ABOUT ME Hello! I'm Lauren: an adopted Londoner, originally from south west Scotland but now based in south west London. I’ve spent the last 10 years living in Barnes with my husband and young children. My three very different boys, and baby girl, arrived in four very different ways - and the more time passed the more I realised how important that birth experience is to what kind of parents and family you become. Having a birth that you feel informed and in control of helps you begin parenthood from a positive position - stronger physically, mentally and emotionally and ready to make decisions for you and your baby. Looking back, I realised that having a doula would have better prepared me not only for birth but for motherhood - and could help each birth story have a much happier ending.

FINDING THE RIGHT DOULA I didn't know what a doula was when I had my babies, so my aim is to be the kind of doula I wish I'd had: a practical doula who can help clients have a calm, happy birth experience and find straightforward ways to manage the pregnancy, birth, and postnatal period. I know from personal experience that pregnancy and birth can turn a woman who is confident and assertive in all other areas of her life into someone who is plagued with indecision about the best course of action for herself and her child. My aim is to support and guide without judgement or prejudice to allow every family to advocate for the birth they want - whatever that looks like for them - and to be by their side every step of the way as they become, or extend, their family. 

For parents who are embarking on birth alone, I can provide the support of a birthing partner, giving physical and emotional support throughout pregnancy, the birth itself and those crucial first few hours and subsequent days and weeks as a new family. For those who plan to birth with your partner or another close friend or relative, my role is to support that birth partner just as much as the labouring parent. I help take the pressure off of them, give suggestions when they may have run out of ideas, and allow them to just be there for their partner while I take care of making them both comfortable. Before becoming a doula, I've spent more than a decade as a journalist specialising in interviews. Talking people and learning from them is my greatest joy, and something that I continue to do every day as a doula. In 8 years as news editor of British Vogue I met hundreds of incredible people - from models and designers to actresses and musicians - and told countless fascinating stories. Despite those experiences, nothing mesmerises me like the story of someone’s - anyone’s - birth. 

THE BIRTH PACKAGE The right birth package is individual to each family so will be created bespoke for you and priced accordingly. Below is an outline of our most popular package as a framework: • We'll have an initial free-of-charge meeting to asses our suitability to each other and to answer any initial questions you may have. Finding the right doula for you is like forging any special relationship, so it's crucial that we both feel it's the right fit. • If we're both happy, we will sign the contract, after which I will be available to you every day during office hours (9am to 7pm) to answer any questions you have by text or phone. • Then we will set up 2 x 2 hour antenatal visits likely to take place around week 30 and 35. • In the first meeting we will cover your knowledge of birth, birth physiology, your hopes and fears and address any myths or rumours that concern you. I will also provide a bespoke reading list and any additional resources that may be useful in your pregnancy and birth preparation, helping you answer questions big and small. • In the second visit we will work together on creating your birth plan, learn some practical techniques for labour including massage, acupressure and aromatherapy tips, look at what to expect and actions to take as labour begins, and discuss your hopes and intentions for the immediate postnatal period and first few days as a new family. • I will be on call for you from 38 weeks until birth and will attend your birth to support you and remind you of all you have learned. • We will be in phone contact as soon as labour begins and I will arrive (with 1 hour’s notice required) as soon as you feel you need me. • I will stay with you until your baby is born and for the first few hours after birth to help you get comfortable and establish feeding. • We will then have a postnatal visit to discuss the birth and answer any questions you may have.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES I offer additional birth services including a checklist session to prepare everything for your baby, a breastfeeding preparation appointment, a welcome home service, and writing your birth story, which can be added to the package if you need them. To the expectant parents the task of beginning the next chapter of your life as a family can seem daunting - with so much unknown and unknowable. A doula is there to make your job as easy as turning the first page.