CONTACT DETAILS 

Telephone: 07973 428654

Email: rupa@petersfielddoula.co.uk

A bit more about me, I belong to a large extended family where nurturing and supporting each other was an integral part of our upbringing and so, in 2016, when I came across the role of a doula, I immediately knew that it was the right choice for me. My two grown up children now live independently so I can offer a very flexible service to meet you and your family’s needs, including evenings and some weekends.

Becoming a parent can be overwhelming and adapting to family life sometimes challenging. Nowadays, there appears to be much more pressure on being the perfect parent and with so much information available it can be a daunting and confusing time.

As a birth doula, we begin our relationship during your pregnancy by building trust and creating a safe space for you and your partner to explore all the options for your birth. I offer antenatal help around your birth options, and this is usually in the comfort of your home. I have supported single mums and couples in a wide range of pregnancy and birth experiences such as, breech presentation, caesarean, gestational diabetes, induction, VBAC, water birth, drug free birth, home birth, midwife led units and obstetric settings. Playing an active role in making these decisions a memorable and positive birth experience is far more likely.

I am voluntary member of the MVP (Maternity Voices Partnership) at the Royal Surrey Hospital and attend regular meetings with other team members to help improve the service for maternity patients. I have also attended births at Frimley Park, The Grange, Queen Elizabeth and St Richard’s Hospitals.

As a postnatal doula, my focus is on the mother and her overall wellbeing by spending time nurturing, allowing time to recover, rest, gain confidence and bond with baby.  I am always happy to offer support with your choice of feeding and can help to establish breastfeeding routines which can be difficult in the early days. I am also the extra pair of hands to help with practical tasks such as laundry, shopping, preparing nutritious snacks and meals for the family.  From my personal experience and having supported other families, I recognise the impact a new addition can have on older siblings and how the overall family dynamics can change.  For the older child, this can result in a change or regressive behaviour which can become overwhelming and challenging for the mother. My role is to remain completely non-judgmental, listen and talk through issues and feelings that may arise, such as the natural dilemma between new baby and sibling priorities where I can usually provide experience based reassurance and suggestions.

I have a great amount of experience of supporting all kinds of families, solo mums, LGBT parents, families with twins, low birth weight who sometimes need extra care and attention in the critical early weeks.