Katelyn Commerford - Doula and NBAC Guide

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Katelyn Commerford - Doula and NBAC Guide

Hello! I'm Katelyn - doula, VBAC educator, homebirth advocate, and all round supporter of mothers.

I regularly share content on pregnancy, birth, postpartum and parenting topics.

27/10/2025

While I edit through the rest of Hannah's poem, I wanted to make some public shout outs and thank yous to all the beautiful women by my side on this journey to motherhood, chapter three.

My gorgeous, most excellent and wonderful friend who came to be by my side with a moment's notice.

As things suddenly ramped up for me on the Saturday afternoon before Hannah was born, Georgia was the first person to come and be with me when I started to get a bit overwhelmed and in my head and just needing someone solid to ground me. We'd never planned for her to be there, though we'd discussed that we'd have her as the first sort of back up to call in if labour was long as my other beautiful friend (who was hired as my doula for this birth and my previous one) needed to take a break or rest.

In the weeks leading up, I reflected often on how strange it would be not having her there, after I had been by her side for her third baby's birth at the start of the year, and given that my other two closest mum friends (Aimee and Beth ) would be there, but I was also really conscious of not overcrowding my birth space or bringing in too many people. So we just stuck with our original plan that it would be Aimee there as a doula and Beth as a photographer and G would just cheer me on from afar.

I'm so, so glad we called her in (she was able to get to me sooner than Aimee when I decided I really needed someone, so we asked her to come). It was so special to have her hold me and be with me. I'd called the wonderful to do some acupuncture that evening, and after she had left and I'd jumped back under the shower, with the steadying knowledge that G was right there outside the door - not doing anything other than just being a reassuring presence - there was suddenly no slowing or stopping that labour.

Such a grounding presence of safety and strength by my side, along with the little jiggle of a needle in my toe, and that's all we needed to muster the courage to fully let go and freefall into deep labour land.

Thank you forever, my beautiful friend 💕

📷

24/10/2025

Must be about time for Hannah, Part 3 🤍🤍🤍

23/10/2025

Homebirth is a philosophy.

It's not just a place of birth - it's a model of care, it's a belief system, it's a faith and trust of physiology. And it's also a deep and profound respect for birth that includes the knowledge that it doesn't always play out perfectly even when left alone.

This image right here is one of so many reasons that I don't regret for a moment choosing to plan for and invest in a homebirth for my second and third babies. Both were transfers, and both were caesareans. But I was so loved, and so held.

I wouldn't have done it any other way.

I often see women hesitant to invest in a homebirth because of the fear that they'll end up needing hospital anyway and regret having spent the money. I can honestly say it has never felt like a waste of money, and that's almost entirely because it's actually not about the place of birth as much as it's about the continuity of care relationship. The six weeks of postnatal care that is as much about giving you space to process and debrief everything as much as it is about ensuring you and your baby's recovery and wellbeing.

I can't possibly tell you how much love I have for you and how grateful I am for having you by my side on these wild rides.

This beautiful and cherished photo by the one and only 💕

09/10/2025

Hannah, part two 🤍

05/10/2025

When I planned my first homebirth, I didn't really get a birth space set up. I had a toddler and was planning on birthing in the lounge room where she played every day. It didn't seem worthwhile trying to set anything up, because she'd likely destroy it 🫠

This time, I opted for a more remote area of the house, a room at the back, away from the main part of the house, and one that I could actually set up ahead of time. I was lucky to have the space to do so, even if our house is a bit of a crappy old thing.

I loved spending the last few weeks of pregnancy gradually setting things up, including a birth altar with candles from my mother blessing, gifts my friends had given me or made for me specifically for this, artwork and such that they lent me that had been at their own births, artwork I had in my house that I loved, and a few special trinkets to remind me of my babies and my dear grandparents who I knew would be a source of strength throughout.

I also had a wall of affirmations, mostly ones that I made with my friends, a few from fellow doulas and then a couple of rouge joke ones my husband contributed 😅 there to make me laugh, but also his half serious attempt at being deep and meaningful.

