Testimonials

Anne visited me a couple of times, always taking her time to listen and getting to know my expectations.  She was very understanding with regards to my first experience at childbirth.  All I wanted was to have someone listening to my fears and wishes.  Anne was creative and supportive throughout the stages of labour.  Her emotional support was essential for me to have a great birth.  Anne was ever so sweet and discreet, letting me know she was right there if I needed her, but at the same time allowing space to bond with my baby. It’s been a wonderful experience from the first day!  If Anne is available she will definitely be my doula again.

Anne is an experienced mother, a caring, gentle, good-natured woman who absolutely loves her occupation, taking her time to fully listen to and support a mum-to-be’s wishes.  With her skilled knowledge on pain relief methods, she know exactly what to use and when to act, showing confidence and empathy all the time.

If someone asked me about the benefits of using a doula, I’d tell them about my positive experience, and how the presence of a doula can change the whole scenario and idea of childbirth.

I had an amazing experience with Anne from start to finish. I would not go through birth without a doula in future. From educational support before birth (going through all the details you miss in the NHS zoom calls, taking questions, helping to create a birth plan), to practical support during birth (from ensuring I was hydrated to advocating for my choices with midwives when I was unable to speak), to emotional support before, during and after birth, Anne went above and beyond what we expected- she is very passionate and extremely knowledgeable about all things birth. I feel that the lack of information pregnant women are given actually limits our autonomy and choice during our birthing experience and can often lead to outcomes we don’t want. Working with a doula is one lever to ensure you are fully equipped with all the information you need to feel ready for birth- and that you have someone with you to advocate for the choices you have made and a familiar face to support you and your partner. Anne provides the service she describes but there are so many extra things she does to make things easier and more pleasant for you, for example, bringing us food and snacks in those first daunting weeks with a new baby, bringing little toys for our baby and never forgetting the new mum with bath herbs and special teas. We absolutely loved working with Anne and have strongly recommended her and doula services in general to all our friends. My husband said the two things we would never do without during birth are a doula and a TENS machine! Thank you Anne, we will never forget how you helped us, you really became a part of the family.

My husband and I signed up to complete a 5-week course focused on Hypnobirthing with Anne as she had been highly recommended to us by a few friends.

We are both so glad we listened and followed through as we learnt so much as first time parents and were fully informed of our choices and what to expect in terms of labour, pain relief, interventions etc. It was a great 5 weeks, and we looked forward to our Tuesday evening sessions, particularly the relaxing meditation at the end as it was great practice for what lay ahead. After completing the course we continued practising the skills that Anne had taught us, continued to develop our positive mindset so we could hopefully experience the birth as we had planned it. Overall, I had the most incredible birthing experience at the RVH in the Active Birthing Centre, which was hugely impacted by our experience and knowledge gained from Anne. My husband was confident every step of the way and gave me the support I needed throughout, this was as a result of him learning so much from Anne.

We both highly recommend hypnobirthing and Anne as her knowledge, skills and tips a long the way led us to having our son in the most beautiful way. An experience we will never forget and look forward to hopefully experiencing again in the future. Thank you, Anne!

I am a 41 year old first time mother and gave birth to my baby in Belfast, which is not my home city. My mother was my birth partner and I chose Anne as my Doula as my baby would be the sixtieth birth that she had attended and she had had three children herself so I knew I would benefit from her experience in something I was experiencing for the first time.

I first chatted to Anne by phone to discuss how I hoped my birth would be and the support that I would like to receive from her.  Anne then sent me lots of materials, including sample birth preferences and information on hypnobirthing.  These were very useful in helping me to think about the different aspects of birth and to consider decisions that I might have to make before and during the birth and to prepare my mind for a calm birth.

I met Anne twice before the birth – and she helped me prepare further for example by teaching me about the physical processes of a normal birth and hypnobirthing techniques. Anne adapted these sessions to fit my needs and to supplement what I had learned at other antenatal classes.  She also gave me practical help – even taking me to the hospital during my first session when I was worried about my baby’s movements and printing my birth preferences as I didn’t have a printer. 

