* I am sorry to say that from August 2022 my doula service is not available for the forseeable future. All other services remain available*.

I am an accredited BirthBliss Academy doula and member of The Doula Association. CEO and founder, Kicki Hansard, is an award winning doula, author of The Secrets of Birth. and has taught way over 100 doula courses and has trained with both Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus, two of the founders of DONA (Doulas Of North America) as well as a number of prominent leaders in their fields, such as Jack Newman, Ina May Gaskin and Michel Odent.

I am thrilled to be a member of The Doula Association and well connected in New Zealand's doula community. This enables me to continually improve and enhance my doula practice, ensuring I provide the parents of Wellington with an excellent standard of doula support.

"Women’s perceptions about their bodies and their babies’ capabilities will be deeply influenced by the care they receive around the time of birth".

Ina May Gaskin

My birth values...

  • By growing and bring new life into the world, we are nothing short of miracle makers.
  • A healthy baby is not all that matters, you matter too.
  • It's ok to want to influence your birth experience.
  • You are responsible for your birth
  • It is something you do. It is not done to you.
  • How you feel about birth can impact on how you birth
  • Birth is a feminist issue
  • Not all people who birth babies are women. Not all people who birth are mothers. Not all mothers give birth.
  • Childbirth is an exciting adventure
  • Consent needs to be informed
  • If you don't know your options, you don't have any.
  • You will make the best decisions for you and your baby based on the information you have and the circumstances you are in.
  • We come with a lifetime's worth of social conditioning about birth. This can be tricky.
  • We live in a culture where birth is seen as medical event. This can be tricky.
  • With change comes stress, loss and grief, and that's ok
  • All births are sacred and valid.
  • You are stronger than you think.
  • You CAN do ths!

Hear first hand....

Sophi was my first ever birth doula client in New Zealand. After her incredible birth, she wrote her story for Kapiti Parent Centre Magazine. To hear first hand on what it was like to have my doula support, click on Sophi's birth story.

 

We might be a good mix if:

  • You want a calm, intuitive presence
  • You want a good listener
  • You want someone who supports and respects your decisions and choices
  • You want a doula who is trauma-informed.
  • You want authenticity and a 'down to earth' nature. No BS.
  • You want a progressive doula who is has an inclusive outlook.
  • You want a doula who can work cohesively with your birth team and has a great connections with midwives and other professionals within the birth community
  • You want a doula who knows you are stronger and more capable than you believe you are
  • You want someone to hold space for you
  • You want confidentiality
  • You want a rock in the unpredictability of birth, and someone who can support you through unforeseen changes
  • You want someone trained to support survivors of abuse, at birth
  • You want someone who is inclusive of sexuality and gender identity
  • You want someone with a sound knowledge of  Hypnobirthing
  • You want a doula who can support your family too (husband/wife/partner/parents/siblings)
  • You want someone to ensure you feel at the centre of your care
  • You want someone who doesn't embarrass easily and will be respectful of your needs for personal care or nudity