As a birth and postnatal doula, I provide emotional and physical support through labour, birth and the early days of parenthood. I do not offer medical advice, but I signpost to relevant information, to assist you to look at your options and to make decisions that are right for you, your birth, and your baby.

By offering continuity of support, I aim to build a relationship of trust and understanding with you, which is invaluable for labour and birth. I encourage and support you to trust your own instincts through pregnancy, birth and new parenthood.

Birth Doula

I respect individuals need for their labour and birth, whether that’s being quietly present in the background or being close to you throughout the birth. I support many different types of birth, in different settings, my aim is that you feel supported in the right environment for you.

During our birth preparation sessions, we will be exploring hopes and fears of birth/parenthood, preparation of birth and postnatal plans, learning about birth physiology and labour, coping strategies, breathing and visualisation/hypnobirthing techniques, preparing for a newborn in the home – including sleeping and learning about breastfeeding and other methods of infant feeding. I can accompany you to appointments and help you to understand and navigate the maternity system. If needed, we can work on previous trauma so that you can go into your birth feeling positive. I offer unlimited phone/email/messaging contact and will go ‘on call’ from 38 weeks until your baby is born. I will provide continuous support through labour and birth (whether at home or/and in hospital), and immediate postnatal support to ensure your wellbeing and assist with establishing feeding. I’ll make 6 hours of postnatal visits. These can be used for debriefing the birth, breastfeeding and infant feeding support, newborn care, understanding baby sleep, transitioning into parenthood and practical support in the home (including light housework and cooking nutritious meals). Email, messaging and phone support up to 6 weeks post birth.

I also offer smaller packages and birth preparation/postnatal preparation sessions only.

Please call 07980 552232 or email anna@birthstory.co.uk for prices and availability.

‘Anna is absolutely wonderful. She is calm, empathetic and knowledgeable. She has a very quiet way about her but you know that she takes absolutely no prisoners.’ Lucy

Postnatal Doula

As your postnatal doula, I can be there on the other side when you bring home a newborn. You may need a gentle guiding hand, or just a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. Often, it’s just a chance to sleep while I hold the baby. There is so much advice and information out there that it’s easy to feel bamboozled, and when you’re in a state of exhaustion it’s sometimes hard to know what’s right for you and your baby. I’ll support and encourage you to trust your own instincts and find your own parenting style, rather than tell you what to do, and if needed, I’ll help you to find further specialist support.

Together we’ll work out how many hours and days a week you need and we’ll discuss what kind of support would be the best for you. These sessions often include listening to you tell your birth story, infant feeding support, newborn care, using slings, finding ways of adjusting to parenthood and managing lack of sleep, cooking nutritious meals,  and minding the baby while you get some much-needed rest. I can even do the dishes, hoover the floors, organise your cupboards or whatever it is that will help you feel able to relax and nest with your baby. 

Please call 07980 552232 or email anna@birthstory.co.uk for prices and availability.

‘In the first few weeks after birth, it was fantastic to have Anna around us. She gave support in a practical manner. But most importantly, she gave fantastic emotional support. We were lucky to have such a skilled, compassionate person to help guide us with our firstborn.’ Abigail