Being pregnant and having a baby can be such a special time, but it also brings change and with it a whole range of mixed emotions and feelings. In a previous life I worked as a online marketeer but found my passion in the birthing world after I had my first daughter. I started my journey into all things, pregnancy, birth and babies in 2014 as an antenatal and postnatal teacher.
During the last 11 years I have supported many families from pregnancy through to parenthood. In 2019 now that my babies are babies no longer I took the much awaited step into becoming a doula. I feel that my role as a doula is to walk alongside you in your journey into parenthood, whether this is for the first time or you are adding to your family. I can offer you plenty of encouragement, a listening ear, information, compassion, support and practical help.
I am always completely honoured when an expectant couple asks me to be their doula during pregnancy and birth and being beside a family as they welcome their new baby into the world. Knowing that someone will support and provide continuity for you during your pregnancy, birth and postnatally no matter what your choices, can make the world of difference to how you feel. I want you to feel you are being supported by someone who really does care and won't mind being contacted whatever time day or night.
As a birth doula I have been present for and supported:
- Home births
- Hospital births
- Water births
- HBAC/VBAC
- First time parents to fifth time parents
- Induced and augmented births
- Unassisted births
I have also had the pleasure of working with families postnatally within the first few weeks and months after birth. I have found being a postnatal doula a subtle but lifechanging support for new families and have been able to support them in a variety of ways.
These are just some of things have worked as a postnatal doula:
- Making food/cake/snacks and taking it round to new parents or leaving food on a doorstep Cooking/preparing dinner or lunch in the house
- Washing/Drying up
- Playing with older children
- Putting a load of washing on, hanging washing out and folding laundry
- Tidying up
- Talking with bigger siblings about what newborn babies are really like
- Breastfeeding support
- Providing support with postnatal recovery
- Taking a new mum through some basic postnatal yoga
- Spotted a possible tongue tie or challenge with feeding and signposted where to go for support
- Listening to birth and breastfeeding stories
- Hugged parents while they cried
- Helped access donor breastmilk
- Talked about infant sleep
- Changed nappies and chatted about reusable nappy options
- Shown parents how to use a sling/carrier
- Made many, many cups of tea or coffee
- Signposted parents to additional support services
- Accompanied parents and their baby/children to the park, swimming, for a walk, to the supermarket and baby classes
When I am not being a doula, I also love:
- Walks in the countryside as we live in the Amber Valley and really close to the Peak District
- A good book whether it is historical fiction, biography or something factual (love a good birthy book too)
- A glass of red wine or a fruity gin
- Sitting in my garden in the sunshine
- Baking and creating anything be it biscuits, cakes, quiche or tarts or just flapjack
- Watching films and a good Netflix series
- A trip to the theatre
- Family camping trips
