The Doula

Knowing who is in your court when your growing and birthing a baby is a game changer.  Women who birth inside the system (97% in Australia) will rarely see the same midwife or obstetrician throughout their entire pregnancy.  Knowing your care provider and having continuity of care is proven to improve birth outcomes, with a recent study (Cochrane 2016) citing that women in this model had less intervention, better birth and neonatal outcomes and a better overall experience.  As your doula, I will not give medical advice, but I can ensure continuity of care, from our first meet, all the way through to you post partum period. 

This is one of those 'woo woo' type words that really, in plain speak, means I've got your back.

To 'hold space', be a 'birth keeper', etc, is to make sure that when the birthing woman/partner has lost the capacity to speak to their birth preferences, I can be the voice.  Through careful consideration and evidence based support, I support you to write the path of your pregnancy and birth, exploring all the unforeseeable', factoring any known complications, and championing you to own your birth journey.  

I am passionate about bringing pregnancy and birth back to basics.  In the word we live in, we have become so distracted by all the gadgets and 'to do's' that will make our birth better (and some of them do help), that we have lost sight of the fact that we are made to do this.  We have sustained the human race since the dawn of time and that in itself, is evidence that women know how to birth.  I will support you as you find your inner Mumma bear, hold your hair when you vomit, laugh with you as you process the raw insanity that is birth and remain in awe of you the whole way.

Bringing your baby home can be super overwhelming.  There can be certain pressures and expectations that we place on ourselves (or are placed upon us by others).  Having a doula to protect that time and support you to voice your primal needs (no matter who you might offend) can be vital.  From managing visitors, to light house work, to cooking, to supporting mum in her day to day, this time is worth protecting - you dont get it back.