On this page
1. Doula support
2. Support during pregnancy and beyond
3. Support for families and dads
4. Support around trauma, loss, and premature birth
5. Infant feeding support
We also have a list of useful resources which you may find helpful here.
1. Doula support
Birth Companions performs a vital role for women both in prison and in the community in London. Our trained staff and volunteers provide support for women who would otherwise face pregnancy, birth and early motherhood alone.
Neighbourhood Doulas provides doula support to women in London in need who are referred by various agencies. We work with refugees, asylum seekers, women with no recourse to public funds, women who find themselves in challenging situations.
Maternity Mates is currently open to pregnant women living in Newham, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest who do not have a suitable support network, or have specific needs or healthcare issues. Please click here to read more about the women we support, and to make a referral to the service.
Project Mama (Bristol/South West) supports women who are refugees, seeking asylum or have irregular immigration status throughout the maternity process. We will link women with specialist birth companions and a peer network for support throughout pregnancy, childbirth and in early parenting.
The Sheffield City Doula Project provides provide practical and emotional support to expectant mothers through the latter stages of pregnancy, through labour and for the first six weeks of family life. Training sessions run twice a year.
Doulas Without Borders is a UK wide organisation and umbrella network, providing voluntary Doulas for pregnant and newly mothering women who are experiencing disadvantage and are in severe financial hardship. Doulas Without Borders also offer other voluntary services for unsupported pregnant/childbearing/newly mo
2. Support during pregnancy and beyond
The Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services (AIMS) has been at the forefront of the childbirth movement for more than fifty years, working towards normal birth; providing independent support and information about maternity choices; raising awareness of current research on childbirth and related issues; and protecting women’s human rights in childbirth.
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) is the UK’s largest charity for parents – there for parents during the first 1,000 days, from the start of pregnancy until their child’s second birthday.
Positive Birth Movement groups (UK-wide) connect pregnant women together to share stories, expertise and positivity about childbirth. We aim to challenge the epidemic of negativity and fear that surrounds modern birth, and help change birth for the better. We want you to join us as we meet up, link up and shake up birth!
Birthrights is the UK’s only organisation dedicated to improving women’s experience of pregnancy and childbirth by promoting respect for human rights. We believe that all women are entitled to respectful maternity care that protects their fundamental rights to dignity, autonomy, privacy and equality.
The International Forum for Wellbeing In Pregnancy (IFWIP) is a global platform to raise awareness of wellbeing in pregnancy with an aim to celebrate the indomitable spirit of humanity in every pregnancy, and to learn together the science of human mind during every pregnancy.
The Maternal Mental Health Alliance is a coalition of UK organisations with a vision to see all women across the UK get consistent, accessible and quality care and support for their mental health during pregnancy and in the year after giving birth. Members of the Alliance (including Doula UK) offer information and/or practical support to families, promoting good mental health in the perinatal year.
Pregnancy Sickness Support is a registered UK charity working to improve care, treatment and support for women suffering from Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP) and the severe form of the condition; Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG).
Mumsnet is now the UK’s biggest network for parents, with over 12 million unique visitors per month clocking up over 120 million page views. It is a web community where you can talk to other people about anything and everything to do with parenthood!
Birthing4Blokes is an online course from male midwife Mark Harris. You will learn, through experience, about important subjects ranging from massage to sex, and pain relief during labour to breastfeeding – this program is an honest, open and frank discussion about pregnancy and birth from a man’s point of view. To read more click here.
3. Support for families
HomeStart volunteers help families with young children deal with the challenges they face. We support parents as they learn to cope, improve their confidence and build better lives for their children.
Gingerbread is the national charity for single parent families. We want a society in which single parent families are treated equally and fairly. To get there, we provide information to help single parents support themselves and their family. We run programmes to equip single parents with the skills and opportunities to gain employment. And we campaign and influence policy to reduce stigma against single parents, and make services more accessible to all families – whatever their shape or siz
Genetic Disorders UK is a registered charity with a vision to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by genetic disorders. Our mission is to be the leading source of information and support for both those affected by a genetic disorder, and the charities and patient groups that support them, by bringing together everyone’s combined experience in a place it can be shared.
Blind Mums Connect links blind and partially sighted mums to share information and support one another. We are a rapidly growing national organisation, run by mums for mums.
Deaf Parents Deaf Children (DPDC) is a group for deaf parents with deaf children from all over the UK. Deaf parents are usually well acquainted with the topics surrounding deafness, but there is no organisation that specifically caters for deaf parents with deaf children in the UK, hence the need for this group.
4. Support around trauma, loss, and premature birth
The Miscarriage Association was founded in 1982 by a group of people who had experienced miscarriage and we continue to offer support and information to anyone affected by the loss of a baby in pregnancy, to raise awareness and to promote good practice in medical care.
Tommy’s funds research into miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth, and provides pregnancy health information to parents. We believe it is unacceptable that one in four women lose a baby during pregnancy and birth. We want every parent to have the best possible pregnancy outcomes and to take home happy, healthy babies.
Sands is the stillbirth and neonatal death charity. We operate throughout the UK, supporting anyone affected by the death of a baby, working to improve the care bereaved parents receive, and promoting research to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.
The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families.
Bliss exists to give every baby born premature or sick in the UK the best chance of survival and quality of life.We champion their right to receive the best care by supporting families, campaigning for change and supporting professionals, and enabling life-changing research.
The Birth Trauma Association (BTA) supports all women who have had a traumatic birth experience. It is estimated that, in the UK alone, this may result in up to 20,000 women a year developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The PANDAS Foundation is here to help support and advise any parent who is experiencing a perinatal mental illness. We are also here to inform and guide family members, carers, friends and employers as to how they can support someone who is suffering.
Mind is a national charity which provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They provide information and support around birth trauma here.
5. Infant feeding support
You can read Doula UK’s infant feeding guidance paper here.
The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers is a national charity supporting breastfeeding mums and nurturing families, through helplines, face to face and online. Doula UK members can train as an ABM Breastfeeding Counsellor.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultants are healthcare professionals specialising in the clinical management of breastfeeding and lactation. ILCA’s Find a Lactation Consultant directory lists IBCLCs who are current members of ILCA. All entries are verified as holding a current IBCLC credential
La Leche League offers a range of breastfeeding support via telephone, online, and through local groups and meetings.
The Breastfeeding Network (BfN) aims to be an independent source of support and information for breastfeeding women and those involved in their care.
