Notes from families are always a pleasure to recieve and remind me of why I continue to do this meaningful and very special work. Thanks to all of the families for their permission to publish their heartfelt words.
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I would like to thank you, Daisy, for your invaluable support to me and my family during the labour and after, as well as in those few weeks leading to a big day. I can tell now that without your knowledge, support, contacts and experience my so wished home birth would not be happening. I will always be grateful to you for helping me to overcome the hurdles placed on my path as I was planning VBAC at home. I had the most beautiful, smooth and healing birth and your calm presence and confidence made me feel safe and relaxed. I remember feeling the baby coming down and at that point the midwives were not even near, I had a panicky thought creeping in but then your calm guidance and assurance that all is well, instantly put me at ease and I was able to focus on the labour and work my way through in meeting my new born. Oh, and those chimes were the best music for my ears and ever since when I hear chimes playing, it always reminds me of the birth of our son. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for looking after our family with full dedication and passion. Vaida & Ravi I had the chance to have Daisy present for the birth of both my sons. The first time round she was my "back up" but we both instinctively knew she would be present at my birth. I didn't know her well at all then but I found her energy and her passion for birth contagious, inspiring and comforting. She was invaluable during my home birth as the baby arrived so quickly, before the second midwife!!! Her calm presence was much needed after when the midwives left and she stayed with us for a little while, helping with feeding and generally holding the space whilst being very discreet and non-intrusive. Three years later, I totally knew I wanted Daisy at my second home birth. Her ante-natal meetings were lovely, instructive and grounding. We did talking mats, a brilliant communication tool very helpful to create a big picture of my hopes and fears. She also spent some time with my husband, to get to know him better and did talking mats with him too. When my waters broke 2.5 weeks early, she came round, set up her lovely pool, and we went for lots of long walks together. Many walks. For a few days, she came in and out of my birth space, juggling her own family needs and ours. I felt the even when she was not there, she still was. When after 2 long days of no contractions and no progress I decided to check myself into hospital, it never felt like I was failing, never felt judged, and I never felt power was taken from my hands. I knew my options, and Daisy played a huge part in this. When I realised I was going to get a c-section for malpresentation, I felt supported the whole way through. Daisy's quiet and strong presence was invaluable. Her post natal support was also very welcomed. She came round and cooked me the most beautiful stew for dinner, and next-day lunch, and we had left over for 2 more meals in the freezer! During both births, she held the space with strength, grace and compassion. I would recommend her services with all my heart. Marie Claude Daisy was an amazing support during my labour. She had really taken time to get to know me and my family before hand so she knew exactly what we wanted. She was happy to advocate for me if she felt that my wishes had not been understood. She was a huge support emotionally not just for me but my Mum and Husband too. At times it felt like she was a mind reader keeping on top of making sure I took fluids and producing a fan to cool me down when I get over heated without my asking or prompting or even actually realising it is what i needed. After baby was born she made room for me and daddy to have time alone with little one - something I had not even considered I would need. Ushering everyone out the room for little bit to let us have some alone time. All while making soup and cake to make sure we were all fed and knitting baby a new hat. Truly Wonder Woman ! As for her relationship with midwifes they may only have met that morning but they worked together like they had been a well established team. She also took some photos (that I didn't even know she had taken) which now are precious to me, capturing the moment my 2 year old met her baby brother. Amy M To our holder of space
At my initial meeting with Daisy the Doula, I knew I found gold. She held a space for me to find my calm. During my pregnancy in the chats we had, I became aware of things on my mind so got to sort them out. The conversations she held with my husband and me were so useful. We found out what the other felt, wanted, feared and questioned about birth and pregnancy so much more fully than we would have just chatting with each other. During my birthing, Daisy held the space so my husband could fully look after me and I could zone in on my inner tranquility. Honest. I wanted to love labouring and I actually did. We imagined a home birth. My greatest desire was to feel fully present and active in my labouring no matter how labour played out. I wanted to feel listened to. I did. My labour lasted for 3 and 1/2 days. I laboured at home for the first 65 ish hours. The atmosphere was calm, playful, light. My baby was angled. We very calmly decided after discussing the Midwife 's recommendation to go hospital where we then decided to have a cesarean section. It was so useful and reassuring for me to have Daisy, a knowledgeable person I trusted, observing my labour and hearing the recommendations. Her presence eased my decision making process. It could have been crazy stressful, but really wasn't. I had a very positive experience in hospital. My time on the recover ward felt like staying in a hotel! We had a long and gradual journey to meet our baby. There was joy, play, anticipation, relief, and immense yearning. Daisy held our space so we could hold ourselves. Connie and Girvan I am so grateful for Daisy being my partner and I’s Doula for our daughter’s birth. I say our Doula because Daisy supported all of us and it made for such a wonderful experience. I’ve heard that some men think that having a Doula will take away their role. This is the opposite of what happens. She allowed me to be totally present and connected with my partner throughput the process, giving me a nudge to do something that was needed, allaying any fears that came up for me and basically taking care of anything that needed doing to allow me to be in the moment caring for my partner. And she had just the right touch in the more intense moments when my partner needed some extra emotional or physical support. It felt like a team effort with my partner feeling so supported by both of us. I look back on the whole experience with a sense of gratitude and wonder.
