“I knew I only wanted her as my doula.”

After a difficult, highly medically intervened birth with my first son, I wanted a different experience and had read that Doulas have a high success rate in low intervention births.

I knew Karen after the birth of my first child as she had supported me with breast feeding issues. We have stayed in contact and I knew I only wanted her as my doula.

Karen was there throughout, offering calm and rational support to me and my partner. She reminded me that I didn’t want an epidural and timed and monitored all of my contractions as I never made it to the delivery suite I was not really monitored by NHS medical staff. I think if Karen hadn’t been there, there would have been more supervision and intervention by the ‘professionals’

Immediately after giving birth, Karen helped to get my baby onto my breast, but then she stepped back and let me and my partner enjoy our first few moments with our new baby.
Karen seems to have a sixth sense about when we needed her.

I found my labour to be a much calmer experience where I genuinely felt in control.

Karen is one of the calmest people I have ever met which is why I wanted her at the birth of my second child, She is also an experienced post natal doula and breast feeding counsellor so I knew she could meet a variety of mine and my families needs.
She has a professional but warm approach and I felt completely comfortable around her from the first day I met her. She has a very gentle approach to children and we share many values and beliefs around families which I think helps, but I also know she is not judgemental in any way.

– Helen, December 2014