On the night I gave birth Anne took me to the hospital at 2am and she was so calm and professional and worked confidently and respectfully alongside the hospital staff and my mother. This made me feel that I had a united and expert team looking after and supporting me.  When needed Anne gave me gentle prompts and reminders of the breathing techniques which helped me through contractions and she supported me when I needed to make urgent decisions about deviations from my birth plan. She was encouraging and calm throughout. As a result, although many aspects of my birth did not go in accordance with my plan, with hindsight I would not have changed anything, even if I had more time to make my decisions. 

My beautiful baby boy arrived at 4.41am and Anne stayed with us while he did the breast crawl to reach my breast and have his first feed and until we had feeding established. 

A few days later Anne visited again so I could chat about the birth and we could share the lovely ‘groaning cake’ that she had brought – just one of the lovely personal touches that make Anne a wonderful doula, particularly for a first time mother.

My Husband and I needed to find a doula in Northern Ireland and needed to hire her from South Africa before meeting her. As soon as I saw Anne online something in my heart knew she was right for us. She attentively cared for us during our hypnobirthing course online from miles away and we were so excited that we finally got to give her a big hug when we finally arrived in NI to prepare for our homebirth. Anne was such a lovely force to have with us and allowed us and held space for us as we discovered what was the best for our little family in a totally new environment. In the end although I had to transfer to hospital one of the major factors to us being able to still have a natural birth after a 40 hour labor was Anne’s unwavering knowledge and strength when Josh and I had to make decisions or felt pressure. Her presence enabled us to hold strong to our belief in ourselves and what we had wanted which was as much as possible an unmedicated natural birth. My baby was born naturally in hospital and she was with us every step of the way. We hope to see you again soon with our beautiful baby girl. Thank you our dear Anne

I’m so thankful for Anne’s support during my pregnancy. She was so supportive to me privately as well as helping me get the midwives to listen and take my concerns seriously. My experience of pregnancy was not great but Anne made a very difficult time that much more manageable. 

I can’t recommend Anne enough for her ongoing help and support throughout my pregnancy and during the birth of my baby. Anne kept me informed about my birth options and was always on hand to answer any of my questions. She was a great advocate for me throughout the whole process and she really helped make my birth a calm and peaceful experience. She is such a lovely, warm person and I will be forever grateful for her. 

Our hypnobirthing sessions with Anne totally equipped us for our birth, and gave me the confidence to make my own decisions around my options whilst in labour. Although my birthing experience wasn’t what I’d hoped for, the breathing and relaxation techniques I had learnt and applied helped me through labour with only gas and air and the knowledge gained from the sessions helped me to make the right and safe decisions quickly for delivering our daughter in the end. Without Anne I would not have had the confidence to stand up for myself and stand my ground. Anne’s guidance was invaluable and prepared us for this journey and her support afterwards goes above and beyond.

Anne was absolutely invaluable to us throughout my pregnancy. We heard about Anne through two different couples who both had home births. From the moment I got in contact with Anne I just loved her. Anne has such a calming presence and a wealth of knowledge on birthing. You can just tell that she loves her job so much. I had read a hypnobirthing book and done a free course already but I didn’t gain half the knowledge as I did with Anne’s course. I would recommend everyone to do the hypnobirthing with Anne. Anne really went above and beyond for me and I never would have been able to stand up for myself without her. The whole experience was so amazing and spiritual and helped to create a closer bond between myself, my partner and our baby boy. I will stay in contact with Anne and will not hesitate to have her involved in any future births we may have.

I’m so glad I decided to book Anne as my postnatal doula. My husband and I don’t have any close family living nearby, so Anne’s visits provided invaluable support during our first weeks as new parents. She was a calming, judgment-free presence, and I felt so confident leaving her with my son while I took a much-needed nap or shower. She was always happy to offer newborn advice when I asked—not to mention all her extra gestures like bringing us food and offering to make us lunch. Don’t hesitate to book Anne as your postnatal doula!