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Lucy Baena

@lucybaenawrites

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Swimmer, Writer & Birthkeeper she/her
🏴‍☠️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸🇺🇦
Words on
🌊 Saltwater
🌱 Autistic burnout recovery
🧠 Disability
❤️ Birth & Mothering

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

South of France is calling me still 🌞 Any mamas travelling in France this summer? Join us for last week of summer in a magical castle in Southern Frances Occitanie region 22-29 August 🌼Our beautiful~mama child supported nature retreat in stunning lush river and forest surroundings! Only 8 spots available - please get in touch for more info or to book 🌼 contact details below

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Feeling like all this "wild swimming" imagery online is getting old? So is Lucy Baena who here talks about the problems with the wild swimmer stereotype in her essay 'The Myth of the Wild Swimmer'. What is the ideal of the wild swimmer and how might it be becoming toxic? Lucy looks at the perspectives of disabled people, neurodivergent people, carers and more.

"There are the practical logistics; do you need childcare? What transport do you need to get there? Can you walk? If so, how far? If not, is there public transport or can you drive? How much might it cost? Do you feel safe outside your home? What are you going to wear? Can you change by yourself? How does your culture view swimming? Will your family support you doing this? This, in itself, is exhausting and overwhelming for many, particularly for neurodivergent people this can be the hardest stage, the number of small decisions needed to be made to even get out of the door is an invisible labour that glossy pictures rarely show."

Maybe we need to start not only posting our swimming pics but writing out all the logistics it took to make a particular moment happen.

Read more at modronmagazine.com.

Photo by Pierre Jeanneret on Unsplash.

#Modron #WildSwimming #Swimming #Wilderness #Disability #Neurodivergence #Carers #Motherhood #Myths #Stereotypes

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“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.
Beautiful people do not just happen.”

~ Dr Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Celebrating three generations of these beautiful people, stood in front of their 500 year old Devon farmhouse.
This home is brimming with happy childhood memories, a haven for all and a place of togetherness.

Thank you lovely @lucybaenawrites and siblings for the opportunity to create this for you and your loved ones.

💚💚💚 Places are important 💚💚💚

🖼️ A2 sized original, bespoke, cut paper collage artwork. Created meticulously by hand using salvaged and painted papers plus my trusty scalpel.

#devonlife #homeportrait #houseportrait #farmhousehome #greenmagpiecraft

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💜 Out of this world, dreamy, Wisteria covered, Devon cottage heaven 💜

This 500 year old farmhouse was recently commissioned by 3 siblings for their lovely parents.

Full portrait, with 12 family members plus pooch, coming soon…➡️ swipe for paper texture joy!

💫Places are important 💫
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🖼️ extract from an a2 sized original, bespoke, cut paper collage artwork. Created using salvaged papers plus my trusty scalpel ♻️

#wisteriahysteria #farmhousecottage #stonefarmhouse #devonhome #greenmagpiecraft

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We spoke to a person part of the Jewish Block at the National Demo in London yesterday.

There have been times people are called Antisemitic for supporting Palestinians or worried they will be.

I asked if she had a message to those people trying to silence others from speaking out and for those who are worried about speaking out. Listen to her words.

I’ve included our Birthworkers Collective Support for Palestine statement below:

As The Birthworkers Collective Support for Palestine, we are united as a group of birth professionals, including doulas, midwives, antenatal educators, lactation consultants, trauma therapists, yoga teachers and peer supporters, who have come together in solidarity with, and in response to, the current and ongoing situation in Palestine.

We believe in the right for ALL pregnant women and people, and ALL children to live in safety and peace.

We believe that during pregnancy and birth, ALL people should have access to the support, safety and medical care that they require and choose, as a fundamental human right.

We believe that ALL people should have unimpeded access to their basic human rights, the right to life, without discrimination, to freedom and protection from harm and to be able to access necessities such as food, water, medicine and health care.

We believe that ALL people deserve to give birth in safety, and that ALL babies deserve to be born into stability and peace.

It is estimated that over 50,000 babies have been born in Gaza since October 2023, with around 5,000 babies born each month.

Each day, around 180 babies are born in Gaza, whilst their families have no clean water supply, insufficient food for adequate nutrition, and are unable to access personal healthcare or medicine.

Birth continues to happen in Gaza, but women report being terrified of giving birth, and the outcomes for their safety and health, and that of their newborn baby.

We are united in our plea to the UK government to call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and to stop any arms trade or military support sent to Israel.

STOP ARMING ISRAEL - CEASEFIRE NOW – STOP ISRAELI WAR CRIMES

@naamoduk

#stoparminglsrael #ceasefirenow

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Words taken from @namamama.uk fellow member of our Proactive Birthworkers Collective for Palestine

If you are a birthworker in or near to London, please join us tomorrow as we march to join the call for a permanent ceasefire & an end to arms embargoes that facilitate the ongoing & escalating genocide in Palestine, Lebanon & Syria.

“An estimated 50,000 babies have been born in Gaza over nine months of conflict, with many women giving birth in traumatic, unhygienic and undignified conditions.

Some women in Gaza are self-inducing labour to avoid giving birth on the move while others are scared to seek vital prenatal care because of fears of bombing and some have lost their lives due to a lack of access to doctors” via Save the Children.

We march for the midwives & birthworkers, who despite risk to their own lives, health & safety, have been committed to providing care to pregnant people & families in Gaza over the last 12 months.

