This is What a Doula Looks Like

My name is Kristina Hansard but I’m known to everyone as Kicki. I was born in a small town called Asele in Swedish Lapland, the magical land of Father Christmas, reindeer and northern lights. I moved to England in 1990 and I have two girls born 1998 and 2000 at Watford General Hospital.

I trained as a Legal Secretary but was working in the IT industry before I had children and was lucky enough to be able to stay at home to care for them. I came across the word ‘doula’ in a Sunday Magazine and immediately felt that this was something I would like to do. Having been away from my mother during my own births and postnatal period, I feel strongly about being there for others when they embark on the journey of motherhood.

I trained with Kassandra Clements and BOND (British School of Nurturing Doulas) in London, July 2002. This course gave me the extra knowledge I needed and together with my own natural birth experiences, I feel confident and honoured to be supporting women and their partners at this very special time of their lives. I hold a Diploma in Professional Relaxation Therapy and I have a Certificate in Social Sciences through the Open University. I am continuing my studying with the Open University and hopefully I will gain my BSc later this year!

In July 2004, I attended a conference in Bristol and had the pleasure to meet Ina May Gaskin, who’s book, ‘Spiritual Midwifery’ is a must read for all pregnant women. I have also spent a day in Sheila Kitzinger’s lovely house outside Oxford on her ‘Birth Crisis’ workshop. In June 2007, I was very excited to meet with the ‘grandmother of all doulas’, Penny Simkin. I had the opportunity to have cream tea with her and also attended her seminar the following day. These women are truly inspirational and I feel honoured to have met and spent some time with them. I also enjoyed meeting Jack Newman and to attend a study day on breast feeding with him here in the UK in 2010. I’m really looking forward to meeting with Michel Odent in June this year at a study day in Sarratt, Hertfordshire. For more information, click here.

I’m a member of Doula UK, which is a network of doulas run by doulas, and I abide by their Philosophy and Code of Conduct. I have gone through their assessment procedure and have attained their ‘recognised’ doula status. I am also a Certified Doula with BOND and with Nurturing Birth.

In 2005, I took part in a television programme called ‘Mum + One’ about doulas, which can still occasionally be seen on the Discovery Home & Health Channel. I was also very honoured to receive the Pregnancy & Birth Magazine and Doula UK award of “Doula of the Year” in 2009. It’s the only year this award has been presented, which makes it even more special for me.

Since July 2006 I have been teaching Nurturing Birth’s Doula Training Courses all over the UK, which is something that I enjoy very much. I have now trained around 200 aspiring doulas. I also run my own ‘Prepare for Birth’ workshops and one-to-one birth preparation evenings. I have completed the City & Guild Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS).

I am fully insured and have been CRB checked. Should you wish to talk to any of my previous clients, I would be happy to put you in touch.

Lisa Ramsey has been teaching Lamaze classes since 2008 and is passionate about women and their birth partners feeling confident to approach their birth experience together. Lisa is also a Lamaze Doula offering support before, during and after birth.  Lisa’s calm presence enables women to feel safe to labour in their own way and at their own pace, whether at home or in hospital. Lisa has experience of supporting a variety of women during pregnancy and birth, including those from overseas, lone women and young mums.

Lisa has 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.  Lisa has also been fortunate enough to hear Ina May Gaskin speak at the Womb to World Conference in 2008.  Lisa regularly attends further training and is contantly learning  and has recently attended Nurturing Birth’s Advanced Doula Course, again with Kicki.

Lisa is a member of her local Maternity Services Liason Committee at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, a recognised doula with both Doula UK and Nurturing Birth and is a member of the Lamaze International organisation.   Lisa has an Enhanced CRB check and full Public Liability Insurance.

Lisa is married with a daughter, born at home and enjoys eating out, dancing, reading and yoga classes.  Lisa did not know about birth doulas when she gave birth, but had a lovely friend offer to postnatal doula for her after the birth.  This support, whilst learning to be a mum, was absolutely invaluable to Lisa and inspired her to become a doula.

Me and my girls, Isobel 3 years and Siân 17 months.

I’ve had quite a complicated road to motherhood. Everything seemed easy, got pregnant quickly and didn’t have morning sickness or any other difficult symptoms. I had an early miscarriage and I accepted it as one of those things but then I went into labour and my baby was born alive at 20 weeks. Because of this I was diagnosed with Hughes Syndrome and went on to have my next two little girls with the help of Heparin injections.

Isobel came at 31 and Siân at 35 weeks, both following a natural labour and crash sections. I was determined to breastfeed and did with a battle, spending weeks teaching Isobel to learn to latch and feed for herself.

Through all of this I discovered forums and researched everything! I fell in love with everything to do with babies and eventually found out about Doulas - it just seemed perfect for me, I get to talk about my favourite subject!

I feel that my role is to make the whole process about the parents. Often mums can be made to feel like they’re just there to carry and feed a baby and can end up feeling disconnected from it all. Dads can be so busy supporting mum and being there for her that they aren’t there themselves. If the only thing I do during a birth is help mum feel like it’s about her and do some running instead of dad then I think I have done something important.

I am a Birth and Postnatal Doula from the UK! I trained with the wonderful Nurturing Birth and am enjoying the privilege of supporting so many different families. Everyone deserves a Doula.

My name is Fleur and I am a newly trained Doula in Leicester, England. I believe in empowering a woman to have the birth she wants. I offer antenatal, birth and postnatal support to women and their families and am also starting up a volunteer programme for the under 20s. I love being a Doula and my hobbies mainly revolve around bumps, babies and birth :-)

I also work as a Midwifery Care Assistant in a local hospital and enjoy the work that I do.

Birth-Right Doula

Practical and Emotional Support When You Need it Most

www.birth-right-doula.co.uk