With my birth playlist on (and being constantly edited and added to), I put it all together over the last days and eventually weeks 😂 of my pregnancy, hung a sheet over the cube shelf full of brightly coloured toys and games to soften the room as best I could, buying a new diffuser and trying out different blends that I could use in labour, replacing and hemming the curtains to make sure it was all ready to go.

Finally, I put a painter's tarp down across the carpeted floor (one I'd taken from my grandparent's garage stores when we packed up and cleaned out their house after they died, putting it aside specifically for this purpose - for them to quite literally ground me in labour) and blew up the birth pool. It ended up being another six days before I met my baby after the pool was blown up, so it did need topping up a few times, but I really loved having my room all set and ready.

It was a beautiful spot to just spend time in over those last days 🤍🤍🤍

02/10/2025

🤍👣🤰

19/08/2025

We welcomed the last of our girl gang on Sunday morning (42+1 gestation), Hannah Jude Commerford, at 7.27am via a third unplanned caesarean. My smallest baby at my longest gestation!

The short and sweet (or as short and sweet as I'm ever able to make them) birth story is in the comments 🥰

Beautiful pic is thanks to my dear friend ❤️

22/07/2025

I mean 🥹🥹🥹

pure wizardry

13/07/2025

My beautiful, beautiful women ran the most perfect mother blessing for me yesterday 😭

It was the most lovely, nourishing, heartfelt time with my gorgeous friends who have been by my side on this entire journey... from processing my first and second births and deciding we wanted a third, this conception which was quite different to my first two babies, and then this pregnancy which has been emotionally tumultuous to say the least.

I don't know what I did to have possibly deserved friends like you three, but I'm grateful each and every day. And I feel soooooo lucky to know I've got you all by my side on the next stages of this journey.

Words honestly fail to express how much you all mean to me and how much this day meant 🥹🥹

Also, pics for example of why you need a photographer friend in your life 😅 even with a phone camera she just creates magic ✨

07/04/2025

A small update ✨

It's been very quiet here and much of that can be attributed to this wee bump. With enquiries continuing to come in for the second half of the year, it was probably time to share this little tidbit here by way of explanation for my radio silence.

This pregnancy has been relatively smooth, alongside a rocky start to the year. Still freshly grieving the loss of my Nanny, and then battling the joys of first trimester (which I'm endlessly grateful does tend to be manageable comparative to many, but still highly unpleasant 🤢), it's also just been busy with my eldest starting school and navigating those shorter days, the usual colds I've been hit with and have lingered thanks to pregnancy immune systems 🫠 and just life generally.

We also suffered yet more grief a few weeks ago when my father in law died suddenly from injuries following a bicycle accident. Our lives very much hit a standstill over the last few weeks while we navigated that shock and grief. We were grateful to live so close by and have him very involved in our and the kids' lives, so it really has been a deep and tragic loss.

A good opportunity to thank all my wonderful people for holding us through: my family, my friends, and my greater support network including my most excellent midwife and counsellor.

I've had the luxury of professionally having a quieter first half of this year, but I am really hoping to run a few more things before I take official leave including the promised online homebirth transfer circle, potentially another in person circle, and I've been toying with running the VBAC education class online over six hour-long live classes if there's interest for that.

Personally, I'm choosing not to share a whole lot about this pregnancy, as it's been a looooong journey here in terms of the work I've been doing and continue to do, and much of that sees me needing to tune further inward, lean deeply into my intuition and inner knowledge, and practicing vulnerability with those I've chosen to walk with and support me.

Please do reach out if you've got questions about any of this, but I will have some boundaries in place about how much pregnancy info I'll be sharing 💓

06/03/2025

Feeling this deeply this 🥹

Thank you, to my women, you have nourished me so beautifully.

poem

13/01/2025

📸

I love facilitating Mother Blessings. I do them sparsely, only for women I know personally or who have booked me for doula support that I know I'll get to know. This was the most special yet, for one of my dearest friends and she prepares to meet her third and last baby.

What an honour, what a gift, what a joy. Made all the more special by her choosing a group of women to join her who I personally know and adore. It was beyond special.

Thanks to gorgeous Beth for taking some precious shots of our day as well!

Address

2750

Telephone

+61431369352

Website

http://www.katelynthedoula.com.au/

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