👉 Please ask yourself this, if you were standing in @dr.lobna shoes, would you be committed as she is? Would you be asking for help, support, recognition to continue to do your lifes work & calling? Would you hope that your global community of colleagues would hear you & stand for you?

Join us.

DM for the meeting place close to Russell Sq
🕊

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For all my fellow beach loving wild swimmer witchy friends 🧙‍♀️

I've no idea of the artist but it made me chuckle.

Blessings for this season.

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Sunshine, fun bouncy waves and great mates... it's Friday 🌊💙😎

#Fridayswim #seaswimming #swimforthewin

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NEW EPISODE 🎙️

@lucybaenadoula - a Mother, Writer & Birthkeeper joins @catherine.asta in S2 EP13.

Throughout her life Lucy has been given an array of diagnosis the first at age 7 when she was diagnosed as Dyslexic. At 15 she discovered she was Epileptic and a month after her 38th birthday she received her Autistic diagnosis.

Lucy has struggled with a variety of complex health (& many mis) diagnosis over her life and learning that she is Autistic has had a profound impact on her understanding of her health and wellbeing.

Since becoming a Mother 8 years ago Lucy has dedicated much of her time to being a Doula and Birthkeeping in her local community.

Lucy was told that she would never have children so birthing at home as an Epileptic disabled mum was the achievement of Lucys life and has shown her she is made of pure fire.

Lucy was disabled before she knew she was Autistic so her post diagnosis experiences are different to those who learn they are Autistic but did not already consider themselves disabled.

Lucy believes in the power of wild places to heal and the sacredness of the natural world, especially the Ocean, and she now knows her Autistic brain sees things in the natural world that neurotypical people miss and she is full of awe daily.

👆Link in bio to listen or go to wherever you get your podcasts from.

3 ways you can support the podcast and the work we do:

🔥Become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, champion or partner and join our growing community.
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Thank you to our ⁠Community Partners ⁠who are supporting the work that we are doing.

⁠@atidymind

A BIG shoutout to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Community Champions ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who are championing the work we do:

- Helen Hillman
- Kay Mathiesen
- Katherine Kowalski

The Late Discovered Club is hosted by @catherine.asta and edited by @caty.ava

Music by @allora.band

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Lucy has suffered from chronic neuroplastic pain disorder for the last 8 months. This is a condition where the nervous system misfires pain signals when doing simple movements.

It left her mostly bed-bound and unable to walk more than 10 minutes a day. It was extremely hard for her especially having 2 kids under 7.

When I first met Lucy she could not sit on the floor without being in severe pain. We have been doing natural movement sessions in her house once a week, starting with very simple floor based movements lying on her back.

We increased the intensity gradually over time. Incorporating things like crawling, balancing and some lifting of household objects.

Today she walked to the beach, swam to the furthest buoy and back and then did her first session in the gym with me.

She has also been doing hill sprints outside her house and going for longer walks and swims every day.

Her average pain has gone from 6/10 down to 2 or 3. And she is now rarely getting flare ups of severe pain compared to frequently experiencing 9/10 stabbing pains a few months ago.

Lucy is an absolute inspiration with an amazing attitude to her condition and a wonderful personality. Could not be more proud of her progress in such a short time.

#movementismedicine #naturalmovement #movnat #deadlift #fitnessinspo #healthinspo #chronicpain #chronicillness

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Creating art with your #take3forthesea finds is one of the best ways to spark much need conversations about plastic pollution!

Have you ever transformed trash into treasure?

Join us - #Take3fortheSea
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#plasticpollution #saveourocean #take3 #plastic #pollution #litter #microplastics #noexcuseforsingleuse #cleanupdive #beachcleaning #oceanliving #oceanminded #oceanfriendly #take3forthesea

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It all began in 2012 KG Hypnobirth teacher training, met a beautiful Doula Zara @doulabud and she encouraged me to train as a Doula.

Attending my first birth as a Hynobirth teacher I could see their body opening like a beautiful rose and the babies head emerge! In my mind there was a chorus of angels singing! Just incredible - I was hooked!

I love being in the presence of a ripening mother/parent to be, the closer they get to the day their baby comes, there is an incredible energy about them. It all fascinates me - the physical, the psychological, the spiritual aspects.

November 2014 I trained with Nurturing Birth, @sophie_brigstocke and Florence Etienne-Jackson. The course was absolutely life changing for me. It gave me life tools such as active listening skills which for a Nuerodivergent person doesn’t always come naturally to me. It not only helped me to be present for my clients but also in my every day life. I remember thinking why haven’t I learnt about this before!

@_marslord was my mentor who made me think on my feet and remember it wasn’t my party! She set me up and set me free! Thank you Mars!

Since training I have had the privilege to support many births, all unique and powerful in their own way, helping people make the right decisions for them and walking along side all their different journeys.

It has been an incredible journey and the learning is ongoing, along the way I’ve trained in Indian Head Massage, Closing Ceremony Massage with Rocío Alarcon, Traumatic Birth Recovery-3 Step Rewind Technique, Breastfeeding etc…. Plus all the other training around my other interests.

A Doula is a way of being!

What keeps my power alight is the support from all the incredible Doulas around me who inspire and encourage me! I just want to give a big shout out to my following Doula sisters: @doulabud, @youniquebabyandpostnatal , @eva.greenslade @doulafairy_placenta @lucyshutes & @lucybaenadoula

These Doulas are true and authentic! They are good friends as they are non judgemental, open minded, great listeners and encourage you to be yourself!

There are so many other amazing Doulas out there and I see you all!

Happy World Doula Week ❤️ #wdw

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