WHAT IS A DOULA?
A doula holds the key for Mum, Dad and baby to experience a calm, supported and empowered pregnancy and birth.
She guides and supports you without judgement, helping you make the right choices for you and your baby.
Your Birth Right doula is trained to think outside the box — unlike many caregivers who are trained to follow protocols. She is creative, empathic, intelligent and wise.
A deeply trusted relationship develops because your doula represents you and what you want. She is not answerable to any hospital facility or staff.
She is your true continuity of care.
A skilled communicator.
A respectful negotiator.
Your steady presence.
Doula visits during pregnancy?
Regular pregnancy visits build a strong and trusting relationship.
These sessions help you stay focused on a positive belief, so you can welcome your baby into the world with confidence and joy.
Support During Labour and Birth
During labour, your doula will be with you — at home and at hospital
She will be your rock.
Your emotional, physical and spiritual support.
Your advocate.
Her presence sets the stage for you to feel safe, supported and relaxed.
After the Birth
After your baby arrives, your doula protects that sacred space as all three of you fall in love and connect.
She ensures you understand all your options before leaving the birthing space, so you continue feeling confident and informed as you embrace parenting on the outside.
Common Concerns
Do you worry about being left alone during labour?
With Doula + Dad, you are never alone.
Your partner and doula can tag-team breaks, coffee runs and rest time — meaning you always have someone alert, grounded and fully present in your corner.
Do you worry about how your partner will cope?
While your doula supports you, she also supports your partner.
She normalises birth for him and helps him feel confident in his role, so he can relax and enjoy becoming a Dad, whatever that looks like on the day.
Do you want to stay home as long as possible in early labour?
Your doula will support you in the early stages at home and guide you through the transition to hospital when the time is right.
She remains your calm, steady presence, helping you feel safe, centred and grounded.
Are you concerned about which midwife you’ll have on the day?
Midwives change shifts.
They take leave.
They rotate through wards.
Your doula does not.
She is your true continuity of care, someone who knows you personally, understands your wishes and has walked alongside you throughout your pregnancy.
She represents your voice, not the hospital system.
Who will stand up for your rights during labour?
Your doula is your advocate.
A Birth Right doula understands how the hospital system works. She is trained in respectful, non-threatening advocacy, negotiating with subtlety and skill so your labour can unfold smoothly, without unnecessary stress or confrontation.
Are you concerned about medical intervention being “offered”?
The calm, informed presence of a Birth Right doula often shifts the dynamic in the room.
She ensures you understand all your options and supports you in making informed choices. She carries a creative “toolkit” of ideas to help you navigate labour naturally and confidently.
Frequently Asked Questions
My partner is unsure about having a doula?
This is very common.
Some partners worry a doula might replace them, but the opposite is true. A doula allows a partner to relax, feel supported and truly enjoy becoming a Dad.
She strengthens the partnership, not replaces it.
How will a doula negotiate for what I want?
Birth Right doulas are trained by me, drawing on over 45 years of experience working within and outside the hospital system.
Respectful negotiation is a key part of our training. We teach doulas how to communicate clearly with hospital staff so you can enjoy the birth experience you have chosen, as long as it is safe for Mum and baby.
This is a specialised skill and unique to Birth Right doulas.
How do I choose a doula?
In both of my books, you’ll find suggested questions to ask at your first meeting.
But beyond experience and training, trust your connection.
You should feel safe, understood and comfortable.
What’s the difference between having a family member and a doula?
Family members are emotionally attached, and don’t understand the hospital system or how to negotiate within it. This can make objective decision-making difficult.
Let your Mum be your Mum.
Let your sister be your sister.
And employ a doula to be your doula.
What does a doula actually do in labour?
The most beautiful testimonial I have received from a Dad was:
“She was present, without being a presence.”
That captures it perfectly.
A doula creates safety. She reads the room. She uses her intuition and experience to provide the right support at the right time, quietly, skilfully, respectfully.
What happens immediately after birth?
After birth, your doula protects that precious time, allowing the three of you to fall in love with your baby without interruption.
She ensures you understand your options before leaving the birthing space, so you step forward into parenting on the outside feeling informed and confident.
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What women say:
“Thank you, Thank you. We are truly lucky to have meet you Susan, for what you stand for and what you do, there are not many woman in the world like you. The wonderful positive messages you send to mothers to be and partners is invaluable. Amber
“Thank you for connecting us with Emma for the birth of our son Raphael. She is just such a wonderful doula, and we were really blessed to have her with us. She was really supportive through difficult days of pre-labour, throughout the labour, and after Raffy was born. We always felt that she was 100% on our side and just loved having here there. She is amazing.” Kate
“Susan Ross was recommended to us by a close friend. I was looking for a doula to walk both my husband and I though the birth of our first child, as we both had many fears about birth after a close friend lost their first child during labour. At 35 weeks we were told our baby was breech and we would have to have a C Section. Thanks to Susan’s guidance and experience we found a doctor that would help us birth our baby naturally. Without Susan as our Doula, we truly believe we would not have the most amazing, relaxed, fear free birth that we had. Our baby is calm, happy and healthy thanks to the way he was brought into this world.” Candace, Jono & Kurtis
“Working with Susan was an inspiring, calm and empowering experience. We could not have felt more at ease in our journey through pregnancy and with our birth preparations. We owe a lot to Susan and Emma for having been prepared enough to have managed the 52 hour labour and still follow our birth plan giving birth to our gorgeous baby boy in the natural, drug-free and blissful way we had planned!” Anna, Matt, & Toto
“I can’t thank Susan enough for her guidance and support during the entire pregnancy and our birthing day. We recommend her services to anyone who will listen!” Kara & Tim
“Jo was just amazing, at the birth of our son, Oscar. I know its just your job but Jo gave Ben and I something we never thought would be possible, a beautiful birth with me feeling completely in control and able to be mentally stable during the whole labour. Jo was just beautiful, she kept me in control and gave Ben so much support, I seriously can’t thank Birth Right enough, I don’t believe his birth would have been like it was if it hadn’t been for Jo.” Lillian