Doula | Photographer
What I am 'do-ulaing' right now
People often ask, "What does a doula do?" So here are just some of the things I am currently doing in my role as a doula.
Updated December 2024
Doula (doo-lah) noun
"A doula is a trained companion who is not a healthcare professional and who emotionally, practically and informatively supports another person through a significant health-related experience, such as pregnancy, childbirth, early parenting, miscarriage, induced abortion or stillbirth, or non-reproductive experiences such as dying."
Here are some of the amazing clients I am currently working with...
Supporting People
It has been a long minute since I last gave you an update and this is a real reflection of a wholesome summer spent being very present in the moments and being very fortunately busy doing the work.
During the summer I supported one of the most energetically empowered births I have ever had the privilege to witness. As a doula I have often held back my own emotions during births as it is not about me. But in doing so I realised that I was also closing the path to connection. Feeling able to fully feel all parts of my experience during the birth allowed me to feel the energetic connection between mama, me and all of her support team. At times this connection being so powerful that it brought us all to tears which also allowed for any physical and emotional fear and tension to be released from mama. In her words: “I had
the most amazing support from my husband, my doula, my mom and midwives I couldn't have done it without them.”
I am now on call for a twin mama helping to support her navigate the system so she can be supported in her desire to have a physiological birth of her twin babies! This is often the challenge when having any kind of pregnancy that is considered 'different' when really multiple pregnancy and birth should be seen as a variation on normal. But often what happens is that women and birthing people are labelled as having high risk pregnancies which lead to being considered high risk for birth.
Yes, there are more considerations in the pregnancies and births of multiples but a person's right to choose how those babies are born, remains the same.
This is something I have been helping my client to advocate for as well as helping her to understand the options during the birth of her twins.
As well as working with clients 1-2-1 to help them have the birth experience they want and deserve, I also offer work in the wider community to support more families and offer accessible support for all.
My work at Birthrights is continuing to grow and as well as supporting people through our advice service, I am also working with my fantastic team on building an awareness campaign around the maternity crisis and the impact that disbanded homebirth teams, are having on women and birthing people choosing to birth at home. Here is the link to my Birthrights Blog
I am not just a doula...
My photographic storytelling
Now that the summer is coming to a close and we are back into a routine, I feel a new sense of focus and wanting to put more energy into my photography work.
This work fuels my creative inner child whilst igniting my passion for reflecting people’s power and beauty back to them.
With this in mind, my diary is now full for doula work until March 2025.
In the time between now and then my availability will be focused on offering my pregnancy, postpartum and portrait photography.
Here are some images from my most recent photography works:
Photography has always been a passion for me and something I developed during my time at university studying fashion. To now be able to use this skill and creativity in my doula work is the perfect balance of service and creative output. And now I am increasing my capacity to do more of this work outside of the birth space.
Focusing on the whole journey, my photography services have always included pregnancy photography and postpartum photography as well as photography during birth and now include portrait photography and branding photography too.
Now I will be offering personal photography sessions. These sessions are for women at any point on their journey through life. Whether they have had children or not, these sessions are about embracing who they are right now. There is something so powerful about images of ourselves that reflect us in our most real unfiltered form and I want to offer the same opportunity of being empowered to women outside of the motherhood journey. If this sounds like something that you would be interested in, check out the new photography packages on my website.
Living life with ease, protecting my peace and thriving in my joy
Personal Work
We had a beautiful summer spent enjoying time being present and connected without having to travel to far to find adventures that filled our hearts. From wild swimming at Pool Bridge, to dancing in fields in London, to embracing our culture and heritage at Leeds West Indian Carnival, we have had some AMAZING experiences. So much so that it has really challenged my thinking about the rigidity of our day to day routines and in particular the schooling system. I have for a long time felt that my child thrives most when she is out in the world and the opportunities to learn about herself and the wider world we live in are as paramount if not more, than what she will learn in the classroom. This belief was further cemented in light of the racist riots that took place in the summer and the reminder that all of the system in this country are systematically racist, including the school systems.
As a Black mother of a mixed race child it is increasingly important for me to ensure we stay aware of the impact these systems have and continue to challenge them in their equity values.
My Support Services Availability
Birth Support
My birth support is limited so that I am able to offer my clients the 1-2-1 care they deserve. So if you are looking to have my doula support, please book early.
Fully Booked Until March 2025
Late March 2025- Available
April 2025- Available
May 2025- Available
Click the button below to find out more about my support
My Photograpy Services
The Motherhood Sessions
My Motherhood Photography Sessions are always available and I offer photography for all stages of motherhood from pregnancy, through to birth and into the immediate postpartum period and beyond.
If you would like to find out more about how to book your photography sessions, book in a free call to find out more below: