A Little Bit About Me And What’s Behind Doula Diary

Sometimes I think it’s helpful to know the person behind the business.

So, here’s a little bit about me, my journey into birth work, and why Doula Diary has become so much more than a business to me.

Before becoming a doula, I was a nurse.

I worked my way up to becoming a Band 7 specialist nurse, building a career I was incredibly proud of. Caring for people, advocating for them and helping them through some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives was something that came very naturally to me.

Then came a little girl who changed everything.

I fell pregnant after a Covid wedding with just 15 people there. It wasn’t the wedding I had once imagined, but it was perfect in its own way.

And then I became a mum to my beautiful baby girl, Olivia.

Becoming a mum had always been a dream of mine.

But the reality was much harder than I had imagined.

My birth experience was traumatic for me. I had an unplanned caesarean, and despite being cared for within the very NHS trust I had worked for, I came away carrying a lot of difficult feelings.

I was healing physically while trying to navigate an entirely new identity.

I was a mum.

I was exhausted.

I was recovering.

And I felt incredibly alone.

The thing that surprised me most was that I didn’t particularly enjoy those early days and months.

I felt guilty admitting that because becoming a mum was my dream. Surely I should have been loving every minute?

Instead, I felt isolated with my thoughts and struggled to find where I fitted into this new world.

And then I discovered birth work.

I discovered doulas.

I discovered a community of people who understood that birth and early parenthood aren’t always straightforward, magical or Instagram-perfect.

And, perhaps most importantly, I found my village.

That experience changed the direction of my life.

I trained as a doula alongside training in baby massage, partly because Olivia was showing all those colicky-type symptoms and I wanted to understand how I could support her.

I tried baby groups too.

But if I’m honest, they weren’t always the safe haven I needed.

Some left me feeling even more isolated or overstimulated. I quickly realised that what I actually wanted was a coffee with a friend, a walk, somewhere I could be myself without feeling like I needed to perform motherhood.

The problem was that many of my friends were working when I was free.

So, in those early days, it was often just me and Livvy.

Dog walks.

Sensory play at home.

Baby massage.

And slowly, I started seeing the world through my new eyes as a doula.

I began to notice the things I had needed.

The things that would have made those early months feel a little softer.

A little less lonely.

A little more like I belonged.

And that’s really where Doula Diary came from.

Everything I create and offer comes from that lived experience.

I know what it feels like to be the person who isn’t thriving.

The person who looks like they’re doing okay from the outside but is quietly struggling on the inside.

The person who doesn’t necessarily want another busy group, another checklist or another person telling them how motherhood should look.

Sometimes you just need somewhere safe to land.

Somewhere you can bring your baby, your questions, your exhaustion, your excitement, your worries and your whole self.

That’s the space I want Doula Diary to create.

Whether you’re preparing for birth, navigating pregnancy, recovering from birth, getting to know your baby or simply looking for your people I want you to feel welcome here.

And I want you to help shape it.

If something could make a class more comfortable, a session more enjoyable, a resource more useful or the community feel more welcoming, please tell me.

I genuinely mean it when I say your feedback helps me grow and helps this community grow too.

Because I’m not creating Doula Diary from a textbook.

I’m creating it from experience.

From being in your boots.

From being the mum who needed the village.

And from knowing just how much it can mean when someone creates a space where you don’t have to pretend you’re thriving.

You can simply come as you are.

That’s Doula Diary.

And I’m so glad you’re here.

Leanne x