THE PERSON BEHIND BIRTH BEAUTIFUL

My name is Yas. I’m a doula, birthkeeper and hypnobirthing practitioner, and the founder of Birth Beautiful.

I primarily serve Norfolk and London, but I also offer virtual support and am available to travel nationwide — or even globally — when families require my assistance further afield.

I am a dedicated advocate for parental choice, offering personalised, inclusive support that is just as unique as you are - whether that is to help you conceive and have a beautiful, healthy pregnancy and birth, navigate a loss or assist you in the postpartum period. I believe there's nothing more magical than the journey into parenthood, and I provide my services with genuine passion and care.

WORKING WITH YOU

Being a birthkeeper or doula is a profound experience, much like parenthood itself. Your pregnancy and birth can shape your family's health for generations, and that’s why I’m so deeply passionate about supporting you through this transformative journey.

With Birth Beautiful, the support you will receive extends far beyond a standard professional transaction — it is a meaningful relationship built on trust and compassion. To help you decide whether I am the right doula or birthkeeper for you, I have outlined key aspects of my experiences and expertise below.

  • How did I get here?

    My early career consisted of running children's groups, babysitting, and teaching English whilst completing my secondary education at an international school in Istanbul.  I flourished in the expat community, discovering and adapting to new cultures during my time there. I initially thought that I’d pursue a career in the performing arts, but I discovered an interest in biology and childhood development in my teenage years which led me to pursue a psychology degree. I later became a nanny, through which I learned about the wonderful highs – and challenging lows – of family life, especially around the vulnerable time of introducing a new baby. While I never finished my psychology degree, I still have a very strong interest in mental health, childhood development and public health, all of which underpin the support I give at Birth Beautiful. 

  • After completing a CertHE in Healthcare with Health Science, I started my midwifery degree. It is no secret that maternity services in the UK are struggling, so I’m sure that it comes as no surprise that while my midwifery training has been filled with the most incredible highs, there have been many very challenging lows. I’ve now had the honour of supporting many families through their maternity journeys. From plans adhered to, and those that didn’t quite go as hoped. While the vast majority of my clients have the birth of their dreams, I am also there in times of the unexpected – the complexities, the interventions, those moments everything can feel overwhelming or out of your control. But no matter the outcome,  I always ensure the families I work with look back on their journey with the satisfaction that they were supported, respected and cared for in the way everyone should.

  • I'm also a mum...and a massive birth nerd!

    My pregnancy was complicated by Hyperemesis Gravidarum so was quite challenging. While some elements of my care before, during and after birth were positive, most of it was disappointing. My recovery was also complicated by feeding issues that I did not get sufficient support for. While my experience was not overly positive, yours can be! 

    I spend much of my free time (and money!) furthering my knowledge through additional training so that I can provide the holistic and person-centred support I truly believe in. If you’d like to learn more about my training, please see the information below.

MY TRAINING

The doula and birthkeeper industry is unregulated. This can be a great thing for practitioners and parents as we aren’t restricted by red tape and acres of admin. However, this lack of standardisation can make it difficult to understand what to expect. You may also be nervous about inviting someone you don't know into such a vulnerable time in your life without the reassurance of a regulation. While there are no official training requirements for doulas or birthkeepers, research in the birth-world is constantly advancing, so I advance my own knowledge alongside. Below is a summary of the training I have done to date, which underpins the service you can expect from Birth Beautiful.

Disclaimer: I do not use any of my clinical training to give clinical care. Should you require medical care please contact a medical professional.

BECOMING  A DOULA

I undertook my initial doula training with Nurturing Birth then later furthered it with The Original Birth Connection training, which I felt was a really thorough and positive experience. I also have a CEertHE in Healthcare with Health Science, and am currently studying Midwifery.

Further to this I have undertaken a range of workshops, placements, seminars, courses and self-directed research in order to further my capabilities, across such areas as childbirth physiology, breech birth, pregnancy and birth of multiples, hypnobirthing, shoulder dystocia, infant loss, caesarean birth, perinatal trauma, vaginal health, the microbiome, tongue tie, holistic breastfeeding and infant feeding support, natural pain relief techniques, biomechanics, rebozo and optimal positioning, acupressure, massage and aromatherapy.

I'm also passionate about having an inclusive approach and, rather than just talking the talk, I've engaged in further training to ensure I can fully support within culturally diverse and LGBTQIA+ communities. In terms of other inclusivity, I noticed that surrogates and intended parents also experience several failings by common healthcare systems, and sought to undertake further education specifically tailored around this. I have also done midwifery placements at three different trusts, all of which have very diverse patient populations. MBRACE are still highlighting that global majority people have a higher rate of adverse outcomes, and this is also something that I have done further training on and actively look to change. Historically, people at a higher risk of adverse outcomes were able to access my services for free if they were unable to pay. This is now being replaced with support from the Birth Beautiful Foundation (coming soon!).

In addition to my formal training, I have fantastic working relationships with my mentors, Alex Burner and Kemi Johnson, two hugely influential people in the birthing world. They offer a wealth of knowledge, advice and further experience for me and my clients to draw upon. Their influence and wisdom guides the principles of my work and they are a fantastic resource for my own practice, to the further benefit of my clients.

For a full list of all the training I have completed, or if there is a specific area or speciality you would like to know more about, please just get in touch. Professional development is an ongoing process so the list is updated regularly.