Birth & Postpartum Doula support in Richmond, Kingston, Kew, Central London & South West London
I believe pregnancy, birth and early motherhood
are truly unique, precious, transformative times in your life.
Both powerful and vulnerable experiences that do stay with us (however they go), and that we were never meant to navigate alone.
Where not just how things unfolds, but also how you feel (and are made to feel) at each and every stage, really matters.
Experiences that should not leave you blind-sided or anxious,
but rather excited and growing in confidence in yourself
as you go into birth and forward into motherhood.
As a birth & postpartum doula, my endeavour is to give you (and your partner) the evidence-based knowledge and understanding (of your body, your baby, birth, the maternity system, and the things you didn’t know you needed to know ), the body and mind tools, and the continuous emotional and practical support that you feel you need to help you navigate this precious time with more understanding, confidence,
and growing trust in yourself, your body and your baby.
Just as it should be.
A native French speaker, I am also able to support you in French, and help you understand and navigate the UK maternity system and postpartum care (which can be so different from France!).
Choosing a doula is a very personal thing.
To arrange a free, entirely commitment-free 30mn connection call so you can get a feel of whether we would be a good fit for each other, ask questions and discuss how I could support you in your birth & postpartum, simply get in touch
My journey & approach to doula care
I support and have supported all types of births, including home births, birth centre births, labour ward births with and without epidurals/pain relief, induced labours, births in ‘high risk’ pregnancies, elective and emergency caesareans, and more.
I trained with Developing Doulas and I’m a recognised doula with DoulaUK. I am fully insured, and registered/ meet the requirements of private insurance such as Carrot.
I cover areas of South West London, Central London and parts of Surrey (about 8/9 miles radius from Ham TW10), including supporting families under the care of Kingston Hospital, West Middlesex, Chelsea & Westminster, Queen Charlotte, St George’s, St Mary’s, and more.
It’s through my own experience of becoming a mother nearly 13 years ago that I came to work in the perinatal field.
My first birth turned out to be a very difficult and traumatic experience - despite what I felt was thorough preparation - swiftly followed by a ‘crash-landing’ into motherhood I really struggled to navigate. There isn’t a day I don’t wish I knew then what I know now, and had the wise, caring support of a doula; and this is where the seed of supporting others mothers & mothers-to-be was planted. So you can get a better experience than I did.
A magical second birth and much softer, joyful postpartum, really showed me that these important thresholds can be beautiful and much easier with the right understanding, preparation and support in place; which is exactly what I aim to provide for all the families I support.
After supporting families before & after birth for 10 years as a pregnancy and postnatal yoga teacher and active birth educator, I saw the difference that having a doula present in the birth room & early postpartum days made for even the most prepared couples, and decided to expand my support by training as a doula with Developing Doulas.
My approach centres on the following pillars:
fully individualised, non-judgemental support: As your doula, my priority is to get to know you and understand your particular needs, wishes, values, fears - or help you identify these - so I can tailor your preparation and my support to your own individual circumstances and needs, to give you what you need and help you protect your wishes and needs however birth & postpartum unfolds as best as possible
the importance of understanding & supporting birth & postpartum physiology (how your body and your baby ‘work’, during and after birth), however you’re planning or happen to give birth (whether vaginally or yes, by caesarean birth too), as this will help you navigate your birth planning, decision-making and actual labour & birth, and stack the odds in your favour of things unfolding the way you’d like them to.
the importance of preparing and looking after both body and mind(set): a key part of my unique approach is that I integrate my expertise in perinatal yoga, pelvic floor support, birth biomechanics, hypnobirthing, mindfulness, and nurturing techniques for baby (baby massage, developmental movement, therapeutic holds) in all of my doula work.
the importance of understanding the maternity system you’re under the care of, your rights and what options are (really) open to you (maybe some you didn’t even know you had), and giving you tools and support to best navigate it and advocate for yourself and your needs, before, during and after birth
that how you came into this pregnancy matters: and will always affect to some degree your pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. I have experience supporting women & families after a long conception journeys, including loss and IVF, and can share extra tools to support you.
