Birthkeeping  /  doula care

Have me walk alongside you throughout your pregnancy, and hold space for you during and after your birth. The support I offer is intuitive, loving, nuanced, and always client-led — attuned and responsive to your particular needs, desires, and journey through the birth portal. 

Our pregnancy sessions can look many ways.
Here is some of what we might find ourselves doing:

  • Identifying fears and desires, working through blocks

  • Finding your compass within the sea of information, aligning with your knowing and gaining confidence in your decisions

  • Somatic exercises to drop into your body and access your body’s knowing

  • Dispelling the myths of the birth industry and uncovering deeper, guiding truths

  • Discussing practical, holistic wisdom around pregnancy nutrition, movement, and physical comfort

  • Approaching and planning for your birth as the transformative rite of passage that it inherently is

  • Digging into the elegant design of physiological birth, and how to tend the basic needs that keep the birth process intact

  • Preparing for physiological placenta birth

  • Planning for a deeply supported postpartum and easeful breastfeeding

  • Discussing everything from your birth vision and the sexuality of birth, to relationship dynamics that can arise when claiming your sovereignty, to the ‘what-ifs’ and the mysteries of life and death

  • Going for walks and connecting with your family 

  • Massage / teaching your partner pregnancy massage 

  • Exploring the spiritual and cultural dimensions of birth and motherhood

  • Delving into your ancestral birth stories

My aim is always to cultivate a warm, genuine and deeply trusting connection between us, as I walk with you into the birth portal — to allow your mammalian body to feel safe and able to surrender in my presence.

At your birth, I will be a guardian of your birth space, tending with discreet devotion to the basic needs of birth that must be met to allow for its intact and uninterrupted unfolding. I will be a sensitive space holder, offering physical support, counsel or gentle guidance when appropriate, while giving you plenty of space to deepen into your process. I will provide a steadfast, calm, and confident presence, creating a strong and grounded yang container for the deeply yin process of birth.

My birth package includes three long sessions in pregnancy, birth support for as long as it takes, and one postpartum visit, as well as availability by phone throughout. This can be tailored to include additional sessions if desired. For birthkeeping clients, I schedule additional monthly check-ins for any months that we don’t have an in-person session planned.

Be in touch if you are interested in working together. We can have a short call, I’ll send you more details, and we can go from there. I will always invite you to book one coaching session to test the waters, which can be deducted from my overall package if we decide to move forward with working together. 

Get in Touch

  • "Jonelle has an incredible ability to create a safe, open, accepting and supportive space. She is so deeply knowledgeable, and her ability to meet you exactly where is needed is quite amazing."

    — Áine

  • “We were so happy to have Jonelle's care and support during pregnancy and birth. She was so invested in making sure I had the birth that I wanted and couldn't have been more helpful and supportive in making that happen. Jonelle brought such a kind and calming presence to my birth and I'm so grateful to have had her there. She is such a lovely person and so invested in what she does. We couldn't recommend her enough!”

    — Edwina & Mark

  • “In our prenatal visits, Jonelle had an amazing ability to create a nurturing and safe space for my husband and I to explore any emotions (fear, joy, excitement, anxiety, uncertainty…) that were coming up around birth and the transition into parenthood. I felt heard, acknowledged, and empowered after each meeting. Jonelle is very knowledgeable about physiological birth and is an advocate for an empowered birth experience... She helps you to find your vision and your voice. Birth is sacred and Jonelle’s approach deeply honors that.”

    — A. M.

  • "Jonelle is an amazing, calming, thought provoking & knowledgeable facilitator. She creates a calm, healing and loving space to share experiences in a free and open way. I have come away able to think of my birth story in a more positive way and feel stronger and more confident in myself."

    — Suzy

  • "I was expecting my first pregnancy to feel all roses and excitement, but it felt strange and unknown. I had so many weird feelings and felt so uncomfortable about so many things. Jonelle was so open minded and accepting, and I felt able to talk to her about all my fears and the weird stuff I barely dared admit to myself. When we sat on the couch for her visits, I felt so at ease it just poured out of me and left me feeling comfortable in my own skin again. Jonelle brought soul to my pregnancy. Going for doctors visits and scheduled midwife appointments made me feel like I was just a number in a clinic waiting room. Jonelle really brought me back to myself and the deep beautiful mystery of having a baby."

    — Nadine

  • "I took part in the Village Birth Circle during my third pregnancy. Even though it was my third time around, I found that the gathering of pregnant women - not to mention a fierce doula passing on information, opinions, experiences and emotions - expanded my knowledge and refreshed my awareness. Jonelle was super professional. She felt the group's needs and combined updated medical information, knowledge of traditional medicine and mind-provoking topics to explore our understandings of pregnancy and birth. Throughout the birth circle there was clear and frequent communication at all times, which made it feel very welcoming."

    — Dana

Get in touch

hello@villagebirth.ie
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083 372 8218