Oxford Doula - Doula Service in Oxford
Working with pregnant and birthing women is a great privilege and joy to me. I have worked with many mums to be, helping relieve emotional and physical tensions through massage and shiatsu during pregnancy and after giving birth. My philosophy as a doula revolves around my belief that pregnancy and birth are a time of deep embodiment when a mother needs to feel relaxed, nurtured and supported, with minimal stress. Given the right conditions both psychologically and environmentally, women can have a very positive and empowering birthing experience that will forever stay with them. Birth is one of life’s greatest mysteries - an everyday miracle of creation and I believe it is every woman's birthright to choose how she will give birth and to have her needs respected by others during the process. The deep love, satisfaction and joy of intimate bonding with a newborn in a safe and secure environment is a magical and precious time in a woman's life that will positively imprint on the baby. It is a special time that she and her partner will cherish forever and my role is to nurture the family at this time and protect the birth environment.
A woman’s body is designed to give birth gracefully and I am passionate about sensitively and creatively working with mothers and couples to explore any issues they might be facing during pregnancy in order to help them have the most positive experience. I tend to view the birth itself as the result of an inner alchemical process that has already been going on for at least 9 months, and the experience of pregnancy as a key component of preparation as well as the birth being the focal point of the whole pregnancy.
Birth preparation sessions are a holistic and creative approach to pregnancy and birth and include visualization, meditation, movement, massage and shiatsu techniques for labour and discussion about the energetic and physiological map of birth as well as practical things like nutrition and excercise.
Research shows that having a knowledgeable and experienced doula present at a birth enables women in labour to relax and focus on the task ahead of them, feel less inclined to ask for pain relieving drugs as they find the strength within to handle contractions positively rather than feel victimised by them. Labour is shorter, epidural and caesarian rates are approximately halved, and women are less at risk of requiring ventouse or forceps delivery. Partners often feel more relaxed and confident and are then able to support their partner more. Breastfeeding is more successful.
I have attended births in a variety of settings and can ensure my support and respect of your process at all times. I will protect your safe space wherever you choose to birth. For women who are having a hospital birth for example, one of my roles is to liase between yourselves and the staff in order to ensure your wishes are respected throughout the birthing process.
If you live in Oxford or nearby and are interested in the possibility of me being your doula, then lets talk on the phone and arrange to have have a cup of tea and and get to know each other. It would be ideal to meet your partner too. Then if you do decide you'd like me to support you through the process I offer the following:
Up to 3 more meetings where we will clarify what your needs and wishes are and where I can show your partner massage techniques for pregnancy and birth as well as how to support active birthing positions. If you will be going to hospital, we can also write up a plan to take to hospital to back up your choices and help you to focus your intentions on what you want. This can be useful for women who are in the throes of labour and don't want to be disturbed by much talk. In the case of a long labour, there will be staff changes so it can be useful for me to orient new staff with the mothers written wishes.
My commitment of availability to you by phone, email and by being on-call for two weeks before and two weeks after your due date.
Continuous care and support to both you and your partner while respecting your privacy and upholding your birthing philosophy during labour and birth until your baby is comfortably settled in your arms.
Follow up visit/s and phone calls to ensure your wellbeing and integration of the birthing experience.
Contact me for more information.
The government says that women are entitled to paid time off to attend ante-natal appointments, relaxation and parentcraft classes. Are you getting your entitlement? We may need to educate our employers about this - see this document
About Holistic Maternity Care with Miranda.
Miranda has 11 years of professional experience in the healing arts and holds diplomas in counselling and therapeutic arts facilitation, pregnancy massage, shiatsu and nutrition. She worked as a pregnancy massage specialist at Bella Mama clinic in Auckland, New Zealand where she gave nurturing treatments to many mums-to-be, dads and new mums.
Miranda’s interest in childbirth began in California in 2002 where she apprenticed with midwife and herbalist Rebecca Sheraniam and subsequently trained to be a professional birth assistant (doula) at the Santa Rosa Women’s health and Birth Centre, where she assisted labouring mums.
Looking to integrate body wisdom with psychological inquiry led Miranda to complete a diploma in counseling and psychotherapeutic arts facilitation at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education, London. This ignited a fascination in the attachment and neuroscience of parenting in developing a baby’s brain but also highlighted a gap in available information since processes that shape a baby’s personality prior to birth were not taught on the course. It was at this time that her interest in pre and peri-natal psychology was ignited.
Miranda met Elena Tonetti-Vladamirova, conscious birthing expert and filmmaker of the Internationally acclaimed Documentary “Birth As We Know It” in 2009. Elena’s film and work are centered around raising awareness of influences that shape the infant during it’s formative period and empower parents-to-be to resolve their own unconscious fear of birth so that they can welcome their newborn in a compassionate and fulfilling way. Many couples have found this work deeply nurturing and transformative.
Miranda has been mentored by Elena and has assisted her on numerous Birth into Being - Limbic Imprint Recoding trainings internationally. She offers one-to-one sessions and workshops. Click here to find out more.
