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References
My name is Laura, I am 34 years old I am married to John and we have an 8 month old son called Sam.
Both John and myself wanted to know more about what we were getting into whilst I was pregnant and decided to pursue NCT antenatal classes, as neither of us had had anything to do with pregnant women, so we knew that a baby would come at the end of the 9 months, but nothing that was involved.
Our classes were run by Laura Davies in the evenings for (I seem to remember) 6 or 7 weeks. We found the sessions to be precisley what we needed in that we found Laura very approachable and more importantly knowledgeable in this field. There seemed to be nothing she didn't know about and her matter of fact attitude to the whole thing made life alot simpler. She didn't even lie about it hurting! Most people you ask whilst pregnant will fudge the truth so as to not scare you to death about the pending birth, but if asked a direct "pain" question, Laura was very honest, which was actually reassuring.
All the sessions were very well organised and executed and we both came away having learnt lots on every occasion. I would recommend to anyone who feels in the dark about their situation to seek antenatal classes and preferably with Laura Davies.
My name is John and I am Laura’s husband. I was at first sceptical about these classes as I thought they may be a bit too happy clappy and learning about breathing etc, but actually I enjoyed them and learnt alot. Like Laura (my wife) I would recommend them to any new parents to be, just to be able to understand all the stages of labour, birth and indeed afterwards!
Next time Laura is going to be our doula as well!!
Laura & John Clough
John, Laura and baby Sam.  John and Laura attended Laura's antenatal classes |
I decided I would like a post-natal doula to help us out when I was about 5 months pregnant with twins as we already had a toddler, Benjamin, who would be under 2 when the twins arrived and I knew it would be hard work!
I was put in touch with Julie and met her for the first time in October 2007. My husband Chris and I knew straight away that she would be perfect as she was friendly, personable and professional. We met a couple of times before the twins were born to discuss how I hoped Julie would be able to help best.
Once the twins, Rebecca and Jacob, were born, Julie came to our house 4 or 5 days a week to help out, for 4.5 hours a day. She was great with Ben and a natural with the babies. She was basically there to help in whatever way I needed:- feeding, winding, bathing, changing the babies, helping to get them to sleep, taking Ben out to the park, or staying at home with the babies so I could get some one-on-one time out with Ben so he didn’t feel left out. She also managed to keep my house from looking like a bomb site by helping with household chores which was a godsend. It meant that I could grab an hour’s sleep at lunchtime when Ben slept as I knew she was looking after the babies.
As well as offering practical support, I found having a doula invaluable as Julie kept me sane, giving me someone to ask advice from and just generally to have an adult to chat with and, if necessary (although thankfully I didn’t need it!) a shoulder to cry on. I think without her help I would have really struggled and not enjoyed those first few months.
Christina - Mum to Benjamin 2 and Rebecca and Jacob 4 months
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"Baby on Board Doulas are fantastic! I must admit that I was quite worried about having to face labour before I had my Birth Preparation Workshops, as this was my first pregnancy and I didn't know what to expect. Laura and Julie were really friendly and supportive. The sessions were so informative that by the end of them I felt I was well prepared for labour and knew what to expect and the decisions that I would need to make. Having the sessions in your own home on a one-to-one basis is a really good idea for those who really want to discuss their options and feel in control of their labour experience. It is definitely worth the money and I highly recommend them!"
- Lisa Savage (38 weeks pregnant)
"I was impressed with the visual aided way of teaching made by the doula and the information that was given was thorough. This enables prospective mothers to be aware of the many pros and cons of various actions that may be taken during labour and be able to make informed choices about the way they would like to give birth. It is certainly something I would suggest all mothers in waiting experience."
- Debbie Couzens (mother of 4 & birth partner)
"I must admit I was a little skeptical about what the sessions were
going to be like, but the honesty and sheer vast amount of information
presented set my mind at ease. I wanted to support my wife in every way
possible and it seemed like such a monumental task that I was scared I
wouldn't be able to live up to the job. After the coaching that my wife
and I received from the sessions I felt much more able to cope with things,
and realised that the focus of my thoughts had shifted away from anxiety
completely. Listening to my wife talk at the beginning of the course and
at the end had me wondering if it was the same person. We are now so well
informed of the choices and decisions that need to be considered. Thank
you"
- Peter Savage (father to be)
Useful Links
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National Childbirth Trust Association of Breastfeeding Mothers Breastfeeding Network Birthclass.(Services available in your area from independentteachers) Information on water birth, home birth, pool hire/purchase.Includes
Birth-Pool-in-a-Box (inflatable pools) Yoga for pregnancy and postnatal yoga for mums and babies.
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UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths ( Information on reducing the risks of cot death and all up to date research and recommendations) Fathers - Fathers Direct Health care guidelines - (AIMS) Association for the Improvement of maternity Services Birth Choices The Therapy Studio - Baby and You. Specialists therapies and treatments for mums-to-be and new mums. For more info - http://www.thetherapystudio.co.uk/index.htm Childhood Immunisations for babies up to 13months
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