Rob Dear Daisy We just want to say a BIG THANK YOU for all your support over the past few months and especially during my labour. You are such an amazing, strong, positive woman and your presence was invaluable to me. Thank you also for all the food you prepared/bought (the kohlrabi soup kept us going for quite a while!) - it was delicious and so appreciated, and also for my beautiful, sunny begonia. With warmest wishes and much love, J &A To our wonderful doula, Daisy.
To say thank you would just not be enough. You helped me to believe in myself and my body and as a result of that we had the most beautiful birth experience. I think about it everyday. You knew what I wanted in labour when I didn't- what a skill to have! I felt so supported during my pregnancy and birth and your positivity cheered me up no end at times when at times I had wavered in confidence. Thank you so much Daisy, the birth of our beautiful son has healed me in so many ways, I'm so grateful you were a part of it. Danielle X Dear Daisy, Thank you so much for being such a FAB birth support partner. I have to say that [daughter's] birth was such a fantastic experience and having you there to help me made ALL the difference. You helped me stay calm, relaxed and focused and you were so spot on at 'reading' what was needed and when. Thank you! Thank you for helping me to have my ideal birthing day for [my daughter]. I hope we are able to stay in touch. Love from E & T We don’t know what we’d have done without Daisy. She managed to support both of us equally during the labour, was a reassuring and calming influence (on us and the midwife!) and was on hand to make sure our wishes were respected from start to finish. We loved the Talking Mats exercise - a clear and easy way to make decisions (during a confusing time!) and to talk through events afterwards. Thank you Daisy, for all the love, support, and the amazing curry! Fran and Steve Daisy was fantastic before, during and after our birth. We felt she really took the time to understand us as people, and adapted to suit our preferences and needs. During the birth she brought a calm, positive energy but managed to be very unobtrusive and allow me to labour in peace and with confidence. Looking back she was especially helpful at the start - labour had become intense enough that I couldn't sleep, so I woke John, ran a bath and asked Daisy to come. I could feel myself becoming anxious, and thinking about the very long (several days) latent labour of my first birth and how exhausted and uncomfortable I had been. Daisy arrived and we had a lovely chat while I was in the bath, and my perspective totally changed (even though we didn't directly talk about how I was feeling). During my (much shorter!) labour Daisy knew when to make gentle suggestions, and when to blend into the background. Without her there we would have forgotten all about music - and labouring to the Moana soundtrack and Best of Bowie is something every mum should be able to experience! I especially loved how she welcomed our 3 year old daughter into the birthing space and helped her massage my back - something Matilda still talks about almost a year later. Something we thought of as a "nice extra" but completely underestimated the importance of was Daisy's visit the day after the birth. She brought us the most delicious, nutritious food without expecting or wanting anything from us. We both felt really nurtured - which we realised we hadn't really experienced before and certainly didn't expect.
