The Birth Free Collective

I am part of the Birth Free Collective — a small group of local doulas in Bournemouth who share one core belief:
Women and birthing people deserve to be free to birth in the way that feels right for them.
We are friends, mothers and advocates.
We believe deeply in community — because that’s where the magic lives.
We are a web of women holding one another up, so that when you need us, we can hold you too.

Through collaboration rather than competition, we ensure families receive grounded, reliable birth support in Bournemouth and the surrounding areas

Other members of the collective

Julia Priston-JPBirth
Lucy Rose Doula
Alex Swain-Gentle Foundations

Each of us works independently, yet we are united by shared values around physiological birth, informed choice and respectful support.

How does the collective work?

As a collective, we support one another — so that we can support you.
In the highly unlikely event that an emergency prevented one of us from attending your birth (it hasn’t happened yet!), we are able to reach out to another doula within the collective to attend in our place, if available.
This is different from formal “back-up” arrangements.
Back-up is a dedicated agreement where another doula is on-call for a specific period. If formal back-up is needed — for example, due to a pre-planned commitment — this will be arranged in advance, ideally with another member of the collective.
During pregnancy, you are welcome to meet other members of the collective. This means you:
become familiar with other local doulas
benefit from shared knowledge and perspectives
feel reassured that someone you know could attend your birth if needed
It’s about continuity of care — and continuity of ethos.

Who is my contract with?

Each member of the Birth Free Collective is self-employed and works independently.
Unless you choose shared care (see below), your contract is with the doula you book directly. The collective is an added layer of reassurance — a supportive network behind the scenes.

What is shared care?

Shared care is when you intentionally book more than one doula to work together in supporting you.
This can look different for every family. For example:
Antenatal and postnatal visits may be divided between doulas
One doula may take the lead while another attends the birth
You may choose to have two doulas present at your birth
Or any bespoke combination that best meets your needs
In this case, your contract would be with multiple doulas, and the support package is tailored specifically to you.
Shared care can be a beautiful option if you value collaborative birth support in Bournemouth and want the depth of multiple practitioners holding space for you.

Do you share my details?

We discuss our client work together for supervision and mentoring purposes — much like therapists or counsellors do.However, we do not use identifying information unless you have given explicit permission.Strong support networks create strong practitioners.And when we feel supported, we are better able to hold steady, calm and grounded space for you.

Let’s Connect:

If you would like to explore how the Birth Free Collective can support your birth in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole or the New Forest, I’d love to hear from you.
You can learn more about my personalised birth support by visiting my Birth Packages page, where I explain the different ways we can work together.
Or, if you’re ready to talk things through, get in touch and we can arrange a no-obligation chat to see what feels right for you.
Because birth may be unpredictable — but your support doesn’t have to be.

Contact