Businesses
BirthBliss Doula Services
Kicki has worked as a birth and postnatal doula since 2002 and she believes that birth is a truly normal, and at the same time, deeply profound event that is optimized by personalized support, defined birth goals with flexibility built in and solid education. Supporting the labouring woman and her partner together as well as individually is very important to Kicki. Her goals are to instill confidence with true information, equipping women and families for the work of labour, birth and postnatal period, build a trusting safe rapport, and understand each family's unique needs and birth goals.
BirthBliss Academy
When I started BirthBliss back in 2002, I was a doula, providing birth and postnatal doula services. Things really took off and within four years I was also delivering doula training. The business continued to grow and in 2011, I was immensely proud to release my own range of BirthBliss courses and workshops for existing doulas, as well as those that wanted to train to become a doula. Six years later, after popular demand, we took our exclusive antenatal programme for pregnant women and their partners online. With futher online programmes for parents and birth professionals in progress, we are excited to see what lies ahead for the BirthBliss Academy.
BirthBliss is an educational organisation that offer courses for birth workers and parents. As an approved Doula UK course provider, we offers a preparation to work as a doula course for those interested in working as a doula, as well as CPD workshops for doulas across the UK and overseas. All courses and workshops are facilitated by Kicki (unless otherwise stated).
BirthBliss has a professional panel of advisers, is a member of the European Doula Network and is registered with the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP).
Kicki regularly attends meetings at the House of Commons with the All-Party Parliamentary Group, The 1001 Critical Days, the UK's first cross-party children's manifesto
BirthBliss is an educational organisation that offer courses for birth workers and parents. As an approved Doula UK course provider, we offers a preparation to work as a doula course for those interested in working as a doula, as well as CPD workshops for doulas across the UK and overseas. All courses and workshops are facilitated by Kicki (unless otherwise stated).
BirthBliss has a professional panel of advisers, is a member of the European Doula Network and is registered with the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP).
Kicki regularly attends meetings at the House of Commons with the All-Party Parliamentary Group, The 1001 Critical Days, the UK's first cross-party children's manifesto
BirthBliss Events
Kicki regularly organises events and seminars for doulas and other birth workers, inviting many international speakers and leaders in the childbirth world.
Books
The Secrets of birth: what every woman should know about birth and motherhood
Are women losing their instinct by listening to the experts opinions and advice around childbirth and parenting more than their own gut feeling? Having a baby and becoming a mother is sometimes not the exciting adventure it should be as there is so much information out there about what to do and how to do it best. In this book, Kicki Hansard discusses five secrets around birth and mothering, offering straight-forward and evidence based information which will open the eyes of the reader to things in pregnancy that they might not have considered as well as gently preparing them for becoming parents.
Supporting Survivors of Sexual Abuse Through Pregnancy and Childbirth: A Guide for Midwives, Doulas and Other Healthcare Professionals
With statistics showing that 1 in 5 women have experienced some form of sexual abuse, it is likely that all birth professionals will support a survivor of such abuse at some point during their career. This book provides practical advice for those supporting these women throughout their pregnancy, labour, and postnatal periods. The impact of past sexual abuse on women during these periods is often underestimated, and this book shows the need for greater compassion and understanding in maternity services regarding this issue.
Drawing on a vast range of research and expertise, this book includes details on the identifiable behaviours of survivors, how to respond when someone says they are a survivor, positive stories, and appropriate language to use. This book is for any care provider who wants to help pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period become a healing experience for those carrying trauma, and to support these survivors with compassion, respect and kindness.
Drawing on a vast range of research and expertise, this book includes details on the identifiable behaviours of survivors, how to respond when someone says they are a survivor, positive stories, and appropriate language to use. This book is for any care provider who wants to help pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period become a healing experience for those carrying trauma, and to support these survivors with compassion, respect and kindness.
The Roar Behind the Silence
Kicki is a chapter contributor to this Amazon #1 best seller.
