04/04/2026
So I stopped teaching as an NCT Antenatal Practitioner in January and venture out on my own. As Maria the Doula. I have just finished my first private 1 to 1 and this is their review. ❤️❤️
A Truly Personalised and Empowering Experience
When we first became pregnant with our first child, we knew we wanted a doula to help us navigate the unknown. Our main goals were to find someone who could help us prepare, relieve our mounting anxieties, and provide a safe space for us to ask the deeply personalised questions that come with a first-time birth. We found Maria through the NCT website, and looking back, we are so incredibly thankful we did.
From our very first interaction, an initial call via Zoom, Maria was the epitome of warmth and support. She immediately put us at ease with her welcoming nature and made it clear that she was happy to adapt her support to fit our unique situation. We never felt like we were being funneled into a 'one-size-fits-all' package; Maria was genuinely happy to accommodate the specific type of support we were looking for.
We opted for her pre-birth support package, which was exceptionally well-structured. Maria visited us in our home for two blocks of tailored support. What we appreciated most was the level of autonomy she gave us; she sent over a comprehensive list of subjects and invited us to highlight our top priorities. Whether we wanted to cover everything or just a few specific areas, Maria built the program content entirely around us and our needs.
The preparation started even before our face-to-face sessions. Maria gave us access to her digital resource platform, which was an invaluable tool. It was packed with useful information, including many topics we hadn't even thought to consider. Reading through this beforehand allowed us to feel more informed and prepared to dive deeper during our time together.
The two in-home sessions were the highlight of our experience. The flexibility was fantastic, we never felt rushed, and we were able to spend extra time on the things that mattered most to us, such as induction and pain relief options. Maria has a gift for making you feel comfortable; no question felt too small or too silly. She turned what could have been an overwhelming amount of information into a manageable, empowering plan.
Maria was very professional, highly adaptable, and deeply caring. She didn’t just give us information; she gave us the confidence to face our birth experience with a sense of calm. We cannot recommend her highly enough! Thank you so much Maria for your time, support and care. You’ve made us feel so confident and comfortable in a very new and unpredictable situation!
