Reflections & feedback …..
Fan May 2026
From the very beginning of my pregnancy, I knew I wanted Rachel to be part of my birth team. Rachel was my mentor when I was a student midwife years ago, before she became a doula, so I already knew how incredibly knowledgeable, experienced, and compassionate she is. Having worked alongside Rachel as my mentor, I had seen first-hand the depth of her knowledge, her calm presence, and the way she cared for women. There was never any doubt that I wanted her beside me for my own birth. Building a team of people you trust was so important to me, and choosing Rachel was one of the best decisions I made.
Knowing Rachel would be by my side gave me so much confidence. I knew her wealth of knowledge would help me maximise my chances of achieving the home water birth I hoped for. Of course I had my midwives, but Rachel’s role was so much more than that—she was there to support both me and my partner every step of the way.
Throughout my pregnancy, Rachel provided a constant sense of calm and reassurance. My mum doesn’t live nearby, and I don’t have a great deal of maternal support, so I told Rachel that I really needed someone to fill that role. She embraced that so naturally, and it meant more to me than I can express. Whenever I found myself focusing on fears or negative thoughts, she gently helped me reframe them, reminding me to trust my body, believe in its incredible strength, and keep my focus on the birth I wanted and the baby I was about to meet.
What I also appreciated was that Rachel’s support didn’t stop at preparing me for labour. She helped me prepare for life after birth too, encouraging us to batch cook meals in advance and think practically about the postnatal period. She supported us holistically, helping us feel ready not just for the birth itself, but for becoming a family.
When labour began, Rachel arrived and immediately recognised, simply by observing me, that I was well established in labour. As a first-time mum, my labour progressed much more quickly than I had ever expected. For some reason, I had always assumed it would be long, so when everything was happening so fast, it felt incredibly intense. While my midwives were there to provide excellent clinical care, Rachel’s focus was entirely on me as a whole person. She brought a calm, nurturing presence that complemented the midwives perfectly, creating an environment where I felt completely safe, supported, and able to surrender to the process.
She believed in me every single second, even during the moments when I stopped believing in myself. Whenever I felt overwhelmed and thought I couldn’t do it anymore, Rachel gently grounded me, calmed me, and reminded me that I was capable. Her unwavering confidence in me gave me the strength to keep going.
She thought of everything. She prepared small, refreshing snacks that were easy to eat between contractions, like chilled watermelon with fresh lime squeezed over it, and she kept me going with spoonfuls of honey for quick energy. She massaged my feet and shoulders, offering comfort exactly when I needed it, often before I even realised I needed it.
As labour progressed, my baby’s position became less than optimal, making it difficult for her to descend effectively. Rachel’s background as a midwife and her knowledge of birth biomechanics were invaluable. She calmly guided me through different movements and positions, and because I trusted her completely, I followed her guidance without hesitation. Looking back, I genuinely believe her expertise made all the difference. I believe that if Rachel hadn’t been there to recognise what was happening and use those techniques, I would likely have needed a transfer to hospital for a prolonged second stage of labour and, in turn, may well have required an instrumental birth, such as forceps or ventouse. Instead, her calm guidance, skill, and unwavering confidence in my body helped me continue to labour safely at home and achieve the home water birth I had hoped for.
Perhaps the greatest gift Rachel gave us during labour was the atmosphere she created. She protected the space, kept it calm, quiet, and full of reassurance, and nurtured an oxytocin-friendly environment where I felt safe enough to fully surrender to labour. As both a mother and a midwife myself, I know just how powerful that environment is. Rachel instinctively knew when to step in with practical support, when to offer encouragement, and when to simply hold the space. Her presence allowed me to stay focused, trust the process, and keep believing in myself.
Rachel’s care, wisdom, encouragement, and unwavering belief in me made such a profound difference to my pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum journey. She supported not only me but also my partner, helping us both feel confident and cared for throughout.
What truly sets Rachel apart is her incredible passion for birth, women, and motherhood. Birth isn’t simply her profession—it is her calling. She has an unwavering belief in the power of women and birth, and that passion shines through in everything she does.
One of the most touching things she did was create a beautiful piece of artwork using part of my placenta, which she kindly offered to make for me after the birth. She accompanied it with a heartfelt handwritten note that I will treasure forever. It’s those thoughtful little details that say so much about who Rachel is. They reflect her generosity, empathy, kindness, her genuine friendship, and the deep love and respect she has for the women and families she supports.
