Your Maternity Mentor
Doula, hypnobirthing teacher, antenatal support

Are you looking for some realistic, sensible, well-informed antenatal education and support during your pregnancy, birth and fourth trimester?

Are you interested in hypnobirthing, but a bit concerned you won't be able to get on board with it all?
Maybe you're considering doula support, but aren't sure exactly how it helps?
You're the sort of woman who enjoys a good plan, but can't quite see how to write a birth plan that is credible, realistic and gets the attention it deserves?
Are you planning caesarean birth, and want it to be as positive and empowering as any other type of birth
Or perhaps you want support from someone who knows the system inside out, and can be realistic and honest with you about the practicalities of the system, as well as tools and strategies you can use to make birth more positive?

I am Charlie, founder of The Good Birth Practice in Sevenoaks. I offer tailored hypnobirthing classes, doula services, and birth planning to empower you throughout your pregnancy. With over 10 years of experience in maternity services and research, I'll help you prepare and plan for a positive and fulfilling birth experience. I set up The Good Birth Practice to provide you with realistic, practical, and informed guidance so you can navigate your own unique experience of pregnancy, birth and motherhood - come and join me!

Want to know more?

Contact me to book a chat at charlie@thegoodbirthpractice.co.uk

Or find out which support could be right for you here

Get more info

Supporting You

Because I only offer one-to-one support, all the antenatal classes and sessions I offer are entirely tailored to you. Whether you're seeking hypnobirthing or birth planning, caesarean birth support or

virtual doula care, we do it your way.

The Diana Option
Birth Doula

Support from an experienced doula throughout your pregnancy and birth. Hypnobirthing-based, and with a particular focus on practical, realistic planning. (Limited availability).

The Marguerite Option
Maternity Mentor

The perfect mix of in-person sessions and virtual antenatal classes and preparation. Always tailored to you and your partner. Choose from one months support, or throughout your

pregnancy and birth.

The Sylvia Option
Bespoke sessions

Tailored to your personal and particular circumstances. From hypnobirthing refresher sessions via Caesarean birth planning and induction of labour preparation, to birth partner preparation and support for you in a pregnancy after a loss.

Book a call

Doula, hypnobirthing teacher and antenatal and birth supporter Charlotte Tonkin Edun holding a newborn baby immediately after supporting it's birth

Could we click?
Why I might be right for you and your pregnancy

Choosing someone to support you through your pregnancy and birth is a big decision. Whether you're seeking a doula or a hypnobirthing teacher or someone to help you with birth planning, you are likely to remember them for the rest of your life. So it's an important decision!

Your choice is going to be driven by how much you trust me, as well as the services I can support you with. So here's a little bit about how I work and why that might be important to you.

I want you to feel confident in yourself, and your ability to make the right decision on the day. During your pregnancy, our work together will give you the insight you need to make the right decisions for you on the day.

I genuinely don't have an opinion about how or where you have your baby. As long as you are able to make fully informed decisions your choices are your choices. I have supported planned home births, planned caesarean births, birth centre births, water births, births that were planned to be in one place and transferred to another, emergency caesarean births, inductions of labour and all sorts of different births.

I have worked with women and their growing families for over 12 years, as a hypnobirthing and antenatal teacher, as a doula and as MTW NHS Trust MNVP Lead. I can help you navigate the nuances of antenatal and maternity care, and prepare to have the

right birth for you on the day.

Arrange a chat

Follow me on insta for entirely irregular but well considered thoughts on having a 'good birth', hypnobirthing, continuity of care, feminism, doula support, informed choice, birth planning, the social value ascribed to 'mother', why birth matters, antenatal education and preparation, and some general stuff around being a woman in the world....

The Diana Option - Birth Doula

Support from an experienced doula throughout your pregnancy and birth. Hypnobirthing-based and with a particular focus on practical, realistic planning.
(Limited availability)

#doula
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#becomingamum
#positivebirth

The Marguerite Option - Your Maternity Mentor

The perfect mix of in-person sessions and virtual antenatal classes and preparation. Always tailored to you and your partner. Choose from one months support, or throughout your pregnancy.

