Birth Roots
As your Doula I support you and your family on your unique path towards birth, and beyond. I bring nurturing care and holding, paying attention to both the clear needs that are present and the more subtle ones that emerge along the way
I am able to help you plan for the birth you'd like, offer reassurance, practical tips for your birth partner, if you have one, while caring holistically for you throughout. All care will be centred on strong, emotional support.
With full birth support, I'm able to provide
continuity of care throughout your pregnancy, labour, birth and into post-partum.
I will be available for phone and email contact from the time we decide to work together and I am also able to attend appointments with you, as a support, listener and as an advocate, if this is something you find you need
Any information I gather for you will be informed, well-researched, evidence based and balanced,
giving you the best chance of choosing what is right for you and your baby at all stages
The valuable tools I bring to the birth space are presence, stillness, knowledge and connection with your processes and a strong trust in your ability to birth your baby well, in the knowing that you are capable, strong and supported by the holding conditions of a supportive and protective environment, care team,
and the feeling that your birth is unhurried and undisturbed
You may also benefit from touch therapy - reflexology, acupressure, massage, relaxation and rebozo ~ this ancient practice is particular to Mexico and Latin America and uses a long piece of material, a shawl, to gently massage and
relax the broad round ligaments that support the pelvis through pregnancy, encouraging relaxation while helping your body prepare for the release of birth. I was shown this gift through those that have directly learned this skill from Rocio Alarcon, so when I share this on I remember and give thanks to this important thread, with awareness that our own culture would have had practices, though now hard to find, that used cloth to keep warm, offering supportive and theraputic benefits
I'm able to use homeopathic remedies for birth, assessing your needs and choosing a compatible remedy to promote
your body's own ability to go with the flow of birth, and to aid subsequent healing
Some of the things having a Doula can help with:
Shorter labour journey
Decrease the chance of Caesarean birth
Reduce epidural requests
Reduce chances of instrumental delivery
Decrease the need for pain medication or intervention
Support Fathers/other parent, to be part of and enjoy their role within the shared birth experience
Increase maternal satisfaction
Initiate successful breastfeeding
.
Birth Doula Package
£1000
An initial telephone connection
Two antenatal preparation sessions
On call 24/7 for a month, from 37 weeks - 42weeks, longer on call periods can be arranged
Labour and birth support
One postnatal visit ~ opportunity for more
Available for phone and email contact
Access to book library
Free loan of TENS machine
KGHypnobirthing course at reduced price for Doula clients ~ £200
Belly cast, can be done within an antenatal session, or as an extra session
(additional AN and PN visits by arrangement, charged at £25ph)
Post-partum Doula
minimum 2 hours per visit
£25 ph
For new Mother/Parent, baby and family, supporting all needs, in a whole system approach, nurturing and nourishing
My role as a post partum Doula is one of conscious presence with the intention of gently supporting and tending the transition to parenthood, helping it to unfold smoothly in the days and weeks following birth, while responding to the changing needs within it. Time taken here to rest recover and nourish oneself is always worthwhile, acknowledging and slowly moving through this adjustment phase, while the whole family adapt to their new rhythm
I offer focused care so that you are able to rest and recover from birth, helping you to ease gentle into these early days, allowing physical healing to take place as the body draws energy back inwards while it simultaneously expands to care for new baby
Therapeutic skills, such as massage, reflexology and relaxation may feature, while being present to the health benefits of having a soothed nervous system, particularly as your hormones settle into this new phase
I can support you with your feeding method of choice, along with signposting to other support groups and hubs if needed
Care may also include looking after baby/other children while you rest, preparing nutritious foods, snacks and herbal teas, light household duties and generally taking away some responsibilities, enabling you to be with your baby
I carefully consider your emotional health, offering time and space for you to share your birth story, for you to have chance to fully reflect, process and integrate your labour and birth journey .. a holistically cared for person is more solidly placed to flourish into their new role
You may also like to include belly binding , a simple wrapping or Bengkung, which is a traditional Malaysian method. Both offer physical support to the womb and pelvic area, encouraging blood flow here which promotes healing, encouraging your abdominal muscles back into alignment where it also acts as an emotional 'hold', soothing the now empty womb space where baby once was
Antenatal One to One Sessions
suggested 2 hours
£50
How do you imagine your birth? This is where we begin. Meeting the Parents-to-be exactly where they are, offers the best beginnings.
Here is your opportunity and dedicated space to consider your journey thus far, this may involve reflecting on a previous birth/s and fully exploring what went well and what didn't, enabling a deeper understanding. From here you can move forward with your planning and preparing for this birth, with full awareness of all the choices available to you, joyfully preparing for the birth you'd like
These are very helpful for birth partners also, sharing all the ways that they can be connected to the labour and birth of their/the baby, within their own comfort levels ~ from practical help, advocacy, emotional reassurance, support and protection; enabling the experience to be a shared and positive one
From birthing environment, birth physiology, hormonal interplay, comfort measures, support team to active birth and how brilliantly we are designed to birth our babies; all this and more will help you to prepare for the transformational, sacred rite of passage, that is birth
Birth Art Session
£poa
Pregnancy and birth art is a creative and fun way to express feelings, consider your needs and connect with your baby moving forwards. It can be a therapeutic tool to reflect on a previous birth that didn't go to plan and also wonderful relaxation and expression of self as you move through your pregnancy journey
Depicting elements of a previous birth through art, drawing, painting ~ this can sometimes be easier than directly discussing experiences and allows processing to unfold and flow
Belly cast
Belly art - cast, painting or henna
Labyrinth art
Cerrada/Closing the Bones
£poa
Here, pregnancy, birth and Parenthood are deeply acknowledged and held, honouring the physical element that has taken place and importantly the emotional journey too. From being 'open' on so many levels, this special ceremony gives time and space for you to come back to yourself, to draw your energy back inwards and create a strong ground for the onwards journey
May include a herbal foot soak with dried flowers and herbs from my garden, massage and a closing/sealing of areas from head to toe, with particular focus on the hip and womb area
Time taken here to integrate your experience, to be fully nurtured; can be beautifully affirming and healing
This can be shared between just the two of us, birth partner also or may include significant people that have been connected to you through your journey towards becoming a parent
to gather more information please be in touch
birthrootsuk@gmail.com
payment instalments are welcome, fostering accessible support for all
please note that mileage is charged at 40ppm
