Doula Joséphine Roulet

11/04/2024

Did someone say pushy doctors? 🦸🏻‍♀️

🙌💪

In awe of this incredible couple and team. ❤️
Feedback from happy father 🙏

09/04/2024

Often with birth, it’s not just about what happens during the birth;
But how you felt in that moment.

Thank you for your kind words; for the opportunity to serve and witness you in your power 🙏

19/03/2024

I had the pleasure to be invited to chat with Fiona & Kahreela from ‘May the Life-force Be With You’
about birth, in its energetic and spiritual sense.

Peace Begins at Birth.

Link to the episode in my bio.

13/03/2024

This deserved a separate post. Because to claim autonomy during (AND the lead up to) childbirth requires you to radically change your mindset as to what is « expected » of you to comply with the system and its blanket guidelines. 🤯🦋

There are many ways to achieve autonomy, not just in childbirth but in the lead up to birth also.
If I had to resume some crucial points:

🔎 Always 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔 𝑭𝑶𝑹 YOUR 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔, when being presented with a recommendation (based on a blanket policies or NHS pathways, not on your full options and rights).
Do your own research from a trusted source if needed (your prenatal appointment are often limited to 15 minutes, sadly not leaving enough time for your consultant to explain and run through each risk and scenario).

🔎 Use the acronym BRAIN if confused (Benefits, Risks, Alternative, Not now).
To go inwards to find what is right for you, not outward.

🔎 Know you never have to accept any procedure nor intervention, even if it is deemed ‘necessary’.
If in doubt, you can ask for more time to make a decision, always.

Come and practice with us! I offer a group session for you to dive into these notions and tools. I promise you it will become second nature 😊

13/03/2024

In other words, this is also referred to as 𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚. 🦋

Because to claim autonomy during (and the lead up to) childbirth requires you:

🔎 To always 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑻𝒉𝑬𝑰𝑹 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔, behind each medical recommendation (as per blanket policies and NHS pathways). Do your own research from a trusted source if needed (your prenatal appointment are often limited to 15 minutes, sadly often not leaving enough time for the consultant to run through each risk and scenario).

🔎 Use the acronym BRAIN if confused (Benefits, Risks, Alternative, Not now).
To go inwards to find what is right for you, not outward.

🔎 Know you never have to accept any procedure nor intervention, even if it is deemed ‘necessary’. If in doubt, you can ask for more time to make a decision, always.

Having experienced a loss of autonomy in my own pregnancy in 2018; Having studied this particular subject in my work for the Sussex Maternity Systems (NHS) and having supported a number of births as a doula over the past 3 years;

This is what I believe in for women to reclaim space and autonomy in their birth experience. ✨
.. There is no reason to be scared! I promise you radical responsibility can be 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈! 🙌

𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵.

It is about recalibrating our relationship with the medical consultants who are just that- consultants. You can chose to place them in the driving seat of your birth, birth within the NHS guidelines,
OR you can chose to advocate for your personal needs and preferences (what the NHS calls ‘individualised care’).

If you are feeling confused, I invite you to join my more in-depth group session for you to learn advocacy tools and birthrights 📚
to help you (and your partner) navigate your birth... No matter how it unfolds.

From my heart to yours 🙏

21/02/2024

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🙏

Fear of conflict or people pleasing is very often what gets in the way of people getting their needs met during childbirth.

This method comes from my birth advocacy training, adapted to my experience of supporting births in the UK:

𝟏) 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞. Humanise the staff using their name (they will carry it on their badge) and open with gratitude

𝟐) 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 in the medical staff who may not be used to choices ‘outside of the guidelines’ or outside of their medical training (doctors are not trained for natural birth). State what you can see/ hear (be factual) rather than making assumptions.

𝟑) 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝. Pause and stand up to be eye-to-eye helps. End with thanks also goes a long way :)

𝟒) Only if confrontation continues- 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬.

My advice to you? 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 🙂
At home and with your birth partner. Or with us. If you’d like to know about the next group online session I will be hosting feel free to message me.
It’s going to be fun 😊

19/02/2024

This may not be an easy opinion to grasp, especially as we come to realise how our birth system can be problematic for our birth.