Drop me a note and let’s talk about how this can work for you.

#doula
#hypnobirthing
#antenatal
#positivebirth
#virtualdoula

The Sylvia Option - bespoke sessions

Tailored to your personal and particular circumstances. From Hypnobirthing to refresher sessions via caesarean birth planning and induction of labour preparation and support for you in a pregnancy after a loss.

Drop me a note and let’s talk about the support you need

#antenatal
#hypnobirthing
#birthplanning
#caesarean
#inductionoflabour

Let’s talk….

#antenatal
#birthplanning
#doula
#hypnobirthing
#knowledgeispower

January always feels a little bit like sitting at the top of the roller-coaster, waiting for the drop. After a 2025 full of significant change, the top of this years roller-coaster feels a little less angsty - although there’s still much to stabilise and secure.

Some changes afoot. Including my plan to do less social media and more actual writing. There are *lots* of reasons for this, and yet here I am! So, in preparation for directing you to my website as the first weeks and months of 2026 pass, here’s a little ‘Who the Fuck is That Lady Wanging on?’ intro post…

#birthplanning
#antenatalclasses
#doula
#2026babies
#hypnobirthing

For the 2026 mothers…. And everyone.

You are not alone.

#birthplanning
#antenatalclasses
#doula
#2026babies
#hypnobirthing

The gift I wish for your this pregnancy Christmas ♥️

#doula
#hypnobirthing
#christmaspregnancy
#antenatal
#birthplanning

You won’t get this time back.
Give yourself what you need… and also what you want.
It’s ok to want to know more about your pregnancy and your body. It’s ok to want to talk about it all and explore your feelings. It’s ok to feel that this is momentous, a significant change, that deserves time and attention.
This is YOUR body.
And YOUR transition to motherhood.
And you can do what you want to do

#birthplanning
#antenatalclasses
#mothersmatter
#positivebirth
#hypnobirthing
.

Birth affirmations, eh? Can be incredibly powerful and reassuring, but only if they really resonate with you. Repeating affirmations you don’t fully buy into can undermine your birth prep - rather than giving you confidence and hope. These were mine, for all three births. I flippin’ loved them… but what works for you?

(Note on ‘pain’ affirmation. This is an older midwifery phrase. When I was first hypnobirthing talking about pain was frowned on. Honestly though, it’s not the word that is the problem but the belief behind it. Pain usually relates to fear and vulnerability. Here though it doesn’t. Just to those intense epic sensations. Once you understand what’s happening in your body, and have confidence in it, you can name it however you like; pain, intensity, surges, waves… whatever. This is a lovely neat little phrase that works for me.)

#birthplanning
#antenatalclasses
#mothersmatter
#positivebirth
#hypnobirthing

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR ANTENATAL CLASS
Have you just had your reassuring 20 week scan?
Then you’re probably starting to think about what antenatal classes are right for you. You’re about to embark on some rapid knowledge acquisition, and this is a Big Deal, so how do you pluck the right person for you out of the overwhelming amount of information online?

#doula
#hypnobirthing
#goodbirth
#antenatalclass
#birthplanning

It’s been a WEEK here. Lots of action and pragmatism to navigate, which is ok because I’m a do-er. Action and goal-oriented. It’s my métier.

But we need more than that don’t we? So now in a moment of peace I’m processing with my oracle cards. Yeah yeah. It’s a bit woo. And also a great way to re-frame and re-focus that is hard to access in our deconstructed, bureaucratic efficiency focused modern culture.

So excuse me while in this full moon while I inhale my tea, under my twinkling hops, and communed with the natural order for a while (and listen to the rest of that Air album)

Here are the experts, if you want a bit of communing yourself: @_dorothywinter_healer @cosycunningfolk @costarastrology

#doula
#hypnobirthing
#birthplanning
#andbreathe
#peaceandtruth

Supporting families in one birth is pretty special.
Supporting them for the birth of a sibling is something else.

