Laureen Eaton

About Me

I am married with five lovely grown-up children and seven gorgeous grandchildren.  I am a qualified infant teacher. I taught until my first baby came along and subsequently became a supervisor at the local playgroup, where I was involved for many years. I took a change in direction and trained to teach E.S.O.L. (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and Literacy. I was an Adult Education tutor for about ten years after which I taught for six years on a voluntary basis.
I have been very fortunate to have given birth to all my children naturally and consider each one as an amazing miracle. I believe passionately in the ability of a woman to birth her baby. Whilst there is a place for medical interventions, most women, with loving support and care, can give birth without them. I became a doula because, after having the privilege of being at the birth of one of my grandchildren, the midwife asked me whether I had thought of becoming a doula. Because I wanted to help other women to have a positive birth experience and be able to look back on it as being a fulfilling, joyful memory I decided in 2007 to train to become a birth and postnatal doula. I am very calm and will bring a calming presence into the birthing room, which can be an asset to you as you labour and birth your baby. I bring with me knowledge and experience gathered over the years as a doula, attending nearly 50 births and also as a mum and grandmother. I can provide you with the knowledge and information to help you navigate your way through all the decisions and choices that you are faced with along your journey to parenthood. I am very well informed about women’s choice and rights in childbirth.

The Birth Package: My service includes an initial free consultation to talk about my services, answer questions and for you to decide whether you want to employ me, as having a doula is such an individual choice. I have a contract, which we will both sign, I am police checked and am insured. I will meet with you and your partner for two antenatal sessions to get to know you both in order to build a good relationship with understanding and trust and to ensure I know your plans and requirements for labour. I will prepare you for the birth of your baby. I will give you different tools you can use to help you relax and breath through your labour and birth, and help you write your birth plan as well help you understand the physiology of birth and the importance of oxytocin, to name but a few topics we can look at during these sessions.  I will endeavour to help you feel empowered to birth your baby in the way you have planned and will respect all you decisions and help and support you to abide by them.

You can contact me at any time with questions or worries and I will help you get the information you need. I will be on call for you 24 hours a day for two weeks either side of your due date so that you can call me as soon as you are in labour. I have backup if for some reason I am unable to reach you.

I will stay with you throughout labour, however long, providing you with nurturing, continuous support and reassurance, bringing empathy and compassion into the birth room. I am concerned for your practical, emotional and spiritual needs. I can also be a support to your partner, if necessary, and we will work together as a team to enable you to feel nurtured and cared for. I will be a calm presence in the birth room quietly getting on with supporting you in any way that you need it.  I will remain with you until after the birth of your baby to ensure you are comfortable with your new baby and your baby has had his first feed. I will help you have a bath or shower if you feel this would be helpful. After the birth I will make two postnatal visits to debrief the birth with you, give you any emotional and practical support you may need. I can help with baby care, do light housework and be a listening ear.
I have a La Bassine Birth Pool which you can hire from me.

My Postnatal Services include help with feeding, looking after baby while mum rests, light housework and again be a listening ear, so as to make the transition into parenthood a smooth one.

Qualifications;

I am a recognised birth doula with Doula UK October 2009. I am a Certified birth doula with Nurturing Birth – July 2009
I am a recognised postnatal doula with Doula UK and Certified post natal doula with Nurturing Birth 2012
I am a Doula Mentor with Doula UK, which means I support, help, guide and supervise trainee doulas through the recognition process.

Further Training:
Nurturing Birth doula and postnatal doula training course – April 2008,

Experienced Birth Doula Workshop – Level 2 – May 2009,

Michel Odent Study day – March – 2009,

Waterbirth study day with Dianne Garland – October 2010,

Twins course with Naomi Kenemy – Sept 2011,

Spinning Babies Study Day with Gail Tully June 2013,

Breastfeeding Study Day – Developing Doulas – 2014,

Robozo Workshop with Stacia Smates Hill – Oct 2014,

Supporting Every Birth workshop, focusing on pregnancy and infant loss – Nov 201

I have attended the Surrey and Sussex Annual Breastfeeding Conference with speakers Dr Coleman Greenway – neonatal consultant at ESH and Mark Harris RMD – September 2017

I have attended the Homebirth Conference – ‘Inspiring Women’, with speakers Ina May Gaskin and Sheena Byron – March 2016

I have experienced hospital births at Worthing Hospital, St Richard’s Hospital Chichester, Princess Royal Hospital Haywards Heath and East Surrey Hospital as well as numerous home births. I have supported births which have been induced, births with epidurals, emergency caesareans, elective caesareans and those with and without medical pain relief or intervention. I have had experience of births where the mum-to-be has a bicorunate uterus and also a mother with SDP. I have had experience of VBACs (virginal birth after caesarean), and water births and mothers with gestational diabetes.

I have gained so much experience through being a mother of five and a grandmother, of eight. Because of this I can offer a wealth of experience and information which enables me to effectively support families in their journey through childbirth and beyond.