Curious about what a Doula does and how I support clients?

My Frequently Asked Questions are below….

** My COVID-19 Response **

Support during your pregnancy continues as normal.

Hospitals have now lifted restrictions around having extra support during your birth. Some hospitals require an exemption to be granted and I can chat you through that process. Many hospitals still require additional support people to meet certain criteria which I do.

Postnatal support continues as normal.

What is a doula?

A doula provides emotional and practical support to a woman (and her partner, if she has one) during pregnancy, birth and postnatally. A doula’s work is often described as ‘mothering the mother’ and this captures the essence of the support perfectly.

What does a doula actually do?

Just like in any other area, there is a great range to doula work, so I’ll stick to my own practice. I build a relationship with the birthing woman (and her partner) during pregnancy, learning along the way what’s important to them and taking time to understand their hopes for their birth and parenting. We go through options and preferences for birth, have practical sessions about coping techniques for labour and how the partner can best support the birthing woman. I then offer encouragement and support during early labour, joining them as things become established and stay at their side until their precious baby arrives. In the week following birth I visit a few times to debrief their experience and workshop any issues that might be arising as they navigate their postnatal world.

What are the benefits of having a doula?

There are many documented benefits of doula support - women are reported to have a shorter labour, are less likely to have medical pain relief, less likely to have a cesarean birth and more likely to report a positive birth experience. Feeling more supported, confident and most importantly, heard - the benefits of this simply cannot be overstated.

But what about my partner?

Doulas and partners actually make a great team. I believe that partners are able to connect better and be more emotionally available on the day with the doula’s encouragement and support. Plus being in a birthing space can be overwhelming for the partner, they might be unsure about what’s happening, what’s normal, how to communicate with the medical team, even just how to ‘be’ in the birthing room. A doula should be ready and able to support the partner too.

How are doulas and midwives different?

Midwives do care for you but they have your medical health and that of your baby as their primary responsibility. They might also be caring for other women, depending on how busy the hospital is. And, unless they are independent midwives, they also have hospital/birth centre policies to abide by. Doulas aren’t medical professionals, providing strictly physical and emotional support and education. We are also independent, unconstrained by hospital policy and entirely there for you. Midwives and doulas can make a great team in the birthing room.

What type of birth do you support?

All births!! From a homebirth to a planned c-section - I’m passionate about optimising your experience, however your birth goes. Getting the most out of your birth, your way is what I strive for.

When is the best time to book you?

Anytime! I’ve been booked by clients at 5 weeks and at 39 weeks - it’s never too early or too late to get supported and improve your experience of this wonderful time.

What if I have a planned caesarean?

I can still support you as your Doula. I help you plan it, make suggestions that might improve your experience, help you understand the process, talk through any worries ahead of time. On the day I can come with you and help settle you into hospital, some care providers will allow me into theatre if that’s what you want, if not I can wait and help make you comfortable afterwards, supporting you both in those precious first few hours of family life. As part of supporting planned caesareans I also offer additional postnatal hours.

What areas of Sydney do you cover?

I live on the North Shore and cover up to an hour from there, which is pretty much all of Sydney!! If you’re unsure whether you’re in my area then please just ask, if you’re not then I can always suggest someone wonderful closer to you.

How do I hire you?

You can find my contact details on the ‘Contact’ page of this website - get in touch and we’ll take it from there, x

Servicing all areas of Sydney including the CBD, North Shore, Northern Beaches, Inner West, Eastern Suburbs and more.
Based on the North Shore, I support all types of births in all types of environments, including home, birth centre and hospital. Some of the hospitals I attend include the Royal North Shore Hospital Public St Leonards (RNS), Royal North Shore Private North Sydney, The Mater Hospital Wollstonecraft, Northern Beaches Hospital Frenchs Forest, Hospital for Women Randwick (RHW), Prince of Wales Private (POWP), Royal Prince Alfred Camperdown (RPA), Westmead Public Hospital, Westmead Private Hospital, Hornsby Hospital, The Sydney Adventist Hospital Wahroonga (SAN) … and more.
Want to know if your area is serviced? Please get in touch using the Contact Form, I’d love to hear from you.