Doulas support people to have the most positive and satisfying time during pregnancy, birth and the early days as new parents as possible. A doula is a valuable support during the antenatal period enabling parents to make informed choices about their care, helping prepare for the birth and postnatal period, signposting relevant research-based information and being a reassuring presence. During the birth they can be a physical or virtual presence, providing emotional and physical support for the labouring woman or person and any birth partners. Postnatally, they are able to provide the support that people used to expect of their families and community in times gone by. They can inspire confidence as new parents learn how to respond to their baby/babies’ needs, recover from the birth and find their feet.
All the doulas listed here have been trained by Nurturing Birth one of the UK’s leading doula training course providers. Many of the doulas continue to be active members of the Nurturing Birth community, engaging in regular support sessions, mentoring, coaching and ongoing training. Every doula listed here has signed agreement to the Nurturing Birth Code of Ethics.
We recommend that you reach out to several doulas in your area before making a decision about who is the best person to support you. Arrange a time to chat or meet so that you can find out more about the doula and how they work. Ultimately a doula client relationship comes down to chemistry, so choose someone you feel really comfortable with and don’t be afraid to ask questions – we actively encourage doulas to ask questions of potential clients too!
The Nurturing Birth team join me in wishing you a really positive experience, one which we hope will be hugely enhanced by having doula support.
All the best,
Sophie Brigstocke
Director, Nurturing Birth