“Miranda was my Doula for the pregnancy and birth of my son Lyndan. She was immensely supportive and passionate about my health and wellbeing and was always on the phone or coming round if I asked her, checking if there was anything I needed, or advising me on ways to make the whole experience as easy and positive as possible. I felt hugely supported and cared for by her as she is so naturally good at being a Doula due to her passion, sensitivity, whole heartedness, and love of what she does. I would highly recommend her to any pregnant woman or couple looking for a Doula to support them throughout this special time. She was a joy for me and I can honestly say my birth would not have been the same without her.”
Ellie, Mother of Lyndan
A woman’s body is designed to give birth gracefully and I am passionate about sensitively and creatively working with mothers and couples to explore any issues they might be facing during pregnancy in order to help them have the most positive experience. I tend to view the birth itself as the result of an inner alchemical process that has already been going on for at least 9 months, and the experience of pregnancy as a key component of preparation as well as the birth being the focal point of the whole pregnancy.
Birth preparation sessions are a holistic and creative approach to pregnancy and birth and include visualization, meditation, movement, massage and shiatsu techniques for labour and discussion about the energetic and physiological map of birth as well as practical things like nutrition and excercise.
Research shows that having a knowledgeable and experienced doula present at a birth enables women in labour to relax and focus on the task ahead of them, feel less inclined to ask for pain relieving drugs as they find the strength within to handle contractions positively rather than feel victimised by them. Labour is shorter, epidural and caesarian rates are approximately halved, and women are less at risk of requiring ventouse or forceps delivery. Partners often feel more relaxed and confident and are then able to support their partner more. Breastfeeding is more successful.
I have attended births in a variety of settings and can ensure my support and respect of your process at all times. I will protect your safe space wherever you choose to birth. For women who are having a hospital birth for example, one of my roles is to liase between yourselves and the staff in order to ensure your wishes are respected throughout the birthing process.
If you live in Oxford or nearby and are interested in the possibility of me being your doula, then lets talk on the phone and arrange to have have a cup of tea and and get to know each other. It would be ideal to meet your partner too. Then if you do decide you'd like me to support you through the process I offer the following:
Up to 3 more meetings where we will clarify what your needs and wishes are and where I can show your partner massage techniques for pregnancy and birth as well as how to support active birthing positions. If you will be going to hospital, we can also write up a plan to take to hospital to back up your choices and help you to focus your intentions on what you want. This can be useful for women who are in the throes of labour and don't want to be disturbed by much talk. In the case of a long labour, there will be staff changes so it can be useful for me to orient new staff with the mothers written wishes.
My commitment of availability to you by phone, email and by being on-call for two weeks before and two weeks after your due date.
Continuous care and support to both you and your partner while respecting your privacy and upholding your birthing philosophy during labour and birth until your baby is comfortably settled in your arms.
Follow up visit/s and phone calls to ensure your wellbeing and integration of the birthing experience.
Contact me for more information.
The government says that women are entitled to paid time off to attend ante-natal appointments, relaxation and parentcraft classes. Are you getting your entitlement? We may need to educate our employers about this - see this document
About Holistic Maternity Care with Miranda.
Miranda has 11 years of professional experience in the healing arts and holds diplomas in counselling and therapeutic arts facilitation, pregnancy massage, shiatsu and nutrition. She worked as a pregnancy massage specialist at Bella Mama clinic in Auckland, New Zealand where she gave nurturing treatments to many mums-to-be, dads and new mums.
Miranda’s interest in childbirth began in California in 2002 where she apprenticed with midwife and herbalist Rebecca Sheraniam and subsequently trained to be a professional birth assistant (doula) at the Santa Rosa Women’s health and Birth Centre, where she assisted labouring mums.
Looking to integrate body wisdom with psychological inquiry led Miranda to complete a diploma in counseling and psychotherapeutic arts facilitation at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education, London. This ignited a fascination in the attachment and neuroscience of parenting in developing a baby’s brain but also highlighted a gap in available information since processes that shape a baby’s personality prior to birth were not taught on the course. It was at this time that her interest in pre and peri-natal psychology was ignited.
Miranda met Elena Tonetti-Vladamirova, conscious birthing expert and filmmaker of the Internationally acclaimed Documentary “Birth As We Know It” in 2009. Elena’s film and work are centered around raising awareness of influences that shape the infant during it’s formative period and empower parents-to-be to resolve their own unconscious fear of birth so that they can welcome their newborn in a compassionate and fulfilling way. Many couples have found this work deeply nurturing and transformative.
Miranda has been mentored by Elena and has assisted her on numerous Birth into Being - Limbic Imprint Recoding trainings internationally. She offers one-to-one sessions and workshops. Click here to find out more.
“Miranda was my Doula for the pregnancy and birth of my son Lyndan. She was immensely supportive and passionate about my health and wellbeing and was always on the phone or coming round if I asked her, checking if there was anything I needed, or advising me on ways to make the whole experience as easy and positive as possible. I felt hugely supported and cared for by her as she is so naturally good at being a Doula due to her passion, sensitivity, whole heartedness, and love of what she does. I would highly recommend her to any pregnant woman or couple looking for a Doula to support them throughout this special time. She was a joy for me and I can honestly say my birth would not have been the same without her.”
Ellie, Mother of Lyndan