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Nurturing Birth
At nurturing BIrth we believe passionately in the difference a doula can make in helping new families
About Nurturing Birth and its team
Nurturing Birth was set-up by Valerie Goedkoop in 2002 when she became herself a birth and postnatal doula. In 2005 Valerie decided to offer a range of courses to help women train and prepare to work as doulas. Nurturing Birth has now trained over 1,300 women all over the UK and the Middle East.
Valerie Goedkoop
After many years working for multi-national companies, Valerie decided to focus on her passion: pregnancy, labour and early years. For many reasons, becoming a doula seemed to be the perfect job for her. She has supported dozens of families and continues to do so.
Training: Valerie has trained in the UK as well as with DONA (Doulas of North America). She now runs her own course for doulas (she is a recognised trainer with Doula UK).The courses are held in the UK and in the Gulf (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Barhain) - she is always open to training doulas abroad. She regularly attends workshops, conferences and study days on birth and breastfeeding. She has been published in MIDIRS Midwifery Digest, the UK's leading midwifery journal (vol19, no 2, June 2009, pp217-218).
She is often quoted in pregnancy magazines and is featured in "Being Dad", a DVD (July 2009) aimed at preparing fathers for birth. You can also hear her interview on the role of a doula (podcast) or see her here discuss the role of a doula.
Check out her references as a doula.
In her spare time.... She has been a volunteer for Doula UK (the UK association for doulas). She was their co-chairperson in 2005. For seven years, she was a lay representative on the Pembury and Maidstone hospitals Maternity Services Liaison Committee in Kent and helped out at local breastfeeding clinics. She has now moved to Canada where she has launched Mother & Baby international.
Bushra Finch is an experienced doula, recognised with Doula UK and has held several volunteer and committee posts since 2003. She has been featured in baby and pregnancy magazines, interviewed for radio programmes and spoken on pregnancy and birth at several conferences. Bushra also offers Maya Abdominal Massage, which seeks to preserve and restore women’s health and fertility by correct placement of the uterus. Bushra has trained in cupping and hijama and is currently training in herbal medicine. Her dream is to facilitate a centre for women’s and children’s health, which will include pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and postnatal support, facilitated by a range of alternative practitioners.
She is married and has four children.
Bushra started as a NB trainer in June 2006.
www.birthvision.co.uk
Indira Lopez-Bassols is a recognised Doula UK doula and a Doula UK Mentor that supports "training" doulas through their learning journey. She is also an accredited La Leche League (LLL) leader that has helped on a voluntary basis breastfeeding mums and babies through the national LLL helpline and at bi-monthly meetings around London. Passionate about providing quality assistance to breastfeeding dyads, she became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). In addition, she runs monthly NCT homebirth support groups meetings for couples in London.
She loves teaching and as a qualified Iyengar yoga teacher she finds the practice of yoga to be an invaluable life tool to help us align body, mind and heart. In her scarce free time, she writes about pregnancy and breastfeeding and has been published in Midwifery Today, the US leading midwifery journal, Juno and Breastfeeding Matters LLL.
She comes originally from Mexico and is fully trilingual in Spanish, French and English. Last but not least, she is happily married and a mother of 3 kids.
Indira started as a NB trainer in November 2010.
www.indirayoga.com
Rachel Cline is a recognised Doula UK doula. She volunteers for DUK as a regional representative and on the PR committee. She also runs a monthly VBAC support group in the Leeds and Bradford area and weekly breastfeeding support sessions. She is hoping to complete her La Leche League Breastfeeding training over the next few years.
Rachel originally trained as a Physiotherapist and still works a few days a week in the NHS so has a good understanding of the medical systems in place and how best to work with them for the benefit of the women she supports. Following her own birth journeys - a planned section for a breech baby and a wonderfully healing VBAC birth and finally a home waterbirth after ceasarean (HWBAC) - Rachel realised that her passion lay with supporting woman to work towards the best birth possible for them. She now feels that supporting other woman to become doulas will facilitate more women getting the births they deserve and so need.
Rachel is married and mum to three children.
Rachel started as a NB trainer in January 2011.
www.mothernurturedoulas.com
Nurturing Birth Limited - Registered in England and Wales Nr 5581986 Registered Office: 1 Court Mews, 311 Chase Road, London N14 6JS Please do not write at this address, it is not a business address. E-mail us instead.
All contents © Nurturing Birth 2009