The below services are offered as standalone services and not just for Doula clients.
Pregnancy/birth related services
During Pregnancy:
Homebirth natter group
Postnatally:
Closing the Bones; a postnatal massage
Babywearing consultations
3 Step Rewind

Homebirth natter group
A group for people to come together to chat about homebirth and freebirth, held at my home in Conisbrough and you can also join us via Zoom.
Who is this session for?
This session is specifically for those who are pregnant and are interested in a homebirth (even if they haven't decided they definitely do want one) as well as for those who have already had a homebirth or freebirth and would like to share their experiences.
What is this session not appropriate for?
This is a safe space to share your concerns around having a homebirth or birthing in general, however, please note that as we have potentially vulnerable people attending, this is not an appropriate space to share traumatic birth stories in detail. My heart goes out to you if you fall into that category; your experiences are absolutely valid but this is not the session to share them. I do offer a 3 Step Rewind service, a "Dial a Doula" by the hour service or I can also signpost you to someone else for a debrief if you require it. Please don't bring a friend/relative who is very against homebirth; this is not the place to educate them.as it will affect how much other people are willing to share.
Inclusivity
This is an inclusive and safe space for all parents, including those from the LGBTQIA+ community of which Abby is a member of.
If you are a surrogate, you and the Intended Parent/s are of course welcome.
These sessions tend to be mostly attended by those who identify as women and Mum's but pregnant trans men, Dad's and nonbinary folks are absolutely all welcome. Please feel free to email me if you wish to check anything abbyhopewell.doula@gmail.com.
Can I bring my child/ren?
Yes but please note that this is held in my home and we no longer have toddlers so it's not particularly baby/toddler friendly anymore with teeny bits of lego lovingly thrown all over the house by our own smalls presenting a choking hazard.
Please note the toilet is upstairs. We also have a cat.
There is a suggested donation of £2.00 to help towards running the session but you can use coupon code "free" if you would prefer not to donate.
You can book here.



Closing the Bones;
a postnatal abdominal massage
Closing the Bones is part massage and part ritual; it's a gorgeous ceremony to honour and aid recovery. This postnatal abdominal massage creates a moment of stillness in the new haze of parenting; it's a time of reflection and peace.
During the ceremony, the abdomen and hips are massaged with a warming oil and are then gently rocked with a rebozo. A rebozo is a long piece of cloth which originates from Mexico where it is culturally significant; all of my rebozos are ethically sourced from Mexico. The hips and body are finally bound together with rebozos; a beautiful poem is read, a song sung and calm achieved.
Abby was taught by Sophie Messager. Sophie was taught by Rocio Alarcon, an Ethnobotanist from Ecuador. Rocio straddles two worlds; one of the forest, the ancient peoples and the shaman’s rituals, and the fast-paced world of science. Abby comes to you in your home or for a more atmospheric ceremony, you are welcomed into Abby's home in Conisbrough.
This can be done as a standalone treatment but the benefits can be felt time and time again.
Although traditionally carried out during the immediate postnatal period, this can be done years after giving birth and can feel especially poignant when that chapter of their lives is over.
The ceremony lasts approximately 1 hour.
One off session: £65.00 during the week in Conisbrough, £75.00 in your home, £85.00 at a weekend in your home.
Mileage is free within 12 miles of my home in DN12 but chargeable at £0.45 p/m (each way) for mileage beyond that.
Please contact me first to check.

Babywearing
As a very experienced babywearing consultant of over six years, I can help guide you through your options and teach you how to use a sling/baby carrier safely and with confidence.
You can book a consultation here.

The 3 Step Rewind for Birth Trauma
If you have experienced a traumatic pregnancy and/or birth, you will have developed your own coping mechanisms but the weight of this can hang heavy around us and it can have a negative impact on our experiences.
The 3 Step Rewind is a guide to reprogramme our traumatic experiences into something we feel more comfortable with.
One part of our brain, the amygdala, processes experiences and sends them to a different part of the brain, the neocortex, to file away into storage, sometimes when we experience something which we perceive to be traumatic, our brain replays it on a loop rather than sending it to file. It's our brain working as it should - it is trying to prevent us going through that experience again, but we no longer need it to do this.
The 3 Step Rewind helps us to move that experience into the filing part of the brain; you keep the memory and any wisdom it brings with it, but you lose the traumatic feelings associated with it.
This process takes place over two to three sessions depending on progress made after session one.
£110.00 via Zoom (for upto 3 sessions)
£125.00 in person (for upto 3 sessions)
You can book for Zoom here.
You can book an in-person session here.
Please contact via e-mail or the contact form if you have any questions.
Fancy a natter?
You are welcome to pop me an e-mail or Facebook message at any time. After your initial enquiry, I'm happy to contact you by phone at a mutually convenient time.

"If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it."
Dr. John H. Kennell





