HERE TO SUPPORT, NURTURE AND CARE FOR YOU AFTER YOUR BABY IS BORN
NEW BEGINNINGS
Becoming a parent is an amazing and life-changing experience. You may have immersed yourself in antenatal classes, bonded with prospective parents at NCT courses (or not), scrolled through countless Instagram posts and websites all offering tips, advice and plenty of pictures of cute newborns gazing contentedly at their parents, however nothing can quite prepare you for the reality of becoming a parent.
Those first few hours, days and weeks after your baby is born are unique. They are all-consuming. They are likely to be peppered with moments of heart-swelling joy and plenty of incredible ‘firsts’. They can also be daunting, confusing, overwhelming and exhausting whether it's your first birth, your second or third.
HOW I CAN HELP YOU
Hello and welcome. I’m Tess, a mum of two fantastic teenagers and I’d love to help you have the positive start to parenthood that you deserve.
As your postnatal doula and a member of Doula UK, I will be a super-calm, reassuring presence on hand to give you emotional and practical support - whether it be guiding you through breastfeeding or bottle feeding, helping to provide delicious nutritious meals or looking after another sibling while you bond with your newborn or catch-up on some much-needed rest.
I will be there to listen to you, to be your sounding board. I’ll support and encourage you to trust your own instincts and find your own parenting style and will be on hand to signpost you to further specialist support if you feel you need it.
Creating the time and space for you to rest, recover and enjoy the beginning of your parenting journey
THE DULWICH DOULA Working in the neighbourhood and local boroughs to provide postnatal support
Having lived in East Dulwich since 2006, and before that Brixton and Clapham, I’m a font of knowledge on the neighbourhood and local boroughs and will be on hand to sign-post you to all kinds of helpful local resources, groups and support networks that you may find helpful if needed.
I had two very different birth and postnatal experiences myself. My daughter was born at St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster and my son was born at home in East Dulwich thanks to the encouragement of my wonderful local midwife, Mary, who gave me the confidence to opt for a home birth. (That spot by the fireplace in the living room will always be rather special).
HELPING YOU FIGURE IT ALL OUT
Both babies had very different needs, patterns and ways of doing things right from the start and amid all the highs there were plenty of times when I was shattered, anxious and felt, ‘I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing!’ or ‘I know what I need to be doing but I’ve only got one pair of hands/ had three hours sleep/ can’t remember what day of the week it is right now’….if only I’d had a doula or even known they existed.
I strongly believe that having someone wholly dedicated to supporting you in those early postnatal days, weeks or months can make a huge amount of difference to your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and give you and your baby the positive start you deserve.
I look forward to chatting with you to discuss how I can help you.
Locations covered
I live in East Dulwich, SE22 and cover a wide area of South East London including North Dulwich, South Dulwich, Dulwich Village, Camberwell, Denmark Hill, Peckham, Honor Oak, Ladywell, Forest Hill, Sydenham, Herne Hill, Nunhead, Brixton, Bermondsey, Clapham, Catford, Upper Norwood, West Norwood, South Norwood, Crystal Palace, Penge, Streatham, Selhurst, Hither Green, Crofton Park and Thornton Heath.