welcome……
I’m Natalie, Mum to two glorious girls who entered the world very differently back in 2011 and 2013. The first, Darcey Valerie took her time to introduce herself to us and required some help in doing so. I was naive as to how much choice there was surrounding birth and how much power I had within me to have a calmer birth. I had a lot of fear during my birth and at times it held me back from doing what my body was capable of. Still, she arrived on her birthday (not her ‘due date’) full of wonder and curiosity that has never wavered to this day. Then came Polly Valentine 2 years later. By then I was armed with a more positive mindset, the right tools and techniques through hypnobirthing and a fearless confidence in myself and my choices. Polly arrived swiftly, calmly and with no intervention. She too arrived on her birthday full of joy and kindness.
Both births were the making of me and empowered me for different reasons. I longed to be a mother years before Darcey was born so her arrival empowered me on my journey to motherhood. Polly’s birth empowered me in a sense that I felt so capable, so calm and so free. This experience helped towards healing the difficulties of my first birth. Having such different births taught me so much about my true self and so much about the art of birth itself and from then on I became a real birth enthusiast. I love everything to do with birth and babies and since my training I now feel even more passionate about helping others experience birth positively.
In 2021 I founded The Calm Birth after having training with The Calm Birth School and becoming a qualified hypnobirthing coach. I also plan to become a birth and post natal doula at some point in the future and will continue to expand my knowledge and services as a birth worker. I have completed birth trauma competency training and also birth trauma training with the Make Birth Better collective.
In 2022 I studied with the college of perinatal emotional health to be able to also offer 1-1 perinatal therapy sessions where a safe space is held for clients to share their own stories, safely unpack any unresolved feelings or seek emotional support following their birth.
I am really passionate about birth preparation as I know first-hand the difference that can be made by feeling informed and prepared about your birth. I know how anxiety and fear can affect your labour and I want to be able to share the knowledge I have learned through my training and own personal experiences to make a positive difference to others. I really believe that birth can be full of wonder when we harness the knowledge around all the choices. I also know that fundamentally we are all so much more capable when we unlock the power within ourselves to think positively.
Thank you for being here, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if there is anything you would like to discuss……. I would love to hear from you.
“Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers — strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength."
—Barbara Katz Rothman
