I love walking in nature, cooking, drinking tea and scented candles!
Birth is powerful. It’s raw, transformative, and deeply personal. But too often, women are left feeling unheard, unsupported, and disconnected from their own strength. My journey to becoming a doula was born from both personal experience and professional insight—driven by an unshakable belief that every woman deserves to feel safe, informed, and in control of her birth.
In 2022, I began training as a midwife, completing two years of the degree. I had the privilege of hands-on facilitation of 17 births and caring for countless new mothers in the postnatal period. This experience gave me a deep understanding of the maternity system from the inside out—and a stark awareness of its limitations. I saw firsthand how stretched resources often left women without the individualized care they needed. I knew there had to be another way. That’s when I discovered the power of doula support—offering women the advocacy, reassurance, and continuity of care that the system alone often couldn’t provide.
But my passion for this work runs even deeper. I was 22 when I had my first baby (yes, I know I looked 12!). I felt overwhelmed by conflicting advice, lacking the knowledge, confidence, and support to make the best decisions for myself. This experience left me struggling with postnatal depression—something I now empathize with on a profound level.
My second birth was completely different. At 42 weeks, I gave birth at home in a birthing pool, feeling safe, empowered, and in control. That experience changed everything. It showed me what birth could be when women are given the right support—and it lit a fire in me to ensure that every woman has access to the knowledge, space, and confidence to birth her way.
With 15 years of experience working with children and families, I bring both professional expertise and deep, personal understanding to my work. As a qualified social worker, I continue to support children in foster care on a freelance basis, alongside my work as a doula. My mission is simple but powerful: to ensure that no woman feels lost, unheard, or powerless in her journey to motherhood. You deserve support. You deserve choice. You deserve to trust in your body and your instincts. And I am here to help you do just that.
melissa@barefootdoula.co.uk
07894454287
Worthing, Shoreham, Brighton, Hove, Chichester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Midhurst, Crawley, Horsham, Lewes, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead and many more locations in West Sussex, East Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey...!
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