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Birth (Mentored)
Lives in: Carshalton SM5
Local info and availability:
I can travel for up to an hour in any direction, from Carshalton, to reach you at home or in hospital.
Languages spoken other than English:
French
Other services:
Family support
How to contact Lucy :
Use the Contact form below or:
lucyragan@gmail.com
07956 502264
About Me
My inspiration for becoming a doula was born when I, rather impulsively and at the last minute, offered to support a friend and her husband with their birth. This experience, quite simply and very strongly led to the conviction that this was what I was called to do for the next season of my life. As I left the hospital the midwife said to me, “you are a very good doula you know” and I had to stop myself saying “No, I’m just a friend” but agreed that the exciting path towards becoming a doula was opening up to me.
Following on from this experience I took the ‘Conscious Birthing’ Doula Uk approved course run by Kate Woods and loved every minute. This course filled in any gaps and brought me back up to speed, a process which is being continued by being expertly mentored by Laura Jansenn.
Interestingly, that wasn’t my first birth, I have five children of my own, each with their own very different birth stories. I think I have covered a pretty wide spectrum of birth experiences, emergency c-section, natural vbac birth, three hospital births and two home births and some experience of pregnancy loss including an ectopic pregnancy. As a full time, at home Mother of five I spent the best part of ten years either pregnant or breastfeeding, running a household and a family and being around other women on the mothering journey. The following ten years has been focussed more on parenting teens and young adults and that is another story. My children are now aged 11, 14, 17, 20 and 22 and the older ones are at University. As my own child bearing years are over, I have time to branch out in a different direction and use some of my life experience to support and guide women through the birth and early parenting journey.
My family are all pretty much neurodiverse, so I also offer family support as a doula with that expertise which can be a subtle or explicit. I am here to walk with (not to diagnose) to inform and to advocate for; worth bearing in mind if you, your partner, previous children or extended family are also neurodiverse and potentially in need of the support of someone who really knows the challenges and the joys.
I am also a qualified social worker (DipSW, MSW) and my career has involved working largely with people with disabilities and mental health problems, mostly in the voluntary sector and in community development. I have also recently taken courses on working with children and families with special needs using NVR, non-violent resistance and communication models in order to help my husband and me in our own parenting.
I am totally open to working with you if you think I am a good fit for your family whatever your belief system! However, for some it may be of interest to know that I am a Christian and am very happy to pray for you and with you, in preparing for the birth, during the birth and after the birth. I am a Catholic and over the last few years have been very interested in the inner healing and post trauma work that is being done in the United States by Catholic therapists. I have been involved with ‘Grief to Grace’ ‘JP2 Healing Centre’ and ‘Hopes Garden’. My husband and I are both long term members of the Emmanuel Community.
Many many years ago I took a French degree and whilst rather rusty, my understanding of French is fluent and may be of interest to anyone whose first language is French and is living in Uk.
Please get in touch initially by email to discuss prices, which vary depending on your requirements, I would really love to hear from you.
Congratulations on your pregnancy
Lucy xx