Doula Support & Birth Education,
covering Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire 

"My baby was due on 22nd April and as expected that date came and went with no sign of him! On Friday 24th as I was getting ready for bed, I started to lose my plug and I was so excited! I thought this was finally some movement and the process started. I tried to focus on lots of oxytocin boosting activities over the weekend, walks with family in the sun, reading in the garden and relaxing baths. We had no movement until I woke up on Tuesday 28th to mild cramps and I thought

Ever wondered what a doula actually does at a birth? And if it's worth the money? This article outlines everything you need to know.

As humans we hold life and birth, but we also hold death. This is an inescapable part of being alive and it's something I wish people felt like they could talk about more. It's taboo to even tell people you're pregnant before you get to twelve weeks (the window in which you are most likely to experience a pregnancy loss) meaning if it does happen people often go through it alone and unsupported. I ask myself, why is this? Is it so that other family members don't have to feel

Lizzie tells her amazing Home Birth after Caesarean (HBAC) story, supported by her Doula (me!) and the incredible NUH home birth midwives.

Comparing NCT and independent antenatal classes? Here's what to consider when choosing an antenatal course that feels right for you, your birth preferences and your family.

I've been teaching antenatal courses since the 2020, under the banner of Hypnobirthing. Over the years these classes have evolved, and changed shape (particularly once I started actually attending births as a doula.) I slowly started realising that 'Hypnobirthing' wasn't all that I was offering. I was offering Hypnobirthing PLUS much more (in my opinion) useful tools and information. Hypnobirthing is a funny one, because it means different things to different people. Some peo

The story of how I went from making mould maker for a living, to being a professional birth nerd. In my twenties I lived in London and worked as a mould maker, specialising in replica weaponry. You know in films where you see a scene with hundreds of swords or someone smashing a barstool over someone else’s head, the chances are those props will be replicas, rather than the real thing and if it is within a certain time frame there is a good chance I made some of them. I’ve h

I had the joy of working with Ruby and her husband to support the birth of her second child. After a traumatic hospital forceps birth, she decide to take matters into her own hands and do things VERY diffferntly this time. She has kindly agreed to sharing her story: "Trying to think of how to title my story and the main word that yells through my mind is Healing. That is what my second birth was, and it was beautiful and needed (if a little quick!) Amy has been a part of my

Everything you need to know about the wonderful world of Water birth!

My thoughts on Freebirth and the recent press around Freebirth Society, as a doula and Mum of two

The story of Leonies healing VBAC and what lead her to this wonderful birth

Some great food and drink ideas to keep you fuelled for labour, as well as some top tips from a doula along the way!

A rundown of the thinks you didn't know you could request in a Caesarean birth!

I’ve had a few people ask me recently about cord ties, so I thought I would get some info together about them and why you may want to consider using one instead of the standard plastic clamp. SO, firstly… do what ever you want with your babies umbilical cord, there are lots of different options (clamp, tie, cord burning, lotus birth) but for heavens sake make sure your baby has received their full blood compliment and the cord is white and floppy before you cut it. So now wha

My top tips to support a smooth placenta birth!

Now that the home birth service is reinstated across Nottingham it might be a good time to look into your options for a gorgeous home...

(A story I used to feel weird about, that I'm now ok with) This is something that comes up quite a lot in my work, so I wanted to talk about it a bit more in detail. Firstly I just want to acknowledge that there is a certain amount of privilege in being able to invest in a private midwife. But I also want to acknowledge that your birth (and yourself, and your baby) are absolutely worth investing in, and I knew instinctively in my pregnancy that this birth was going to change

And a Mother Blessing might be way more valuable than a traditional baby shower. Let me set the scene, you and you are 30+ weeks pregnant and your friend/sister/whoever organises you a baby shower…pretty standard right? You are expected to shlep your large and in charge self out to a party, stand up for hours and play weird games (all while sober.) You receive lots of presents for your unborn baby, and unless you have been really specific, you will probably receive a bunch of

So, you are nearing 40 weeks, you’ve had this special date in your head since your 12 week dating scan, your family are messaging you...

"Writing out the tale of Dodie Rae's birth has been a beautiful, reflective experience. Reading other people's birth stories helped me to prepare for birth, so I'm sharing this here to hopefully reassure someone else and help you feel prepared too. This is a story of a positive planned caesarean of a breech baby, but that's not the story I thought I'd be writing. I'd heavily researched our options and home birth felt like the right thing for us to try. My partner Jamie has tw