Birth Doula

Do you feel you could benefit from having another person supporting you through labour & birth to offer emotional and practical help?

Or perhaps it is a supportive person more for your partner, to help them feel more at ease, confident and better able to support you in the way you need.

If you desire a more peaceful and empowering birthing experience, then perhaps a Birth Doula is a perfect addition to your birth team.

In my experience, both the mother and her birth partner can benefit from the reassuring presence of a Birth Doula. Having witnessed numerous births and being a Hypnobirthing Australia Practitioner, I am familiar with birth and possess a deep understanding of the natural birthing process. These qualities enable me to create of an emotionally safe environment for the birthing parents. This contributes to the birthing mother progressing more quickly and confidently, often allowing the parents to remain at home for an extended period, thereby reducing the time spent labouring in the hospital. While a birthing woman is undeniably strong, she is also vulnerable and influenced by those around her. A supportive birth team plays a crucial role in enhancing the birthing woman’s confidence, consistently reinforcing her capability, and unwaveringly support throughout the entire birthing process.

As a Birth Doula, I not only offer emotional support but also provide practical assistance to enhance the birthing mother’s comfort. This often includes techniques such as massage, acupressure, counter-pressure practices and suggesting position changes. Additionally, my training in Optimal Maternal Positioning equips me with knowledge about optimising the baby’s birthing path through movement and exercises.

Images above by Amy Iacullo www.amyiacullo.com

If you are birthing in a hospital, this usually brings about some level of navigating policies or intervention suggestions. Although my role as a birth doula does not include making decisions for the birthing parents, I help in the decision-making process. It is incredibly important that couples do not hand their power over to me either; the control of the decision is entirely in their hands. This is where empowerment is born.

I prioritise the mother’s well-being by ensuring she has access to food and drink and encouraging regular toilet trips. Not only is the toilet a great place to advance progress, but it’s also important to have an empty bladder to avoid obstruction of the baby moving down the birth path. This care allows the birth partner to remain close to the birthing mother, fostering an environment of love, support, and safety. Recognising the intensity of the birthing process for the partner, I recommend they take breaks. Having a Birth Doula enables the partner to take care of their own well-being too, confident that the birth mother is receiving ongoing support.

If this resonates with the support you desire during childbirth, feel free to contact me, and we can schedule a meeting to see if I would be the right inclusion to your birth team. As I exclusively work with one family at a time, reaching out early is recommended to secure availability.