Lisa

I have been teaching Lamaze classes since 2008 and I am passionate
about women and their birth partners feeling confident to approach their birth experience together. I am also a Lamaze Doula offering emotional and practical support before, during and after birth.  I naturally have a calm presence which seems to enable women to feel safe to labour in their own way and at their own pace, whether at home or in hospital. I have experience of supporting a variety of women during pregnancy and birth, including vulnerable women with limited English, lone women and young mums.

I trained with Janet Balaskas and Michel Odent at the Active Birth Centre, Teri Shilling of Passion for Birth and Kicki Hansard of Nurturing Birth who won the Pregnancy & Birth magazine Doula of the Year 2009.  I have also been fortunate enough to hear Ina May Gaskin, natural birth midwife from The Farm in USA, speak at the Womb to World Conference in 2008 and Dr Jack Newman, Canadian Breastfeeding guru, speak in 2009.  I am regularly attending further training and I have recently attended Nurturing Birth’s Advanced Doula Course, again with Kicki Hansard.

I am a user representative of Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham Maternity Services Liaison Committee based at the Royal Berkshire Hospital which exists to improve maternity services.  I am a recognised doula with both Doula UK and Nurturing Birth and I am a member of Lamaze International.   I have an Enhanced CRB check and full Public Liability Insurance.

I am married to Barrie and we have a daughter called Amelie who was born in our home.  I was not aware of birth doulas when I was pregnant, but a lovely friend Tina offered to postnatal doula for me after Amelie’s birth.  This support, whilst learning to be a mum, was absolutely invaluable to me and inspired me to become a doula.

I also work with young offenders and particularly female young offenders who are pregnant, at risk of becoming pregnant or who are young mothers.  This work is as a much a calling to me as doula-ing and teaching antenatal classes and I am privileged to work with such wonderfully strong and resilient young people who often have not had the same opportunities as others have.

Feel free to call me for a chat or drop me an email if you would like to discuss any area of my services or if you have questions.  I will always help if I can or point you in the right directions if I cannot.  I wish you well and thanks for reading.

Karen

I teach Lamaze classes which prepare women and their partners for a positive birth experience.  I believe all birth can be positive, if women feel in control and confident.  I am also a doula and I particularly like supporting women to feel in control whilst they give birth and supporting partners to be as involved as they choose.  My doula role also includes supporting mums with new their babies and I do this by assisting with household chores and caring for the new mum in any way she needs.

I started my training in 2007 with Janet Balaskas and Michel Odent at the Active Birth Centre.  This continued with Teri Shilling of Passion for Birth and Kicki Hansard of Nurturing Birth who won the Pregnancy & Birth magazine Doula of the Year 2009.  I have heard Ina May Gaskin, natural birth midwife from The Farm in USA, speak at the Womb to World Conference in 2008 and Dr Jack Newman, Canadian Breastfeeding guru, speak in 2009.  I have attended Nurturing Birth’s Advanced Doula Course, again with Kicki Hansard, and I regularly attend further training to further develop my skills and knowledge.

I am a user representative of Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham Maternity Services Liaison Committee based at the Royal Berkshire Hospital which exists to improve maternity services.  I am a recognised doula with both Doula UK and Nurturing Birth and I am a member of Lamaze International.   I have an Enhanced CRB check and full Public Liability Insurance.

When I was pregnant with my first child, my husband and I attended a Lamaze class which gave us the knowledge and confidence to have the first of two home water births.  After this birth experience, I was inspired to see other women and their partners become knowledgeable and confident about birth and parenting.

I have a particular interest in breastfeeding and I have trained with The Breastfeeding Network. This has enabled me to offer support and advice to women on the postnatal ward at the Royal Berkshire Hospital as well as co-hosting a weekly Breastfeeding drop in session in the local community.  I have breastfed my two children and can therefore bring my personal experience to my work as well as my knowledge.

If you would like to enquire further about any of the support I offer or would like to have a chat, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.  I look forward to hearing from you and wish you a positive birth experience.