Birth is a powerful transition for all concerned and it feels very important to me that love, care and attention is offered to families at this time. I am passionate about the cycles of womanhood, and how birth fits into the context of our lives. After many years as an active doula I have stepped back from birth support because of my teaching and family commitments.

However I still want to offer my experience in this field. I offer birth preparation and post natal advice in the form of mentoring for pregnant women and couples, acupuncture sessions and signposting to great professionals in the birth world including doulas and independent midwives.

I can also support you alongside working with the wonderful NHS midwives in the area.

However we structure our time together, it will be personal to your needs and led by you. I work from my practice in Coldean Brighton and can offer bespoke sessions for you alone or with your partner.

As a birth supporter I offer emotional and practical support during pregnancy and early parenthood. I aim to help you to feel confident to make the right choices for you and to trust and access your own natural wisdom as the process unfolds.

You may want to take on a doula to support you personally through your birth. I know many of the practitioners in the area and can support you make good choices for you. Having a Doula is a very personal relationship. I always encourage taking time, meeting a few Doulas and following your heart and instincts to choose the one that feels right for you!

Research has shown that having a Doula present for birth has a powerful impact. It shorten first time labours by an average of 2 hours, decreases the chance of caesarean section by 50%, decreases the need for pain medication and increases success with breastfeeding. It also helps fathers to participate with confidence (Klaus, Kennell & Klaus, 2002).

I provide information about the various options that you have around many aspects of pregnancy, birth and beyond. I hold a caring and non judgemental space in which you can explore hopes, fears, anxieties and expectations. I will listen to you and acknowledge your needs. I try to find ways to work in harmony with the medical system and support you to create a positive birthing environment in which your needs are fully met. I draw upon my background in traditional eastern medicine to offer guidance and support for health specific to this time. Traditional medicine has a deep understanding of healthcare through pregnancy, birth and beyond which can have such a strong impact on well being and postnatal recovery.

I have a diverse toolkit of massage, movement practices, yoga and various techniques that can help you to be more healthy and physically relaxed and allow for your baby to find the best possible position for birth. I can help you work through any fears, blocks or physical or emotional challenges that may be arising. We can work together to debrief previous birth or life experiences to gather the wisdom that they may bring you to assist you on your birthing journey. I have experience working with women who have experienced physical and sexual abuse and also vaginal birth following ceasaerean (VBAC). I am also interested in how we can make Caesarean a sacred and wonderful birthing experience. If topics arise that are beyond my scope to support, I know many skilled therapists that I can refer you to.

I find it can be very powerful to explore the stories of our own births and first bleeding time as we approach birthing, shedding light on our experiences and the patterns that play out in our lives as women. There is a strong relationship to birth, our other life stage transitions and our creative process. After all, we are intimately entwined with the process of manifestation as women, connected to the mystery though our innate capacity to bring spirit into the physical through birth.

I feel strongly about supporting women understand the importance of the postnatal time and how to care for themselves in this phase to nourish long term health and well being.

Once we lived in much more close knit communities, and our mothers, aunts, sisters and grandmothers used to be around to nurture the new mother, to guide by experience and help with the practicalities around birth. I feel that its really important to call back this essential element of care around birth and to help women to recognise and celebrate the rite of passage of becoming a mother and to actively take part in repairing our culture for life to thrive into the future. The mother of my teacher Sal, Judy said that “if women birthed consciously they could change the world in one generation”. It is such a powerful threshold. It deserves every respect, care and wisdom we can bring to it.

I have studied with leading birth professionals including Michel Odent, Vanessa Brooks, Joy Horner, Jane Hardwicke Collings and Gail Tully. Minmia, the aboriginal keeper of women lore has been a great inspiration and mentor for me. I have covered a wide range of topics such as breech birth, optimal positioning and reboza (traditional techniques for relaxation and turning babies). I continually read and explore the topic of birth with my amazing peer group. I have a lovely library that I am happy to lend you.

I can help you to arrange and facilitate pre and post birth gatherings for you and your loved ones to honour your initiation into motherhood or welcome your baby.

Minmia has taught about how we can work with the placenta in ceremony after birth to support the ongoing health of child and family. I am happy to share what I can and support you to create meaningful ritual for yourselves.

Please contact me if you would like to have a consultation and work together to support you with preparing for your birth or supporting your postnatal period.