Embrace an empowered pregnancy with Lymington-based Doula Varvara

The stages of Doulaing are many, and blended with my unique combination of coaching, yoga, reflexology and doula specific services I am well-placed to offer a personalised service that caters to your individual needs during a time of massive change in your life.

Doulaing isn’t just for the mother, I like to involve the other parent as well. This is especially important if one of the partners works long hours or has a career involving travel. My current clients are embracing this. With her husband working away lot he’s started to join her for our yoga sessions – which is a beautiful thing to do, isn’t it?

Doula’s aren’t just for the person carrying the new life.

Having both parents-to-be at the sessions has been wonderful, it definitely helps build connection, sharing this wonderful journey together and is perfect for helping increase levels of oxytocin [link to blog] in both of them, reducing stress and worry in a time of change. Not only emotional but physical connection with mother and baby.

Bringing balance to a changing lifestyle.

Balance is important, in our lives and physically as well. Movement, yoga, breathing, mental fitness are all part of my toolkit for massive change. A toolkit that build a strong foundation on which to move forward. Yoga is perfect for balance, the addition of balance exercises, alone and with your partner. It builds trust in yourself, grounding you and building strength, as well as trust and strength with a partner when performing balances together. We’re not talking acrobatics, but simple tree and boat poses.

Partner-work and connection.

Even though my current clients are very close you can always strengthen and deepen the connection. One way of doing this is having both mother and partner sit on bolsters back-to-back, we then turn to breathing techniques to calm the mind and body and have breath with each other, in sync. I also do this with the partner resting their hands on the mother’s lower back, to build connection with mother and baby.

While I am predominately here for the mother, it’s important for mother and baby for the partner to be part of the process and build their resilience and embrace the massive change coming to their lives. For the partner these exercises in breathing and connection are important for resilience. Helping them believe in their own self, being strong in the face of change, exhaustion and uncertainty. To help them believe they will be strong enough for their partner and they’re not going to crumble. This will help both partners not only after birth but during childbirth – where they might be running on empty for over 24 hours, the feeling of helplessness that can come from having to watch their child being born – while it is physically demanding for the person going through the birth, it’s challenging and wonderful for everyone involved. Mental resilience, fitness and connection are important!

Bringing my coaching into your daily life.

Part of my coaching is giving my clients skills and tips they can build into their daily life. Like a lot of the mother’s I coach, my current client, their partners might work long hours or away for periods to time. My role is to help her make her environment comfortable, while she’s working at home alone. We’ve brought in props such as the Swiss ball, not just for sitting on but for rolling her arms around it. How to use a bolster, such as underneath her knees to relieve pressure, a restorative position for both mother and baby.

Creating an environment that is conducive to feeling relaxed and in control is important during a time of change and potential chaos. Decluttering is a normal process pre-birth, sometimes considered nesting. But also bringing in things that can improve your surroundings is a positive step. Adding foliage and plants a to your home not only improve air quality but are life-giving, much like growing a new life, it can make you feel more in tune with that growth.

Express yourself!

I’ve talked a lot about being there for the mother, the partner and new parents, but what about their support system? Through personalised, blended coaching, my client feels grounded, her partner is on the same pages and they’re in tune with birthing – the baby’s room is also nearly ready! Her home, her environment is on the right track.

However, she doesn’t feel the same way about her family, her wider support system. While they’re happy for her, she feels they don’t know how to be there for her – to assist with her needs and feelings. Through coaching we’ve been able to address this, she’s gained the confidence and clarity to express herself, to find her voice. She has the confidence that she’s not going to upset people by asking for what she needs and it’s not based on expectations.

Doulaing during childbirth.

Childbirth is traumatic, magic, exciting, scary and involves every emotion under the sun. My current client wants a hospital birth. My role as a doula, alongside her partner, is to help her remain feeling empowered. Childbirth can be an unpredictable time, anything can happen. The mother is vulnerable during this time – she can easily be lead down a path that she doesn’t want or isn’t comfortable with – this is why myself and her partner are there – we know her desires and during this time we are her voice, her anchor.

It’s also emotional for the partner involved, I’m there to ground them, to remember their choices and keep them on an even keel. During labour the mother and their partner can become very reactionary – labour is tough, the mother might be screaming, shouting. I am here to help in any way that is needed. My priority is the mother, to remind her of how strong and amazing she is and help her bring new life into the world with as much ease and joy as possible.

Are you a Mum, career-woman (or both!) going through life changes? If you’re in need of a guiding hand to start the journey of mindfulness to a positive life that you’re in control of. Why not get in touch for a free minute chat to see how I can slot into your life with my blended coaching approach. I bring a unique blend of British/Greek upbringing, decades of Yoga and Mindfulness Practice and Coaching qualifications to the table to create a bespoke blended coaching program that works mind and body together.  

Book today: https://calendly.com/varvara-coaching