I’m Jo, I live in North Cornwall and provide birth preparation and support to families across Cornwall and the Devon border.
Pregnancy is an exciting time, a special time and a time to be honoured and nurtured by those around you. It can also feel overwhelming; there is so much to think about when you are bringing a new baby into the world.
As your doula, I will walk by your side during your birthing journey, giving you continuous emotional, practical and informational support.
I will help you to prepare for the birth of your baby by talking through your hopes, worries and fears and supporting you with evidence based information so that you feel confident and empowered.
When you go into labour, I will come to you whenever you feel you need me and stay with you until you are comfortable and settled with your new baby.
After your baby is born I will continue to offer you reassurance and encouragement and give you a nurturing helping hand with your new family.
I support all types of families and all kinds of birth in a variety of settings. I cover Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (Treliske) in Truro, Penrice and Helston Birthing Centres and home births.
Family life
I’m a 50 year old Mum of 3 lovely and lively children aged 13, 11 and 9 and we live in a beautiful little hamlet near Wadebridge in Cornwall. We are a home educating family and we like to take life slowly and enjoy the simple things and spending time together at home and out in nature.
I love to bake sourdough bread and enjoy nourishing those around me with food, love and my time.
My birth experiences
My children have given me the gift of three very unique birthing experiences for which I am grateful. However, there were times where I felt confused and overwhelmed, times where I felt disempowered and times where I needed someone to say ‘its OK, this is completely normal’ and sometimes I simply wanted to just have a big ugly cry and not feel silly. On the flipside, there were times I felt 10ft tall, like I had harnessed some deep ancient power and could literally climb every mountain.
Looking back it made me realise that during all those times, we really could have done with some extra support from someone who could hold space for us when we were feeling exhausted and overwhelmed and needed to make decisions. It would also have been encouraging to have someone there who would give us big high fives when we reached the top of those mountains.
The more I read about doulas, the more I realised I wanted to be that support for others.
Could I be your doula?
Becoming a parent for the first time (or even the second, third or fourth!) is a life changing and transformative experience which I believe should be honored and celebrated by all those around you.
It is ALWAYS an honour for me to walk alongside you on your birth journey and provide support for the whole of your family (partners, siblings and grandparents too!) We are all unique and have different life experiences, personal circumstances, hopes and wishes and I respect that. I will support you and your family without judgement and have every faith that the decisions you make are the right ones for you.
Doula Training and Experience
In October 2017, I completed my doula training with Kate Woods of Conscious Birthing and was mentored by Kate as part of her Student Doula Programme for 2 years. I finished my training and became an ‘established’ doula in January 2020.
In 2018 I trained as breastfeeding peer supporter and volunteer in the community (and have just set up a support group in Wadebridge) and on the postnatal ward at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
I believe that birth is a sacred event and I’m passionate about supporting you to have a positive and empowered experience, no matter where or how you birth your baby. I have supported births at home, in hospital (Exeter, Derriford and Treliske) and Midwife Led Units. These have included more complex births, water births, home births, assisted birth, cesarean birth, inductions and vaginal breech birth. Pregnancy is a journey and sometimes there are a few bumps in the road, so if yours takes a different path from your original plan, I will be there to support you every step of the way.
I am a warm and compassionate person and I bring a light touch to my work with the families I support. I will listen to you without judgement and with an open heart. I have every faith in you and will be right by your side giving you continuous nurturing support during your vulnerable times and when you are at your most powerful.
- October 2017 – Birth Doula Training with Kate Woods at Conscious Birthing
- April 2018 – Jan 2020, mentored doula through Conscious Birthing’s Student Programme, with Kate Woods
- December 2017 – Herbs for pregnancy, birth and after with Sarah Lambourne, Golden Earth Temple
- December 2017 – Closing the Bones Training with Maddie McMahon
- April 2018 – Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond with Sophie Knock
- April 2018 – Breastfeeding Peer Supporter Training with Real Baby Milk
- November 2018 – Hospital Peer Supporter Training with Real Baby Milk
- November 2018 – NICE breastfeeding training
- April 2019 – Breastfeeding Support Training for Young Mums with Wild
- June 2109 – Massage for Women with curandera and ethnobotanist, Rocio Alarcon
- June 2019 – I’m Fine, perinatal Mental Health Training
- June 2019 – Doulas Without Borders, Trauma Informed Care training with Kate Woods
- Jan 2020 – Completed Conscious Birthing’s Student Doula Programme and became an ‘Established’ doula
- September 2020 – The Care Certificate (via The Brandon Trust)
- April 2020 to date – The Art of Birth, Naoli Vinaver
- October 2020 – Joined Doula UK
- February 2021 – Epilepsy Awareness, The Brandon Trust
- January 2022 – Became a Recognised Doula UK doula
- March 2021 – Ongoing – Shamanic Mentoring with Eva Bay Greenslade
- March 2022 – Ongoing – Joined Wise Woman Birth School with Evony Lynch
- April 2022 – Jan 2023 – Birthing from Within – Childbirth Educator Training
Being a doula is so much more than just a job for me, it is a part of my life. Every family I support teaches me something new about birth and about myself; it is a journey and I am always learning.
“From the moment you ask them to be yours, a piece of their heart has your name on it”
(Sarah Caldwell, The Unspoken Truth About Your Doula)