Support, compassion and knowledge present at your birth
Hi there!
I'm Merrewyn, a trauma-informed pregnancy, birth and postnatal doula working throughout beautiful Cornwall. I live in mid-Cornwall with my husband, two young children and three very beloved animals!
I am extremely passionate about helping birthing people have positive and empowering experiences where their bodies and intuition are trusted and respected. My strong belief is that every person giving birth has the right to make their own choices and be listened to, heard and held. The transition of bringing your baby into the world is such a significant and sacred one, and I will help you honour that, whether your birth is at home, in a birth centre or in hospital.
As your doula, I am here to provide you with evidence-based information, practical support during the birth and postpartum period, advocate for you if needed and, most importantly, provide calm, compassionate and consistent emotional support.
What are doulas and what do they do?
Traditionally women have long been birth companions for each other and provided invaluable support once the baby arrived. Similarly, a doula is a person dedicated to helping parents-to-be through pregnancy, labour and/or the postpartum period. They will work with their clients to really get to know them and their expectations prior to the birth and be there to provide a continuous, familiar presence during the birth itself. Doulas usually have a wealth of knowledge around birth but aren't there in a medical capacity to tell you what to do: instead, they will provide information or resources to help you make an informed choice and ask what you think, feel and wish. Above all, they are there to listen, encourage and provide both practical and emotional care and compassion at such an important time in your life.
Why hire a doula?
The reasons are many! There is plenty of evidence that having a doula can improve your chances of having a positive birth experience and a good outcome for yourself and the baby.
Having a doula can mean:
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Reduced risk of Caesarean birth † *.
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Reduced risk of instrumental birth † *.
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Reduced need for painkillers or epidural during birth † *.
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Reduced rate of induction of labour † *.
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Shorter labour †.
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Increased parental satisfaction with the birth experience. †
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Increased likelihood of initiating breastfeeding *.
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Increased likelihood of successfully establishing breastfeeding & breastfeeding at 6 weeks *.
* Brigstocke S. MIDIRS Midwifery Digest, vol 24, no 2, 2014, pp 157-160
† Hodnett ED, Gates S, Hofmeyr G, Sakala C. Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD003766 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub5 (Sourced at https://doula.org.uk/research/)
My packages
I love working with birthing people and their families, providing compassionate, calm and evidence-based care and would feel privileged to support you wherever you are on your journey. The following links will direct you to my different services but there is also the option of creating a bespoke package if there is something particular you're seeking or needing. Just get in touch and we can discuss this further. I look forward to hearing from you!
"Birth is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous... no matter how many times you see it."
— Robin Lim
testimonials
In all honesty we were so impressed with you both the level of knowledge, understanding and help has been so so amazing and we are now both doula lovers and tell other people who are interested just how valuable you are [sic].
Indigo’s birth has brought peace, comfort and confidence. This home birth honoured what my body was doing, without rushing, without forcing, without threats, manipulation or fear. 22.03.23 was one of the hardest most magical days of my life and everything I could have hoped for.