I know this beautiful home birth is something I will treasure for the rest of my life, and Daisy was instrumental in helping it come about. If we have another baby I'll be booking her immediately! Miriam and John Dear Daisy,
I'm not sure it's possible to express how wonderful and incredible and beautiful you helped make the birth of my first baby. When I think back on how it all unfolded in the end - with the long labour, transfer from home and eventual interventions, I know it could have turned into something else- something I would have had bad memories of. Instead, your support gave the situation the continuity needed to help keep it my birth experience, despite entering 'the system' in hospital. You were there helping to get the epidural topped up, you were holding my hand when I started pushing and you were there when [my son] came out into the world and I feel absolutely privileged to have had such support and love at that time. I wanted also to share my 'best bits' with you:
You have the maddest job in the world and you do it so, so well. You touched our lives in quite the loveliest and most profound way. Thank you With all the love I have, J |
Daisy was my birth Doula when I had premature twins (36 weeks) in hospital on my own, she helped turn the whole thing into a magical experience, which I will never forget. Both Lilly and Callum are now 6 years old and doing great - thanks is not enough x - Rebecca
Daisy was amazingly educational and a huge positive light for me during my pregnancy and post partum. We initially had reservations about getting a doula - it was expensive, and my partner thought it seemed like an over privileged middle-class thing to do, and why shouldn’t we just have the midwives, wouldn’t it seem rude to them? However, we now see that the NHS midwife support is a hugely different thing to the personalised support that a doula offers and the relationship you get to build with her. Daisy’s support was also amazing value for what we got, worth every penny as it made a huge difference to our wellbeing and set us on a strong path for the start of parenting; something that you can’t really put a price on! The mother blessing that Daisy hosted near the end of my pregnancy was also an amazing experience - all my friends who were there wished they had done this in their pregnancies! – it made me feel so special, loved and supported.
Daisy brought a wealth of knowledge and experience that made it possible for us to freebirth - I am delighted that I was able to free birth, it was empowering and a wonderful experience that I can feel proud of my whole life. I looked forward to her visits post partum and could share my joy over our new baby with her as she had a trusted and personal relationship with us, and I could open up to her about any challenges. Having a doula was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made - in fact I made the decision, my partner was hesitant but he now is extremely pleased we enlisted her support! I will now advise all my friends to have a doula, it was an invaluable support for us and helped make the whole pregnancy, birth and early days a positive experience. I feel totally empowered by my birth and I can’t thank Daisy enough. Rosalie Short Daisy was a fantastic Doula and would recommend her highly. She brought a wealth of knowledge, experience, contacts, practical and emotional support to our birthing experience. There are so many personal things to say about this very personal experience to go into here! She has an amazing energy and passion for what she does and has that amazing ability to allow you to feel empowered and find agency within the time of your pregnancy.
She is one in a million. Simone It's been three weeks since the birth of our son and I'm still on a high from the experience. Our home birth was one of the best days of my life and this was in no small part down to the incredible support we had from Daisy. We'd so enjoyed getting to know Daisy in the months leading up to the big day and I felt I could completely trust her when I went into labour. She not only supported my husband and I emotionally but also physically with her and my husband making an amazing team massaging me, wiping my brow and spurring me on with just the right words of encouragement. Daisy is a skilled, intuitive, compassionate and passionate doula. I highly recommend her. Hiring Daisy was one of the best decisions we have ever made.
Thank you so much Daisy. We couldn't and wouldn't have wanted to have done it without you! Karina and John Daisy was fantastic before, during and after our birth. We felt she really took the time to understand us as people, and adapted to suit our preferences and needs. During the birth she brought a calm, positive energy but managed to be very unobtrusive and allow me to labour in peace and with confidence. Looking back she was especially helpful at the start - labour had become intense enough that I couldn't sleep, so I woke John, ran a bath and asked Daisy to come. I could feel myself becoming anxious, and thinking about the very long (several days) latent labour of my first birth and how exhausted and uncomfortable I had been. Daisy arrived and we had a lovely chat while I was in the bath, and my perspective totally changed (even though we didn't directly talk about how I was feeling). During my (much shorter!) labour Daisy knew when to make gentle suggestions, and when to blend into the background. Without her there we would have forgotten all about music - and labouring to the Moana soundtrack and Best of Bowie is something every mum should be able to experience! I especially loved how she welcomed our 3 year old daughter into the birthing space and helped her massage my back - something Matilda still talks about almost a year later. Something we thought of as a "nice extra" but completely underestimated the importance of was Daisy's visit the day after the birth. She brought us the most delicious, nutritious food without expecting or wanting anything from us. We both felt really nurtured - which we realised we hadn't really experienced before and certainly didn't expect.