I will always be grateful for everything Rachel did for us. She played an enormous part in helping me achieve the birth I had dreamed of, and I will forever be thankful that she was by our side. If you’re considering having a doula, I cannot recommend Rachel highly enough. She is exceptionally knowledgeable, deeply compassionate, intuitive, and wholeheartedly dedicated to supporting women through one of the most transformative experiences of their lives. She is not only an extraordinary doula but also an extraordinary human being.
Suzie May 2026 pregnancy craniosacral therapy, natural USS belly painting, Rebozo massage & doula partner for birth.
‘Thankyou so much for being the most magical doula I could have asked for before, during and after baby H arrived’
Laura & Rogers July 2025
Rachel was my midwife when I was pregnant with my older daughter, who is now 11.
I had a great experience and felt safe being looked after her, so much that I requested her to be my midwife for my second child too.
Over the years we have built a relationship of friendship while she has always kept her professionality with dedication and passion. I was sure to be fully supported by her knowledge and support also when I got pregnant with my youngest child, who is now nearly 1 year old, despite being 40 years old.
My husband has always felt much reassured by her presence during pregnancy, and especially during the time of labour.
At this last birth experience Rachel was already working independently from the NHS, and despite fully trusting Brecon midwives for how amazing they all are, we wanted to be sure Rachel was with us as point of anchor. Her presence reassured both myself and my husband, and this of course had a reciprocal positive influence on us both during such precious time in our family life.
Rachel was able to offer me her tecnical knowledge and support, while waiting for my midwife to arrive on the morning my daughter was born. She offered me a tecnique (name?) that helped the baby to move to the right position for birth after the waters broke, and this has accelerated time if delivery.
Also in private life, Rachel is caring, calm, positive, open minded and welcoming.
She promotes an holistic view of the individual. Rachel continuosly upgrades her knowledge, travels the world to learn about midwifery in different cultures and supports her colleagues abroad with her knowledge.
Her life and work crossover, and her love for what she does is inpirational to me and to many.
Sent from Outlook for iOS
Vic & Rich March 2025 Pregnancy Yoga and Birth workshop
I loved being part the workshops with Rachel and Sue . It really helped me connect my body, mind and spirit in my pregnancy and it was so lovely to also connect with others on the same journey. All the varied and worldly information offered around pregnancy and birth allowed me to learn so much more and gave me more confidence to make more of my own decisions. Thank you!
Josie February 2026
Rachel was so kind and generous in her support of my partner and I during the pregnancy and birth of our first child. My partner in particular felt quite uninformed about physiological birth but Rachel was able to calmly explain to him the differences between medical and physiological births and help him prepare to support me through our labour and birth. She offered us a wide variety of tools that we could use throughout pregnancy to help me relax and our baby to get into the best possible position, and also for birth in order to help me cope with the pain of labour. In the end I was able to have an unmedicated birth, even though my labour lasted for several days, and Rachel’s support and visualisation tools helped me do this. Rachel is incredibly knowledgeable and has studied midwifery practises from several cultures across the world and I felt very safe in her hands.
Becky, March 2025: Pregnancy Yoga and Birth workshop. Rebozo Massage, Natural Ultrasound belly painting and Postpartum expectations for Mum and Dad.
Rachel, your approach was just perfect, never pressurising but entirely honest and supportive. Every nugget of information you passed over will be helpful for us in birth. I can’t wait to practice a bit of rebozo with my partner ( I hope I haven’t forgotten it all) I would love if part of the course included taking away one of your wheels to help me remember.
Embrace the alternative approach that you’re teaching and own it! Don’t be afraid of seeming alternative or too out there. This is entirely what I expected and hoped for. I’m so grateful to have experienced some of these ancient techniques through your teaching. The belly drawing was a sacred experience, and the lovely closing ritual really embraced the way the birthing mother should be celebrated. Thank you for this offering xx
Emily & Joe March 2025 : Pregnancy Doula Support and information, Closing the Bones Ceremony
‘Thankyou so much for today ( Closing the Bones Ritual at home ). It was truly special…..it really was wonderful.’
Kiya & Laurie February2025 : Pregnancy Doula, Rebozo massage & Doula support for birth.
