I’ve been a doula for a long time. Looking back, I think I was born this way. I am absolutely fascinated by people; what makes them tick, their hopes, their dreams, their fears. It makes me yearn to listen hard to both what people say and the unsaid fragments between the lines. When you listen, Continue Reading
Mothering the Mother
I’m writing yet another ‘what is a doula and what do we do?’ article. Why? Because I was asked to - but it’s hard. There are hundreds of these articles, scattered all over the web, trying to explain the role of the doula and attempting to address the many myths that surround us. It’s hard because I Continue Reading
Doula definitions & myth busting
According to the Oxford English dictionary a doula is A woman who gives assistance and advice to a new or expectant mother, either informally or professionally; esp. a woman (typically without formal obstetric training) employed to provide guidance and continuous support during labour. It's fab Continue Reading
In Praise of Doula UK
For those of you who don't know what Doula UK is, it's the largest, longest established doula organisiation in the UK. It's run by doula volunteers for the benefit of its members. It mentors and supports both its doula members and the doula trainers it accredits. It strives to help create the best Continue Reading
Fathers’ Home Birth Handbook
This book has just been published and I think it is so well written and will fill a much-needed void in the information available for Fathers. It is written by the lovely Leah Hazard, a doula colleague of mine and I'm proud to say that a couple of the fathers who tell their stories are the husbands Continue Reading