A Birth Doula is there for you during pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum....
As a FEDANT registered, 5 star rated and experienced Birth Doula from Leeds in West Yorkshire, I can accompany you (and your partner) through your pregnancy journey, birth journey and the postnatal period. I am a Doula UK Recognised Doula and I can support you during pregnancy, helping you to prepare for your birth. I can assist you during your labour and birth and also support you in the first few weeks after giving birth.
I am working for you, not your caregiver or hospital. If the need arises, I can help you to communicate with your midwife and medical care givers to ensure that you have all the information that you need to make informed decisions. I will support all of your choices and decisions as your birth doula and I will be present at your labour and birth. Having the support of a birth doula means that you will receive continuity of care throughout your pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. Continuity of care has shown to increase the chances of having a positive birth experience for the whole family.
Birth Partner - it's not what you might think...
Birth partners, I know that you might be wondering if a birth doula might replace the role of the birth partner or how would a birth doula work with a midwife? Well let me tell you that a birth doula does not replace the role of a birth partner. They are actually there to support the woman and her birth partner, taking the sole responsibility off the shoulders of the birth partner. I can help the birth partner to feel calm and informed, giving them ideas to continue support from beginning to end. I am there to provide support to both of you at all times. Sometimes a partner likes to stay by the mother’s side during the whole of labour, while others prefer to take a break from time-to time. A birth doula can be birth partner support to an individual giving birth or as a 2nd birth partner to the woman and her partner. A birth doula can take an active role in the birth room or an inactive role, where they are just present. A birth doula will support the family however they want.​
As a birth doula, how do I work with midwives?
When I work as a birth doula, I work collaboratively with the family and with the midwives caring for the family. I am there to support the family and protect their space, but I am always respectful of the midwives and Doctor's too and I've always been welcomed in the birth room. I believe that working as a team, achieves better results than conflict. It is important to listen to everyone's opinions, but I also make sure that the family that I am supporting makes the final decisions on their maternity care. That their decisions come from an informed place and that they are given informed consent. This increases the odds of a positive birth experience, where you feel empowered, calm and in control.
My Birth Doula Package Provides
Birth Preparation & Education
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Help you to plan and prepare for your birth and bonding environment. We will look at your birth plan together and discuss all possible options.
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Teach you some basic hypnobirthing techniques, to help you to have a calm, comfortable birthing experience. (Full Hypnobirthing course can be added at an additional cost).
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Provide you with information about labour and birth.
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Help you and your partner to understand the birth hormones. How you can control those hormones and use them to your advantage.
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What the labour process looks like and how the body works during labour.
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Listen to any concerns you have regarding your own health emotionally or physically.
Labour & Birth Support
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Strive to support you during labour to ensure a positive birth experience in the ways that you seek.
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Go on call for you 24 hours a day, beginning 2 weeks before your due date and up until labour begins.
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Provide a continuous friendly face for you (and your partner)
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Trained in biomechanics for birth, so I can make suggestions for labour progress, help with relaxation and positioning during labour.
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Use aromatherapy and essential oils during labour, should you want me to. I am trained in aromatherapy for childbirth, so I can safely use aromatherapy during your birth or show your birth partner how to use aromatherapy techniques.
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I will do my best to safeguard those precious first minutes of physiological bonding after the birth.
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Take photos and/or videos of your labour & birth (if you wish), so that you can reflect back on your birth experience in the future.
Postnatal Visit
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1 Postnatal visit, in your own home (usually 1-2 weeks post birth).
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Listen to you and your partner’s thoughts and feelings about your birth experience.
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Provide you with advice and support on newborn care, including any assistance you may like with breastfeeding or feeding your baby.
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Listen to any concerns you have regarding your own health emotionally or physically.
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Offer physical/emotional support.
I can help prepare you for your birth, but I cannot guarantee that your birth will go as planned. However, having the support of a Doula significantly increases the odds in your favour.
Julia was a fabulous birth doula and was able to connect well with us on a friendly, yet professional level. She listened and understood our needs and was able to support us in the way in which we wished. My husband, my Son and I were all comfortable in her presence and she always asked us what we would like and never passed judgement or made us doubt our decisions. Julia very subtly empowered us through the whole process and this led to a great birth experience (despite changing plans last minute) that I will always look back on with positivity.
E.S - Wakefield Mum
Why Would You Hire A Birth Doula?
Are you pregnant and thinking about hiring a birth doula?
I am so glad that you are here and you are fully exploring all of your options!
Evidence shows that hiring a Doula can significantly increase your chances of having a positive birth experience and offer you continuity of care. Continuity of care means that the same person will support you throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum. They can really get to know you, understand your birth preferences, signpost you to evidence based information and support you in ways that you desire.
Why choose BABA Doula Services & Hypnobirthing for your Birth Doula?
When it comes to choosing your birth doula, it is important that you choose someone who you and your partner feel comfortable with. Someone who you feel can support you, the best way that they can. Someone that you feel that you can connect with and feel happy having in your birth space. Birth is a very intermit and vulnerable time, so you need to have someone with you that you feel you can trust and relax around.
So why choose BABA Doula Services & Hypnobirthing? I am a member of Doula UK and a recognised Birth Doula. This means that I have achieved additional Doula training, compared to other Doula's who are not recognised Doulas. A recognised Birth Doula has been mentored, gained the required hands-on birth experience that Doula UK ask for and have met the criteria that Doula UK expect, to consider them an experienced Birth Doula.
I am 5 star rated by my clients and I have supported many births, from home births, vaginal hospital births, planned and unplanned caesarean sections, water births, births at a birth centre (midwife led), induced births, natural births, births involving epidurals, IVF pregnancies, high risk pregnancies and instrumental births. I have also supported a variety of clients, all with different backgrounds, medical conditions and requirements.
