Doula

As a Doula, I provide the support you need throughout your pregnancy, birth, and the early postnatal period. 

Navigating through a highly interventionist maternity system can be tricky, regardless of the type of birth you are planning. The choices and decisions to be made can often feel overwhelming, but the alternative of ‘going with the flow’ can mean that you have little say in the course of your birth. As a Doula, part of my role is to support you to navigate through this system to have a positive and empowering birth experience; to unpick the evidence, understand your options, and make informed decisions about what is right for you. 

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I offer at least three meetings antenatally; during these meetings we will spend time getting to know each other, developing an understanding of your hopes and wishes for your birth, and thinking about how we can best work together during your labour – whether you will be alone, or with your partner. If you will have a partner with you, I will work alongside you both, to help your partner to support you – Doulas are like scaffolding, they prop you up and support both of you, so that you are able to focus on each other. 

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I will be on-call for you 24/7 from 10 days prior to your due date, and I’ll come to you as soon as your labour starts and you are ready for me to be with you. I will then stay with you throughout your labour – offering physical support such as massage, emotional support and encouragement, help understanding decisions to be made, and dealing with practicalities so that you (and your partner) can focus on the business of birth!  

I will help you – and your partner – to feel prepared for the journey ahead of you, and ensure that you feel supported, nurtured, and loved, and empowered by your pregnancy and birth experiences. Whether you hope to have a home birth, or you prefer to be in a hospital or birth centre, I will walk alongside you and provide the support, knowledge, and encouragement that you need to have a good birth.