Hi!
My name is Sarah Tessier and I am a postnatal doula, antenatal teacher, breastfeeding peer supporter and holistic sleep coach. Or in other other words, I’m a bit obsessed with everything to do with pregnancy, birth, babies and parenthood.
When I came across a post on Instagram from Yasmin about the idea of The Village and a call for volunteers I knew I needed to be involved somehow. Everything I stand for as a postnatal doula is what The Village aims to do for the parents and carers it supports. I met with Yasmin over coffee to hear more about the vision and I jumped at the chance to offer my skills as a postnatal doula to support families at The Village.
Why I became a doula
I was drawn to supporting families as a postnatal doula because I had two very different experiences after the births of my own babies. I know first hand the difference that having good postnatal support can make. After the birth of my son, I tried jumping back into ‘normal’ life again too quickly which resulted in a difficult recovery physically and a tough transition into motherhood emotionally. It took a long time to feel healthy and well again.
Fast forward three years and I was pregnant with my daughter and I knew I wanted to do things differently this time around. I wrote a postnatal plan, gathered support and for the first few weeks after my daughter was born I focused on resting, nourishing myself and getting to know my new baby and I felt so much better for it both physically and emotionally.
It’s because of my own experience, and the experience of supporting all of the families that I have as a postnatal doula that I feel so passionate about changing the culture around how we help new parents. It’s also why I’m so excited to be teaching the session on postnatal planning for The Village’s Birth & Beyond Antenatal Course.
It’s normal to write a birth plan. But birth last such a short time
compared to the fourth trimester, and arguably the rest of your life
as a parent so why shouldn’t we be writing postnatal plans too?
How I will help you on the antenatal course
The session I’ll be facilitating for you is the culmination of the work I’ve done with hundreds of parents through my antenatal classes, doula work and one to one postnatal planning sessions. It’s based on my own experience as well as what parents have told me has helped them and what they wish they’d known ahead of time.
In order to be able to think about what the fourth trimester might look like for you, it’s helpful to have an understanding of what life after birth might be like. We‘ll explore what to expect physically and emotionally in the days and weeks after giving birth as well as your baby’s experience of transitioning from the womb to the world. We’ll look at what you need nutritionally to help you make sure you’re filling your body with nourishment to help support your recovery and how to create a circle of support.
Becoming a parent can be amazing and overwhelming, life-changing, the best thing and the scariest thing you’ve ever done. And sometimes you’re feeling all of these things (and more) all at the same time. No two families are the same or experience the postnatal period in the same way. However, by having an idea of what to expect, you can begin to think about what support you might need. Some things can be planned for while others are unknown until after your baby arrives.
Having a plan will help you feel more prepared and give you the best chance of having the start to parenthood that you deserve.
Join us
If you would like to learn more about making your postnatal plan, book your place on our antenatal course.
To find out more about Sarah’s postnatal support services, visit her website.
