Feel confident, safe and supported to birth your baby, your way, with personalised doula support by your side

Hang on – before we go any further – WTF actually is a doula?!

In my first pregnancy a friend of a friend told me she swore by her doula, but when I asked her what she did, she said “well I think she just stroked her arm and said nice things” 

Reader; this did not convince me that I needed one for myself. 

But although it may have appeared that she was ‘just’ stroking her arm and saying nice things, the reality would have been so much more: 

The culmination of weeks of working together to get to know one another to be able to offer true continuity of care; finding out her likes and dislikes, creating the ultimate birth support team, answering any queries or concerns, and being on call, ready to come to her birth at any time of the day or night, and stay by her side, for as long as it takes.

Simply put, a doula is a birth partner, but better

I know how birth works (and what stops it from working). I know how the system works and how to work with it. I take the time to get to know you and what you need, while having enough emotional distance from you to be able to remain objective and calm, whatever twists and turns your birth story takes. I am someone who can speak up for you when the words won’t come.

As your doula I am there to enhance the support that your birth partner can give, not to come between you.

Because a birth partner can make or break your experience, and just because yours loves you, it doesn’t mean they’re ready and waiting, armed with all the facts needed to advocate for you at such a vulnerable, high-stakes time.

Maybe you already know that your partner or parent is not the best person for the job? Or maybe it’s not going to be practical or possible for them to be by your side – other kids, long-distance, working away, solo by choice, or you just need someone to guide you through an unfamiliar healthcare system?

Kaleigh holding newborn baby, born with Amy as doula support

But birth is just one day right?

Well not exactly.

A happy, positive post-natal period begins with a powerful, confident birth. 

One that you can look back on, in awe of what your body is capable of.

When I turned 40, after wishing me a Happy Birthday, my mum started reminiscing about the day I was born…I’m her third child and 40 years on she still recalls all the little details.

For birth to work you need to feel safe, secure and undisturbed.

Something that is so often simply not available in modern maternity care.

There is overwhelming evidence that having a doula will positively impact your pregnancy and birth, which in turn will impact your postnatal experience.

A Cochrane Review into continuous support for a woman in labour showed women were:

  • More likely to have spontaneous vaginal births
  • Less likely to have any pain medication including epidurals
  • Less likely to have negative feelings about childbirth
  • Less likely to have instrumental births, and caesareans
  • Likely to have a shorter labour by approx 40 minutes
  • Less likely to suffer from postnatal depression

And yet, with budget cuts, staff shortages and an increasing move towards a more medicalised approach to birth you are very unlikely to receive true continuity of care at your birth, in fact, you are unlikely to have ever met the midwife before.

“If a doula were a drug it would be unethical not to use it” 
Dr John H. Kennell

Hiring a doula bridges the gap between medical care and handed down wisdom.

Providing you with a voice of reason that is neither medical nor so close to you that emotions will get in the way of objective support. 

My role is independent; being up front and honest, without fearmongering or confrontation.  Never replacing medical advice or telling you what to do, or coming between you and your birth partner. 

My presence is designed to support you in whatever ways you may need, such as:

  • Providing reassurance in the birth room; in the way that an older sister, mother or aunt would, from a person who has been there and done it before
  • Protect your birth preferences, enabling you to make informed decisions about your care, both before and during the birth
  • Physical comfort in the form of hands on techniques or guiding and supporting your partner to provide comfort
  • Signpost you to sources of further information so that you can make fully informed decisions for yourself
  • Emotional support that comes from just knowing that there is a person in the room who has got your back
  • Support to navigate birth in the UK in a system unfamiliar to you

Doula Packages

The Standard Package

£1450

For people who want bespoke, tailored, 1:1 birth support in their corner.

  • Two x approximately 2 hour antenatal visits to plan and prepare in whatever ways you need
  • Access to my lending library and client hub
  • Use of my birth pool
  • Me, on call from 38 weeks until your baby arrives
  • Me, by your side for your labour and birth
  • One x 2 hour post-natal visit, arranged at a time to suit within the first 6 weeks
  • Text and voice support for the first four weeks

The Enhanced Package

£1750

For people who have not done any form of antenatal classes or hypnobirthing prep.

Includes everything in the Standard Package

PLUS:

10 hours of antenatal time to teach my full hypnobirthing course and to prepare and plan for your birth.

These sessions are in place of the two x 2 hour antenatal sessions in the Standard Package.

The Virtual Package

£95

For people who want a doula in their pocket and on demand, but not in the room.

From the moment you book, to 6 weeks post-partum I will be available via WhatsApp to provide reassurance, guidance and continuity of care to confidently guide you through pregnancy and the early days; a great addition to hypnobirthing courses with me.

All support will be via via email/WhatsApp/voice note/text within 3 hours during working hours, but usually faster than that. Outside of these times I will get back to you as soon as I am able to.  

You will also get access to my resource library, packed full of further reading, listening and templates.

“Do yourself a favour and if you are really wanting a stress free birth, go see Amy! You won’t regret it.”

Having Amy as our Doula on top of all the other benefits we reaped from her classes was just the icing on the cake. Without her, I don’t think myself or my husband would have been as confident and secure in ourselves when I went into labor.

I felt taken care of, advocated for, and loved while having my dream birth experience. I was able to achieve a physiological, medication-free and intervention-free birth with her in my corner. It was a beautiful water birth that was so serene even while in the labor ward environment.

It truly is crucial to have someone there to advocate for you during labor especially when you’re navigating the hospital system that can be so prone to the cascade of interventions. Some people asked me why I would need a doula to give birth… but after having one, I can’t imagine not.

Do yourself a favour and if you are really wanting a stress free birth, go see Amy! You won’t regret it.
Kaleigh holding newborn baby, born with Amy as doula support
Kaleigh & Kenny
Kings Sutton

How do we get started?

If you book me to be at your birth you will be hiring me to join you for one of the biggest days of your life. 

I take this as a huge honour and take it really seriously, so I want to make sure that there are no off vibes or awkward-ness, so let’s grab a coffee (virtual or IRL at my studio) and make sure that I am the right one for you. 

Start by booking a totally no obligation call to find out if we can work together.

Get in touch

Frequently asked questions

No, absolutely not! My role is to support you and your birth partner to feel confident to be the best support for you on the day. If anything my presence will reassure and enhance your partner’s ability to be there for you.

I love babies, but my speciality is supporting women in the birth room. I will stay with you and get you settled after your baby is born and come back when you’re ready for a debrief. I am also on hand with voice notes and messages for the first four weeks to signpost you to any further support that you might need. My goal is that you enter that newborn bubble feeling secure, safe and ready as a family unit without outside support, but if you do need anything more I can recommend some really great post-natal doulas in the area.

Yes, I am very comfortable at both home and hospital births. My role is to make you feel safe, secure and confident wherever you are. My role is to help you advocate for the birth you want, wherever it unfolds.

Yes. Absolutely. I recognise that a doula is a significant investment in yourself and your family and I will be very happy to discuss an appropriate payment plan with you. I would recommend that you book in sooner rather than later to give you as much time to budget payments as payment in full will be required prior to 36 weeks of pregnancy.

Ready to find your birth wing-woman?

Book in a fit check and see if I am the one for you.

Contact me to find out more