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Postnatal (Recognised since November 2019)
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Birth (Recognised since May 2019)
Lives in: Tonbridge TN9
Local info and availability:
Kent, West Kent, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Hildenborough, Southborough, Sevenoaks, Maidstone, Wadhurst, Darford, Sidcup, Orpington, Bromley, Lewisham, Purley, Croydon, Crawley, Redhill, Crystal Palace, Sutton, Mitcham, Forest Hill, Beckenham, Penshurst, Forest Row, Epsom, Uckfield, Eastbourne, Hastings, Brighton. South East, South West and Central London PLEASE ENQUIRE
Other services:
I'm an antenatal, birth and postnatal doula, dedicated to helping you have the right birth for you. I have specialist training in aromatherapy for childbirth, massage and accupressure techniques for pregnancy and labour, optimal baby positioning including rebozo techniques, bespoke antenatal preparation and gentle mother warming, including foods and herbs to help you transition into your postpartum experience. I'm also a hypnobirthing teacher (calm birth method), mindful breastfeeding supporter and postpartum recovery massage practitioner in training and by early 2020 will be qualified and fully insured to teach and practice all 3. I am committed to my ongoing learning, keeping across all emerging evidence and practices in the birth world, both in this country and overseas. I have supported clients through VBACs, gestational diabetes, gentle inductions, water birtha, previous trauma, drug free birth, mobile epidural, gentle Caesarian (emergency and planned), in home, birth centre and obstetric settings. I have supported new parents through their first 40 days and beyond, to ensure a smooth transition into parenthood. You are very welcome to borrow my TENS machine, large library of birth and postnatal related books as well as the various birth pools I have access to.
How to contact Laura:
Use the Contact form below or:
http://www.laurascarlettdoula.com
info@laurascarlettdoula.com
+447568321205
About Me
Hi, I’m Laura. I’m a birth and postnatal doula. I’m passionate about normalising birth in all its forms and here to support you with compassion and understanding as you make your unique transition to motherhood.
I will never make your decisions for you or tell you how to have your baby. I will always support you unconditionally while you do that for yourself.
“Reflecting on everything you have done for us, you have made our journey to motherhood (and fatherhood) beautiful, meaningful and in tune with our intuition.”
– Shriya M, first time mum, Bromley
My role as your doula
Whether you’re a first or a seventh-time mum, married or single, wealthy or on a tight budget – whatever your circumstances; your birth matters.
There are so many choices in pregnancy, birth and early motherhood, it’s easy to get bogged down in the pros and cons, forgetting that the most important decision making factor is YOU!
That’s what I’m here for, to help you get to the bottom of it all, tune in to your instincts and find an approach to birth that works for you, your baby and – if you have one, your birthing partner while keeping flexible and open.
Birth itself, while utterly magical and life changing, is also unpredictable, uncontrollable and all encompassing. I will be a constant presence who is there for you, protecting your space, your choices and your experience.
During labour, I will work to create a calm and safe environment which encourages you to let go. I can be as visible or invisible as you need me to be. Sometimes you might even forget I’m there, but I promise I am, figuring out ways I can make the experience more comfortable for you.
I want you to feel listened to – not just by me, but everyone involved in your birthing experience. I want you to feel central to the decision making process and able to call on your own knowledge and intuition to make the best decisions for you and your baby.
It’s a big privilege for me to walk alongside women, supporting them as they make their profound transition to motherhood. I care about you and how your birth makes you feel: informed, free from suffering and supported, with compassion.
Testimonials
“Oh what would I do without Laura!!
Laura is an AMAZING doula and we formed an instant bond in the very first meeting. Her positive energy and warmth lights up our day! She was my champion, support, friend and confidante through a tough pregnancy. She is the reason I got the birth I wanted – a natural, calm and perfect birth. Laura’s ability to work alongside you, inspire you, support you without being too intrusive , and ability to provide evidence based research on the zillion decisions to be made around pregnancy and birth make her very special.
It was a natural progression to have her support postnatally also. Her presence and support, with everything from chores around the house, calming our baby, teaching us to be confident, intuitive first-time parents. She has been a bright shining light in the days and weeks of the whirlwind post birth. Laura has been my rock through the rollercoaster ride post birth, and I couldn’t have been more blessed to have crossed paths with her. This is by far the best decision I made around my pregnancy and birth. I highly recommend Laura! You will not regret it!” Shriya M, first time mum, Bromley
“I’d massively recommend getting yourself a doula! Laura was AMAZING. I knew as soon as I met her I wanted her at the birth. She has an amazing calm and friendly way about her, and put me at ease immediately.
