What is a Doula?

Today, "doula" refers to a trained professional that provides emotional, physical and informational support to women and their partners throughout their pregnancy, birth and the early postpartum period.

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Years ago, when women exclusively gave birth at home in the care of skilled midwives, new mothers had their female family members support and guide them. But with the development of obstetrics and hospital births in the last century, women became estranged from the birth process, and family members lost sufficient knowledge and confidence to guide mum.

To fulfil women's needs for birth support in modern times, the professional doula arose in the 1970s and '80s.

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As your doula, I can assist you with births at home, in the hospital or at a birth centre all around London and surrounding areas. I provide pain management techniques, reassurance and advocacy in the labor room while empowering you to trust your own body. In fact, all women have the tools to make intuitive decisions for themselves and their baby. A doula is there to support you emotionally and physically throughout your labour, but also to prepare you the way a personal trainer would for a marathon.

 

 

The Advantages of Having a Doula at your Birth 

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• Shorter labours 

• Reduced likelihood of caesarean or assisted birth

• Less pharmacological pain relief

• Reduced need for induction 

• Lower levels of postnatal depression 

• More positive experience 

• Successful breastfeding 

• Quicker recovery and postnatal confidence

• Higher partner support and participation 

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As your doula, I will be with you at all times during labor, offering guidance and support and suggesting positions to help labor move faster and for you to be more comfortable, even when medications are used. I can also suggest comfort measures such as massage, movement, warm compresses, labouring in a shower or with a birth ball as well as essential oils, visualisation and calming music which all help your body create oxytocin which is the hormone you need to labour.  I will also use my skills in biomechanics to help make space for baby , by doing various movements to open up the pelvis. which results in quicker labour and reduced emergency cesarean sections.

                                                     

 Birth Package 

 

• 30 mins introduction meeting

• 2 antenatal sessions (2 hours each) :  discussing  birth physiology, birth preferences and the birth plan/vision

• On call from 38 to 42 weeks and available 24/7

• 1 postnatal visit (2 hours) where we re-live the birth and check in with mum, partner and baby 

• Ongoing e-mail and telephone support