Becky Talbot Birth Doula

More about me

Doula support

Hi, I’m Becky and I live in central Cambridge with my husband James. Two of our five children still live at home with us, My youngest child was born at the Rosie in 2009.

The older three have now flown the nest and started families of their own and we have two wonderful grandchildren.

 Through my personal experiences during pregnancy and motherhood I discovered that being supported and nurtured empowered me to make choices that were right for me and my family – whether that be highly medicalised or home birth, both of which I experienced. I find women and babies, birth and pregnancy, awe inspiring and believe it is the most wonderful thing to bring a new little person into the world.

I have had the joy of supporting many women and their partners to navigate this exciting and sometimes bewildering experience in their family’s lives both as a doula and in my birth preparation classes. I have also worked outside the home in Sex and Relationship Education and supporting young people within the Education system. I love my allotment and spend any spare time that I have there (which is not a lot!) I am an experienced  Birth Doula. I trained with Developing Doulas in 2013. I work in Cambridgeshire, Huntingdon, Norfolk and sometimes beyond. I have a real passion for supporting women and their families. What is most important to me is that you feel confident, informed and nurtured through the process of planning your birth, the birth itself, and that special time after your baby has arrived. I have supported many different types of families, and their very individual births, including home-births, births after caesarean, hypnobirths and water-births. My philosophy is that if someone experiences a quiet, calm and nurturing environment, they are most likely to feel positive about their experience however the baby is born. I have supported medicalised births, including cesarean and induction of labour, as well as many births where no medical intervention was required at all.

I have found that when parents have access to evidenced based information they make choices that feel right for them. The calming presence of having your own doula alongside you, who you know and trust, gives reassurance and support to you and your partner however you choose to give birth. As your doula, I am able to accompany you (and your partner) through the process of preparing for birth, during labour and birth and in those early weeks whilst you adjust to parenting your new baby. My phone and text support is unlimited and I’m very flexible with my visits because every family has different needs. I can draw on my knowledge and experience to provide you with emotional support and physical comfort measures. If the need arises I can help you communicate with your midwife and medical care team to ensure that you have all the information you need to make informed decisions during pregnancy, labour, birth and the early days of parenting. I can make suggestions for planning and preparing for your birth, including your emotional and physical health throughout your pregnancy, writing a birth plan and helping you create a nurturing, bonding environment for those early days with your new baby.

I always provide at least two full antenatal sessions tailored to meet your needs, and can also help you to prepare any older children for the arrival of your new baby. I am happy to accompany you to any hospital appointments, and am available throughout your pregnancy for phone calls/texts/visits should the need arise. Throughout the on-call period (usually 38 to 42 weeks) I am available 24/7 and will come to you as soon as you need me.

I am a member of Cambridgeshire Doulas. I lead the project BAM4CHANGE – an organisation providing funded doula support for vulnerable women in and around Cambridge. I also co-run Cambridge Birth Choices, a free drop in group that provides emotional support and practical suggestions for pregnant women in Cambridgeshire.

I am experienced in supporting, VBAC, water-birth, hypnobirth, cesarean and active birth and have attended many professional development trainings and workshops. These include: Attachment and Attachment parenting, Advanced Biomechanics of birth, Birthing for Blokes, Pregnancy Massage, Water-birth, Hypnobirthing (both KG and Birthsense), Birthrights, Breastfeeding, Early parenting. I am a qualified Birthlight active birth teacher, I also work alongside Sarah Murrey (independent midwife) at Cambridge Midwives providing complete continuity of care and individualised packages.

Reviews 

Basically we feel you were absolutely central to making her birth the positive experience that it was and we can’t thank you enough for that! We were truly lucky to have you as a Doula and we will be calling you as soon as number two is on the horizon.

M & J

Becky, your guidance and support made such a huge difference to our experience this time round, I wouldn’t of been nearly as calm and confident without you. from leading up to the birth but especially the birth itself you were absolutely fantastic, holding my hand and supporting me through some intense contractions. thank you, thank you, thank you. You do an amazing job.

K

Thank you for all the support and love you have given me as my Doula. when my spirits have been low you’ve always lifted them and given me courage I need.

M

Companionship 

I am a developing Doulas companion, offering primary companionship to new Doulas, I can support you on your journey to become more confident in your work, providing ongoing mentorship with navigating the complexities of this incredible path.

After a decade of working full time in the birth world with both families and birth workers I have developed a particular passion for supporting the more complex pregnancies and births.

please give me a ring if you would like to discuss how I can help you

07852347001

I am also available for Specialist Companionship to birth workers navigating the complexities of local authority and social services involvement, perinatal mental health challenges, domestic violence, sexual violence, refugees and displaced families, drugs and alcohol dependency, homelessness or any other complex challenges that the families you are supporting may experience.

I have worked with many vulnerable families over the years and have extensive safeguarding experience through my previous Roles and my current work as the lead for BAM4CHANGE.

With the right relationship based community support, I believe all families can thrive.

I offer one off sessions to debrief or to explore options, I also offer ongoing companionship for doulas who regularly work with vulnerable families either privately or through one of the many charities that are doing this valuable work.