Hi! I am Charlotte - a postnatal doula based in Brighton & Hove. I am here to nurture, empower and support mothers after birth.

My journey to becoming a postnatal doula 

Becoming a mother is a transformational experience. A new side of you is born. It is beautiful yet the unknown can be scary. When my first son was born, I found myself caught in an emotional rollercoaster and lacking a lot of support and information. I felt somewhat unprepared and overwhelmed with the range of physical and emotional changes that I went through. I often felt torn between what my maternal instinct was telling me to do, and the amount of unsolicited advice or conflictual information I received. It affected my confidence as a new parent and it took time to embrace all these changes, trust my instincts and accept that everything I went through was quite common after giving birth. ​As the months went by, I looked back on my experience and came to realise that nowadays most of the focus is put into pregnancy and antenatal preparation, and that the postnatal period is completely overlooked. The fourth trimester can be a hard topic to talk about. Some women won’t even share their feelings and experiences with their peers, in fear of “scaring them away” or because they may feel embarrassed. On top of this, cultural and societal expectations can be very hard on women who have just given birth. They are expected to bounce back and resume their “normal” lives asap. ​I had been thinking of working in women’s wellness and wellbeing for a while. Becoming a mother ignited something powerful in me and I found myself called to help other women in their fourth trimester. Sixteen months after giving birth, I trained with the inspiring Sophie Brigstocke at Nurturing Birth and quit my job shortly after to dedicate myself to this vocational path. ​

My philosophy and vision 

Giving birth is one of the most beautiful, powerful and intense experiences in a woman’s life. Everyone’s birth experience is unique and brings about a lot of changes afterwards, both physical and emotional. I believe the postnatal period is a very special time that should be honoured and protected. It is a time to slow things down, recover and rest. And most importantly, it is a precious time for a family to bond with their baby. I am a strong advocate of the “golden month” whereby a mother is nurtured, nourished and given the opportunity to escape chores in order to rest and bond with her baby. This also allows the baby to have a smoother adjustment to life outside the womb. ​As a postnatal doula, I want to encourage and support women to spend the first weeks after birth resting as much as possible with their baby to promote healing, recovery and bonding. I am here to mother the mother and support her and her family at the start of their parenting journey. I am committed to:

• holding space for mothers to talk about anything they want, providing a non-judgemental, listening ear
• encouraging them to trust their maternal instincts, providing reassurance and raising their confidence levels
• empowering them with evidence-based information to help them find their own parenting style

Postnatal Doula Support 

After giving birth, a woman goes through a lot of changes, both physical and emotional. As a postnatal doula, my primary focus is to mother the mother. I offer a gentle, reassuring presence and continuity of care to help women transition into their motherhood journey. ​I help create a nurturing environment for the new mother to recover and regain her strength. A warm, loving bubble at home where she can get plenty of rest and spend lots of time bonding with her baby… While keeping her well hydrated and nourished. I help her navigate her feelings, encouraging her to follow her maternal instincts. I listen to her without judgment. I also support her family as a whole, including her partner and other relatives. What I can help you with I encourage and support women to spend the first weeks after birth resting as much as possible with their baby to promote healing, recovery and bonding. I typically work with families for several weeks after birth, for as long as they need me. I provide emotional, practical and informational support that can be tailored to individual needs. I can help with:

• debriefing your birth experience
• helping you navigate your feelings as a new parent
• providing a non judgemental, listening ear 
• cooking healthy and nutritious meals
• taking care of your baby while you take a shower or get some much needed rest
• building confidence with baby caring (handling, bathing, nappy change…)
• helping you establish breastfeeding or bottle feeding
• light housekeeping tasks
• running errands
• providing evidence-based information and guidance on a range of topics, such as: newborn behaviour, feeding, sleep, babywearing…
• signposting local groups and activities in your community

​ Who am I outside of the doula world? 

I’m originally from sunny south of France. I grew up in Provence and come from a large family with lots of siblings and cousins. I am a calm, caring person that loves her family and friends above anything else. London was my home for 14 beautiful years and I recently relocated to Brighton & Hove with my family for a new adventure by the sea! Before becoming a doula, I worked as an email marketing manager for ten years in various industries. I am a travel addict and aim to explore as many countries as I can in life (40 so far!). I thrive in multicultural environments; I am very curious and love to meet people from different backgrounds. As a true foodie I enjoy trying out new restaurants and cuisines and spend a decent amount of time cooking at home. In my spare time, you’ll usually find me catching up with friends and playing board games, having a walk in the park with my husband and our two lovely sons, or binging Netflix series in the evening with a cheeky glass of wine.

Testimonials

Charlotte's help during the first few months after the birth of my daughter has been invaluable. Her knowledge, kindness and calm personality made us feel secure and comfortable starting our new life as a little family. With all her helpful advice, good conversations, delicious food and encouragement I highly recommend her doula service for new parents! (Julie R.)

I was so pleased to have Charlotte help during the first few weeks that our baby girl was earth side. She has a kind, calming and trustworthy presence. Charlotte’s advice was invaluable, she taught me how to use a fabric wrap sling, how to recognise over-tiredness and provided super useful tips on how to calm the baby. Charlotte’s cooking was incredible, it was post-partum perfect! Delicious, nutritious and easy to eat one-handed (always expect baby to be in the other). It’s important to feel supported in those early days, and Charlotte does a fantastic job. I very much recommend! (Kyra W.)

Charlotte is extremely empathetic and would never impose her opinion of how to do things on you. She is a great listener and has a very calming nature. Charlotte made me feel that it was ok to take some space for myself and have a bath / sleep if I needed it! I also had a very tough pregnancy and Charlotte took the time to listen and support when I needed it. Charlotte is an absolutely excellent cook! We absolutely loved her meals. She also helped me to learn to set up and pump breast milk and supported me when I had mastitis. Finally, she was always there to offer me a cup of tea when most needed. (Nicola C.) ​

If you feel that I could be the right doula for you, please get in touch!