Becoming a parent is a momentous experience and one that needs lots of nurturing and support.  Our culture does not often revere and respect the precious time after a baby is born or the mother who has birthed her child.  With my focus on supporting families postnatally, I hope to make this time as rewarding and positive as possible. 

Babies don't come with manuals is an often used phrase. And whilst this is true, there are many books out there telling you how you should care for your new baby. My ideal is to help you find your own path through all the confusing and often conflicting information and advice given by health professionals, friends, family and books. 

As a postnatal doula, I will help you understand the choices on offer to you so you can feel confident about the way you decide to look after your newborn. I also feel it is very important to protect a family's 'babymoon' and even create a bespoke and cherished 'parent and babymoon'.  In the past, new mothers often stayed in hospital for longer periods of time postpartum or had communities that would rally round them, so that they could be cared for and given the space to recuperate from what is in no uncertain terms a huge experience. 

I will be present for your new family so together we can all create an environment that is conducive to rest, bonding with your baby and free from anxiety. As an experienced postnatal doula, I can offer emotional support: help you explore your birth experience and tackle any difficult feelings, be a listening ear to any concerns or worries you may have after your baby's birth and ride the rollercoaster of any downs and ups!  If you think you are developing any mental health challenges or have a pre existing mental health diagnosis, we can work through this together.  We can keep checks on how much you are adjusting to life with a new baby emotionally and prioritise your wellbeing.  I am trained in the 3 Step Rewind Technique to work through any traumatic memories from birth, breastfeeding or previous postpartum experiences.

On a practical level I can: look after your baby for you and your partner to have a sleep/rest/bath/shower so you can recuperate and recover. I can look after older children, go shopping/run errands/tidy up/wipe down surfaces/load and sort washing/load dishwasher and wash up and cook healthy and nutritious meals, so you can feel like your home is running how you would like and you are nourished to aid your recovery. 

I can also give you confidence in caring for your newborn by exploring with you all the information out there about feeding/sleeping/baby rhythms and development from up to date and accurate research sources as well as observational experience. My focus is on responsive routines that ensure your baby and you are both happy!  I can talk through product options eg types of nappies, baby slings etc, signpost you to helpful organisations/groups for further support/activities and help you with the transition to parenthood. 

Putting a focus on your physical recovery is something I wont overlook and I will explore ideas which can benefit your healing.  I offer a postnatal recovery treatment with some abdominal massage to help you recuperate and relax. 

I also have knowledge of traditional, ancestral, spiritual and energy closing pregnancy, birth and postpartum practices/rituals and ceremonies including: Mother Blessings, Honouring Your Postpartum Ceremonies, Rohipping and am an Earth Path Birth and Postnatal Keeper with Sacred Drumming.

I have supported a wide variety of situations postnatally including: surrogacy, babies conceived through fertility treatment, older mothers and women who have experienced multiple miscarriages and stillbirths before giving birth, babies with disabilities or who are premature. I have also supported families with twins and realise that there is a huge amount of support needed after birth. 

My rate as an experienced postnatal doula is between £25-60ph dependent on what is included plus travel costs dependent on location, minimum of 2 hours for walking distance journeys and 3 hours for journeys over half an hour from my home. 

Many mothers can find breastfeeding tricky and may have a lot of questions, or find their baby is not feeding in the way they expected. As an experienced breastfeeding and infant feeding counsellor, I offer a 2 hour breastfeeding visit package for £75 dependent on location. In this session we will look at your baby's feeding patterns, milk supply, optimal positioning and attachment as well as any other issues you may be experiencing. I have supported many mothers whose babies have reflux and take a special interest in helping you through what can be a worrying and tiring time.  I have extensive knowledge of expressing and bottle feeding, both breastmilk and formula and can give you the confidence to help you feel like you are bottle feeding your baby in the best way possible. 

I have lots of experience with a multitude of breastfeeding issues including: tongue tie, flat/inverted nipples, insufficient glandular tissue, reflux, colic, food intolerances, thrush, mastitis, milk supply and sore/cracked nipples. Of great importance to me is guiding parents to make their own choices on how to feed and care for their baby. I have a great interest in lactogenic foods, herbs and postnatal nutrition. I can cook some lactogenic recipes for you if desired.

I am also a fertility doula with Sacred Fertility and would like to support women in all stages of their fertility journey.  The rollercoaster of trying to conceive a baby can be draining and full of disappointment, so I would like to be present for you as you experience your journey and support you through the ups and downs, as well as sharing the knowledge and tips I have for trying to conceive. 

As a baby bereavement doula I also offer full spectrum care particularly during miscarriage or stillbirth.  Having experienced both myself, I feel it is hugely important to get positive support through both of these devastating experiences. 

Testimonials: "Thanks so much for all your care and support over the last few weeks. You have been amazing and can't thank you enough. Justin will miss you!" Milla, Tom, Justin and Poppy 

"Victoria helped me with information on ideal feeding positions as we were bottle-feeding our daughter, practical things such as wind and digestion, general discussions on baby development, next steps and expectations as well as being kind enough to help me with many, many books. She is very good in terms of offering pros and cons of various issues i.e. dummy use, yet lets you decide what you believe is the best for your baby. My experience has been excellent." Simona, George and Eva, 3 months