It’s with a heart of mixed emotions that I’ve decided to a break from being a doula.
I’ve been honoured to share the most amazing of times with some of the most courageous, determined and powerful women I have ever met. Their partners have welcomed me with open arms and together we’ve shared extraordinary nights and days (although mainly nights!) welcoming their babies into the world.
It’s time unlike anything else, being present as a woman transforms into a mother. A time of nothingness, when there’s nowhere else to be and nothing else to do. A time when my phone is switched off and I leave the outside world behind to be fully present and support in whichever way a woman and her partner needs.
I’ve learned so much from those births that has gone on to inform and inspire many others as I share hypnobirthing with expectant parents throughout London. Ironically it’s partly this that has led to my break from attending births as I’ve come to realise I can support many more couples by teaching than I can by supporting one couple a month. My support doesn’t end with the hypnobirthing course and I’m pleased that so many couples feel they can call on me after our classes.
I love teaching hypnobirthing and particularly love sharing it in a personal way, either privately or in small groups. This does mean though that I am now teaching most evenings of the week. My days are taken up with my expanding private counselling practice using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Hypnosis and Mindfulness and support groups for those using hypnobirthing, so life is very busy, challenging and exciting! Being on call and halting everything to attend births has proven a little difficult more recently which has led to my decision to pause, for now...
I never imagined back in 2004 when I attended my first birth that I would become so passionately committed to giving women confidence and choice for birth and I will pick up my “on call” bag again. For now though I’m very happy to refer you to some wonderful doula colleagues in the area if you’d like to contact me.
