Becoming a parent to a new baby, whether for the first or fifth (or more!) time, is a complex experience with many challenges, emotions and practical considerations to balance. 

It can be a wonderful, exciting, beautiful time. It can be a time of empowerment, where you learn, plan, and make choices which leave you feeling strong and in charge. It can be a time of calm, connection, relaxation. 

But there are many ways in which your pregnancy and birth experience can become challenging. If you have had a difficult experience before, this can cause worry or stress; If you have concerns over your or your baby's health; if you don't have full support to own your choices from those around you; if plans change last minute; or if you feel overwhelmed by any, or all of it. 

A doula offers you information to guide your decision making, emotional support, ensuring that you are at the centre of your experience and in charge at every step, and the practical support to help you feel relaxed and comfortable through your journey. 

Having continuous care from a Doula during birth has been proven to achieve positive outcomes: 

• Reduced risk of Caesarean
• Reduced risk of instrumental birth
• Reduced need for painkillers or epidural
• Reduced rate of induction
• Shorter labour
• Increased parental satisfaction with the birth experience.
• Increased likelihood of initiating and continued breastfeeding at 6 weeks
• Lower incidence of depressive symptomatology
• Improve equity and provide culturally responsive care

Whilst we can't always predict the twists and turns that mother nature has in store for us, the aim is to ensure that each woman and family feels prepared and informed to have an empowering birth experience on their own terms,