By Sophie Brigstocke Those following the March With Midwives group and galvanising themselves to join vigils on Sunday 21stNovember will already be aware of the desperate stories of midwives who are struggling to keep themselves afloat, let alone provide the level of care needed by those using perinatal services. I read another story this morning from…
About Doulaing
Journey to being a doula: Leslie Altic
By Leslie Altic Leslie is a birth and postnatal doula, although she’s drawn more to the antenatal and birth aspect of doulaing. When did you first hear about doulas? I had vaguely heard about doulas when I was pregnant for the first time, but didn’t really know much about what they did until after I…
Nurturing Doulas – The Virtual Cuppa
Community has always been really important at Nurturing Birth and pre-pandemic we often arranged opportunities to gather doulas together. One of the blessings of the pandemic was having to think outside the box. Along with the rest of the world we became friends with Zoom, and, craving connection, we decided to create The Virtual Cuppa. …
Why did I become a Doula?
By Michelle Every The answer to this question is simple. I became a Doula because people who knew me asked me to be present and support them at the births of their children. At this time I lived in Mid Wales and was privileged to have a job which was predominantly connecting and supporting the…
Nurturing Doulas – Nurturing Birth’s Retreat Days
Given that our company name is Nurturing Birth we often talk as a team about what it truly means to nurture. It really saddens me when I see doulas caring for everyone but themselves! There seems to be a belief that those in caring professions should put themselves last. However, there are two expressions that…
The Coach and the Cheerleader
By Sophie Brigstocke How would you describe the work of a doula? It’s a question we ask before the start of any doula course because there is still a lack of clarity for many people about what a doula actually is or does. Recently, I worked with a lovely group of yoga teachers and asked…