What is a doula?

A Doula is a support person who offers continuous care from pregnancy through birth and post – nataly. a Doula provides information to help parents make informed choices about the birth and care of their baby.

It is such an honour to be part of a woman realising her own strength, powerful design of her mind and body and the miracle of birth as she meets her baby.  I strongly believe in a woman’s right to birth her baby how and where she chooses and to be informed and supported throughout her unique birthing journey.

As your doula I can provide you with emotional, physical and spiritual support, as well as the knowledge to make informed choices antenatally, in labour, in birth and postnatally. I believe that every woman has the right to a positive birth experience and I would be honoured to support your own unique vision for that birth experience, whether at home, in hospital or in a birth centre.

What you can expect from me

The service I typically offer is three sessions to prepare before the birth and two postnatal sessions once the baby has arrived, 24 hour on call support two weeks before your due date and two weeks after, as well as being with you right the way through your labour for the time it takes to birth your baby. However, I can tailor the package to your needs and after our initial meeting we can discuss additional antenatal sessions where required.

Our sessions together can be held in the comfort of your home or wherever you feel comfortable, are guided by your needs but could include some or all of the following examples that other mothers have chosen to use:

• Debriefing previous birth experiences;
• Exploring your own expectations and any fears around your birth;
• the physiology and anatomy of birth
• how hormones help and hinder the process of birth
• techniques to support the process of birth
• comfort measures as an alternative to medical interventions and pain relief
• your pain relief options – your options around where to give birth
• developing a vision and birth plan
• practical support to prepare for your birth and the arrival of your baby.

I also offer couples antenatal classes, (either exclusive to you and your partner or in a group) to guide mums to be and their partners through the birth journey of the baby, what happens on a physiological level during birth, how partners can best support this process and I can help you to think about the first choices that you will need to make as parents.

Why hire a doula?

According to the findings of the research carried out by Klaus Kennel (1993), the presence of a doula can:

• shorten first-time labour by an average of 2 hours
• Decrease the chance of a c-section by 51%
• Decrease the need for pain medication by 36%
• Reduce need for forceps delivery by 57%
• Help fathers participate with confidence
• Increases success in breastfeeding