I know this beautiful home birth is something I will treasure for the rest of my life, and Daisy was instrumental in helping it come about. If we have another baby I'll be booking her immediately! Miriam Main The birth of our second child was the most wonderful experience and exceeded anything we could have imagined, made possible by the calm and confident presence of our doula, Daisy. Throughout our pregnancy, Daisy supported us and provided us with up-to-date research and information relating to homebirths and pregnancy in general. Daisy's support inspired confidence and trust in us with regards to the planning of our homebirth, and having our 4 year old daughter at home with us. The birth of our son was the most wonderfully calm and relaxed experience, made possible by Daisy's presence. Her support during pregnancy, birth, the weeks after birth, not to mention her continued friendship to this day are invaluable. Daisy will always hold sacred place in our hearts. Tyler and Martine
We were lucky enough to have Daisy's support for the birth of our second child. After challenging circumstances first time round, it made all the difference to have Daisy's wisdom, support and positivity buoying us along and providing a sounding board when decisions had to be made along the way. Daisy is a very experienced doula, who deeply listens and manages to always highlight choices, options and possibilities available. Her antenatal support, as well as post-natal care are now cherished memories for us as a family.
Lisa and Frank I met Daisy a while ago in my child free life. I had a passion for dancing African dance and Daisy was one of the drummers at her husband's class. At that time I never heard of doulas and what a crucial role they play in pregnant woman's life. When I got pregnant with my daughter I enrolled into pregnancy yoga at the Parents and Pregnancy centre. When I entered the room here she was, Daisy shining her calmness and knowledge of childbirth. We had a special connection. There was no doubt I wanted Daisy to support us and be our doula. My first birth was very traumatic. I had lots of wounds to heal and Daisy was always there for me. Not long after I fell pregnant with my second baby. We were planning a homebirth again but we were not sure whether we will afford a doula. When I talked to Daisy on the phone she was so excited that we were going to have another baby, she exclaimed - "I want to be there, we will make things work!". It was the best decision ever. My second birth wouldn't have been the same without Daisy. It was truly a dream birth - powerful and magical. I birthed my baby at home by the fire in a pool surrounded by Daisy and my husband. I still remember her magical touch on my pelvis during those strong contractions. And in a moment of darkness when I thought I can't do this anymore she was whispering words that kept me going. Most of the time she wouldn't even talk. But it was her energy. She knew exactly when I needed encouragement. Doula supports not only birthing woman but the partners too. She was a fantastic guide for my husband. Both of them were working together harmoniously without words just intuition. I felt like a queen. But it is not only the birth Daisy was present. All those fantastic meals she brought and hours of help pre and postnatally. We couldn't thank her enough. And if one day we will decide to expand our family again I can't imagine my birth without Daisy. Ugne Dawes-Salazar Dear Daisy
words cannot express how grateful we are for everything you have done for us before, during and after the birth of our beautiful daughter Nyla. It has been an incredible journey and you played a huge part in helping us get the birth we wanted - to give Nyla the best start to her life. All our love, L and K My husband and I chose Daisy as our doula for the birth of our second child, Oran. After a hospital birth first time round, which was good in the sense that I felt competent but not in a way that I felt I was listened too by the people assisting the birth (overworked, underpaid) I felt I needed someone there who could take care of MY wishes and leave me and my husband to get on with the important stuff. We chose Daisy and after attending a home-birth group we also decided to do it a home. 2 of the best decisions we made as it made the birth a fantastic experience! Yes, I enjoyed my birth it was great not having to worry about remembering details of my birth plan (which I actually never wrote down but rather just shared with Daisy through taking) and we trusted her completely to communicate with the midwifes on our behalf. Would recommend to everyone! - Kristiana
Daisy is a brilliant birth companion: professional, knowledgeable, supportive, experienced and intuitive. But I think what I valued most of all was that we laughed a lot together, which helped keep me relaxed through some not so easy moments. We hadn’t planned to have a doula, but circumstances led us to Daisy, and when it came to the day of our son’s birth, I was very glad to have her there. Her ability to be there when needed whilst also respecting our space and never intruding was amazing. Although the midwives were brilliant, there is something very special about the support a doula can give – especially someone with Daisy’s level of experience and wisdom. We are ever grateful! Oli and Marcus |
Me and my partner were probably only going to have one child. Birth was literally a once in lifetime opportunity. We wanted it to be as smooth and beautiful as it possibly could be, knowing full well that it would be challenging and extreme and full of the unexpected. It made sense for us to get in touch with someone who had plenty of experience of birth and could help us be aware of all the options available to us. After meeting Daisy we knew that she was the right Doula for us, full of passion for what she does, full of knowledge, committed to birthing rights and aligned with our way of seeing the world.
