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Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective Podcast
The Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective Podcast, in conjunction with Your Birth Biz, is a podcast for birth and postpartum professionals who want to grow sustainable, ethical businesses without burning out or losing themselves along the way.
Hosted by Niamh Cassidy, childbirth educator, IBCLC lactation consultant, and business coach to birth workers, this podcast sits at the intersection of business, birth work, values, and real life.
Niamh started her own perinatal business as a side hustle while working full-time in social care, and knows first-hand how challenging it can be to fill classes, attract clients, and stay confident when everyone else seems to be “doing better”. She’s been through the comparison spiral, the over-consumption of business advice, and the frustration of learning from business spaces that don’t understand the ethics, boundaries, and responsibilities of perinatal work.
Through years of learning, testing, adapting (and unlearning), Niamh has built a fully booked lactation practice and successful education and coaching business — without resorting to fear-based marketing, unethical tactics, or stepping away from client work she loves.
This podcast is a mix of:
- Solo episodes on business, mindset, visibility, boundaries, and sustainability
- Guest conversations with birth workers and women in business
- Panel discussions exploring nuanced topics at the crossover of business and birth work
Expect honest conversations, thoughtful critique of “one-size-fits-all” business advice, and practical insights you can actually apply to your own practice.
If you’re a doula, lactation consultant, antenatal educator, or perinatal professional who wants to grow a business that feels aligned, ethical, and genuinely supportive — you’re in the right place.
Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective Podcast
Ep 77: Why Birth Worker Bookings Might Be Slower Right Now (It’s Probably Not What You Think)
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Over the past while I’ve been hearing the same thing from birth workers again and again:
“Things feel quieter.”
Fewer enquiries.
Fewer bookings.
Calendars that suddenly feel lighter than they did a few months ago.
Doulas, lactation consultants, antenatal educators and other birth professionals have been reaching out asking if I’m seeing the same thing.
And the honest answer is… yes. I’ve noticed it too. Normally when business slows down, we reach for the obvious explanation: the economy, the cost-of-living crisis, families having less disposable income. Those things may well play a part.
But in this episode I explore another possibility that I think many of us are experiencing but not always naming out loud.
Right now we are living and working through a moment of collective emotional heaviness. We are witnessing war, humanitarian crises and rising violence against immigrants, women and LGBTQ+ people in real time through our phones and social media feeds.
For empathetic, care-centred professionals like birth workers, that emotional weight doesn’t just stay in the background. It can affect our energy, motivation and creativity. And when our energy shifts, it naturally changes how we show up in our businesses.
In this episode that I just had to make I talk about the possible connection between global events, emotional burnout and quieter bookings, and why this may be affecting birth workers across the world right now. Most importantly, we talk about the importance of community, solidarity and supporting each other through times like this.
Because birth work has always been rooted in community. And in difficult moments, community matters more than ever.
In This Episode We Explore
- Why many birth workers are noticing slower bookings right now
- The natural ups and downs of running a birth work business
- Why the economy might not be the only explanation
- How global events and collective trauma can affect our energy and visibility
- The emotional impact of constantly witnessing suffering in the world
- Why empathetic care professionals often carry this weight deeply
- Reflections around International Women’s Day and women’s rights globally
- Why community and connection with other birth workers is so important right now
- Ways we can support one another while continuing to support the families who need us
A Reminder for Birth Workers
If your business feels quieter right now, or your energy has been lower than usual, you are not alone. Most of us are navigating the emotional weight of the world while continuing to care for families in our communities right now.
This episode is an invitation to reflect, to reconnect with the bigger picture of the work we do, and to remember that none of us are meant to do this work in isolation.
Community, solidarity and mutual support have always been at the heart of birth work and they are just as essential for sustaining our businesses as they are for supporting the families we serve.
If this episode resonated with you, I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts.
You can connect with me on Instagram or learn more about my work supporting doulas, lactation consultants and antenatal educators to grow sustainable businesses through Your Birth Biz.
And if you know another birth worker who might need to hear t
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