Frequently Asked Questions.

A birth doula is a skilled birth professional who helps you and your partner navigate pregnancy, labour and early postpartum with confidence.

Unlike midwives and OB/GYNs who provide clinical, medical care for you and your baby, a doula is focused purely on providing you with emotional, physical, informational and advocacy support during birth.

As a Central Coast doula, my job is to help you feel calm, prepared and excited for birth!

In a practical sense, that might look like…

• supporting you in creating birth preferences

• showing your partner physical, hands on pain relief techniques to support you

• helping you navigate choices through pregnancy, birth and postpartum

• being a safe space for you

• helping you manage pain in labour

• supporting you with Optimal Maternal Positioning (OMP) techniques

& so much more!!

Think of a doula as your birth coach, your calm and steady presence, and your biggest hype woman all rolled in to one!

As a “modern” doula, I blend evidence based birth education and ancient birth support techniques with practical, no-fluff, real-world support for modern women.

Over the last 30-40 years, childbirth has become increasingly medicalized, and with 97% of births in Australia taking place in hospital (AIHW, 2021), we have slowly lost the support circles that used to be in place for woman undertaking one of life’s biggest transitions.

The Modern Doula was created to bring back ancient care principles to the modern world and to modern women with an outlook that is positive, realistic, and fun!

Because let’s face it…there’s a bit of a doula stereotype that I’m here to break: doulas are not always hippies that will only support unmedicated ‘natural’ births. Totally untrue, and I am proof!

My values include being bold, empowered, and courageous, and I aim provide a modern approach to ancient traditions of care.

Most women will book their Central Coast birth doula somewhere between 6-20 weeks pregnant.

Why? Because the earlier we start, the more time we have together and the more support you have!

Plus, with limited space each month, getting in early does ensure you have the most choice as Central Coast doulas do book up quickly!

But… if you’re later along in pregnancy, please don’t panic! I regularly support families who book their doula support on the Central Coast in the third trimester too.

It’s always worth reaching out as sometimes last minute availabilities do come up.

If you’d like to chat, book a totally obligation free connect call here and we can discuss!

Short answer: your birth partner is absolutley essential!

Long answer: your birth partner likely is not a skilled birth professional, and shouldn’t have to do it alone.

Having a birth doula supports both of you!

When you have a doula on your birth team, your partner gets to focus on loving you, staying present & helping you feel safe, while your doula helps you with:

• being in the right labour positions at the right time to support the descent of your baby

• giving you epic counter pressure and physical support

• understanding hospital jargon and what options & choices you have

• suggesting tools for pain relief when things intensity

• staying calm, grounded and present

Research consistently shows that continuous doula support improves birth outcomes.

So I’m not replacing your partner, I’m just adding to the birth team!

Totally fair.

Because birth is intimate. The idea of someone new being there can feel a bit weird…

So that’s why we build a solid connection and relationship over sessions during pregnancy, so by the time labour rolls around, I’m no longer a stranger, I’m someone who already knows your birth preferences, your personality and what you need in the moment.

Most of the time, you’ll end up knowing your doula better than you know your midwife thanks to the epic continuity of care we provide.

Absolutley!

Supporting physiological birth doesn’t mean ignoring modern medicine.

As a Central Coast Doula, I am extremely passionate about protecting and encouraging physiological birth, and love working women who are aligned with this philosophy.

But as someone who’s experienced medical intervention and pain relief, I know there’s a time and place for everything. This is why we prepare in pregnancy for any possible scenario, and I will support your decisions and choices wholeheartedly, without judgement.

A positive birth is not about whether or not you had an epidural or not. It’s about having an experience where you feel strong, supported and proud.

That’s my main goal!

That’s a hell-yes from me. Part of my entire ethos is that every single birth is different, therefore your care should reflect this. We can add more sessions to any of the packages both prenatally and in your postpartum. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have ideas!

Doula support goes well beyond just the birth experience itself.

Planned Caesarian, unplanned caesarian or even emergency C-section can all benefit from doula support, and this is something we’ll discuss at length in our prenatal sessions.

