"In the time surrounding birth, women need to feel secure. They need the sort of protection that is provided by the presence of a mother. But for many reasons special to our time, many women cannot rely on their own mother and the father of the baby cannot also be a mother figure. That is why they need a doula." 

Dr. Michel Odent

Dearest One, I fiercely believe in YOU, especially in your most vulnerable times, I wish to be there to remind you of your great powers and the deep ancient wisdom you carry within your body. I believe there is a need in elevating and granting the dignity that is owed to the process of birth and the transition into motherhood; and have entire communities in support of that.

There is great value in the advances of modern medicine and obstetric skills, yet we have somewhat forgotten about the sacredness of birth and what a powerful initiation it is is for women, when its left undisturbed, unmedicated, and respected to follow its natural course as the primal, passionate and instinctual event that it is designed to be in a woman’s life journey. I am committed to support women and men gain a wider perspective of the opportunities pregnancy and birth bring in igniting profound spiritual transformations, when we understand and accommodate the conditions for IT to be so.

At the peak of the birthing experience the birthing woman steps at the service of creation and offers herself as channel for Spirit to come earth side, she offers herself for the greater good. 

I have chosen to walk by your side on this journey and support you in making authentic choices in alignment with your highest Self. Even when a pregnancy is deeply desired, there are moments of doubt, deep fear, and concerns about aspects of who we are that may be challenging to retrieve. Being pregnant and becoming a Mother can bring with it its own misgivings. It is not always joyous and positive all the time. Having another woman by your side helps see, recognise and accept any ambivalences about the pregnancy, birth and motherhood/parenthood is . I am here, in service, as your doula to support you translate the complexity of thoughts, emotions and sensations that arise throughout these stages of life.

As an anthropologist I am constantly and extensively researching other cultures attitudes and practices around pregnancy, childbirth and caregiving, and returning to the many teachings of traditional midwifery has to offer. I often question myself:

how can we make simultaneous use of the countless women throughout time and space, and labour with the support of that shared knowledge? 

Inspired by my teachers and mentors, I believe that there is a middle ground between diving and trusting into our own instinctual nature, as well as integrating the latest scientific evidence. All my services centre around women, and around returning to the sacredness of body, remembering how to inhabit the divinely wise vessel that is this body and trusting in our ability to birth in our power, lovingly and even pleasurably. 

There is great support women can give to each other, and it becomes especially more poignant and necessary in our current modern culture. I wish to support you in recognising how powerful you are in navigating this rite of passage, to highlight how birth is transformational because it is foundational in how we function as individuals and influences our ability to connect with others, because it paves the way for how you will form your new identity as Mother, with great impacts on your children and even your grandchildren. Just a few examples, when birth is experienced as an euphoric and joyful event, epigenetics is showing how bonding and attachment between mother and baby will be more positively secure, breastfeeding generally successful and the development of the child healthy in all ways, during the early years and beyond. Therefore it is incredibly meaningful to be supported and prepared to experience pregnancy, birth and the early postpartum, together with your partner in elation, power and delight…. and my mission is to be here in supporting you throughout these sacred times.

I seek to accompany you in this process of consciously conceiving, gestating, giving birth and transitioning into motherhood.

see below the variety of my offerings:

conscious conception

Some women seek support and guidance during their pre-conception process, either because they wish a more conscious conception, because they wish to understand more about motherhood and its implications, and/or because it has become complicated to become pregnant or sustain a pregnancy.

birth

As your doula, I will offer you and your partner unwavering loving support during your birthing ceremony.

postpartum

Be supported during your postpartum time, receive the loving care and exaltation that can make your motherhood journey an exquisite one, and especially whilst avoiding the isolation mothers are experiencing so commonly in our modern world.

spirit baby ceremony

For prospective parents this ceremony is an opportunity to be embraced in a warm, nurturing environment in which to create the loving energy to call their soon-to-be conceived children. For many cultures around the world the parent/child bond begins long before conception. Bringing ritual and sacred ceremony can accentuate this. This ceremony can also be a supportive space for people who have recently miscarried. Spirit babies can bring with them insight and healing perspectives to the challenges of pregnancy.

mother BLESSING CEREMONIES

Coming in ceremony and ritual to honour the mother, partner and baby coming is an opportunity to assert female solidarity and reinforce family and community bonds. It draws everyone together in the web of relations to listen, support and honour the new member to the family of belonging. It can be specially potent when the partner is involved, and/or if key male figures in the family/community participate, though not necessary.

closing of the bones ritual

In this ritual we hold space for the new Mother to feel, to be acknowledged, held, honoured, nurtured and bathed in love, so she can release any unprocessed emotions associated with her pregnancy, birth and/or motherhood. Traditional midwifery recognised and honoured these processes, and so with this Ritual we remember particularly the ways of the Mexican tradition starting with holding sacred space for shares and recollecting the birthing story, followed by herbal bath or a pelvic steam, and then close gradually each part of the body of the woman with a “rebozo”, so that the strong, juicy, moist and warm nest, full of vitality, that is her body, is fully nurtured.