Hi, I am Gráinne (an Irish name for Grace pronounced ‘Grawnya’). Please do not be put off by my name as I am not offended by people struggling with it and I understand it is not the easiest to spell or pronounce!  

I’m a relaxed, calm, easy to get on with person, who likes to laugh at the funnier things in life. I love meeting people and building relationships. My non-judgemental open attitude means that I will support Mum and partner in whatever choices you make and bring no preconceived ideas or hidden agenda of what birth or parenting choices you should make.

You’ll probably find once you announce your pregnancy that everyone has a story or opinion to share on giving birth! I’m here to help you look at all the options available. I encourage parents to trust their natural and cultural instincts and be confident in their values and beliefs to guide them into making the right choices.

I am passionate about helping and supporting Mums and ensuring their partners feel part of the process. We will work together to empower you to give birth and parent your way.

 

My Family

I live in Ruislip and I am a proud Mum of two challenging ‘independent’ girls, Ruby and Grace aged 13 and 12. With only a 15 month gap between the girls, my husband (Matthew) and I could have definitely done with some Doula support when they were born. Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing…

My husband was a supportive birth partner but nearly fainted when I had an antenatal blood test, so we did not think he would make it to see Ruby being born. But he not only supported me throughout the birth, but he also cut the cord. Having been through this, I do not underestimate the emotions and wonder of the birthing process which has a huge impact on Mum, the supporting partner and wider family unit.

My Background

I was born and grew up in London surrounded by a wonderfully close large Irish family. My Mum was 1 of 16 children and my Dad has 5 siblings. Growing up, our home was always full of family and children of different ages. Having babies and children around was very familiar territory and I felt at ease helping out. I started practicing to be a Doula early (unbeknown to me) and in my teens I would spend all my school holidays visiting and helping my aunt to look after my baby twin cousins.  

I worked for 28 years at Waitrose and one of my last roles was as a Commercial Relationship Manager. Over the years I found myself spending more and more time supporting and coaching friends and family through childbirth and the postnatal period. Despite having birthed my own two children I surprised myself at the impact I had when I supported my first birth. Just the little words of encouragement, help with positioning and letting Mum know she is almost there, are just some of the simple things that make the world of difference. I decided I was getting more fulfilment out of this and it was time to focus full time on people and their relationships! I investigated if such a role existed and was excited to discover the world of Doulas and I was away........

I would love to be a part of your journey and am happy to have an initial call or meet up to have a chat. You are always in the driving seat and its important you feel comfortable with me and take your time to choose the right Doula for you.