‘Thankyou for all the experience and wisdom, the subtle adjustments and thankyou for protecting the space. We are so glad we found you …
Caitlin & Harry January 2024 :Antenatal information, skill sharing and Doula support for Birth
“Rachel was our doula. Having her with us in the run up to, during and after the birth was invaluable. We had an incredibly positive experience and were able to be at home throughout the birth as hoped, feeling safe and supported thanks to her expertise, reassurance and guidance. We can’t thank Rachel enough for everything she did for our family and couldn’t recommend her more highly.
Emily :2023 Birth Centre Birth & Closing the Bones Postnatal Ceremony & Hypnobirthing:
I am so pleased that I decided to do hypnobirthing with Rachel. It is the best investment I could have made for myself and my baby. Rachel has such a reassuring and calming presence – she completely changed my mindset towards my pregnancy and birth and I honestly believe her course was the main reason I had such an amazing birth experience. After the course I was able to let go of my negative thoughts towards the birth and felt completely prepared and excited for whatever my labour and birth would bring. I had an utterly magical birth experience, and I birthed my little girl in the water with no pain relief. I was able to use hypnobirthing techniques to keep myself calm and grounded, and my little girl was born with her eyes wide open, totally calm and alert as I brought her up to my chest. What a magical experience that we will never forget, and we have Rachel to thank for it.
Closing the bones:
I am so thankful to Rachel for performing her ‘closing the bones ceremony’. It allowed me to take some time to focus in on myself and my needs, something I had not done since before the birth of my little girl. I felt utterly pampered and refreshed afterwards- like a new woman! It really helped me into my transition as a new mum and I even found it quite emotional.
Rachel has such a calm and warming presence- I felt totally comfortable and nurtured and am really thankful to her for this experience.
Charlotte : 2022 Home Birth
Rachel helped me achieve the birth that I wanted, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Rachel was incredibly informative and provided me with the tools and knowledge I needed to have a calm and controlled birth experience. Rachel was extremely knowledgeable and supportive throughout the entire process, and helped me feel completely at ease and in control during my labor and delivery. Her wealth of experience as a midwife was evident in her ability to answer all my questions. I truly believe that the techniques I learned from Rachel and her support played a major role in making my birth a positive and empowering experience. I would highly recommend Rachel if you want to take control of your birthing experien
Sue :2023 Hospital Birth
Rachel is incredibly kind, generous, knowledgeable and experienced. I can’t speak highly enough. She was my midwife throughout both my pregnancies. Rachel helped and armed me with knowledge/ scientific data and research to deal with questions and uncomfortable situations I was in just before birth with the NHS. She gave me the courage and support I needed due to a particular condition I had towards the end of the pregnancy- to this day I wonder if I would end up with more unnecessary interventions if Rachel didn’t step in to advise and help.
She has a gentle and holistic approach to birth. She’s funny and fun and always go beyond to help. I connected with Rachel instantly and anyone working with Rachel during, and or after birth will have the best care they can get!
Helena: 2022 Homebirth
Rachel is a rare gem. I found her through word of mouth when I was looking to educate and empower myself ready for the positive birth of my daughter following miscarriages. My husband and I had in person hypnobirthing sessions with Rachel at our home and found her to be highly professional yet very personable, light hearted yet sincere. Rachel’s knowledge & experience in supporting expectant parents and their babies is incredible, and her gentle, compassionate nature made us feel so supported and heard as we learned about hypnobirthing. I also attended her online breastfeeding classes.
Rachel answered all our questions and tailored our support to our personal journey and needs, and helped us when we needed it most during a difficult labour and post partum. I was so thrilled with her capacity to empower me, that I also asked for a closing the bones ceremony with Rachel, which I highly recommend to any mother.
Thank you Rachel for your dedication to supporting women and their partners and babies. We were able to have the physiological homebirth we so wanted thanks to the power you imparted in our birth prep journey xxx
Becky 2022 VBAC at Birth Centre
Rachel is such a kind and caring person. Her wisdom, reassurance and gentle guidance empowered me to make decisions that were right for me, and gave me the confidence & knowledge that enabled me to have a positive and beautiful VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarian) at my local birth centre. I can’t thank or recommend her enough!
breastsbirthbabies.uk 