- Birth (Mentored)
Lives in: London E5 0
Local info and availability:
I live in Clapton, Hackney in London, close to Homerton Hospital, but cover much of London and the surrounding areas including and not limited to Hackney, Islington, Haringey, Camden, Walthamstow, Waltham Abbey, Redbridge, Leyton, Tower Hamlets and Newham.
Other services:
In addition to birth doula and postnatal support, I provide occasional night doula/nanny support. I also offer one-off and bespoke ante-natal sessions, including hypnobirthing, birth and postnatal preparation.
I am also a birth photographer and offer this as part of my doula package or as a standalone service, sometimes including pregnancy and postnatal photography.
How to contact Elly:
Use the Contact form below or:
https://www.theclaptondoula.co.uk
elly@theclaptondoula.co.uk
07497772381
About Me
I trained as a birth and postnatal doula (and as a hypnobirthing teacher with KG Hypnobirthing and later with The Birth Uprising) following the birth of my first child in 2018. Her birth came after several years of infertility, IVF and pregnancy loss, and it took time to adjust to the reality of pregnancy and impending birth. Once I was ready, I put everything into finding out all I could about what was to come. I was determined to not let the birth of my child be defined by the medical intervention that defined her conception. As IVF pregnancies are often categorised as ‘high risk’, this was not straightforward but fuelled my determination.
I ended up having an extremely positive and empowering birth experience; one that I believe may not have been possible if I hadn’t prepared in the way that I did and if I had not armed myself with knowledge of the legal rights that we all have in birth (having over a decade of advocating for others as a lawyer may have helped). I felt privileged to have experienced being pregnant and giving birth, but also recognised that for many this is not their experience, even though with the right support it could be. Doing my best to provide that support to others through their pregnancies and onwards since then is endlessly fulfilling.
As your doula, it is my role to provide you with access to information that will prepare you for birth and post-partum. It is my role to listen to and support you in your choices, no matter what they are. It is my role to be on hand with emotional and practical support during your pregnancy, labour and immediately after birth. It is my role to provide you with continuity of care. If you need me to be your advocate, then I will be your advocate.
I strongly believe that an adult, who is informed and of sound mind, should be supported to have whatever birth they choose for themselves and their baby, and further that they have the right to change their mind about what they want or what is right for them at any time. You may want an elective caesarean birth, or you may plan a drug-free homebirth, or even free birth – listen to the advice, gather the information you need and then it is your decision about what you do and no one else has the right to try to control what that is.
I work hard to take part in courses and training updates in such things as aromatherapy for birth, biomechanics, baby-feeding, birth photography etc, to ensure that I can provide the best care possible, including undertaking trauma awareness, LGBTQI+ and neurodivergent inclusivity training. I do my best to provide a safe space for my clients and am open to feedback.
Before undertaking a birth photography course, I often captured images through my phone at my clients’ births and I also had the birth of my second baby photographed. Recording such monumental and once in a lifetime moments felt truly powerful. I am really excited to now be able to offer professional birth and postnatal photographs for my clients, either as part of a doula package or as a standalone service, documenting the life-changing transition into parenthood.