Research shows that having the continuous support of a doula:
increases the likehood of a spontaneous physiological birth
lowers the rate of medical intervention
reduces the length of labour
lowers the chance of having an unplanned caesarean
increases the likelihood of a positive birth experience and transition into motherhood
“Amelie’s ability to support us has been nothing short of amazing. When we navigated a change of plans in our birth, she helped us adapt and supported me to trust my instincts whilst also remembering my birth preferences. She made me felt held, even when I was ambivalent about certain decisions, helping me never feeling rushed or pressured. She was upbeat and positive, fierce enough to protect our birth space without causing friction with birth care staff. She has lots of knowledge and deep empathy, and proved to be a strong emotional pillar throughout birth & my early postpartum. I couldn’t be more grateful!”
— Charlie
Doula support packages
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Before & Beyond - Birth prep & Postpartum support only
for those not wishing a doula to attend their birth
3 antenatal preparation sessions
3-week postpartum doula support programme
Access to online library of resources
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Continuity of care virtual doula support before & during birth available as an add-on
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Essentials birth support
2 antenatal sessions
On-call support from 10 days before your EDD until you give birth
Attendance at your birth until 2 hours after birth
1 postpartum visit at your home (about 2 hrs)
Access to my extensive library of online resources
Email/text/ phone support from booking time until 2 weeks postpartum
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Additional sessions around hypnobirthing/mind & body prep and/or postpartum preparation can be booked as an add-on, depending on availability
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Complete birth preparation & support
3 antenatal sessions, including
active birth & hypnobirthing, and preparing for postpartumOn-call support from 10 days before your EDD until you give birth
Attendance at your birth until 2 hours after birth
1 postpartum visit at your home
Access to my:
- Yoga for pregnancy & birth signature online course
- Body prep & mind prep resources (including pelvic floor prep, guided relaxations, and more)
- Extensive library of online resources to navigate your birth choices, preparation and recovery
- Postpartum Recovery Foundations online course & resourcesEmail/text/ phone support from booking time until 4 weeks postpartum
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Full Journey - Birth & Postpartum support
All elements of the Complete birth support package
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Postpartum Doula Support Programme
- a bespoke programme of support spread over 3 or 6 weeks, blending bodywork, baby nurture, mother care and education, designed to soften your landing into motherhood, actively support your initial postpartum recovery, and gently grow more confident with your baby and as a mother/parent in your fourth trimester
Includes email/text/phone support until your last postpartum support session.
Antenatal preparation
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Birth options & birth planning session
a 2.5hours session dedicated to exploring birth planning / mapping, and navigating birth choices and care options (the one you know about and the ones you may not).
We also cover fundamentals of birth & postpartum physiology and approaches to decision-making, to help you make fully informed decisions that feel right for you.
Includes access to many resources.
Delivered in-person at home or online via Zoom, and redeemable against full birth doula support.
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Practical birth skills session
A 2.5hrs session designed to help you and your partner better visualise what labour & birth might feel & look like on the day(s), and help you navigate each phase with more ease and confidence, whilst supporting and protecting the birth process.
We cover key need-to-know about birth physiology, body & mind tools (including breathing and positioning), release and support techniques (massage, rebozo, use of props), as well as tips & tricks for transfers, labour stalls, epidurals, etc and advocating for yourself.
The session will be tailored to your needs & wishes (for example, planning to have an epidural, an induction, birthing at home, etc).Includes access to many digital resources including videos audios, and printables.
Delivered in-person at home or online via Zoom, and redeemable against full birth doula support.
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Postpartum expectations & planning session
A 2-hour antenatal session designed to help you understand what to expect from the postpartum period (from your body, your baby, your daily life, and more), and prepare for a gentler, more supported 4th trimester and transition into early motherhood/parenting.
You will receive a journal-style handbook and supportive resources to use both before and once your baby has arrived.
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Power hour
Ad hoc virtual support to address any questions/worries on your mind, either antenatally or postnatally: birth planning, navigating birth choices or ‘curve balls’, help navigating the maternity system (getting individualised care), birth education, birth/relaxation and/or recovery tools, baby care. Literally anything you need to talk through.