She protected my birth space during the birth and ensured my wishes were upheld. She was a quiet and strengthening support during labour, using rebozo and other gentle techniques to get baby in an optimal position, massaging my back, offering water, moving me to a quieter space when she saw I was stalling because of distractions, even capturing the first time my girls met their brother on video (which I will treasure forever) and probably doing a million other things I didn’t see or realise at the time.
She was my sounding board, full of advice, researched evidence for balanced decisions, level headedness and friendship, and went above and beyond in the lead up to the birth. “ Erin F, third time mum, Bromley
“I would 100% recommend Laura for your birth. After suffering anxiety during my pregnancy related to my experiences during my first labour, the birth of my second baby was a completely different experience and I feel so positively about it, which is in large thanks to Laura & her kind, knowledgeable & non judgemental support. I would not hesitate to recommend using Laura as your doula.” Jo W, South London
“Can I just say, on behalf of the three of us, the biggest thank you for your support during my birth. You were amazing. The support you gave me and my husband was more than we could ever have hoped for. One of the first things C said to me after you left is how great you were, as you supporting us both made a big difference to him too. I’m so happy that we shared my birth experience with you. There’s no doubt in my head that you made my birth so much better and truly helped me get mentally and physically prepared. I’m struggling for words to express my gratitude – so I’ll keep it pure. THANK YOU.”FL, West Kent
“I had really tough experiences with my first two pregnancies and I was very nervous with this third pregnancy so I knew I needed to find an outstanding doula. I got on with Laura straight away and didn’t even bother to look elsewhere. She was great support during my pregnancy, supporting all my choices and helping me get the right info without ever trying to influence me. She was invaluable on the day I gave birth. It was a very fast and intense labour at home but her presence and massages were the best painkiller ever. She made this birth one of the most amazing times of our life as a family.” Lucie, West Kent
“Having Laura as our doula meant the world to both me and my husband. She not only helped me stay calm, reasoned and excited whilst we were waiting (and waiting!) for our little one to arrive but she crucially helped to both empower us to make our own decisions and be an incredibly nurturing physical presence, that led us to the most magical and strengthening birth experience of our 3rd baby. I haven’t had any baby blues this time around and give enormous credit for that to all that Laura did for us. Thank you Laura, I will sing about you from the rooftops!” Vanessa, Sussex
What I offer
All of my packages and services are tailored to meet each woman/couple/family’s individual needs and preferences. This should give you an idea of what that might look like.
Birth Package:
- Free no obligation meet and chat
- 2 antenatal sessions in your home, which include:
- Your hopes, wishes and fears surrounding this pregnancy and birth
- Discussion about the various pathways to birth
- Birth preferences – what they are and how you can figure out the right ones for you
- Ways I can support you and your partner through labour
- Hypnobirthing, breathing, acupressure, rebozo, relaxation and massage techniques
- Email, phone and messaging support throughout pregnancy
- I can attend antenatal appointments with you by request
- On call 10 days before your EDD until week 42 (flexible)
- Continuous emotional and physical support during labour
- Help and support for the first feed after birth if needed
- Debrief session in your home a week or two after birth
- Support via phone and email for at least six weeks after birth
Postnatal Services
- Help, support and guidance with your new-born, including feeding, bath time, nappy changes, calming and soothing
- Looking after older children while you spent time with your baby
- Looking after your baby while you take some time for yourself (nap, bath, gym, cooking, Netflix, phone time – whatever you need!)
- Light housework, meals, shopping, errands or any other chores that help make your day run more smoothly
- Signposting local groups and service you may benefit from
- A friendly, non-judgemental ear
A bit about me
I worked in TV production for over a decade and had the incredible experience of working on Channel 4’s One Born Every Minute. As a producer, I had the privilege of building relationships with women during their pregnancies, births and in their early weeks of motherhood. It was an amazing experience and without even knowing what a doula was, the seed had been planted.
I moved to Australia with my now husband in 2012 and over 6 sunny years, we had 2 kids. Both of my births were very different experiences, although the only thing that really changed between my 1st and 2nd was my mindset and confidence. Knowing what my body was capable of was hugely empowering and I strive to give mums-to-be that same belief in themselves.
When we moved back to England, my oldest had reached school age and it became very clear that TV was no longer what I wanted to do. I wanted to explore a new career that fed my soul. I started investigating my options and it didn’t take long to realise that supporting expectant mums (+partners if applicable) during this incredible time in their lives is what I wanted to do.
Please get in touch to arrange a free meet and chat, to find out more about the ways I can help you 🙂
