You don’t have full control over this as your body has a large say in the matter, but it is very helpful to know

• what is reasonably within in your range of expectation,
• how that fits with your thinking, and
• what your choices can be if things go the way that you don’t expect.

Some caregivers are very good about giving information, and some don’t offer a lot beyond your questions. I often hear, "I didn't know that "that" was an option!"

One meeting will be focus on the postpartum period and the second on labour and birth. 

This is a time to think about what you would really like to work towards, and a time for me to get to know you, your goals, hopes, and anxieties. Secret fears can have their power cut in half by sharing them in a safe place and reduced even further by making plans to work with or around them. Addressing fears can also allow your body to relax and birth a baby with fewer obstacles.

I usually have a back-up doula and she will come to one of the meetings for about 15 minutes, just so that you can meet each other.

Next, we will set up a chat group for you, me and a second doula so that we all see and hear the same news – clarity is a good thing! You can update us after doctor appointments, ask questions, and feel supported at any time!

I love the anaolgy of a sherpa: none of us would think of climbing Mount Everest - or tackle anything significant - without the support help and guidance of a professional - in this case, a sherpa. 

Your partner loves you and wants to do their very best but they will not have the education, experience and  working knowledge of a doula, and a doula can be a strength to the partner too.

A doula can support the mother, support the partner in supporting the mother, guard the partner from known concerns (ex. fainting at the sight of blood), give room to eat or have a bathroom break (a woman in labour should never be left alone!), and help you both to remember your plans and goals.

A doula will accompany her client wherever they choose to give birth whether that is in the hospital or at home.

A doula will not accompany a home birth without a medical professional, that being a midwife.

Prenatal classes are wonderful and, I think, essential, but there is so much to learn that they can't tell the whole story. However, they do provide a first layer, a strong foundation of knowledge to build on.

Having completed prenatal classes gives room to focus on the specific information that is most important and pertinent to you.

We are so lucky to have midwives and the particular care and expertise that they bring! However, their primary responsibility is safety - for the mother and the baby. If a medical need pops up, it is imperative that their focus lands there. 

A doula's primary focus is on the

• mother and her partner
• with a hospital birth, to help them navigate the the processes and expectations
• to help them to have the information that they need to make decisions that they will be comfortable with,
• in the event of an emergency, a doula stays focused on you and your emotional needs, reducing any potential trauma.

Everyone has a different pain threshold and even the same person can be different on different occasions. The is no failure or shame in choosing to have pain relief!

I have had accompanied both medicated and unmedicated births. What is important is the mother's sense of safety and, at the end, achievement, regardless of the process. 

Yes! I meet my clients when they arrive at the hospital and stay with them until they are on the postpartum ward. 

Having someone with you who knows what to expect and to sit with you through the wait (that might include a massage!) is very comforting and calming.

Having a doula gives the partner the option to be present during surgery or not, often allowing for breathing space and the ability to be to be present by choice, not because they are expected to.

I stay in your pre and post-surgery space, waiting for your return, ready to help and support you (both) with the first hours after an operation.

Sometimes, the parents just want to be a unit of three, quietly getting to know their new little person.

Sometimes, there is benefit in having a doula stay with you, to get you settled into the postpartum ward, to give the partner a chance to go and get something to eat, move the car, or go for a short walk. I can help the mom settle in, breastfeed, get something to eat, get comfortable... anything that is needed.

I am available for whatever your needs are during those hours.

These visits can be up to two hours or, if you feel tired and feel that the visit has accomplished what you want, it can be shorter. 

In these early days, we can talk (there will be so much to talk about!), I can watch the baby while you have a shower, help you give the baby a bath, or give you a massage, or just be a listening ear!

This allows you to know that you have someone in the background that you can call on for help. 

This is not bankable time; it is yours to use within the defined parameters and when your baby completes the 4th week, our official time together will come to a close.

That's always a little sad!