Hello! A little bit about me:

I am Ana I am originally from Portugal, moved to London in 2007 after graduating and spending 21 days in North India. In India I did volunteering work in a small village. This was a chance to enhance my exploration of the world and learn about other cultures because I felt I was unable to progress in my professional field.

I was looking for new adventures which led me to working in  bakery for a few years, volunteer with Mind (mental health organisation), during this time I did training to work with people with Mental Health.

In 2010, I became a mother and everything changed. I have 3 beautiful children. My daughter was born in 2010 and the twins who were born in 2012.

My daughter's birth was the catalyst for change and the frustration and unprocesse  grief of the birth i didn’t have, led me to want to know more.

I trained as a Doula in May 2012 with Michel Odent and wanted to be a birth doula, a journey  had to put on hold while i had 3 young children to look after. In June 2015 i did another training with Nurturing Birth, i became a member of Doula UK and supported my first family, as a postnatal Doula, in August 2015.

Being a mother myself, living abroad from all my friends and family that I grew up with, I  personally know how challenging it can be to be far from family, far from support, far from an extra pair  of hands. At the same time I cherish all the experiences that I have seen, heard and felt and thank every day the support I had. An example of this was that I had difficulties breastfeeding for the first time and if I hadn´t had support, maybe my life would be different in a negative way.

This has been a very rewarding journey I feel blessed to do what I love; I am truly passionate about what I do. I know I make a difference in these families’ lives, because I do it from my heart.

I love to learn and to meet inspiring women and learning from them. I believe we all have a lot to give, but a lot to receive and learn with each other. I want to keep expanding and sharing my love with families, one thing you can expect from me, my total presence, dedication and understanding.

I have a special interest in postpartum nutrition and love cooking and preparing treats for the mothers.

I also created "it takes a village - a gathering for mothers " where mothers can get held. It's a space for connectin  and nourishing through gentle movement,  art and yoga nidra.

At the moment I am free to offer support in Islington,  Camden and Hackney areas Thursdays,  Fridays and weekends. 

I am flexible, non-judgmental, open minded, kind, creative and I can´t wait to hear from you.

Remember, motherhood was never something you were meant to navigate alone!

With love, 

Ana

.Doula training, May 2012 with Michel Odent

.Doula training, March 2015 - Nurturing Birth

.December 2015 - Closing the Bones Study Day with Sophie Messager

.February 2016 - New Baby and me-Foundations of Parenting, Active Birth    Centre with Lynn Murphy

.Supporting the Breastfeeding Mother and Baby - Foundation Level,    Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ongoing)

Postpartum Support:

I consider postnatal period an area that is much neglected, both cultural and by the health care system, especially with all the governmental cuts in the UK, the maternity services are being hugely affected.

In some cultures women still have the "Laying" period where they spend the first forty days, or so, resting and being nurtured by other women who bring them food, keep her warm and do all the house work, making sure mother recovers from birth, focus on feeding and falling in love with her baby.

Women and their bodies are here being respected and celebrated for the amazing job they have just accomplished, growing and giving birth to a new life.

In our society, where everything seems to rush, there is this pressure to coming back to "normal" fast, for many reasons. Something so natural as giving birth and be a mother, seems to be a struggle most of the time.

New mothers may not feel supported emotionally in the first days or weeks, and this is where postnatal doulas have a key role, nurturing and supporting the mother in the most amazing period of her life, but also when she feels more fragile and vulnerable. Making sure her and the whole family has a smooth and gentle transition.

My services as a postnatal doula include both emotional and practical support, for the whole family in general, focusing on the mother, insuring a smooth and gentle transition into motherhood.

I offer:

.Space and time for debrief the birth, if that´s what you want. 

. Minor help around the house

.Cooking.

.Breastfeeding support

. Help  with other children, if any.

In addition:

(Please ask for fees)

. Yoga Nidra

. Reiki

Recent comments from clients:

"Ana has been a tremendous help to us over the last few months and is someone we have come to consider as a friend. She is very kind and gentle with our son Oscar. She is always willing to offer a sympathetic ear when you are having difficulties and give advice without being interfering or dogmatic. She is also always willing to lend a hand and we have particularly enjoyed her cooking - she's an excellent cook. We would have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone looking for a doula."

