"The whole experience felt like gaining a deeply knowledgeable and cheerful friend to. hold me through the uncertainties, difficulties and ultimately the joy of having our baby!" - EC

Would you like to feel excited about pregnancy, labour and birth knowing that you’ve got an experienced professional by your side to maximise your chances of having the birth you’ve dreamed of? 

Hello, I'm Gillian. If you're looking for a calm, confident and experienced doula to be by your side throughout pregnancy, let's talk! As your doula, you can count on my full support, wherever and however you're planning to bring your baby into the world. I'll be dedicated to offering you emotional and practical care throughout labour from as soon as you need me for as long as you want after your baby is born, helping you to help you to find your inner strength and feel calm, relaxed and joyful throughout. With years of experience as a birth worker under my belt, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table, and as a mother of three myself, I know the joys and challenges that come with parenting! My aim is to make you feel safe, supported, listened to and held, whether it's your first or fifth time! 

I am deeply passionate about providing support to women and birthing people across a diverse range of pregnancy and birth scenarios. Whether you're opting for a home birth or hospital birth, in water or on land, considering induction or declining it, or even preparing for a Caesarean, I'm here for you. I'm adaptable, ready to support you if you're on your own or to work as a team with your partner. The relationships formed in this work are very important to me, and I thrive on the deep connections I form with the people I support. 

I teach Yoga for Pregnancy and Baby Yoga because I see the benefits of breathing, strengthening and relaxing for people throughout pregnancy, birth and beyond so there's a 50% discount for doula clients on my Pregnancy Yoga classes in Stroud and Nailsworth. I also run regular get-togethers for new and expectant parents so you can build that all-important community of friends locally! For more information on classes and socials take a look at my Instagram and to book yoga please see  www.bookwhen.com/birthandbeyondcotswolds I am a Stroud Maternity Matters volunteer, organising free birth pool hire locally and I jointly run the local Home Birth Hub. You're welcome to borrow from my collection of birth and parenting books and I can loan you a birth ball and TENS machine as well as supply a pool if you're having a home water birth. For more information about me and what I offer take a look at my website 

A little about my background: after attending drama school in London, I moved into environmental activism with Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. However, my fascination with pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood began when I became a mum myself and returned to the Cotswolds. I gained hands-on experience by supporting friends in labour and going on to have three children myself before completing my doula training with Nurturing Birth.  I feel very lucky to have realised my dream of providing individualised care for expectant mums, fully focused on each person's unique journey into parenthood.  I'm looking forward to connecting with you! 

Here are some words from previous doula clients:

"You were such a valuable and significant presence in what was the most transformative, powerful and spiritual experience of my life! ...it was truly perfect and healing... you have such a warm presence that made me feel calm and comforted in the birth" - SR

“Gillian was tirelessly supportive and engaged in our birth. We were blown away by her commitment and she enabled us to finally have the home birth we hoped for. She supported me when I needed to assert our choices in pregnancy, she gave us the confidence we wished for to include our older child and was there for everything I needed, and didn't realise I needed, at the birth. The whole experience was like gaining a deeply knowledgeable and cheerful friend to hold me through difficulties, uncertainties and ultimately the joy of having our baby.” - EC

"Gillian was my doula. We engaged her at about 5 mths pregnant. She was wonderful! She gave us antenatal support...lots of information that I'd not found elsewhere. Her presence at the birth was unmistakably positive and advantageous. I'm absolutely certain that she made the difference to my birth: she helped me to remain calm and focused. My son was born peacefully at home - just the way I wanted. She's a lovely, compassionate woman with lots of experience in this field. I would have Gillian as a doula again for subsequent pregnancies and births, and I heartily recommend her to anyone who wants a doula." MR

"Gill was absolutely amazing as my doula during pregnancy, birth and post natal period. She is very empathetic, knowledgeable and fully dedicated to helping mums during this exciting journey that is pregnancy and birth. She brings calming and reassuring presence into a room. Cannot thank her enough. Also she is a natural with babies. And you can be sure that you are in good hands when reaching out to her. Thanks to her support, I had the birth I wanted (at home no interventions and a happy and healthy mama and baby) that was the most powerful and transformative experience. Once again wanted to say a huge heartfelt thank you for walking with me that path towards motherhood and holding me all the way. That was equally beautiful as it was incredible and challenging but we did this together. Much love" KM

“As our doula, Gillian helped my husband and I both feel prepared, confident and safe. She totally blew us away and she has been THE difference for us. I had dreamed of a relaxed water birth. But after having an induction with my first I didn’t see this as an option for me second time around. I had a lot of fear. Gill helped show us this was possible and safe and I achieved the beautiful, natural birth I’d always wanted.” CP

“Gillian is one of the loveliest people you’ll meet, she’s completely dedicated to her work and very well organised. The conversations we had before the birth helped me to relax and most importantly she was there to hold my hand when I gave birth. I’m so glad she agreed to be my doula. I will always be grateful.” IC

