My personal journey..
Welcome!
If I were looking for birth or postpartum support, I’d want to know the person behind the doula - and if you’re anything like me, you’re in the right place.
Most people would describe me as a genuinely positive, happy, down‑to‑earth person. I value kindness, love a good laugh, and pride myself on being someone who connects easily and helps people feel seen and at ease.
Beyond my passion for supporting families through their transition into parenthood, I love spending quality time with my own family/friends, enjoying a good glass of red, walking and generally just being outdoors!
I’m also a mum to two toddlers, so you’ll often find me chasing them around a local park or handing out yet another snack. They’ve already taught me so much - most of all, how to surrender to the beautiful chaos of motherhood (or at least try).
For the podcast lovers, you can hear more detailed versions of my own birth stories on the amazing Australian Birth Stories podcast (episodes #296 and #439). In short, I birthed through the public health system and was fortunate enough to be part of Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) for both pregnancies - with the same incredible midwife each time.
She was a major inspiration behind my journey to becoming a doula, showing me the profound impact one consistent, supportive person can have on a woman’s birth experience, and the absolute importance of continuity of care.
My first baby, Teddy, was born at 41+2 following a positive, physiological hospital birth after 12 hours of labour. My second, Bobbie, kept us waiting until almost 42 weeks… before arriving unexpectedly at home on our living room floor at 41+5 - all wrapped up in just under three hours!
While a home birth wasn’t part of my original plan, it was calm, powerful, and deeply empowering. Once again, I was in awe of the female body and what we are capable of when we feel safe and trusting of birth.
With each pregnancy, I dove deeply into learning about birth - embracing the process and understanding the power of knowledge. It’s a tool I’m deeply committed to sharing with all of my clients.
Despite having two wonderful births, my postpartum journeys looked very different…
Teddy was my chunky, chilled baby (4.5kg!) and gave me a euphoric birth and postpartum experience. I rode that “birth high” for months. Breastfeeding came easily, I had plenty of support, and he was a content newborn - those early months were incredibly special (even though he turned into a very wild toddler later on!).
Bobbie’s fourth trimester, on the other hand, was much more challenging. A posterior tongue tie led to feeding difficulties and a very unsettled, colicky baby. For the first 12 weeks, she cried for most of the day, and managing an unsettled newborn alongside a high‑energy 20‑month‑old was very overwhelming. There were many tears - including my own.
As with most things, everything got better with time, and she’s now our happy, hilarious and sassy little girl.
Looking back, I’m actually so grateful to have experienced both sides of postpartum. These polar opposite experiences have shaped me into a doula who understands not only the beauty of early motherhood, but also the rawness and difficulty - and I am someone who can truly say, “I’ve been there too”.
Whether it’s your first or fourth pregnancy, no two journeys are ever the same. While you can’t predict exactly how things will unfold, you can prepare - and I’d love to be part of that preparation.
My mission is to ensure you feel educated, empowered, and held through every stage of the process - because you truly deserve nothing less.
Much love,
Shuana x