I’m a chartered accountant, mum of three and trainee doula.

The pain, trauma and sense of failure I experienced during my first two births inspired a journey of discovery during my third pregnancy as I promised myself this time would be better.

The birth of my third baby was the empowering and healing experience I had believed in my heart was possible. It was thanks to a bit of luck and to surrounding myself with supporters that helped me prepare physically, mentally and emotionally for a positive experience.

I picked up tips and treatment from chiropractic care, physiotherapy, aromatherapy, acupressure, spinning babies, pregnancy yoga, the positive birth network, hypnobirthing and hypnobabies. Perhaps most importantly, I learned to reclaim decisions about my medical care during pregnancy and my baby’s birth; challenging outdated policies in an informed way and researching my options to find a path through the medical complications, which felt right to me.  All of this was helped by a wonderful doula who helped me navigate the hardest decisions and opened my eyes to new possibilities.

Some of the best practitioners I met on my journey were extremely reluctant technology users. They relied on word of mouth for referrals from customers who had been lucky enough to hear about them. More recently, training as a doula with the Red Tent, I became aware of even less widely known but equally valuable perinatal support offerings and traditional wisdom from other parts of the world.

And so the idea of Birth Supported was born. A place where perinatal specialists can display their diverse range of offerings and women can find the support they need. A place where women can learn about the choices available to them. A community from which we can advocate for improved birth experiences and perinatal outcomes for all women.