Lauren Milligan
The Barnes Doula - helping you to have the birth you want and the postnatal recovery you deserve
Based in Barnes, SW13, serving London, Surrey and beyond
Call Me Email : lauren@thedoulahub.co.uk
About
All ancient societies had their version of a doula. Women, usually those who had already had children, would support other women in pregnancy, labour and in the first 40 days. The village was involved as babies were born and families grew - no one was left alone, worried and wondering what to do. This support is still crucial - both for the mother and baby's wellbeing and for her mental health - and the doula seeks to replace this lost support system in our busy modern lives.
Whether you have a supportive family nearby and friends you can rely on, or have found yourself with not many people to turn to perhaps in a new city or country altogether, your doula can help make your journey into parenthood easier and happier. I support parents in pregnancy, during birth, and postnatally, and will create a bespoke package of support to fit your family's unique needs.
As a birth doula, my role is to care for the parents, first and foremost. We will work together during the pregnancy to craft your birth plan and make sure you are informed and prepared for the birth. While the medical team is rightly focused on the baby before, during and after birth, the doula is there for the parents to inform and guide them; providing physical and emotional support for the biggest transition of their lives. Reassurance, emotional guidance, comfort measures; whatever you need - a doula is your tour guide for birth, helping lead you through unfamiliar territory and even to enjoy the experience.
As a postnatal doula, I support the new family to bond and settle in - helping them to be the best they can be in those early weeks and making their journey as easy and pleasurable as possible. The phrase often used to describe what a doula does is “mothering the mother” - looking after the parents so they can look after their new baby.
If you’re about to welcome a new baby, or are at home right now with a newborn, and want to find out more about the kind of support I can offer - let’s have a chat. Call, text or email and we can meet for a coffee to discuss.
Qualifications
Birth Bliss Doula Training
Aromatherapy In Childbirth
3-Step Rewind - Birth Awareness Training
Services
Birth Package
We will have an initial meeting, free of charge, to assess our suitability to each other and to answer any initial questions you may have.
After signing the contract I will be available to you every day during office hours (9am to 7pm) to answer any questions you have by text or phone.
We will set up 2 x 2 hour pre-birth preparation sessions, likely to take place around week 30 and 35.
I will help you to craft your birth preferences to share with your care provider and communicate your wishes ahead of the birth.
I will be on call for you from 38 weeks until your baby’s birth, whenever that may happen - day or night.
We will be in phone contact as soon as labour begins and I will arrive within 1 hour as soon as you feel you need me.
I will attend your birth to support you in any way I can, and remind you of all you have learned.
I will support you utilising all the comfort measures you have agreed you want to try - from positioning and massage, to aromatherapy and acupressure.
I will stay with you until your baby is born and for the first few hours after birth, to help you get comfortable and establish feeding and help you maintain those first precious golden hours.
We will then have a postnatal visit to discuss the birth and to help you prepare for the coming weeks with your baby.
COST : Priced individually
Postnatal Package
Every new parent needs different levels of support at different times, so the best way for a doula to support them is to be flexible. I would prioritise making sure you’re fed and have time to shower and recharge, and will also give support with feeding, bathing, sleeping and any other early questions you’re wrestling with. Doulas don't advise you or tell you what to do, but I will come armed with a wealth of information and avenues for support - and will also share with you the secrets learned from other families, things that many parents before you have found helpful.
To build the right support for you, we would start with a package of hours that can be spread over a few weeks - used when you need them most. For example, you may start with 40 hours and decide to have me visit for 3 hours a day for the first week to support you as you settle in. Then you may have family coming to support you the following week so may only want me to come in every other day, increasing back to five days the following week. The support is as unique as your family.
Many parents ask friends and family for a package of postnatal doula support as their baby shower gift rather than toys or clothes for the baby - and the evidence shows its the gift that keeps giving.
COST : Priced individually
Testimonials
“After a difficult and lengthy first labour, I spoke to Lauren about my concerns about my forthcoming second birth and she recommended the 3-Step Rewind. I cannot begin to explain how beneficial the therapy was for me. I was completely taken aback by the deep sense of relief I felt - like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I now feel positive and excited about my imminent labour. Lauren has every attribute that I wanted in a birthing companion; kind, easy to talk to, funny, a good listener and non-judgemental. She has helped me regain my confidence and I am so grateful for our experience thus far.” Sophie, Raf and Saul's mum.
“Lauren is an invaluable support as you prepare to give birth. She’s knowledgeable, calm and so easy to talk to, whether it’s discussing fears or pointing you in the right direction to access the information you need to have the birth you want, whatever form that may take. She is never judgemental and truly gifted at putting things into perspective, a quality that is essential when you are about to experience a life-changing moment that carries so much expectation and often worry.” Elizabeth, Caspar's mum.