Birth & Postnatal Doula support in Richmond, Kingston, Kew & South West London
With 10 years’ experience supporting women and families in the perinatal period through yoga for pregnancy and birth, postpartum recovery and baby nurture, I am delighted to now be offering birth doula & postnatal doula support, and the continuity of carer from pregnancy to postpartum I so deeply believe in.
As your doula, my endeavour is to make you feel deeply heard, informed, empowered and supported, in a fully personalised and non-judgemental way based on your individual wishes, hopes and concerns, as you navigate this unique, precious and pivotal time in your life.
Birth and postpartum are a deeply intimate time, and it is crucial you choose a doula whom you feel truly comfortable with.
You will find more details of my approach and packages below.
If you like the sound of what you read here or would like to learn more about me and how I could support you, please get in touch to arrange an initial
free 30mn call/meet-up.
A bit more about me & my approach
No two people, pregnancies, births, babies are the same. As your doula, my number one priority will be to get to know you and understand your situation, needs, wishes, concerns and any particular fears or challenges, meeting you exactly where & how you are, so I can best support and care for YOU and your family in a truly personalised way.
I support all types of births, whether you are hoping to birth at home, in a birth centre or at hospital, vaginally or by caesarean birth, with my sole agenda being to help you feel safe, informed, supported and respected in your choices throughout.
I am passionate about facilitating and protecting birth physiology, and helping you understand its workings and its benefits for both you and your baby, during and after birth, however you are planning to give birth, or however it unfolds, whether vaginally or by caesarean birth.
As a yoga & somatics teacher, I believe that we cannot and should not ignore the body as a key part of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum & parenting experience. Through our time together, I will help you better understand, prepare/support and connect deeply with your body-mind to better support your pregnancy, birth and/or postpartum period & recovery, bonding with and supporting your baby’s transition into the ‘outside’ world.
Depending on your individual circumstances and needs, this might include exploring: breathing techniques, pelvis mobilisation, pelvic floor awareness/work, harmonics and biomechanics for birth techniques, postpartum recovery techniques, baby massage, baby holds and comforting practices, and more!
I currently offer support as a mentored doula with DoulaUK and cover areas of South West London and parts of Surrey
(about 8 miles radius from Ham), including supporting families under the care of Kingston Hospital, West Middlesex, Chelsea & Westminster and Queen Charlotte.
Research shows that having the continuous support of a doula can:
increase the likehood of a spontaneous physiological birth
lower the rate of medical intervention
reduce the length of labour
lower the chance of having an unplanned caesarean
increase the likelihood of a positive birth experience and transition into motherhood
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 planning: helping you understand your birth options and/or refine your birth wishes, putting together your birth preferences, 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)
helping you navigate your pregnancy care and worries, and their potential implications for your birth plans, using evidence-based information and sign-posting further support as required
birth education essentials and birth skills: 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 tools that you, your birth partner and I/we might use to support you during the birth, including movement and positioning, breathing, relaxation techniques, massage, visualisations, affirmations, etc
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.
Postnatal support
My postnatal support focuses on supporting your physical recovery, helping you understand and care for your new baby, navigating the highs and lows of new motherhood and its many practical and emotional demands, and generally helping you feel nurtured and grow more confident in this tender part of your life. My support integrates my core skills as yoga teacher for postpartum recovery and pelvic health, and as a baby massage & yoga instructor, and ideally starts/takes place within the first 6 to 12 weeks after birth.
Support might include:
debriefing your birth and offering a listening ear
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
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
early postpartum body recovery/healing through simple but effective yoga therapy for postpartum recovery exercises, gentle stretches and and guided rest / relaxation, and other practical tips & tools
check how feeding is going, and support with breast or bottle feeding, signposting you to further support if necessary
cooking you meals and helping with light chores around the house, or errands
signposting any further support you might need
Please note I am also not currently able to offer (over)night support.
“I can't recommend Amelie enough. She is very knowledgeable and I gained so much of our time together throughout pregnancy & postpartum.”
— Lucy
Support packages
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Birth support
2 antenatal sessions (at least 2 hours each): getting to know you and your wishes, debriefing potential previous birth(s), exploring birth choices and planning, physiology of birth, practical birth support techniques (see birth skills below), postpartum planning (at least one session at your home)
On-call support from 38 weeks until you give birth
Attendance at your birth until 2 hours after birth
1 postpartum visit (1-2 hours) at your home (usually in the first 10 days) to help you settle in your new life with your baby
Email/Text support/monthly catch-ups from booking time until 4 weeks postpartum
Additional antenatal and/or postpartum sessions can be booked at an additional cost
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Birth & Postpartum
2 antenatal sessions: getting to know you and your wishes, debriefing potential previous birth(s), exploring birth choices and planning, birth education essentials, practical birth support techniques and postpartum planning (at last one session at your home)
On-call support from 38 weeks until you give birth
Attendance at your birth until 2 hours after birth
1 initial postpartum visit at your home (usually in the first 10 days) to help you settle in your new life with your baby
15 hours additional postpartum support (to be used in 3 or 4-hour increments, at your discretion)
Email/Text support/ monthly catch-ups from booking until 4 weeks postpartum
Access to my Pregnancy Yoga & Postnatal Recovery Yoga online libraries
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Postpartum support
15 hours postpartum support & recovery once your baby has arrived (to be used in 3 or 4-hour increments, at your discretion)
Email/text support through your support period
Access to my Postnatal Recovery online library
More support hours can be booked if needed.
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If you haven’t had a baby yet, you might be interested in my postpartum expectations & planning workshop (taken antenatally) to help you better understand & prepare for this tender period
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Birth Skills preparation workshop
A 2.5hrs workshop exploring key need-to-know about birth physiology, and plenty of practical body & mind tools, techniques and skills to help you navigate and facilitate labour & birth with more ease and confidence.
We cover movement, positioning, breathing, release techniques, visualisations and partner support (massage, holds, etc).
We will have a short call beforehand so I can tailor the workshop to your situation and needs/wishes (for example, planning to have an epidural, an induction, birthing at home, etc).Delivered in-person at home or online via Zoom
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Postpartum Expectations & Planning workshop
A 2-hour antenatal workshop designed to help you understand what to expect from the postpartum period (from your body, your baby, your daily life, relationships, 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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'Empower' hour(s)
Ad hoc virtual support to address any questions/worries on your mind, either antenatally or postnatally: birth planning/navigating birth choices, birth education, birth/relaxation 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)
* Please note that I am currently offering reduced rates on my birth support packages whilst in my mentorship period. Displayed rates are current rates applicable and might evolve throughout 2024-25.
In that period, you will not only get my support at a discounted rate, but also benefit from the experience of my mentor doula,
whom I will have access to throughout the period I will be supporting you.
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
Get in touch
To arrange for a free 30min Zoom call or meeting in person, or if you have any other question, please do drop me a note via the button below.