As a partner, a father, I was grateful to have contact with Daisy as early as we did. Daisy was not just focused on the birthing experience, but her knowledge about pre-natal appointments and scans was extremely informed. She was able to go along with my partner when I was away for work and even if she didn’t attend she would check in with us and see how it went. She was incredible at empowering us to make the choices we wanted to make, making us realise our own agency in a system that sometimes felt like it was designed not to give us all the options available, and at worse fill us with fear so as to agree with choices that we didn’t necessarily want to make. We wanted a home birth and were advised against it, because of my partners age she was classified as ‘high risk’. There were many things about the way organising a home birth that really put the fear into my partner, not just about home birth but about birth in general. Daisy understood that this was unacceptable and gave us advice backed up with statistics and articles that meant we could arm ourselves with our own knowledge and make our own informed choices. Of course we could have done this research ourselves, but Daisy’s extensive experience is worth more than all the statistics we could have gathered. I have heard that many partners somehow feel like a Doula would compromise the birthing couples’ relationship. I can say the opposite. Daisy was able to take care of so many things around the birth that really allowed me to be fully present with my partner. Daisy is not there to impose her own will but there to facilitate your wishes for the birth and make sure they are carried out if at all possible. Daisy did not take up space but created space. Our plan was to have a natural birth at home. Due to complications we ended up with a forceps delivery in hospital. I am so grateful for having Daisy along for the 4 day labour. At every point Daisy made sure that we were fully aware of all the options available to us. She was our most loyal advocate, our trusted sage, and a calm point of focus in the chaos of the unknown. I can honestly say that without Daisy we would have had a very different and almost certainly much more difficult birth. It was not only Daisy’s presence during the birth that was invaluable but the care and attentiveness with which she prepared us for birth and provided so much information, from concrete important facts, to hints and tips that make things much smoother. Being two freelancers I can say that Daisy’s fee was a lot of money, it was not a decision we took lightly but I can honestly say that it was incredible value for money. Daisy, is a magnificent Doula and a thoroughly wonderful human being. I feel so lucky we had her there at this pivotal moment in our lives and am proud that we can now call her a friend. Neil Callaghan Our home birth was a wonderful experience and will always be in our hearts and minds. We were lucky to have Daisy as our doula, support was outstanding throughout pregnancy, birth and postnatally. We learned a lot and feel blessed we met her. She's truly a loving person and having her by our side in that special period of our life was a privilege - Maria Daisy was present as a doula during the birth of both my daughters. Throughout the whole process her passion for childbirth and supporting families shone through. She gave me the confidence to support my wife and was a calming presence who I completely trusted.
I am eternally grateful for all her support before, during and after labour and she will always hold a special place in my heart. I would highly recommend daisy as a doula!! Graeme S 
When we were expecting our second child, we decided to get the support of a doula. To be honest, it was more for the eventuality of my husband having to stay with our elder one while I go into labour. Right from the first meeting onwards, I just knew Daisy would be the one who could help us when time comes. Her knowledge, experience, conviction and dedication just went on to reinforce our trust in her to be one of my birth partners. We bonded well with all of us, our 4-year-old as well, through her visits before the delivery. I cannot thank Daisy enough for the kind of support she provided me and my husband before, during and after the birth. I went 12 days past the due date which seemed like the longest wait I have ever had. Towards the end of it, it was quite an emotional period for me. Daisy, provided calm and positive support during that time. She shared some very useful material for me to read to help me make the right decision about waiting for the labour to start naturally.
