“Jaz made all the difference! I was 44 when I got pregnant with a surprise baby. Life was overwhelming and though I was perfectly fit and healthy, it felt like there was a lot of focus on me from the NHS being a supposedly “high risk” case. Every meeting with another consultant/ midwife stripped my confidence. I wanted to have a home birth but I kept being discouraged from it. Five months into my pregnancy I also had a sledding accident and fractured my coccyx.

This added to my feeling vulnerable. After having a mental breakdown and nearly ending up in psychiatric care, we started to look for a doula. I needed an ADVOCATE! I consulted with a few doulas and decided on Jaz.

Jaz was fantastic. So calm, gentle yet confident and assertive. She listened without her own agenda. And what she heard me say, is that what I really wanted was to FreeBirth. Jaz communicated with us, to the NHS. She guided both my husband and I through our previous birth trauma and, once we had a clear and concise birth plan, calm was restored. For the first time in months, I could relax and focus on my baby. We cancelled all further appointments with health care professionals.

On the night of the birth I started having surges at midnight and contacted Jaz at around 1:00. On arrival she asked my husband about my progress but, hearing me upstairs she quickly came up and was just in time. She quickly and quietly organised everyone. (Our 6 year old son was even able cut his brothers umbilical cord!) We had the most amazing birthing experience. Jaz waited with us for the midwives to come in order to record the baby’s birth. No interventions, no fussing from strangers. Jaz protected the space for us to follow our instincts and do what we needed to do in the way we needed to do it.”