I’m not going to waffle on about my childhood, teens and even my early adult life, I spend many years in my 20’s and 30’s working in London in an unfulfilling job, to pay the bills, it’s a familiar story, that I’m sure you’ve heard time and time again, maybe it’s your life right now. I want to start by saying that it can be different, you never know what’s around the corner.
Out of the blue and in a short space of time in my late 30’s I met my husband, got made redundant, got married and had a baby! I never really expected any of these things to happen for me. These changes allowed me to start living my best life. Everyone’s best life is different, but for me it was about contentment, calm and happiness within myself and my home. I have no interest in earning the big bucks, commuting, sitting at a desk and having all the stress that goes along with it.
It’s taken a couple of years but now I’m much closer to contentment. Don’t get me wrong, life isn’t perfect, I don’t believe in perfect anymore, but it’s good and that’s ok with me. I still have a lot of days filled with anxiety but slowly I’m feeling starting to feel that inner calm.
I love being able to pick and choose whether I work or not, who I work with and choosing what I do each day. My focus is family and being at home for my 2 year old daughter as much as possible but I do love my new flexible work life.
As a pregnancy yoga teacher I love to bring something a little extra to my classes and my doula role comes in really handy for this. There’s nothing I like more than talking to my clients about their pregnancies, birth, babies and anything relating to maternity care. I love the weeks where I teach an active birth class or share tips to help with pregnancy related issues such as sciatica. I’ve had such lovely feedback from my classes recently, that it makes everything all worth while.
My work as a doula is just as rewarding, fulfilling and amazing as my work as a yoga teacher. Being part of someone’s birth is a truly humbling experience, I actually get to be there when a new life enters this world, I literally can’t think of anything more rewarding than this. I’ve always had an internal need to “help” the world in some way, I think I feel so fulfilled because I’m beginning to do this. I feel incredibly satisfied to be able to support families as a birth or postnatal doula. As I’m writing this I’m wondering if it’s a bit selfish really, I feel I’m getting so much out of my new roles but I also hope the families I support are getting even more.
I’m also enjoying working as a breastfeeding peer supporter and wish more new mothers would get help rather than struggle alone or give up. Finally my work with Health Watch Essex as a Maternity Patient Partner is very rewarding. The maternity care in this country needs a shake up and it won’t happen without people campaigning for change. I love the feeling when positive changes are put in place following suggestions we’ve made.
So generally I’m so much happier now that I’m living a different life to the one I had a few years ago. A fulfilling existence where I’m making a difference in the world…this feels good and makes me enjoy getting out of bed each day. I didn’t expect to be living this life but you never know what’s round the corner!
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