One hour with me to help you feel supported and empowered
(via Zoom or phone, or in-person if local to me)
Postpartum support
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Postpartum Doula Support Programme
A bespoke programme of support spread over 3 or 6 weeks, blending bodywork, baby care, mother care and education, designed to soften your landing into motherhood, actively support your initial postpartum recovery, and gently grow more confident with your baby and as a mother/parent in your fourth trimester.
Ideally taking place in the first 6 to 12 weeks post birth.
Includes message/phone support through your support period, and access to many resources.
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Ad hoc support hours
For ad hoc support, either remotely by Zoom or in-person if you are local to me.
More words from First to Fourth mums
“Amelie’s birth skills workshop was brilliant, and just what I was looking for! It was so positive and empowering; and felt like the missing piece of our birth preparation. We feel so much more prepared now.”
— Charlotte
“I recently had my postnatal session with Amelie and she really made me feel so encouraged in my new role as a mother, providing great advice, and support for postnatal recovery. I can’t wait to join her mum & baby yoga classes in a few weeks’ time. ”
— Sarah
More about birth support…
Antenatally, we will have at least 2 sessions together to discuss and explore any of the below depending on your needs & wishes:
birth choices & preferences: helping you understand your birth options, exploring together your birth preferences on various aspects of birth, as well as making plans for alternative scenarios, so that you can remain at the centre of your care and birth experience however things unfold
debriefing potential previous birth(s) and exploring other experiences and any beliefs, fears and worries you’re bringing into this birth (we all do!)
helping you navigate your pregnancy care, the maternity system and potential worries and hurdles, and their potential implications for your birth plans, using evidence-based information and sign-posting further support as required
birth education essentials and active birth/ hypnobirthing birth skills (for all types of birth): helping you understand how your body / physiological birth works and how best to support it, and/or what a caesarean birth might unfold and be approached in a gentle way. Practising a variety of active birth and hypnobirthing tools & techniques and comfort measures that you, your birth partner and I/we might use to support you during birth, including movement, breathing, tissue release, relaxation and mindfulness techniques, massage, visualisations, affirmations, and more.
learning about & planning for postpartum : helping you understand what to expect from your newborn baby, body and life in the early days and weeks after birth, and making plans to ease your transition into motherhood (or into life as as growing family) and promote healing and bonding.
During and straight after birth: I will be on call for you from 38 weeks up until 42 weeks/the birth of your baby, and ready to come to you, day or night, whenever you need me to come support your labour & birth. I will also be available via text or phone throughout this period to help you navigate any questions or worries, and if you wonder whether this is ‘the real thing’ or not!
I will remain with you throughout the birth, until the first couple of hours after your baby is born (the golden hour). I will be as hands-on or hands-off as you want me to be, protecting your space, helping you engage with your care providers, helping or tagging team with your birthing partner, whatever support is required.
More about postnatal support…
My postnatal support is all about helping you feel nurtured physically, emotionally and practically, and gently grow more confident with your baby and as a mother in this tender part of your life. It’s all about ‘mothering the mother’.
My support integrates my core skills in yoga and therapeutic movement for postpartum recovery and pelvic health, newborn observation, baby massage and nurturing techniques. It ideally starts/takes place within the first 6 weeks after birth, although support can last longer if required.
Support will always be personalised and can include:
debriefing your birth and offering a listening ear as you navigate the highs and lows of new motherhood and its many practical and emotional demands
supporting your physical recovery through a programme of simple but effective yoga therapy for postpartum recovery exercises, gentle stretches and and guided rest / relaxation, and other practical tips & tools
hands-on support and advice on looking after and understanding your baby including ways to hold, settle, bathe, wind, relieve digestive discomforts, help you understand your new baby better, reading and following their cues, and generally helping with any questions related to your baby and your comfort
support with breast or bottle feeding, and signposting you to further support where necessary
looking after your baby to provide a rest period for you (either at home, or taking baby for a walk), so you can enjoy a long shower or bath, get some fresh air or have a long nap
cooking some nourishing, restorative meals and snacks especially designed for the postpartum period
Get in touch
To arrange for a free 30min connection call or meeting in person, please do drop me a note via the button below.
It would be lovely to chat