1:1 birth preparation
I offer personalised, 1:1 birth preparation for families who want to feel informed, confident, and supported navigating both birth and maternity care.
My approach goes beyond traditional hypnobirthing/birth education. We prepare for the realities of the system you’re navigating - including appointments, recommendations, and decision points - whilst also supporting your physical, emotional and mental preparation for birth.
This work is tailored entirely to you, your circumstances, and what’s coming up in your pregnancy right now.
why do i work this way?
Over the past 5+ years, my approach to birth preparation has adapted and developed as I’ve supported families (both as a birth educator, and a doula) within an ever-changing maternity care landscape.
What I’ve learned is that; birth preparation is no longer about just preparing for a positive birth - it’s about how to actually make birth positive, whatever arises along the way.
I no longer offer group birth education courses because I understand that no two pregnancies are the same - and neither are the decisions, conversations, or pressures people face as they move through maternity care.
Families benefit most from preparation that reflects their individual circumstances, values, and the reality of the system they’re navigating.
Preparing for birth isn’t just about learning techniques. It’s about understanding your options, making sense of recommendations, and developing the confidence to engage with care in a way that centres you - even when things feel uncertain or complex.
1:1 support allows us to slow things down, focus on what matters most to you, and prepare in a way that feels practical, reassuring, and relevant to your journey.
what 1:1 birth preparation with me can include:
Our sessions are shaped around you and your pregnancy, but often include support with:
Understanding how maternity care actually works, how policies and system pressures can impact your birth, and how to navigate care in a way that feels genuinely supportive - while still helping you get the most out of the care available to you.
Making sense of common recommendations that might arise during pregnancy and birth - such as induction of labour, monitoring, scans, place of birth, pain relief options, or caesarean birth - including the evidence behind them and how to ask questions that bring clarity rather than confusion.
Developing confidence in informed decision making taking into account your individual circumstances, what the evidence tells us, your values, intuition, and supportive tools - so decisions feel considered and grounded rather than rushed or overwhelming.
Physical, emotional, and mental preparation for labour and birth, with practical insights drawn from my experience as a doula and birth educator.
This work is about helping you feel clearer - not overwhelmed - as you move through pregnancy towards birth.
Hypnobirthing - as part of a wider approach
Hypnobirthing techniques are woven into my work, rather than taught as a standalone method.
Understanding the physiology of birth, alongside the psychology of birth, is the foundation to all good birth preparation.
Tools such as relaxation, breathing, mindset work, and reframing fear can be incredibly supportive - particularly when they’re used alongside a clear understanding of maternity care, options, and decision-making.
Rather than following a set script, we use these tools in a way that supports your situation, your preferences, and the reality of the care you’re receiving.
ways of working together
Both options are flexible and shaped around your needs.
Bespoke birth preparation session (60 mins)
A one-off dedicated 60 minute session focussed on what’s coming up for you right now - whether that’s an upcoming appointment you need help preparing for, a recommendation you want to explore, or something else you need space to talk through.
1:1 birth preparation package (8 hours)
A series of 4 x 2 hour personalised sessions across your pregnancy, designed to educate, prepare, and support you as things evolve and new decisions arise. All you need to prepare powerfully for your birth.
this support is right for you if:
You want to understand your options more clearly
Advice or recommendations have started to feel confusing or pressurised
You want to feel more confident in appointments
You’re navigating care that doesn’t feel straightforward
You want preparation that reflects the reality of maternity care today (from someone who works alongside it every day).
If this sounds like the kind of support you’re looking for you can enquire about working together below.
what my clients say:
“Throughout the two sessions she got exactly the right balance of listening and understanding our previous experience and offering relevant and practical advice to suit us specifically.”
— Philipa (Bristol)“We had a brilliant experience with Ellie. It was clear she had taken careful note of the information we shared before we spoke, and she prepared plenty of research for us to discuss. We were so grateful for her compassion, insight, and guidance. We left feeling heard and empowered. We can’t recommend this process enough.”
— Jordan (London)“Ellie gave me the reassurance and scientific evidence to help me feel confident in my decision, which was outside of NHS guidance”
— Alice (Weston-Super-Mare)Image credit: New family by Coastal Lifestyles Photography