with back support, however, there are also chairs for those struggling with mobility.
Unfortunately this is a women only space.
Absolutely! If you have been attending regularly and want to come back to share your story please do! It will help others with their birth preparation.
Yes you can! If you are hoping to conceive or you are using creative energy to bring a project to life and you want to surround yourself of the pregnant energy, come and join us.
No it is not. We are not qualified therapists nor intent to be.
Since we are a group of midwives running the circle we are more than happy to answer any general clinical questions you may have after the circle however, we cannot offer personalized advise. For this you can book a 121 session with one of us where we can review your history and help you make a decision pertaining your care.
You can stay around until 1230, chat to other women, walk on the grounds, inquire about the activities at the Woodland Woom, have another tea, talk to us midwives/guest facilitators. There is also an option to have a foot soak on site (cash only, 3 pounds for 15 minutes, 4 spaces available). On some afternoons the Woodland Woom runs other events you are welcome to book onto and attend. These involve community gatherings (to celebrate solstices, plant in the garden, creative workshops), drumming sessions, dancing around the fire and lovely vegan meals.
If you can´t attend and you notify us 24h in advance we can transfer your booking to another day.
Yes, there is plenty of space on site as we are in private land.
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