Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Get the support you deserve
Get the support you deserveGet the support you deserveGet the support you deserve
About Me
Hi, I'm Elle
The first thing you need to know about me is that I'm an anthropologist turned doula, and I've never lost that passion for an evidence-based perspective as well as deep respect for cultural folk knowledge. I know better than most how amazingly the human body has evolved to birth our babies, but also how crucial a supportive community is. I grew up living and working all around the world, and I am eternally grateful for the perspective this has given me on how diverse our practices around family, birth, and childcare are across our species. I'm now settled living in Cambridge with my partner, two daughters, and one very fluffy cat, but those lessons have never left me.
I discovered the power of having a doula first-hand during my pregnancy with my first daughter, when I was supported by two incredible women. They helped me navigate every step of the process, and with the help of their pregnancy and postpartum care I emerged from that journey completely transformed. I became fixated on the idea that every family deserves that support, and I felt what I can only describe as a calling.
Becoming a parent (or a parent again) changes almost everything about you and your life. How we are treated during this crucial time can absolutely define how those changes shape us. Every single person deserves to be treated with dignity and care, and helped to have a birth and parenting experience that truly reflects who they are as in individual and a unique family.
What is a doula, anyway?
Pregnancy - helping pave the way
Pregnancy can be a joyful, beautiful time of growth and nesting. It can also, honestly, be filled with plenty of discomfort and anxiety. As a doula, I want to help you enjoy your pregnancy as much as possible and equip you with everything you'll need for this next phase of your life.
I am committed to both evidence-based pregnancy care (and coming from a science background, nothing makes me happier than combing through the studies to provide you with the best quality of information) and complete respect for your autonomy and individual decision making.
My ultimate goal is to work together to find solutions and the path that feel right to you, to help you advocate for the individual care you deserve, and for you to claim your power to be an informed, active decision maker in your own unique birth.
Labour and birth - a gentle companion
Birth should be an empowering experience, not something to be dreaded. I can help you claim the power of one of the biggest experiences of your life.
Good news: having a doula for your birth is associated with HUGELY improved outcomes. Studies have shown birthing people supported by doulas have more positive feelings about pregnancy, shorter labours, less reported pain and anxiety during labour, lower usage of epidural and other analgesia, increased rates of spontaneous birth and lower rates of induction and augmentation, lower rates of emergency caesarian delivery, fewer cases of low birthweight and neonatal admissions to NICU, higher rates of breastfeeding initiation, more positive reported experiences of birth, and reduced rates of birth trauma and anxiety! (You can check out all those studies here)
I believe deeply that all birth, across the spectrum of experiences, can be beautiful and valid. What matters most is that your priorities and values are respected. I support home births, birth centre, delivery unit, inductions, and planned c-sections completely. However you birth your baby, my job is to make you feel like the amazing goddess or invincible champion you are.
Postpartum - mothering the mother
You know the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child?". Well, I want to bring the village back.
Human babies are born completely helpless. Evolutionarily, our species adapted to this by depending on spreading care across wide social groups. But now we live in nuclear families, in isolated homes, and suddenly two people (or even one person!) are expected to do the work of that entire village. It's absolutely no surprise new parents are more exhausted than ever before.
More good news: the benefits of a doula don't stop at birth. Parents who receive postpartum care have been shown in studies to have improved parent-infant interactions in the "golden hours" after birth, increased maternal responsiveness, improved maternal wellbeing and mental health, increased confidence, self esteem, and engagement in parenting, higher infant care competence and safety, and higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding at 4 and 6 weeks postpartum! (Again, you can check out all those studies here)
A combination of practical and emotional support can give you and your baby the loving start you both deserve.
Parenthood - beyond the first six weeks
In our age of social media and mummy clubs, raising children can become an anxiety-ridden competition rather than a joyful journey. I want to help you cut through that noise and help you to listen to your baby and your own instincts so that you can be a confident parent, content in the decisions that work best for you and your family.
A "traditional" model of parenting that treats every child as a blank canvass and uses punishments and rewards to try and train "correct" behaviour has been the norm for decades in our society. But increasingly modern parents are seeking a different way, one based on individuality and respect.
Guiding your unique little person through the world is hard, but it can also be one of the most rewarding, enriching experiences of your life. You have everything you need inside yourself to be exactly the parent they need. I'm just here to help you unlock it.
Gift Cards
Everyone brings flowers. Give them what they REALLY need!
Do you know a family expecting a new baby? Instead of a soft animal or some little booties (so cute, I know), why not consider giving the gift of some hands-on support instead! I offer gift cards that your loved one can redeem towards whatever support they feel they need.