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What I love about doulaing

thisisnads Uncategorized July 29, 2015 Leave a reply
  • The honesty with which women open to let me into their lives
  • Witnessing a mother being born
  • Working with nurturing and passionate midwives
  • Being welcomed into new family circles
  • Helping a woman connect with her inner strength
  • Learning new things about myself and birth with every client
  • My doula sistas

 

How I work with clients

thisisnads Birth, Clients July 29, 2015 Leave a reply

In the lead up to the birth

We’ll meet at least twice, if not thrice before the birth usually in your home, but it can be mine too, or out if you prefer. Evenings or weekends work best for most people but I’m pretty flexible.

I never put a time limit on these sessions but they’re usually over an hour.

You’re probably thinking ‘What can we talk about for so long?’

Well, there’s a lot but it’s your session so we can cover things like:

  • Hopes, fears, wishes
  • How we will all work together as a team
  • Physiology of birth
  • Coping techniques
  • Your preferences for birth and expectations
  • Listening to your previous births stories
  • Practical things like what to take to hospital, when to go, when to call me
  • Feeding

If you have more questions or just want to talk, I hope you feel we will have developed a relationship where you will feel comfortable to call or email me whenever you want.

I like drinking coffee so whenever you have time I like to catch up and get to know you that little bit better.

From 38 weeks until 42 weeks  I will be on call (most women birth within this period). If you go into labour before or after this I’ll do my very best to be with you.

The Birth

  •  I will come and support you through labour and the birth (when and where you want me; home, birth centre, hospital) and assist in the first few hours with your newborn. Whether that’s feeding, just protecting your space or helping you get cleaned up and settled.
  • At the birth I will work to support you and your partner, whether that is liaising with your caregivers, helping to keep you focused, fetching food and drinks or if necessary getting hands on with things like ‘the double hip squeeze’.
  • My role is unique of all others in the birthing room.

Postnatally

  • I will make at least one post-natal visit in the first week after the birth and then again a week or so afterwards.  During these visits I can help answer your questions about feeding, sleeping, pooing, settling etc or point you in the right direction. If you’re up to it we can talk about the birth but I’m always on the phone or email if you want to talk about that or anything else at a later time.

If you’re interested get in touch.

Becoming a doula

thisisnads Becoming a doula, Mentor, Training July 28, 2015 Leave a reply

As long as I can remember I have been drawn to birth and bodily functions (I’m not easily embarrassed), but it was not until my son was born in 2006 that I decided to leave behind 12 years of media in search of a new career.

Whilst I was pregnant I attended some birth preparation classes with Bridget Baker and loved learning about my body and what it was doing.  I became so interested in birth that I looked into training as a midwife, but decided another 3 years at university was not for me (especially with a new baby in tow). I knew very little about doulas until my sister in law mentioned she was having one for her second child. Her first birth was not ideal and she wanted some extra support for her husband, knowing he did not enjoy the birth experience the first time around either! After having spoken to her doula everything she said resonated with me and I decided that was what I wanted to do.

I started my training as a doula in England with Developing Doulas 2008 (Maddie McMahon & Linda Quinn) which gave me the best foundation to start my doula journey. As it turned out Bridget (my birth preparation teacher) was to become my doula mentor.

Over the years I continue to learn more and more. Here are some of the courses and workshops I’ve been on:

  • Early Nurture Antenatal and Postnatal Doula Course 2008
  • Paramana Doula with Dr Michel Odent & Liliana Lammers 2008
  • Rebozo Workshop 2009
  • Presenter at University College London Hospital conference Promoting Safe Birth Outcomes: working in Partnership with Women 2009
  • When Breastfeeding is not straightforward with Ruth Tamir 2010
  • Dr Jack Newman Breastfeeding Study Day 2010
  • Naomi Stadlen psychotherapist and author of ‘What Mothers do: Especially when it looks like nothing’ – Study morning 2010
  • Active Birth Study Day with Janet Balaskas founder of the Active Birth Movement 2010
  • Twins Course – Birth, delivery options, postnatal & breastfeeding with Naomi Kemeny 2011
  • Breastfeeding study day – Developing Nursing Confidence with Maddie McMahon 2011
  • Making wise decisions – Inductions, Epidurals and Caesareans with Dr Sarah Buckley 2012
  • Full Circle Placenta Encapsulation Training 2012
  • Biologix Solutions Bloodborne Pathogens Training Course 2012
  • She Births birth preparation 2012
  • Homebirth Australia Conference 2014 (Attendee)
  • Homebirth Australia Conference 2015 (Attendee)
  • The unconscious Matrix :Archetypal Energies at Play in Birthing workshop with Rhea Dempsey 2015
  • Intuition, Boundaries and Protection for Birth workers workshop with Elizabeth Davis 2015
  • Treating Babies Less – Symptoms related to tongue tie and screening vs. assessment with Bondi Tongue Tie 2016
  • Tongue Tie – More than a Surgical Procedure Information Evening with Cara Suttner & Larry Cohen 2017
  • Spinning Babies Workshop with Ginny Phang  2017
  • Royal Hospital for Women Randwick. Homebirth Steering Committee consumer representative 2017-present
  • Breech Birth:Physiology & Politics Workshop with Dr Maggie Banks 2017
  • Grassroots Campaigning & Online Advocacy Workshop with Milli Hill 2017
  • Rhea Dempsey: The unconscious dynamics of birth . Workshop 2017
  • Homebirth Australia Conference 2017 (Organising committee member & attendee)
  • We Birth: advanced training for doulas and birth workers 2017 Guest Speaker on Advocacy
  • WeBirth Mentor 2018
  • CPR U Ready First Aid Course 2018
  • Doula Network Australia Conference with Dr Rachel Reed (Attendee) 2018
  • Birth Time in Conversation with Rhea Dempsey (Attendee) and additionally small study group with birth workers 2018
  • Untying Breastfeeding: A Documentary Film Screening with Bondi Tongue Tie 2018
  • With Woman Retreat: Reclaiming Birth as a Rite of Passage with Jane Hardwicke Collings  2018