For many years there has been growing concern about the culture of fear that is penetrating maternity services throughout the world, and that the fear felt by maternity care workers is directly and indirectly being transferred to the women and families they serve.The consequences of fear include increased risk of defensive practice, where the childbearing woman and her family become potential enemies to those providing her care. In addition, the prevailing risk management and 'tick box culture' in maternity services encourages maternity workers to give priority to the records instead of the woman. These factors contribute to the dissatisfaction felt by those using and providing maternity services. There is however increasing evidence that kindness, compassion and mutual respect improve efficiency, effectiveness, experience and staff morale within healthcare settings.
The Roar Behind the Silence provides information, inspiration and practical suggestions to support maternity care workers, policy makers, and maternity care funders across the world in their quest to deliver sensitive, compassionate and high quality maternity services. The book highlights examples of good practice, and offers practical tools for making change happen, using evidence and stories where appropriate.
For many years there has been growing concern about the culture of fear that is penetrating maternity services throughout the world, and that the fear felt by maternity care workers is directly and indirectly being transferred to the women and families they serve.The consequences of fear include increased risk of defensive practice, where the childbearing woman and her family become potential enemies to those providing her care. In addition, the prevailing risk management and 'tick box culture' in maternity services encourages maternity workers to give priority to the records instead of the woman. These factors contribute to the dissatisfaction felt by those using and providing maternity services. There is however increasing evidence that kindness, compassion and mutual respect improve efficiency, effectiveness, experience and staff morale within healthcare settings.
The Roar Behind the Silence provides information, inspiration and practical suggestions to support maternity care workers, policy makers, and maternity care funders across the world in their quest to deliver sensitive, compassionate and high quality maternity services. The book highlights examples of good practice, and offers practical tools for making change happen, using evidence and stories where appropriate.
The Hormone of Closeness: the role of oxytocin in relationships
This book was translated by Kicki Hansard from the original Swedish title "Närhetens hormon : oxytocinets roll i relationer".
The Hormone of Closeness offers an exciting physiological perspective on intimacy and relationships. The closeness hormone, oxytocin, give us comfort and peace, but it also creates and reinforces relationships throughout life. Based on current research, Kerstin Uvnäs Moberg, the author of the ground-breaking The Oxytocin Factor, describes the importance of oxytocin in the connection between parents and children, in love and companionship and in increasing trust in our society.
The author argues that oxytocin plays a crucial part in our ability to socialise, feel secure and calm, work well and be healthy. She investigates the effects of oxytocin in pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, and looks at the role of oxytocin in the mother-child relationship and its long-term benefits.
Oxytocin also has an important role to play in adult relationships. It creates a bond between lovers and stimulates social interaction allowing us to form friendships and work in groups. The sense of trust triggered by oxytocin enables us to trust in strangers and accounts for the Doula phenomenon. The relationship between food and closeness is explored, and we learn how the hormone of closeness can offer the key to good health and a longer life.
The Hormone of Closeness offers an exciting physiological perspective on intimacy and relationships. The closeness hormone, oxytocin, give us comfort and peace, but it also creates and reinforces relationships throughout life. Based on current research, Kerstin Uvnäs Moberg, the author of the ground-breaking The Oxytocin Factor, describes the importance of oxytocin in the connection between parents and children, in love and companionship and in increasing trust in our society.
The author argues that oxytocin plays a crucial part in our ability to socialise, feel secure and calm, work well and be healthy. She investigates the effects of oxytocin in pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, and looks at the role of oxytocin in the mother-child relationship and its long-term benefits.
Oxytocin also has an important role to play in adult relationships. It creates a bond between lovers and stimulates social interaction allowing us to form friendships and work in groups. The sense of trust triggered by oxytocin enables us to trust in strangers and accounts for the Doula phenomenon. The relationship between food and closeness is explored, and we learn how the hormone of closeness can offer the key to good health and a longer life.