Yes. The over medicalisation of birth, with its high interventions rates and birth trauma are and should remain a concern. Absolutely.

But also, (and before I share anything with you on how to advocate for yourself) let’s get this clear-

The maternity system was not set up to fail women.

Obstetricians and midwifes did not train to mess up with women’s labours- at least not intentionally. Their intention is to help.

If you are holding the system as the ‘enemy’ out of anger, resentment or fear (and I have been there)- I want to ask- Is this fair?

Does blaming the system helps you to take responsibility for your birth, and feel confident about your ability to navigate it?

Where do you place the system in the hierarchy over your body and decisions?

Women giving birth legally have *absolute* agency and autonomy on what is done to them. But like advocating about anything else in life, it is like a muscle, that needs exercising.
I know that, in practice, it can feel as though you have no choice or have to comply with what is ‘demanded’ of you. I promise you this couldn’t be further away from the truth.
The more parents will learn how to show up for themselves and reclaim their autonomy, the more the system will change.

Having worked for the maternity system I want you to know that your experience matter, that every single letter or feedback is not just heard, but brought to a senior meeting whose agenda is to take this feedback into consideration to inform the new system.
Your voice does have power. And *your actions have a voice.* (amen)

If the system was a person…
Would you give up on that person entirely (and I know some people make the decision to free birth for that reason)
Or, would you give this person a chance to improve? Would you show this person what is needed, and give them an opportunity to show up differently?

[more in comments]

14/02/2024

𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡

… Is at the heart of my work as a birth doula.

✨To allow you freedom to birth how it feels right to you.
✨ To keep a sense of control.

✨ To come on the other side of birth feeling empowered by the experience. No matter what birth you chose.
✨ To unveil that power in you, to best honour this rite of passage.

We gratefully welcome support or assistance from a medical system, but not at the detriment of your own autonomy.

Over the years I have developed a birth advocacy toolkit, drawn from experience, to help you make informed decisions and feeling in the driving seat of your birth experience. To help you navigate birth scenarios and the people in the room.

I will start sharing more of these on here 🙏

Photograph by 💗

31/12/2023

More stats on births with me this year :)

First-time parents- 55.5%
Second-time parents- 33.5%
Third-time parents- 11%

Girls- 89% ! (It’s been a year of girls!)
Boys- 11%

What truly matters is not wether my clients chose to have their baby at hospital or at home birth, or whether they chose to have them vaginally or via caesarean.

What matters is that they had autonomy over both their bodies and decisions, and ultimately, what that means for their birth experience, their mental health, for parents and babies bonding and start in life 😊

The impact is also on all the babies born a little more peacefully this year. 🙏

31/12/2023

17/08/2023

To all Leo and August babies 🙏

19/07/2023

Souvenir of a great community day, brought together by and .wellness 💕 🙏

Had a great time meeting other perinatal professionals, new/ expecting parents, and past clients with their little ones 💕

(learnt masses from Helen on Chiropractic! See how focused I was 😂 )

22/06/2023

I’m taking a summer social media break for the next 10 days.
If you query is urgent, send me an email 🙏
See you on the other side ☀️

30/05/2023

Pour les ami(e)s francophones ~ 👂

Si vous vous demandez comment je suis devenue doula ~

J’ai eu le plaisir de partager sur mon parcours et réflexion sur le développement personnel et professionnel avec Pauline, femme derrière le podcast des Confidences Inspirantes.

Dans ce podcast on ne parle pas tellement de mon métier mais des étapes qui nous mènent parfois aux destinations auxquelles on ne s’attendait pas (même si notre âme, elle, elle le savait depuis le début 😉)

Si vous vous demandez donc qui se cache derrière Joséphine donc, c’est par ici 😊 (à écouter sur Spotify)

14/04/2023

Did you know you could be eligible for free birth and postnatal doula support, through the Doula UK Access found?

I am proud to be registered as a volunteer to provide free birth support to parents who could otherwise not be able to afford it.

This scheme is available to families and lone parents experiencing financial hardship, who meet the criteria.

All you need to do is to send an application through. Upon approval, you can contact me or any other doula registered under the scheme, to provide you with free antenatal and birth support.

For more information, visit my website or the link in my bio forDoula UK Access Fund.