In the U.K. the majority of our maternity and ante-natal care is provided by midwives. We then have a midwife to attend the birth, two if you're lucky, and then post-natal care is also provided by midwives for the first few weeks.

In my local health board area, you only see a consultant if you're considered high-risk, or have something different to 'usual'. Of course everyone is unusual because there is no normal with pregnancy so I was referred to the consultant thrice, and thrice I was referred back to the midwives.

Many of you know I suffer anxiety and panic attacks so I looked into having a doula. She talked through my birthing options with me and I decided to have a home birth to minimise my anxiety. I also hired the doula, an incredibly supportive lady called Catrin from South Wales Doulas, but more about her another time. Long story short, if you're in South Wales and can afford to, hire her immediately! (Only if you're pregnant, it would be odd otherwise, although she does do post-natal support too).

Anyway, where were we, oh yes! So before I even gave birth I felt that Catrin had been well worth her fee so decided to make her a thank you gift. I knew she was the kind of person to appreciate a handmade gift. She mentioned one visit that she likes owls so...KER-CHING! An owl cushion it was.

I used eyelet lace trim for the owl's ruffles and buttons for eyes. All of the fabric came from my scraps bin apart from the floral outer which was a single FQ.

I used a pure wool jacket for the backing, although I didn't fully think about using wool fabric on the bias so it was a tad tricky to sew straight! Thank goodness for walking feet. Walking foots?



Catrin was really pleased with her gift, and I was so pleased I'd been able to make her something.

I made sure she knew that I had started on her gift while I was on the gas & air. Oh how we laughed....

However, it was my addiction to sewing that saw me on my office chair with a bruised coccyx, one week after giving birth, using my crutch to sort of gondola steer myself between ironing board and sewing machine finishing this off!

Secondly then, I felt a bit bad for my midwife who'd been with me throughout my pregnancy. I saw her every week from around halfway through and although she was shocking at appointment times, she was very knowledgeable and very supportive. She wasn't on call the day that Elvis was born, so I had a midwife from Merthyr come over and a second from Pontypridd. As I was having a home birth, I had two midwives.

I wish my midwife had been on call, it was only being in the birthing pool that stopped me lamping the attending midwife for clomping up and down my wooden stairs in her wooden 4" wedge shoes. Honestly, have some respect woman, I'm kinda busy here.

This is the owl cushion I made for my midwife.


 The belly ruffles are made from some crochet trim and the backing is the same linen as the front outer border.

My midwife didn't open hers while she was with me so I don't know if she was overly chuffed with it, but she did call me later to say thank you.


Not that I was showing favouritism at all in giving my favourite one to my doula, Catrin, honest!