☀️ About Me☀️
Hi! I’m Vani, a passionate midwife turned doula. I've been supporting births since 2014. I'm originally from the USA, I moved to the UK in 2017 after marrying my husband. We met in India where I was studying and practicing midwifery (long story!❤️). We now live in Watford, Hertfordshire, where we welcomed our son at home in 2021 with a doula.
My journey to birth, began by attending births at a young age, igniting my love for birth, and led me to pursue a holistic midwifery degree. I then practiced in a small birthing co-op in a rural Indian village, helping women give birth on their terms, deepening my trust in the body’s ability to birth undisturbed.
I'm fiercely passionate about birth. My approach focuses on empathy and care, hearing your intuitive knowledge as the birthing family, and providing evidence based information and rights in childbirth. I focus on honouring, and protecting the birthing space and families. I provide individualized care, and am continuously adjusting to the subtle clues and needs of my clients. I bring over 12 years of wisdom from attending a wide variety births, and through continuous education, to offer you the most impactful support I can.
I also traveled to Bali to meet Robin Lim, CNN’s Hero of the Year, at her Bhumi Sehat birthing center to experience and learn from her beautiful mission and model of care.
Throughout my work in India and the US, I’ve supported families in diverse conditions, even without electricity and running water. No matter the circumstances, every birth is unique and special. The most valuable support is holding space, respecting the process, and honoring the family.
The right doula can make a world of difference in achieving your birth vision. Even if things don't go as planned, you can still feel positive when informed, supported, respected, and empowered. Every woman deserves to feel capable, cared for, and safe.
I am committed to providing love, care, and support to each family I work with. My goal is to support women in trusting themselves and find their voice, to have a birth experience highlighting the joy, strength, and transformation that birth can bring.
☀️Qualifications and Experience☀️
🌱Supporting women and families in birth since 2014
🌱Certified doula at BirthBliss Academy
🌱 Holistic Midwifery education
🌱 Breastfeeding training certificate ABM
🌱 Certified in Biomechanics for birth
🌱 Public liability insurance and DBS
🌱Trauma Informed Care
🌱Alternative care methods i.e. aromatherapy, EFT, meditation
🌱 Ayurveda in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum
🌱 5⭐️ rating on Google https://g.co/kgs/fvS2acX
☀️What I specialise in☀️
🌻Homebirth
🌻Waterbirth
🌻VBAC and HVBAC
🌻Hospital and birth center births
🌻Breech BIrth
🌻Induction Births
🌻 C-section births
🌻high risk pregnancies, and advanced maternal age pregnancies
☀️Areas I work in ☀️
📍London
📍Greater London
📍Hertfordshire
📍Middlesex
📍Bedfordshire
📍Buckinghamshire
☀️My Services☀️ Full details at my website here 🌐londonbirthdoula.com
Antenatal Course- 4 In Person Antenatal Sessions, including:
✔️Antenatal Workbook with visual aids, references, labour positions,breathwork
✔️Preparing for your birth, how to achieve your birth goals.
✔️Birth physiology and hormones
✔️Providing evidence based information
✔️Navigating the Maternity system
✔️Common medical interventions and their pros/cons
✔️Creating your birth plan
✔️Postpartum for mom and baby
✔️Breastfeeding
✔️Alternative supports i.e. aromatherapy, homeopathy, massage etc
✔️Pregnancy support (messaging and phones calls for the duration of your choice, providing evidence based information, tips, emotional support, discussion and exploring options and plans etc.)
Standard Birth Package
✔️ 2 Antenatal Sessions
✔️ Support throughout your pregnancy
✔️ Antenatal handbook with visual aids, and birth affirmation cards
✔️ Tailored individualised care
✔️ On-call from 10 days before your due date till 42 weeks
✔️ Continuous emotional, physical, and practical support during labour. I am committed to:
▪️Protecting your birth space
▪️Brining care, attention, love, and support, free of judgment
▪️Advocating and answering questions
▪️Providing emotional support are care supporting empowerment
▪️Encouraging the birth partner
▪️Physical/ practical support such as massage, cleaning etc.