I am FEDANT registered and my FEDANT national registration number is 13852.​ I have a thorough understanding of supporting neurodivergent births and I have completed training with ND Birth. This means that I can help any neurodivergent clients navigate the maternity system and improve their birthing experience, meeting any special requirements that they might need to increase their chances of having a positive birth experience. Very often little adjustments can make a massive difference to someone who is neurodivergent and recognising this makes a huge difference in the support that's received during pregnancy, labour, birth or postpartum.​
Certified Hypnobirthing Instructor & Trained in Biomechanics for Birth!
​​​​As a fully qualified Hypnobirthing Instructor, I know how to help you to create a positive mindset for birth, how to feel calm, confident and in control, even if your birth doesn't go quite to plan! I can show you how to boost those all important birth hormones, helping to make your labour shorter and more comfortable.
I am trained and certified in biomechanics for birth, so I know which birthing positions could help to make your labour shorter and feel more comfortable. Depending on where your baby is in the pelvis, there are good and not so good positions that are helpful. Sometimes babies can get stuck at certain points in the pelvis as labour begins or as they are being born and this can increase the need for intervention or stronger pain relief. With my biomechanics for birth training, I can suggest different positions and movements, which can just be enough to help and reduce the need for epidurals, inductions, instrumental births or caesarean sections.
I am also trained in aromatherapy for childbirth, so I can safely use essential oils and aromatherapy during your birth if you wanted me to. I can apply the techniques myself or show your birth partner how to apply them, helping them to get involved. Aromatherapy can be used as a form of pain relief or it can be used to help you to feel calm and relaxed, which may help to make labour feel more comfortable. Essentials oils can be a brilliant addition to help promote calmness, particularly when they are used during relaxation in pregnancy.
Leeds Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) Co-Chair
As the Co-Chair for Leeds Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (Leeds MNVP), I work closely with Leeds Maternity Services, helping to improve maternity care across Leeds. I regularly visit the different maternity wards, including Maternity Assessment Centre (MAC), labour ward, antenatal clinic and postnatal ward, at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) and St James's University Hospital (SJUH). I attend regular meetings with the Leeds maternity professionals and I'm kept up-to-date with the Trust's policies, procedures and information. I am familiar with the local maternity system (West Yorkshire & Harrogate) and I have supported many clients using these local hospitals and Trusts - Pinderfields, Dewsbury Bronte Centre, Barnsley, Leeds, Harrogate, Calderdale, Huddersfield, Airedale and Bradford.
Birth Doula Costs​
Birth support: £1500
This includes:
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2 x 2 hours antenatal and birth preparation sessions
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Informational handouts for you to keep and free samples, including sachets of Lansinoh and a MAM Anti-colic baby bottle and soother.
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Antenatal Phone/Text/WhatsApp/Email support
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Going on call for you from 38 weeks of pregnancy (or sooner if required) and until baby has been born.
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Labour and birth support, whether that is via a c-section or vaginal birth.
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1 x postnatal visit
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Phone/text/WhatsApp/Email support from me for 6 weeks after the postnatal session.
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You will have access to my relevant reading library
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Free gifts from me when your baby has been born, including a lovely little keepsake to celebrate the arrival of your new baby. *​​​​​
​​If you would like to create your own bespoke birth package, designed to your own requirements, contact me to discuss your options. You can also add a Hypnobirthing Course onto the Birth Doula Package and receive a £50 discount. Contact me to discuss further.
* Subject to availability
Birth Doula Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a Doula and a Midwife? A doula does not give medical advice, nor do they undertake examinations or perform any other clinical task, unlike a midwife. Doula's however, can provide continuous support, physical support and emotional support. They can signpost you to relevant information and support you in making informed decisions.
What is a Doula? A doula can provide continuous support throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum. They support the whole family, offering emotional, physical and informational support.
Why would I need a Doula? A birth doula provides many advantages. Having a birth doula can reduce the risk of caesarean birth. It can reduce the risk of instrumental birth. Reduce the need for painkillers or epidural during birth. Reduce the rate of induction of labour. Having a birth doula can shorter labour. Increase parental satisfaction with the birth experience. Increase likelihood of initiating breastfeeding. Increase likelihood of successfully establishing breastfeeding and lower incidence of depressive symptomatology.
Is a birth doula worth the money? I totally understand that you might think that a birth doula is a lot of money. However, how much did you spend on your wedding? I bet that it was over £2,000? Right? Investing in your birth is really important. Even more important than your wedding day, because your birth experience will last much longer than one day and could impact you for the rest of your life. I do offer instalments, so that you can spread the cost over the period of your pregnancy, making the payments more manageable.
Can a Doula support with home births? Yes a Doula will support home births and any other type of birth that you are planning. A Doula can be an excellent support for both the mother and her birth partner, wherever they choose to give birth.
Still not sure?
Why not book a free 30 minute Zoom call with me and we can have a chat and see how I can help?
"Julia was an amazing Doula. She was knowledgeable and really listened to our wants and concerns during the whole process. My husband and I became a much closer team due to her sessions and we went into the birth informed about the process and about our rights. Her teachings allowed us to work together while remaining calm through an otherwise turbulent birth. "
Megan, Leeds
"In the months leading up to our birth, Julia helped us to create our very detailed and informed birth preferences plan. This paved the way for our positive birth experience, whereby almost everything we envisioned came to fruition. Without a doubt, hiring Julia helped us to achieve a positive birth experience, where our Son was safely born at home in the way we had hoped. If you are thinking about having a Doula, I would absolutely recommend Julia. "
Tara, Wakefield
Registration 13852
