Before we formed a collective we were all working as independent doulas, and we all went through the struggles of being a new doula, trying to find clients, working out how to explain what it is that a doula does, and the loneliness that comes with such a niche vocation.
Since joining forces we have learnt so much from each other and about ourselves and the way that we support women has evolved, and continues to evolve, in huge ways. Having a safe space to debrief what we witness at births and to continually reflect upon our work has been key in being able to continue offering personalised, woman-centred support.
We know that coming into the world of birth work fresh from your training isn’t always easy and it’s hard to know where to turn. There are often tensions between birth workers based on what they are charging or the way they practise, but we understand how important a supportive community is and want to create that space within Greater Manchester (and further afield) so that we can learn from each other and lift each other up.
Mentoring Services
One-off ‘Holding Space’ Sessions
This would be a 1-hour session, in person or via Zoom, with two of us. The session can be used to talk about anything that is on your mind. This could be;
- Business support – we know how difficult it can be to think of birth work as a business, but there is so much value in what you are doing
- Debriefing your own experiences, or experiences you have witnessed
- A learning opportunity, discussing specific topics
- A space to let out your frustrations about the maternity system
- Grounding yourself after a difficult experience or before a birth
- Space to reflect on your practice and feel heard
£75 per session
You can book your first mentorship session here.
Birth Worker Support Package
This is a 3-month package of support which is ideal for starting up, changing up or scaling up your birth work.
This plan includes:
- One support session (as described above) per month
- A Whatsapp group message with all three doulas where you can ask questions, vent, chat any time
- Rewind sessions to process any of your own trauma, in order to better serve women
- Access to our resources, books, audio files etc. to share with your clients
- Access to a monthly birth worker networking circle designed to create an environment of cooperation rather than competition
- Ongoing mentoring and feedback on your website/social media presence
- A free space on all of our workshops to further your learning
£1300 per 3-month package
We are always open to discussing payment plan options so please don’t hesitate to ask us about this if the fee would be a barrier for you.
It is important to us that these mentorship opportunities are accessible so if this fee is still prohibitive, even with a payment plan, please send us an email to hello@greatermanchesterdoulas.com with the subject ‘scholarship’.
If you would like to talk to us about our birth worker mentorship services, you can book in a 30 minute chat with us here.