"Naomi has been my yoga teacher for the last few years so when I was pregnant for the second time and I found out she would be qualifying as a doula a month before I was due I was thrilled. As a yoga teacher she is very caring and connects on a deep level with her students so I had no doubt that she would be a great doula.
First time around I had a very long and difficult labour so I believed very strongly that the presence of a third person would be very beneficial not just for me but also for my partner. Naomi was wonderful throughout those last few weeks. She made herself available to me whenever I needed to talk, gave me lots of useful literature to read regarding birth, came and met my partner where we got to discuss our expectations and anxieties. She gave me breathing and visualisation exercises which I found really helpful and calming.
During labour she was incredibly supportive and nurturing, breathed with me and massaged my back, allowed my partner to rest when he needed and to answer questions that hospital staff were directing at me at various times. (When you are in labour you do not want to be asked your name and date of birth!). Overall I found her presence very maternal and comforting.
The first couple of weeks after I gave birth we were able to discuss how the birth went and how my partner and I were both feeling which again was very helpful. Naomi was a wonderful doula and made my labour much more manageable. I couldn't have done it without her."

(EH, London)