Hugh Grant has popped up a few times recently

I don’t mean actual face to face, unless you count his face being on a screen near my face? Probably not. Anyway let me explain what Hugh Grant has got to do with my experience in the last couple of weeks.

You may have noticed I’ve been quiet on social media lately. Maybe you haven’t haha! Who knows, with the mystery of the algorithm!
I’ve had to cut back on everything I’m doing and pare back to the absolute necessities, things I couldn’t change without huge inconvenience in the longer term, or my work where I’m supporting people at a vital time-important time in their lives.

In the past week and a half, I’ve experienced some of the most agonising pain in my life. Somehow I’ve injured my back and shoulder and its affecting the nerves in the upper part of the right side of my body. Anyway Im not trying to elicit sympathy here, I’m just setting the scene so you can understand what I’m going on to say.

There have been several lessons I’ve learned this week, I won’t share all here as we’d be here all day but here’s a couple.
Number one. I don’t often ask for help but I’ve had to over this recent period. I have been surprised about who has responded to me. Disappointed that some people I reached out to didn’t respond in the way I had expected. There’s one thing I miss about my previous career, it’s when I had an amazing team around me who lifted my spirits, supported me, made me laugh when I needed it, held me when I cried and listened to me when I needed to offload.

In the past few days I’ve realised that people I thought I had built a relationship with, were really just business associates. They were only interested in what they could get from the relationship, or when I was paying them. On the flipside, people who I have met through business and built a relationship with, have met my situation with empathy and care, and unexpected offers to support me.

One of the things I talk about a lot when I’m working with clients through pregnancy is building your village. Sometimes it’s good to be alone. You can cut out the noise, listen to your soul, your higher self, speaking to you, and just be.
But too much alone time can leave you feeling isolated. Especially when navigating new or tricky experiences. This doesn’t just apply through pregnancy and new parenthood. Reach out to people who you trust and respect. Ask them for suggestions of where you can find more people to invite into your village. This applies to any situation.

I remember a line in a film with Hugh Grant, was it “About a Boy”? Hugh’s character is quite happily going along in life, doing whatever he chooses whenever he chooses with whoever he chooses, without making any real commitments to anybody. In the film another of the main characters says to him “No man is an island” and he replies angrily, “I’m a bloody island, I’m bloody Ibiza” . Anybody else watch that film and know what I’m talking about? Perhaps I love that part because of my love for Ibiza, I like to think there’s more to it, it’s certainly stuck with me all these years later and actually it’s a great film! If you haven’t seen it, hunt it out now on Sky or Netflix or whatever.

Second lesson. It’s really difficult to advocate for yourself with healthcare professionals when you’re feeling vulnerable. I appreciate this is a gross generalisation but I do believe it to be true, having spent the last week and a half trying to advocate for myself through the agonising pain and utter confusion about what’s going on in my body. It’s really difficult to ask for what you want when you’re met with ridicule and belittling (is that a word?), and I’m not just talking about the receptionists at GP surgeries.

I take radical responsibility for my own health, using natural and homeopathic remedies, and trust my body, so when I reach out repeatedly to allopathic medicine and healthcare providers for help, it’s because I damn well need it. But trying to explain that to said healthcare providers is like trying to explain to a three year old that we need to keep the Easter eggs for Easter and not eat them as soon as we see them, particularly not before going to bed.

The three year old has her own agenda and there’s no talking her out of it, no matter how much explaining you do. For example, I was told I should be ringing 999 if the pain was that bad, not the GP surgery. We’re talking about my injury by the way, not the three year old’s attachment to chocolate!

So this experience is a brilliant reminder of how important it is to have somebody to advocate for you, I’m now thinking about my clients going through pregnancy if they’re choosing to engage NHS services, and in preparing for labour and birth. It’s why I always include birth partners in my hypnobirthing courses, and I encourage the pregnant person to work with their birth partner in their preparation. The birth partner is the gatekeeper, to protect the pregnant or birthing person, in this process, so that they can concentrate on the most important thing, birthing their baby!

From May 1st, I’m launching Audio Mentoring via Voxer or WhatsApp—a flexible and supportive way to get guidance exactly when you need it.
This is for you if:
You’re navigating pregnancy or postnatal life
 You’re focusing on your health and wellbeing
 You’re in the early days of running a business and need support

While most of my clients are women, this is for anyone who feels called to reach out—whether for yourself or someone you love.
 Your first 15 minutes are free—we’ll assess what you need and how I can support you.
 30-minute session: £40
 60-minute session: £75 (Includes a Weleda wellbeing gift tailored to you )
Before your session, you’ll fill out a short but insightful questionnaire, so I can dive straight into supporting you. Our session will be an exchange of voice messages, giving you space to reflect while receiving guidance in real-time.

Email hello@rosaleenhirdwellbeing.uk or DM me to get started!