▪️Suggest breathing techniques, labour positions, and ideas
✔️ Immediate post birth support
✔️ 1 Postnatal session (more can be arranged
✔️ Free breastfeeding support sessions
✔️ 3 weeks postpartum support via phone. 📱
Postpartum Support
✔️Ayurvedic postpartum care, planning, support, meals, and treatments
✔️ Birth Debriefs
✔️ Postpartum Massage
✔️ Closing the Bones
✔️ Breastfeeding support
☀️Get in Touch☀️
🌐 Book in a FREE video consultation to see if we are the right fit, either on the form provided here, or my website https://www.londonbirthdoula.com/bookonline
☀️Testimonials☀️
Read my google reviews here, 5⭐️ rating on Google https://g.co/kgs/fvS2acX
"Vani transformed our birthing experience! She has such a calming presence about her. She is extremely knowledgeable and we loved having her over for our antenatal appointments. Whether you’re having a home birth or giving birth at a hospital birth centre like we were, she’s experienced it all and knows a lot about protocols and what to expect. Having this inside information was so valuable to us and took away the unknowns and stresses with having a baby in a new place. Vani was so supportive in helping us create our birth plan. She was 100% our devoted advocate through our whole birthing experience. Vani gave us space when she sensed we needed it and was right there holding my hand and helping me breathe down my baby when the intense moments came. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful birth and we know we have Vani to thank for being there for us from the beginning. If you’re wondering if Vani’s the right person to have on your birth team, just know that SHE IS!" -Julia London
“I hired Vani for antenatal support. She offers a doula-in-your-pocket service. She was available to me to answer any questions, provide information. She talked things through with me and provided so much emotional support and reassurance. She was super responsive and attentive. She’s a great listener and really cares about all of her clients and respects everyone’s individuality.” -Nadia
“Vani is an expert birth doula, she was so focused and attentive in caring for me and my husband during our labor. From advocating for us, to setting up a beautiful birth space, to providing emotional reassurance and affirmations, massage, providing Information and taking the time to explain things, to being calm and positive. Vani had lots of little tricks to making us all more comfortable. Vani was amazing and an integral part of our positive birth experience.” -Braja
“Vani fulfilled all of our needs from start to finish. She was attentive and responsive. Antenatally Vani’s antenatal handbook is unique to her services, and was a fantastic tool to be able to access during our pregnancy and reference during our birth for birth positions etc. She was great at providing information and being a sounding board for any decisions we made. Vani advocated for us so respectfully and ensured our birth space was protected. She also really put my husband at ease and was reassuring him the whole way which helped him focus on looking after me! She really cares so much for you and goes above and beyond. We highly recommend!”-Pallika
“Vani came to my home to do a closing the bones ceremony. I felt like I was in a spa, Vani puts you at ease, you feel comfortable and can feel her healing care. It was 2 hours of massage, rebozo, and closing the bones. She takes the time to add all the extra touches to make you feel like you’re in a sap at home.” –Lila
“Vani was fantastic at protecting our birth space, and helping us communicate our desires with the staff at our hospital. She took the time to check in with me and my husband and re-explain/talk things through with us. She was always so calm and positive it gave my partner and I peace and positivity knowing she was protecting all of our wishes.” -Hannah
“Vani was an incredible support during my birth she never left my side, gave me encouraging words, and really advocated for me. She updated me, and talked things out with my partner. This was so important for him as he felt clued in and calm. We couldn’t have done it without her, she advocated for our desires and we got what we wanted!”- Penelope
“We hired Vani as our birth doula. I LOVED Vani’s antenatal workbook that she’s created and printed for all of her clients. All the information she goes over is in this booklet, including visuals, exercises to reflect on how you’re feeling emotionally, places to take notes during midwife appointments etc. She cares so much about the families she supports. She’s invested in helping you achieve all of your birth goals.” -Stacey
“Vani showed me so much care postpartum. She was one of the few mothers I spoke wo who was genuinely free from any judgment. She listened to me attentively and advised me according to my individual circumstances. I highly recommend her as a doula. Thank you for your love and time Vani!” –Yogi
"I highly recommend Vani, She was my doula for my birth last year, she is so personable, she helped me feel empowered in my journey, gave me reassurance with any anxieties I had, and was a huge support system throughout my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She also helps reassure fathers and she helped me stick to my birth plan which I am immensely grateful for. P.S. she gives great massages!” -Yugala
“My desire was to have a water birth at home, but both my husband and I were nervous to not birth at a hospital. But, because we had Vani, she really made our home birth possible with her support. Because of her vast home birth experience, she put both of us at ease. She helped me to feel confident, have faith and trust. I felt safe and supported at home with Vani as our doula!” –Nadia Heintz
“Vani was amazing during my birth, before and after. I choose her pamper package and she delivered! From my emotional to physical needs, Vani supported me and my husband expertly at our hospital birth. She made sure my needs were met while mediating with the staff. Vani is expert at massage, and thought of every little thing between her aromatherapy and massage tricks to breastfeeding help.” –Brenda Briant
“Dear Vani Its been 3 years since i gave birth to our precious daughter Bhagirathi. Your physical and emotional support during my pregnancy and motherhood was a wonderful experience and because of your expertise we look back to the birth in a positive way. We felt cared, we felt safe and felt heard in our needs. Its a memory we will always treasure! We believe you have found your calling in life and wish you all the best. Much love from us..." –Syama
"Soon as I found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted an intimate and special experience for my home birth. I had no idea what to expect and was anxious because my son’s father would not be there for the birth. He was undergoing treatment for cancer, and I had never felt more scared or alone. But thanks to Vani, my home birth was beautiful. Vani was gentle, supportive, kind, and so in tune with my needs. From morning until evening, she never tired and paid attention to every detail. I am so grateful to her for making my home birth my dream come true, for being there for me emotionally and physically at a time when I needed support more than ever. This is truly her calling and me and my son were so lucky to have her." -Madhavi