If you decide to opt for a planned C-Section, there are still preferences we can explore so that this experience is everything you want it to be and more.

As you won’t need me on call, we will make a slight adjustment to the cost of the package for you.

It’s a good question, because chemistry matters and if you choose to have me as your Central Coast doula, we’re going to be together for a while (yay!!!).

But this question is the reason I offer totally obligation free video calls for an initial vibe check for both of us to see if we connect.

This is your chance to ask questions, share your birth dreams with me, and get a feel for whether my approach resonates with you.

If you’re looking for a Central Coast Doula who combines straight-talk, evidence-based birth education with practical skill and emotional support, we’ll get along very well.

Bonus points if you don’t mind the occasional F-bomb and hugs!

You’ll know if you’ve found the right doula if you imagine being stuck in an elevator with them and think you’d actually enjoy it.

Absolutley!

I support births at Gosford Hospital on the Central Coast (both private clients and public clients within the Midwifery Group Practice [MGP]) as well as home births.

I also support the occasional birth at Maitland, John Hunter Hospital, The San, RPA, Royal North Shore and Westmead.

A free birth is a birth that occurs without a registered medical care provider (such as a midwife or obstetrician) in attendance.

While I support every woman’s to choose, and have a lot of respect for women who decide to birth outside the medical system (you do you!), it is not something I am involved with as a Central Coast doula.

If you are planning a free birth, please reach out and I would be more than happy to refer you to some doula colleagues on the Central Coast who would be happy to support.

MGP care is amazing, well done for getting into the program!!!

Having a known midwife through pregnancy and birth is the gold standard of care available in Australia, and if you’ve landed it on the Central Coast, that’s a big win.

But a midwife and a doula have very different roles.

Your midwife is responsible for your clinical care, monitoring you and your baby, checking vitals, and ensuring you and your baby are medically safe. They also work within the hospital system and are bound by those policies, procedures and protocols (not all of which are evidence based).

A birth doula focuses entirely on continuous emotional and physical support for you and your partner.

In practical terms, that means I’m there to:

• support through contractions

• guide labour positions, breathing and movement

• help your partner feel confident to support you

• protect your birth environment

• ensure you feel supported to make hell-yes decisions

• keep you grounded and present, whichever path your birth takes.

Midwives are incredible, but they alsi have clinical responsibilities and multiple priorities in the birth suite.

A Central Coast doula is the one person supporting you the entire time, without shift changes or hospital policies getting in the way.

So… MGP care AND a doula? Essentially a match made in heaven.

From 38 weeks of pregnancy until your baby arrives, I’m officially “on call” for your birth!

This means:

• my phone stays on 24/7 with you & your birth partner’s number on emergency bypass

• I stay within close range of the Central Coast

• I am always sober enough to drive

• My bag is packed ready for a moment’s notice

When labour begins, you can simply message (or call, depending on the time) and depending on the situation at hand I may:

• talk you through early labour at home either on the phone or via Facetime

• Come to your home for extra support

• Meet you at the hospital or birth centre

I will stay with you until your baby is born, and up to two hours afterwards to make sure you have everything you need for your immediate postpartum.

All this detail is discussed at length before birth too, so you know exactly what to expect!

I became a certified birth and postpartum doula in 2022 with the Australian Doula College (it’s now known by another name).

I have attended multiple further education seminars in my time, including:

• Melanie The Midwife’s Conference for Rebellious Midwives

• Multiple OMP courses

• Dr Hazel Keedle’s Birth After Caesarean workshop

• Acupressure courses with Dr Kate Levett

• Birth Mapping Course with Dr Bell

• Matriarchs of Birth Workshop

I became a certified Optimal Maternal Positioning Educator in 2025, and teach OMP for Parents courses regularly on the Central Coast, along with Kaia Birth Education classes.

I have my own birth education course Birth Different, and have supported more than 50 families through birth on the Central Coast and beyond.

Having said this, there are currently no government regulation for doulas in Australia which means that training, experience and philosophy can vary wildly. I encourage you to read through my recent client testimonials and reviews here to get a sense of my support and skill.