About Me
I found this beautiful world after my youngest started primary school and I felt like I had the time and space to explore what exactly I wanted to be when I grew up. I found it, guys. I bloody found it.
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Speaking of kids - I have two of them and they’re just about the best things I’ve ever witnessed in my stinking life. They’re 8 & 14 now - and I tell ya what, teenage years are SOMETHING ELSE. I’ll tell you all about it if you’re labouring and want a distraction, ha!
Helping me make (and keep alive) those legends is my hunk of a husband. He’s clever and creative and supportive and spectacular at balancing me out. We married young and we still really like each other.
Winning.
So, what type of doula am I?
There was a time where birth doulas were all pretty similar. In fact if you talk to some people now, they still have that view. Alternative, flowy dresses, dangly earrings (I do like a dangle in my ear, not gonna lie - that sounded dirtier than I meant it to), saging your house and removing evil spirits from your birth space. I love a ‘woowoo’ doula and they are most definitely needed for certain birthing families.
Me? I ain’t it.
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I have a pretty good balance at 100% believing in you and your innate ability to birth your baby, while being practical and down to earth. I love education and making sure you feel informed. I have a strong passion for supporting you in hospital birth and helping you to navigate that space, whether you feel confident already, or whether you feel a bit overwhelmed and lost. I also absolutely love home birth and the honour that comes with entering your private, intimate space and being a part of your home birthing team.
I work with you in your pregnancy to make sure you feel informed and EXCITED for birth. We get to know each other and I become a safe person for you - someone you can ask any question of, who you can send photos of weird discharge to, who you can belly laugh with and who you can freely cry in front of. I become one of your people.
In the birth space, I can be a hell of a lot of different things:
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your continuity of care that enables you to feel relaxed, safe and empowered
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a quiet presence in the corner that you know is there if you need anything
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a comical genius (ahem I like to think so) who can make an inappropriate joke to lighten the mood
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a tour guide of birth
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an advocate of your wishes and preferences or a strong presence that makes you feel like YOU can advocate
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someone who makes sure you’re sipping on that water, munching on those snacks, emptying that bladder, rocking those hips
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an intuitive buddy who can anticipate what you need
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a hand holder and cheerleader
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someone to prompt your partner when they look lost, to tell them that they, too, are doing a great job, to nod and whisper to them that “this is normal” when you shit yourself and to make sure that they’re eating and drinking as well so they don’t pass out and take the attention off you
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a vibe checker - making sure that all of the people that are on “team you” (including hospital staff) are feeling like we’re a team
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a body watcher and stretch/position suggester for comfort and progression​