Postnatal Doula Support

The early weeks after birth are often described as a whirlwind – beautiful, emotional, and at times overwhelming.

So much attention is given to pregnancy and birth, and many of us find that we are less prepared and equipped for the changes and challenges of the postnatal period.

Some of us have extended family or tight-knit community who step in to support us at this time, but many of us don’t.

I didn’t the first time around, and it was hard! And that experience is what inspired me to train as a Doula and as an Antenatal and Early Postnatal Educator, and to develop a special interest in supporting parents in their “fourth trimester”, those days and weeks and months immediately after birth.

Are you a first time parent, or are you navigating life with a growing family?

I can accompany you through this period, with care, with non-judgemental support, and with a wide range of practical and creative tools to help you process your birth and postnatal experience and forge your own path onwards into parenthood.

I am an inclusive, empathetic and compassionate practitioner, and I create a safe space for the people I support. My practice is Neuro-affirming and LGBTQIA+ affirming. I have very robust training, as a Doula and Antenatal and Early Postnatal Educator, and also as a Yoga Teacher. And I respect all birth and feeding choices. There is enough judgement out there for new parents – you will not get any from me!

See my training

“The times we live in are hard. Bringing a child into this world can be daunting, but each new life on this planet is potential for transformation/revolution.”

— Barby Asante

If you have experienced baby loss and would benefit from postnatal doula support I can support you with this and would build a bespoke package to meet your needs. Get in touch.

If you are adopting a baby or child or are becoming a carer and would benefit from postnatal doula support I can support you. Get in touch.

My standard Postnatal Doula Support Package is 12 hours of care, split into sessions between 1 and 3 hours long (you choose!). If we find each other before your baby arrives, we would spend one session together before the birth. If you prefer more hours, or fewer hours, that is fine too - you design it.

As your Postnatal Doula, I can do some or all of the following. You choose what will help you the most.

  • Coach you through a postpartum planning process to set you well for this period.

  • A compassionate listening ear, keeping you company.

    Encouragement and confidence-building in your parenting.

  • Sharing evidence-based information about postpartum and babies, and signposting to other services.

    Sharing practical tools from yoga, meditation, and mindfulness that can help in this period and beyond.

  • Helping you to process your birth and postpartum experience using creative writing and artistic approaches.

    Support with the emotional ups and downs of this period, and help to identify whether you would benefit from additional specialised support for your mental health.

    Providing partners with emotional and practical support.

  • Helping you with practical newborn care (bathing, changing nappies, soothing).

    Holding your baby while you rest, shower, check in with your partner or older children, or do other things that you need or want to do (only if you want me to!)

    Support with feeding (breastfeeding, chestfeeding, bottle feeding, expressing), and help to identify if you would benefit from additional specialised support with your feeding.

    Support with babywearing, and help to identify whether you would benefit from additional specialised support in this area.

    Support with troubleshooting any difficulties that are coming up around sleep.

  • Accompanying you to baby groups or postnatal health or wellbeing appointments if you are nervous going out alone with your baby, or need practical help to carry or care for your baby when you are out of the house.

    Accompanying you on gentle walks, wearing your baby or pushing a pram if this is helpful.

  • Doing light housework (tidying, washing up, laundry).

    Preparing simple meals or snacks.

    Caring for older children in the house.

Book your postnatal doula

What I offer is customisable based on your needs. For those who like structure and would benefit from sessions with specific focus areas, below is an outline of what that can look like, and I can structure these sessions in various ways depending on your learning style/preferences.

But it is very flexible - we can design the focus of the sessions according to your preferences, and in response to your evolving needs after your baby arrives.

If you have a partner, or a family member or friend who will be supporting you closely in your postpartum period, you are welcome to invite them into some or all of your sessions, but if you prefer it to be just you and me, that is absolutely fine too.

  • Postpartum Planning Session

    Getting to know each other and working on your Postpartum Plan. You have most likely heard of a Birth Plan or Birth Preferences. Fewer people know about Postpartum Plans but they are such an excellent way to set you up well for this important period. ‍ ‍

    This session is best done any time from about week 30 of pregnancy.

    If you have found me after your baby has been born, we can skip this session and adjust the package accordingly.

    Book support

  • After Your Birth

    My first visit after your baby arrives will mostly involve me listening to whatever you want and need to share, and providing whatever general support you need in this intense and special moment. We won’t really know what you will need most in this session in advance. Often, in addition to a non-judgemental listening ear, people find they might want someone to hold their baby while they take a shower or bath or do other things that are hard to do from under a baby. Or they might find they need guidance, signposting or support with sleep, feeding, soothing their baby, baby-wearing or postnatal mental health. Or they might want to talk through how to communicate or define boundaries with their partner or extended family about how they are caring for their baby.

    Plus any other postnatal doula services that you need on that day.

    Book support

  • Capturing Your Birth Story

    You talk, I listen and write (and I’ll tidy it up when I get home and share it with you in a more polished form). Or if you prefer, I can hold or watch your baby while you write it yourself. So often our births are a blur, or quickly become a blur. Capturing the story of your baby’s birth in writing can really help to process the experience, to celebrate the powerful moments and to integrate the difficult ones. But this is very hard to do when we have a baby who is in our arms many of the hours of the day!‍ ‍

    Plus any other postnatal doula services that you need on that day.

    Book support

  • Your Body and Your Breath

    I can support you to begin to bring more movement and nourishing mindfulness and breathing practices into your postpartum experience. For this I will draw on the skills and the toolbox that I use for the yoga and meditation classes that I teach. You can learn exercises that can serve you and enable you to build strength, mobility, resilience and wellbeing well beyond your fourth trimester.

    Plus any other postnatal doula services that you need on that day.

    Book support

  • Opening out

    I can guide you through creative exercises to process your postpartum experience, enquiring about how and who you are now, and what you anticipate the next part of your parenting journey will bring as you open more and more to the world outside the baby bubble. For this I will draw on resources from The Maternal Journal.

    Plus any other postnatal doula services that you need on that day.

    Book support

I also include

  • “Postnatal Doula in your Pocket” support – send me WhatsApp messages (or audio notes which can be easier to do while feeding/holding your baby :-)) any time in your support period and I will reply within 24hrs (unless I have let you know that I will be offline for a longer period).

  • Your partner can also WhatsApp me, as above.

  • Two 30 minute phone calls or in-person meetings at Flo’s Cafe between me and your partner or birth/postpartum support partner, if they would like this – one before your baby arrives, and one whenever they choose after your baby arrives.

  • A Postpartum Planning workbook.

  • Other handouts and printed or pdf resources tailored to your needs and interests.

  • Recommendations for books, films, and podcasts to support your journey.

  • Delicious and nutritious Energy Balls brought to the first session after your baby has arrived, taking into account your dietary requirements and preferences.

Get in touch to book your support