Sydney Doula Virginia Maddock at Natural Beginnings has had a special interest in natural birth, water births, VBACs and homebirths since 2006, having supported around 120 births over that time. She services the Sydney suburbs of Sutherland Shire, St George, Bankstown, Inner West (RPA Hospital) and Eastern suburbs (Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick) areas, or up to 1hr away from Caringbah for planned homebirths! If you would like a doula for that extra support through pregnancy, labour and birth, then please get in contact to avoid disappointment! :)
A doula is someone you come to know well by the time of your birth, and who is there during your labour, by your side, focused solely on you and your partner. She can encourage you, remain objective, and help your partner feel more confident about how to support you. She can also assist you with practical knowledge on measures to relieve discomfort and encourage relaxation during labour, such as positioning, use of water, massage and aromatherapy.
A doula can provide information when you have questions, and can help you communicate more effectively with your medical caregivers and supports you in making choices that are right for you and your baby.
Research shows that having a doula can:
My Sydney Doula services package includes – 18 years experience supporting many different births including homebirths, hospital/birth centre births, planned casaereans, VBACs and lotus birth, supporting a vast array of clients ranging from first time to 4th time mothers, lesbian couples, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims.
I can also offer you the following additions to enhance your labour experience at no extra charge:
- Hot packs and Cold cloth
- Massage,
- Reiki (if this resonates),
- Herbal medicines
- Homeopathics,
- Flower essences
- Essential Oils
- Optimal Foetal Positioning techniques.
* Virginia has done multiple training and workshops, both with Gail Tully from Spinning Babies, and Ginny Phang from Optimal Maternal Positioning, and has been successful in turning babies from posterior to anterior during labour, which can work amazingly well to hasten the birth!
Virginia’s Birth Education
Virginia keeps up to date with ongoing pregnancy and childbirth education, and has attended the following courses and conferences…
- Doula Certificate (Marie Burrows & Sandra Robinson) – Birthings Rites Australia, Sydney 2006
- Homebirth Australia Conference – Geelong 2006
- Doula conference – Gold Coast 2007
- Homebirth Australia Conference – Sydney 2010
- Homebirth Australia Conference – Newcastle 2011
- Homebirth Australia Conference – Hobart 2012
- Birthkeeper Intensive (Jane Hardwicke-Collings) – Sydney 2012
- Birth Into Being (Nicole Moore) – Sydney 2013
- Intro to Birthing From Within (Virginia Bobro) – Sydney 2013
- Trust Birth Conference – Sydney 2013
- Homebirth Australia Conference – Brisbane 2014
- Midwifery Today Conference – Byron Bay 2014
- Homebirth Australia Conference – Melbourne 2015
- Intro to Birthing From Within (Virginia Bobro) – Sydney 2015
- Creative Ways Of Making Space For The Baby (Jenny Blyth) – Melbourne 2016
- Spinning Babies workshop (Ginny Phang) – Brisbane May 2017
- Spinning Babies workshop (Ginny Phang) – Sydney August 2017 (x 2)
- Homebirth Australia Conference – Sydney November 2017
- Mizan Therapy training (Bushra Finch) – Sydney November 2017
- 2 day Spinning Babies workshop (Gail Tully, Marcello Windolph) – Sydney March 2018
- 4 day Spinning Babies meets Birthwork retreat (Gail Tully, Jenny Blyth, Fiona Hallinan, Marcello Windolph) – Sunshine Coast March 2018
- Spinning Babies workshop (Ginny Phang) – Auckland NZ July 2018
- Spinning Babies workshop (Ginny Phang) – Sydney July 2018
- Certificate of Pregnancy Massage (Pregnancy Massage Australia) – November 2018, Sydney
- Mizan Therapy Pregnancy and Post Natal Training (Bushra Finch) – November 2018, Melbourne
- Urogenital Osteopathy Grade 1 (Natalie Lejeune) – December 2018, Hobart
- Holistic Pelvic Care (Tami Lynn Kent) – March 2019, Gold Coast
- Homebirth Australia Conference – March 2019, Geelong
- Optimal Maternal Positioning (Ginny Phang) – May 2019, Melbourne
- Holistic Treatment of the Pregnant and Postpartum Body (Lynn Schulte) – June 2019, Melbourne
- When Survivors Give Birth (Jennifer Fontaine) – November 2019, Sydney
- Optimal Maternal Positioning (Ginny Phang) – November 2019, Sydney
- Becoming Us (Elly Taylor) – November 2019, Sydney
- Birth Mapping (Catherine Bell) – March 2021, Sydney
- Working with Perinatal Trauma: Where to Start (Fiona Rogerson) – October 2022
- Deeper Than The Scar: C Section & Perineal Scar Support For Doulas (Janelle Gullan) – January 2023, online
- Birth After Caesarean (Hazel Keedle) – February 2023, Blue Mountains
- Trauma-sensitive Birth Debriefing (Nisha Gill) – March 2023, online
- Doula Conference – March 2023, Maroochydore, Qld
- Rebozo & Closing The Bones (Naoli Vinaver) – June 2023, Currumbin, Qld
- Homebirth Australia conference – November 2023, Sydney
So, how much would you expect to pay for all of my pregnancy, birth support and natural therapies experience? Just $2300*!
I now offer PayRight: Interest Free Payment Plans to Enjoy Now and Pay Later. Ask me how!
* Planning a homebirth with an independent midwife? I know how expensive that can be, so I offer a $100 discount when you are a member of Homebirth NSW. If you pay me in cash, I will further discount your package by another $100.
The following extras can also be added, many of which are at a reduced rate for my doula clients:
- Professional Pregnancy Photography or Birth Photography with ALL the best edited photos of your birth and new baby on USB memory stick to keep forever ($500)
- Mother Blessing Ceremonies ($250) and Henna Bellies ($90p/hr)
- Birth Trauma Release Ceremonies – ($220, or included as one of your prenatal visits)
- Holistic Pregnancy Bodywork ($150 per session)
- Belly Casting ($300)
If you would like to discuss more about how I can help during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, please contact me.