"I feel so lucky to have had the pleasure of Ana's support. She has been so kind and caring with our daughter, massaging her little feet and taking a genuine interest in our family. Ana has a calming influence yet is proactive in offering her help. I loved having someone I trusted to bounce ideas and concerns off and get suggestions about natural parenting. She is willing to share her experiences and views without imposing. She makes the most amazing chocolate date balls!"

"Ana means: an amazing person, full of energy and a gifted mother. I was so glad i had you my friend when i got pregnant. You were always there to clarify my doubts, to keep me calm and support me with any matter.
Take care
Marcela"

"Ana is a really great support. She was there for me in the first few weeks after birth when I felt like everything is new and I don't know what to do with this new little person in my life. She reassured me that I was doing a great job and gave me strength when I needed it. She gave me lots of information about breastfeeding which was really useful. Breastfeeding although is natural can be very challenging.. Ana has a very energetic and positive personality and as a mother of 3 lovely babies she knows what she is talking about. I can only recommend her services. Katalin"

"Ana is a kind, friendly and genuine lady who always makes us feel warm and at easy when she visits. She truly cares for the family she looks after and taking a real interest in looking after the mum, giving lots of positive vibes and encouragement to the mum. I shared that I worry about my milk supply and one day she brought me lactation cookies she made at home!

She is very good at looking after the household and the needs of the family especially the mother, sharing knowledge and personal experiences. She respects the family's living arrangement, we never need to worry, she knows exactly what needs to be done, where to put things, amazingly efficient and organised, and attention to detail!

Food is an important part of our families and Ana helps every time she is here, either cooking the food we usually eat, or she will bring the ingredients along and cook us a Portuguese meal, which we love!

What Ana provide is just the right amount of care a family with a new baby needs, we highly recommend her amazing work and support!"

Hong

"Ana was a complete joy. She formed a great rapport with our daughter, while supporting me with our new little boy. Always happy to turn a hand to anything which made the first few weeks of craziness so much easier and calmer. We'd definitely recommend Ana!"
Alex

"I would have Ana if I could. If not I would have to find someone as kind and gentle.
Ana is kind and sensitive and understated, she listened to me and attended to my needs in a very caring way. I was unsure about many things and Ana would look up things for me recommend books and advise me of websites and hotlines for anything I was concerned about. Ana cooked, cleaned and looked after me propping up my feet bring me water and listening to me, she is so gentle with Rosie I f...elt completely confident to have a sleep knowing that she was being looked after. I can speak highly enough about her."

Katharine Morling

"I think Ana is a very good DOULA. I found her calm and kind and gentle, very responsive to my needs, non-judgemental. She was a good listener, and was aware of offering me drinks and food and rest. I felt at ease with Ana and felt I could trust her with Rosie. She is also very professional, and had lots of useful tips and advices when asked for. She makes great soup."

Katharine Morling

"I met Ana as post natal doula after the birth of our first baby, when she was 4 weeks old.

Ana has been an incredible help to our family in a very delicate moment like the birth of a child.

She has been willing to help us in any kind of chores around the house, always with a smile and good attitude towards work.

She has been always very supportive, encouraging and it was nice to hear her direct experience as a mum of 3 children.

When our baby was a bit older, she also helped us baby sitting so that my husband and I could go out for a drink and she seemed to dearly care for our daughter in a way that made me feel comfortable.

I would recommend her help to any new mum. We have been lucky to meet her."

Antonella

"Ana has been great and has really made a difference in the first few months after the birth of our daughter Lillian. First of all, she is great with Lillian and looks after her with great care and attention. This included helping to bathe her and putting her to sleep. We trusted Ana fully to look after the baby, which gave us time to rest and take care of other things we needed to do. Ana also provided a lot of support with the housework. She is an excellent cook and made us a number of delicious meals. Finally, she gave massages that my wife enjoyed."

Ben

"Ana has a very friendly and reassuring presence.  She was very kind and non-judgement and we were very comfortable having her in our home.  We found that she provided a knowledge base about child care, and was able to provide useful advice on a continuing basis. She operated with great empathy and compassion towards us, as we have learned more about taking care of our baby. As two new parents, we found that she was able to be a calming presence in light of our new experiences, and natural concerns.  She is also a great cook!

Ana was a great help in our transition to a family of three, and we would strongly recommend her to others who want support in the first weeks with a new baby."

Zoe