During the labour itself, she was never intrusive and let me and my husband be in our own private space throughout. However, when I needed the extra support, whether it was some physical support in terms of counter pressure during contractions or moral support to simply say that I was doing great, Daisy was there. I honestly believe that she was an integral part of my support system during the labour and just after our baby was born. Unfortunately, we had a slight hiccup after the birth with some retained placenta. While my husband was needed to take care of our son, Daisy was with me throughout the time the obstetrician had to do her job. I am so grateful for having had Daisy around to support me during that difficult phase. I cannot recommend Daisy highly enough for anyone wanting the support of a Doula at their birth. Thank you so much Daisy, always grateful! Gouri and Anup Nair 
Choosing Daisy to be our Doula was one of the best life decisions my partner and I have made in the 16 years we have been together. We contacted Daisy fairly early on in our pregnancy without much knowledge of what a Doula's role was but knowing that we could do with some extra support and to help us navigate pregnancy and birth options. We feel hugely grateful to Daisy for empowering and informing us of our birth options and of the sincere support of our choices to make our birth journey our own resulting in a gentle water birth of our baby boy in the comfort of our home earlier this year. The whole journey has been greatly profound for us both. We can really owe it to Daisy for making us feel very calm, relaxed and prepared for the birth giving us great resources and knowledge to equip us for the birth and all the decisions and planning along the way. During the labour, Daisy made herself available and took all the pressure off my partner so that he was fully present and available to support me through the intense final stages of the birth. Daisy held space for us during the birth and made me feel that she really believed in me, it actually felt that she was channelling an incredible energy to me during the birth. It was truly magical to have our new born placed on to me in my bedroom to then calmly crawl up my chest to feed for the first time tucked up in our own bed. Daisy made time for us to be alone as a new family to bond just moments after the birth when she took the midwives to the kitchen to make tea and toast. I shall always remember that day with such clarity and the contrasting feeling a of huge elation, awe and joy of our baby's arrival while at the same time it feeling quite normal and very relaxing being in such familiar surroundings of our bedroom and feeling so at ease having Daisy present. Daisy was invaluable to have about and was on the case with lots of details as well as big things that we would have forgotten in the heat of the moment, like giving the on call mid wives our birth plan! We really felt that we could fully entrust Daisy to be our voice. I love the memory of Daisy bringing us all tea and peanut butter and banana on toast as we lounged in bed together- the best cuppa I have ever had!
The weeks following the birth were heavenly, aided with details Daisy had thought of like muslin bags of herbs for my baths (made by Daisy herself). Daisy played a significant role in supporting us with post natal aspects like breast feeding, she also bought us delicious home made soups and inspiring books and stories to read our wee one. On our 'final' meeting with Daisy, she came to the house and conducted the last of a series of 'Talking Mats’ exercises which was a kind of like a birth de-briefing which was an enjoyable experience of reflection as a team together. There is so much more that I would like to say about having Daisy as our Doula but it would be too long, personal and detailed for others to hear (which I think this already is..;)). In summary I would like to say that I highly recommend Daisy she has been a guiding light for us, we feel so grateful to have her in our life. Ellie C We were very fortunate to be recommended Daisy (mamadoula) as a doula for the birth of our second child. After the first meeting I knew we had found the right person to support us. We spent a few months getting to know one another so that when the big day came, I trusted her completely to support us in the way that was right for us. Our home birth was one of the best days of my life. Daisy and my husband worked as a seamless team, providing physical and emotional support throughout my labour. She visited many times after the birth as well, bringing nourishing food and a kind a listening ear as we navigated becoming a family of four. She was a steady presence of calm, trust and love throughout my pregnancy, labour and postpartum period and for that I will be forever grateful to her. Daisy is a skilled, thoughtful, compassionate and passionate doula and I would highly recommend her every day! Thank you, Daisy.
K and J |