https://phillipathedoula.co.uk/ You deserve a pregnancy, birth and postnatal period that is transformational. That is your right and it is my honour to walk with you while you claim it. My name is Phillipa, I am a Mum of two beautifully different babes who humble and teach me on a daily basis. Before becoming a doula and infant feeding peer supporter I worked as a social worker for over 12 years. Through this I have witnessed pregnancy, birth and parenthood at it’s most challenging and traumatic. But working in the Local Authority has not allowed me to serve families in the way I felt called to. When I came across the role of the doula as part of my own ante natal preparation I instinctively knew that this was the space I was meant to be. My heart is in the birth room and with new parents. Holding and nurturing families as they are born and reborn; setting strong foundations for positive generational cycles, shining a light on some of the gaps in mainstream care and education for the childbearing year and supporting families to fill them, becoming truly informed and confident in their choices. I will champion you every step of the way. I fundamentally believe in physiological birth and your ability to birth your baby but I won’t make promises about what will be, at it’s core birth remains a mystery and your experience will be unique. But a positive experience comes from being heard, respected, informed and an intuitive and instinctive knowing of what is right for you and your baby. That, I will promise you, is within your gift and together we can discuss how. Most importantly you need to know that my care is offered the same way wherever and however you choose to birth or whatever unexpected direction your birth might take. Whatever your situation, however unique your circumstances you will find a welcoming, judgement and agenda free space with me. My goal is to provide inclusive, culturally humble, trauma informed care and I am always trying to grow in how I show up for the many diverse groups of people who want or need doula support. Whether this is your first or last pregnancy or one in between, whether you are an experienced birth worker or know nothing about pregnancy and birth my care has something to offer. I am adaptable to your specific needs and I welcome a chat however tentative or unsure you might be in wanting to hire a doula. In a fast paced modern society where individuality is often placed above community new parents often find themselves without a ‘village’ but I would love to be part of re-forming yours.

Offerings: 

Elevated birth - £1500  The full doula experience. If you feel that universal ante natal education isn’t giving you what you need or supporting your choices. If you have previously experienced birth trauma or births with high levels of intervention and are planning for a different experience this time. If you want a postnatal period that honours the mother baby bond and gives you the time to rest and focus on your new baby.

• 5 x antenatal visits.
• Use of my TENS machine for labour and birth.
• Unlimited text, email or phone support within working hours or 24 hours a day during your on call period.
• On call from weeks 38 until birth.
• 4 x postnatal visits.
• My written reflections on your birth.

Enhanced Birth - £995  If you already have a good understanding of labour and birth but want to explore and prepare for your unique birth and postnatal experience then this might be the package for you. We could use our time together to relax and connect with your intuition and your baby and you can be confident when it comes to holding space for you that I know you and trust you to birth your baby.

• 2 x antenatal visits.
• Use of my TENS machine for labour and birth.
• Unlimited text, email or phone support within working hours or 24 hours a day during your on call period.
• On call from weeks 38 until birth.
• 2 x postnatal visits.
• My written reflections on your birth.

Simply Birth - £650 One of the benefits of hiring a doula is the continuity of care that we can offer, however there may be times when all that is needed is birth support. However, it is still important that I understand your preferences when it comes to support, so we will need to have at least one antenatal appointment.

• 1 x antenatal visit to allow me to understand your birth preferences.
• Use of my TENS machine for labour and birth.
• Unlimited text, email or phone support during the on call period
• I will go on call for you from week 38 until you give birth to your baby.
• 1 x postnatal visit if you want it to discuss your feelings around your birth and offer any infant feeding support you may want.
• My written reflections on your birth.

Sessional Antenatal - £30 ph

• Guided relaxation.
• Relaxing rebozo flow.
• Fear identification and release ritual.
• Comfort measures for labour and birth.
• Exploring the physiology of labour and birth.
• Understanding interventions and pain management options.
• Decision making and self-advocacy skills.
• Postnatal food preparation (in your kitchen with your ingredients)
• Birth/postnatal planning

Sessional Postnatal - £30 ph (minimum 2hour booking)

• A loving space to talk about your birth.
• Gentle rebozo postnatal ritual.
• Cooking (with your ingredients in your kitchen).
• Washing up.
• Hoovering.
• Hanging out or collecting/folding laundry.
• Baby wearing so you can rest/shower/read/nap.
• Infant feeding support.
• Accompanying you to baby appointments or groups.
• Practical baby care skills
• Support around the emotional transition from maiden to mother

Night Doula - £30 ph (Availability every Thursdays & Fridays & every other Wednesday & Sunday between the hours of 7pm and 6am) It can be exhausting as a new parent and if  you just need some support over night; for your own mental health and wellbeing or simply to ward off the exhaustion I can come help. As a night doula I would take care of night feeds, changes, rocking and soothing. We would have a discussion first to ensure our ethos on night time care aligned and discuss your individual needs. Closing the Bones - £200 Whether you had your baby one month ago or much more, this 4/5 hour ritual will heal and nourish. The four steps incorporate elements of heat through herbal infused water, steam and full body massage before finishing with the rocking and binding with the rebozo. The whole process can be tailored to your unique needs but you will always find a loving space to process anything that comes up about your birth or your transition to motherhood. This is an incredibly special and ceremonial experience that is healing for your body, mind and spirit.