Nurturing Birth has been providing doula training courses in the UK and beyond since 2004, starting the journeys and supporting the development of over 3000 doulas. Since the start of 2014 Nurturing Birth has been owned and run by Sophie Brigstocke, an experienced birth and postnatal doula, who has been facilitating the doula courses for over 8 years. Sophie is supported by an incredible team of doulas, mentors and professionals in the pregnancy, birth and parenting worlds.
Sophie Brigstocke
Director and Course Facilitator
Sophie is a birth and postnatal doula, Doula Mentor, Breastfeeding Supporter and Baby Massage Teacher. She was awarded “Doula of the Year” at MaMa Conference, 2017.
Sophie started working with mums and babies in 2004 when she trained as a baby massage teacher with Peter Walker, something she still teaches with busy courses around SW London. She also trained as a Therapeutic Massage Practitioner at the London College of Massage, specialising in Pregnancy and Post-Natal treatments. She offers babywearing support as a peer volunteer.
Sophie became a Breastfeeding Network Peer Helper in 2011 and a National Breastfeeding Helpline volunteer and BFN Supporter in 2017. She volunteers on the postnatal wards of St Thomas’s Hospital, London. She is on the Maternity Voices Partnership at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, and St Thomas’s Hospital, where she is also involved in the Unicef Feeding Group across the neonatal and postnatal wards. She has been on two of the South West London Collaborative Commissioning pioneer work streams looking at improving choice and personalisation of maternity services nationally, as well as focussing on improving continuity of care, as well as a contributor to the New Beginnings Project at St George’s looking at improving patient experience in maternity operating theatres.
Sophie lives in Clapham, SW London, with her two teenagers, and her wonderful cats, Frank and Lily. When she isn’t thinking about pregnancy, birth and parenting she can usually be found singing, at the theatre, eating dark chocolate or in a yoga class!
Michelle Every
Mentoring Co-ordinator and Enquiry phone calls
Michelle is an experienced birth and postnatal doula based in Greater Manchester, having trained with Nurturing Birth in 2007. She has been involved in mentoring across a wide range of communities particularly in areas of doulaing, parenting, relationships, marriage and life/work balance.
Supporting and training new mentors is a particular passion and interest. Michelle was a volunteer for The Miscarriage Association for over ten years, facilitating the Manchester Support Group, providing phone line support, mentoring new volunteers and acting as media spokeswoman. She is known for her caring honesty and availability to listen in moments of crisis and intensity.
Michelle is the writer and facilitator of Supporting Every Birth an interactive workshop for birth workers looking at supporting both clients and themselves through all birth journeys including baby loss.
Michelle is married to Iain and they have three daughters and two sons. She likes silence and rest, but also loves the business of hospitality, community and family. She loves swimming in a cold sea and going for walks by its shore. Her faith is central to everything that she is and does – being loved to then love others.
