What’s a Doula?

A Doula is someone who is specially trained to provide emotional and physical support through pregnancy, labour and into postpartum, separate from your care provider. We work and care for YOU in whatever capacity you need and ensure your partner (if you have one) also feels empowered and supported to journey through this unforgettable experience with you.

Let’s not tip toe around this - pregnancy, labour, early postpartum AND motherhood is hard…it's beautiful and miraculous and I love it all….but its still hard, if it wasn’t it wouldn’t be so life changing and you’d be like, oh ok what's next….rather than WOAH I DID THAT!! You were made for this! But you wouldn’t just go with the flow and hope for the best when attempting to run a marathon so why would you for something even more physically and mentally demanding as birth? Birth is a right of passage for you as the birthing woman, and with the right preparation and support as your Doula I want to help you get the experience both YOU and YOUR BABY deserve. 

I want you to feel seen and heard and in full control of your decisions throughout your pregnancy and birth which will help you to access that strong mama power and intuition for your motherhood journey. Lets get super knowledgeable and clear on all of the options that you have so you can operate from clarity and understanding of the physiology of birth and how labour unfolds in all of its variations…there’s no cookie cutter way it is YOUR birth and YOUR experience, and this is how I work too. I will create our sessions together based on your needs..I will provide guidance and then you will lead the way.

During your birth, you and your baby will work as a team and will embark on this beautiful and mystical journey together.  As your Doula I will be there to guide you through the process with emotional and physical support as, and when you need it. I will never make decisions for you, during our antenatal sessions I will provide you with evidence based information to empower you with knowledge. Then should conversations between you and your care provider need to arise, you will be in full control of any decisions you need to make. Alongside the factual stuff I will make sure you are respected, heard and understood.

Why do I Need a Doula?

The short answer is because studies show that by having a doula by your side during birth your chances of a positive birth outcome increase. It's really that simple. I will send you my PDF with all of the common FAQs when you get in touch. But don’t just take my word for it, here is what the research says:

  • 25% decrease in the risk of Cesarean; the largest effect was seen with a doula (39% decrease)

    Bohren et al. updated Cochrane review 2017 evidencebasedbirth.com

  • 8% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth; the largest effect was seen with a doula (15% increase)

    Bohren et al. updated Cochrane review 2017 evidencebasedbirth.com

  • 10% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief

    Impact of doulas on healthy birth outcomes - Kenneth J Gruber, Susan H Cupito, Christina F Dobson (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24381478/)

  • Shorter labors by 41 minutes on average

    Hodnett, E.D., Gates, S., Hofmeyr, G.J., Sakala, C., & Weston, J. (2013). Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 7.

  • 38% decrease in the baby’s risk of a low five-minute Apgar score

    Sandall, J., Coxon, K., Mackintosh, N., Rayment-Jones, H., Locock, L., & Page, L. (2017). "Relationships: The pathway to safe, high-quality maternity care." Birth, 44(2), 151-160.

  • 31% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience

    Bohren et al. updated Cochrane review 2017 evidencebasedbirth.com

  • Doula assisted mothers were two times less likely to experience a birth complication involving themselves or their baby

    Bohren et al. updated Cochrane review 2017 evidencebasedbirth.com

  • Significantly more likely to initiate and have positive breastfeeding outcomes

    Impact of doulas on healthy birth outcomes - Kenneth J Gruber, Susan H Cupito, Christina F Dobson (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24381478/

Reach Out

If this is starting to resonate with you, please reach out, I’d LOVE to support you. Let's arrange an informal (no obligation) chat either over the phone, zoom, or face to face so you can ask me questions and understand a little more about the support I offer. Head to the contact page and I’ll be in touch.