"Gillian was so super supportive in the time leading up to my daughter’s birth. I had a long pregnancy, almost reaching 44 weeks and Gillian was amazing with her care, support, understanding and compassion to our situation. Having Gillian as my doula at this time gave me extra strength to follow my instincts. I felt heard and acknowledged with all I was going through, which was a very emotional time. I remember feeling so grateful for choosing to have her! She also attended scans with me and we had lots of cups of tea together! During labour Gillian was wonderful. When labour was progressing and becoming much more intense, she would come and gently apply a cold flannel to my head, tuck my hair behind my ears or offer to apply pressure to my back during contractions. Her presence was gentle and supportive – just the right balance. And of course not only was she there for me, but she was supportive of my husband, too. Gillian had really understood the environment I wanted for my birth, really taken in my birth plan and helped create the space I had so envisioned. After the birth she made sure we were happy and ready for her to leave us after the long day we had together! Up until the moment she left, Gillian was always present, always staying in tune with our needs and she did so in such a caring and gentle way." -DY

"I had been doing maternity yoga with Gillian for both my pregnancies and knew she not only has the most calm and kind voice but is such a positive and knowledgeable person in this field. Me and my husband decided to ask her to me my doula cum birth partner (only one person was allowed due to covid restrictions) and we feel this was the best decision we made. Initially I was a bit unsure about the antenatal appointments and the value they would bring considering I had already given birth once. However they were extremely useful for me and my husband to think about the birth plan, how we would handle the situations and most importantly she brought along a lot of positivity in each one of those appointments helping me mentally prepare well for the birth. She was extremely responsive to any text I sent her and had good suggestions for any issues I was encountering in the last few weeks. On the day my labour started, I msgd Gillian to inform her about the initial phase and she replied back to me within a minute to reassure me and said she would come over as soon as we need her. She knew what to do when she arrived and reminded me of the breathing techniques and to stay calm and relaxed. Once I was in established labour, we headed to the maternity unit and overall had a super quick birth. Gillian was great at supporting me/my choices, I was extremely comfortable in her calming presence and she kept my husband informed and he was very relieved throughout the whole process. Once we were back home, she arrived with delicious food and we spent some time discussing the whole birth experience which, thanks to her, was a very positive one!" - ST

"I would highly recommend Gillian as a doula. She is very dedicated, knows her stuff, has a very serene presence and makes you feel in control in any situation" - SK

“Gillian brought the positivity to my birth. Her calm and smiling presence kept the mood serene. She consistently gave me encouragement and seemed to know intuitively what I needed. Her support enabled me to have the birth I had hoped for, a natural home birth” - EP

"Gillian is a very kind and empathetic fellow mother whom you feel you can trust to have your best interests at heart. She is a very good listener and very respectful of your views and wishes" - LA

"I very much enjoyed attending Gillian’s yoga class, & learning meditation and breathing techniques to use in labour. Our doula antenatal meetings offered practical advice about labour positions, birth, what to expect & much more. During labour, Gillian was a positive & calming presence and used positive language. She gave us our own space and time as a couple during this time yet also was there when needed, working well simultaneously with my partner to support me emotionally & practically. From our first meeting, Gillian made us feel completely at ease. I loved that Gillian was my pregnancy yoga instructor as well as doula as it allowed us to form a stronger bond in the antenatal time, meaning I felt extremely comfortable in her presence by the time baby decided to make an appearance. She is very knowledgeable about so many different aspects of pregnancy & birth and offered practical support throughout. She is so approachable, caring & thoughtful; the perfect doula!" - DS   

Training and CPD courses:Nurturing Birth course for Birth and Postnatal Doulas 2018-19 Doula UK recognition 2019 NCT Antenatal Teacher since 2008 Yoga for Pregnancy practitioner since 2011 Mother & Baby Yoga practitioner since 2015Microbiome and Birth & Breast-feeding Workshop 2018 Twins & Multiples online module 2019 LGBT+ Workshop with The Queer Birth Club 2020 Mother Blessing workshop with Emma Ashworth 2020 'Becoming Mothers' University of York webinars on Perinatal Mental & Physical Health 2020 Cultural Competency Workshop with Abuela's Red Tent 2021 'Perinatal Mental Health in Fathers' - University of Surrey webinar 2021 Human Rights in Maternity Care - Birthrights workshop 2021 Biomechanics of Birth - Molly O'Brien, Optimal Birth 2021 Neurodiversity awareness - Ruth Jenks, NCT 2022 Working with Grief & Trauma - Sam Robb-King, NCT 2022 Biomechanics of Birth update - Molly O'Brien, Optimal Birth 2022 Supporting Parents - Elsie Gayle independent m/w 2023 Safeguarding Training - NHS 2023 Monitoring in Labour - Dr Kirsten Small 2023