Against this background, more and more women are turning for support on their childbirth journey, often hiring a doula, who can provide guidance before during and after labour. According to the professional body Doula UK, members supported a total of 4,009 families in 2024, up from 3,516 in 2022. Typically, doulas charge between £1,000 and £1,500 per birth, though it can be more.
When she became pregnant for a second time, Rebecca contacted old friend Laura Waltzer who had recently qualified as a doula. This time she opted to have the baby at home, with Laura and partner Toby taking turns to look after daughter Senna, now two years old.
During the labour, Laura could liaise with the midwives and advocate for Rebecca if things weren’t going as they’d agreed. She could also focus her attention on the labouring mum, “The difference was that Laura was just a hundred per cent attentive to my needs. If I was cold, she put the blanket on me.
“She would be asking, did I want to be touched? Did I want a massage?” When baby Kovie finally emerged, the experience was almost perfect, says Rebecca, “I think it was healing to me in the sense that I felt like I’m capable of giving birth the way that I wanted to give birth.”
For Laura, who is registered with Doula UK and also belongs to Shifra, a group of Jewish birth workers, the job is immensely satisfying. Formerly a primary school teacher, it was her own experience of having children, both negative and positive, that prompted her to change career. In a lightbulb moment, she realised, “I need to be part of this. This is what I need to be doing. This is where to be.”
Doula Laura with Katie and Richard's baby, who is now four months old and thriving[Missing Credit]
The training, which typically lasts a few weeks, involves physiology, modern birth practices, breastfeeding and emotional support. Doulas are not medically trained and not required by law to be registered. There has been criticism of the profession by doctors who have accused some doulas of risking mother and baby’s health by encouraging clients to ignore medical advice.
In response, Doula UK said, “As doulas we provide emotional, informational and practical support to families in pregnancy, labour and after the birth of a baby.
“Doulas will share information and signpost to evidence so that the mother or parents can make their own informed choice about their maternity care, but doulas do not give medical advice.
“The organisation encourages members to take out professional insurance and upholds a strict code of conduct, “Typically we work in harmony with midwives to help the family have a positive birth and postnatal experience.”
Laura meets expectant mothers or couples three times before the baby is born. “I think having a doula, you’re going to get provided with so much more research, personalised care and support, often writing to consultants, having conversations and creating care plans,” she says. She is then on call for four weeks around the birth date, while in constant touch with clients via the WhatsApp messaging service so that she can answer any queries.
When labour starts, she supports the mother and her partner, advocating for them if the situation becomes challenging. “It’s really helpful to have a doula remind you that everything is a choice. And if you do this, that is likely to happen,” she says.
Initially her Jewish identity didn’t really come into her work as a doula but after October 7 inflammatory anti-Israel messages have led to a schism with some colleagues
Laura says initially her Jewish identity didn’t really come into her work, but after October 7 everything changed. Seeing people in the birth world posting inflammatory anti-Israel messages has led to a schism with some colleagues. “We were trying to engage with people in a in quite a polite way, and we were getting a lot of aggressive responses.”
The experience has led her to change her practice. Now she declares her Jewish identity from the start, because “If someone isn’t going to want to hire me because I’m Jewish, it’s probably better if we don’t even start the conversation.” Shifra UK runs a directory of Jewish birth workers.
Former client Katia Viner (36), originally from Moscow, looked for a specifically Jewish doula after a near miss with somebody else she was poised to book, “We saw something on her Instagram that made us really uncomfortable,” she says. “It was basically anti-Zionist propaganda.”
Katia, who describes her approach to Jewish life as ‘traditional”, is on maternity leave from her job as head of events at United Jewish Israel Appeal (UJIA). Hastily renewing her search, she found Laura and “We just clicked immediately.”
A pregnant Katia with her husband Richard[Missing Credit]
Katia says initially her main concern was dealing with the pain “My understanding was that this will be somebody who will be able to give me the emotional support and prepare me for childbirth, but also guiding my husband, because he has no idea what to do. He’s not a medical professional, so it was very much someone for him to lean on.”
“Because I’m an events person, I like things to be organised, and despite what people think, I’m not a control freak. I want things to be controlled, whether it’s by me or by somebody I trust, I don’t mind.”
On the Thursday evening when Katia went into labour, she wasn’t able to have the planned home birth due to staff shortage. On arrival at the hospital, though she was having intense contractions, she and husband Richard were kept waiting in a corridor until Laura stepped in.
“Laura said, ‘Look, she’s here now, and she’s in pain, and she needs to have a room,’” recalls Katia. “She is there using the language that should be used – very calm, very gentle, but firm.”
During the labour Laura was reassuring as well as practical. “She’s not much older than me, but like a mother figure,” says Katia. “Her presence is grounding, calming, and you just feel supported.”
Her baby is now four months old and thriving, the birth a lovely memory to treasure. Choosing Laura as a doula was critical to it being a smooth experience. “It was the best decision related to pregnancy and labour that we made as a family, it was the best investment, both in terms of money and time, because what she provided was essential.”
Laura says she’s often in tears at the crucial moment, “There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing I’ve helped someone feel prepared, empowered and supported as they move toward a positive birth experience.”
doula.org.uk
shifrah.org.uk
laurawalzerdoula.com
gov.uk/government/news/national-maternity-investigation-launched-to-drive-improvements
