Information for parents about doulas, positive birth and postnatal support.

A Postnatal Plan. What’s that and should I have one?

Birth is just the beginning. Of course birth and birth planning is important. The day you give birth will be one you remember for the rest of your life. But it is just one day of your child’s life and it is just the beginning of your parenting journey. This is why you might want…

Baby

Normal for a Newborn

If you’re feeling prepared for your birth but really worried or apprehensive about what comes next, you’re very much not alone. A lot of people haven’t even held a newborn baby before they are handed their own and expected to immediately take complete responsibility for them. One of the things we do as postnatal doulas is to…

Birth

Ten top tips for brilliant birth partners

The best birth partners need support too. It’s a very common concern that doulas will take over from or push out the birthing woman’s own partner. If you chat with people who have had a doula though you will find they say in reality the opposite is true. Doula support for women extends to and…

Birth

What if I feel sad about birth experiences?

It’s not unusual to feel sad about birth memories especially when you compare to how you hoped it would be. If it’s too late for you to make use of our birth planning tips because your baby has already been born then you might be looking back on your birth and loving the memories. If…

Birth

Positive Birth Plans

Hampshire Doulas Top Tips for making a Brilliant Positive Birth Plan. Almost as soon as you tell people you’re pregnant you can expect to start hearing horror stories about how terrible people’s births have been, about how it’s the worst pain ever, worse than breaking all your bones at once. You might hear one or…

Birth

A birth story of two doulas and one baby for World Doula Week 2018

This world doula week we’re really pleased to bring you the birth story of a Hampshire Doula baby. We talked to his mum and their doula and we’re sharing the story here and across our social media to celebrate the way doulas help make ‘it’ happen. That ‘it’ might be: better births, bonding, support, breastfeeding,…

Baby

Does it matter what your breastfeeding support person calls themselves?

Breastfeeding Support People are called all kinds of things. (Not all of them kind or nice things but that’s another story.) Breastfeeding support is one of those areas where there’s little or no regulation as to who can set themselves up as a breastfeeding supporter or what they call themselves. One of the consequences…

Baby

Skin to skin. Not just for birth.

If you had a birth that didn’t go to plan or if you and baby are struggling to get breastfeeding going well or if you’re finding it difficult to feel that overwhelming bonding and falling in instant love that you’ve been lead to expect will happen as soon as baby arrives skin to skin can help.

Choices

Positive Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond

At Hampshire Doulas we’re always on the lookout for good local opportunities to learn more about supporting women and families through pregnancy birth and postnatal times. So, of course, we’re very proud to be able to be involved with Positive Birth Portsmouth first ever conference. It’s going to be an interesting day learning all about…

Doula

Five practical ways to work with your contractions and why they work.

Everyone will find their own way of coping with labour on the day. But being prepared with some ideas of things you can try that might help you cope with your contractions and positively work with what your body is doing is a great way to feel prepared and confident for when you go into…