I am the eternally grateful and proud Mum of two children. A beautiful boy and a gorgeous girl, both of whom are currently teenagers. I am an "Older Mum" Aged 40 when I had my firstborn I was persistently referred to as "geriatric" in the medical arena and by the time I was ready to give birth to my second child at the ripe old age of 45.....

Oh My!! Anyone would think the scenario was unheard of! If only I had known, back then, what Doulas were really all about, I'm certain I would have looked into finding one to guide, support and reassure me. Especially for my second child, given the not so pleasant experience the first time around. But, I am not here to regale you with stories of my own history, I am here to reassure you that being pregnant, giving birth and those early days as a new Mum can be a magical period of time to be relished like no other. Preparing to welcome your baby into your arms, for the first time, at long last and beginning your new life together is uniquely thrilling and often times scary. Completely natural feelings to be held precious. Doulas understand and are there to help keep those thoughts and feelings safe, ready for you to look back on with fondness in times to come. There is a lot going on for you right now.

As a perennial student of the "School of Life" I have a wide and varied background. The common thread being that I am a "people person" Some of my roles have been in face to face customer and civil service positions. More notably, I trained as a professional scuba diving instructor which took me to foreign climes for a number of years. It is during this time period I became a needs led information provider. I assisted others gain very important knowledge on how to keep safe and make critical judgement calls.I guided people along a new, exciting and for some a nerve wracking learning path to achieve a successful outcome.

I studied to level three Counselling skills which saw me helping bereaved people through very difficult times.

Becoming a Mother, now there is a role that affords you a massive skill set, like it or not. But, I am hugely grateful for it now......... I can still open and close doors using any and every body part except for my hands!

For the last ten years I have been a trainer for a specialist role within the public service department I work for within the Criminal Justice System.

It goes without saying that I have an ever present sense of humour with a couple of firm guiding beliefs. One, laughter is the best medicine and two, when we love, we are using the greatest power in the universe.

So, in other words, over the years I have been lucky enough to experience so much, meet many different and wonderful souls of all ages and walks of life. I have been privileged to learn something from each of them, such that now, as a Doula, I can bring to the table love, laughter, care, kindness, understanding, consideration, patience, strength, resilience, compassion, a genuine listening ear and a committed work ethic to help you achieve the best antenatal, birth and beyond experiences possible. In the event things do take an unexpected turn, as they sometimes do in life and particularly where birth and newborns are concerned; together we will be prepared, organised, informed and ready, if needs be to make the decisions necessary at the time. AND, because we will have built a trusting rapport during our journey to this point, we will have a rehearsed knowledge of what you want or don't want. When knowledge is power, at any point where you might potentially feel vulnerable, I can be there to advocate for you, hold space for you, give you time to think. Where ever required, I can be what I call "The Voice for Your Choice"

On a final  note here, in a world where reviews count for so much, as a Mentored Doula, I don't have any of those yet but what I do have is the following message from my lovely Sister-in-Law; she and my Brother live abroad and I sent them a recording of me reading a childhood story aloud on a day when I sensed they were feeling a tiny bit homesick. She wrote; "There's something about you Bev. Something that makes us all feel connected. You exude an aura that is magical."

So kind.Bless her.

You can find me in my garden, by the pond or maintaining a haven for bees, birds and other garden wildlife. Or, I am in my Hypnotherapy room, reading and learning more and more, little by little.

Hypno-birthing and Reiki Level 2 skills coming soon.

With Love, Light and Gratitude for your journey ahead,

Bev, Bee the Doula XX