My own experience of becoming a mother taught me the value of what real support looked like.
My own parents had passed away many years before my children were born and I was very lucky to have wonderful support from my partner, his parents and a great community of friends.
I had worked in IT for years and after the kids were born had started volunteering in a children’s centre as a breastfeeding peer supporter. Over the years through volunteering I met many families that didn’t have the level of support I did, for all sorts of different reasons.
That’s when I changed direction and began training with the NCT to become an Essentials antenatal and Postnatal practitioner. But I could see that this would not give me the skills and knowledge to do everything I wanted to.
So as a 40th birthday treat to myself I signed up for two courses. A Developing Doulas doula preparation course, and a Slingababy consultants course. Working through these courses alongside the workload for my NCT studies was hard work, especially with two children. I really felt that the combination of everything gave me the skills, knowledge and confidence to work with families and give them the support they really need.
Since completing these courses I have added infant massage, closing the bones, rewind technique to my skills and knowledge. I am currently studying towards my holistic sleep coaching qualification so that I can offer support and evidence based gentle strategies to help parents with their child’s sleep.
I love so much about my job, as a Doula UK mentored postnatal doula I work under the guidance of my mentor supporting families as they find their way, until they no longer need me. What I really love is working with families in all my different roles, seeing their confidence build as they get to know themselves as parents and develop their relationship with their baby.
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