Big love to Cally and family ♥️

#doula
#hypnobirthing
#antenatal
#virtualdoula
#birthplan

♥️ You’re not just doing a thing.
💫 You are in metamorphosis. You’re in a process of significant change.
🍃 This time deserves attention, respect and space.

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#hypnobirthing

The media - and particularly social media - love a bit of hyperbole. It’s their bread and butter.

Currently you’re the fall guy. There are important lessons to learn about what’s happening in maternity care at the moment. Just not these ones.

It’s not about what’s ‘better’ (see my earlier post). It’s about what is right for you and your baby on the day. You’ll learn what that is on the day itself. This should be a two way street, with listening and empathy on both sides.

So yes. It’s important to know the context you’re walking into. But don’t believe the hype. Cut through to the nuance and be well prepared to voice your needs and hear your options.

#birth
#becomingamother
#pregnant
#hypnobirthing
#doula

All the benefits of a doula, even if you think you don’t want someone else in the birth room.

Hypnobirthing. Antenatal education. Birth planning. Care.
It’s all here waiting for you.

Let’s book a Discovery Call to see how it can all work for you xxx

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor

Want to be able to complete your story? Fill in all the uncertainties? Close the loop?

Get yourself a doula or virtual doula and enjoy!!

#midwivesmatter
#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor

Let’s get it 🙌🏼

Get in touch. Tell me what you want and need and let’s do this thing ♥️

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor
#20weeks
#caesareanbirth
#homebirth
#birthcentre
#hospitalbirth
#inductionoflabour

If someone sounds as though they’ve got all the answers…. They probably haven’t. Nothing is so simple and straightforward, especially not us messy complicated humans. The path to a ‘Good Birth’ is unique to you and your baby. Be prepared to make your decisions on The Big Day!

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor

I’m sorry to say, there aren’t any certainties. In birth or anything else in life. The trick is to have the confidence to release control. And that confidence comes with realistic preparation and reliable support. You can weather the storm ♥️

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor

Here to help you plan.
Here to discuss optimising everything you can optimise.
Here to hear your fears and aspirations.
Here to discuss the realities of navigating NHS maternity care
Here to bear witness to your sheer marvellousness.
Not here to promise dreams I can’t deliver

#doula
#havingababy
#pregnant
#birthplanning
#knowledgeispower

🇬🇷 Greece, you were utterly gorgeous. A dream. Thank you 🙏🏼

#doula
#mumlife
#halfterm
#backtoearth

4yrs writing about and 15yrs thinking about birth plans and why it is some women have better birth experiences and others are deeply traumatised.

How useful to you was your birth plan?

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor

This month I’ve been MTW MNVP Lead for 3 years! It’s such an interesting role, working with Kent and Medway as they commission maternity services, the Trust as they deliver those maternity services and the women who experience them.

My job is to gather feedback from the women and families who have recently experienced maternity care at @mtw.maternity The phrase I hear most frequently is “I just don’t want anyone else to experience this”. Women are astoundingly magnanimous and considerate, even when things didn’t go brilliantly for them. It’s a real privilege.

If you’ve had a baby in the last 3 years, have you shared your experiences with your MNVP? If you had your baby at MTW, follow MNVP and get in touch

#MNVP
#maternityactivism
#mothersmatters
#birthpartnersmatter

Approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss.
Around 1 in 5 women will experience a miscarriage.

If - like me - you’ve experienced one or more losses, take care of yourself this week. If you feel able take some quiet time to honour yourself and your babies. Take some time to reflect on your experience, knowing it is part of who you are, and that your babies will always be a part of you ♥️

#BLAW
#BLAW2025
#BabyLossAwarenessWeek
#miscarriageawareness
#miscarriagesupport

Choosing the right support for you during pregnancy is a little bit of chemistry. Let’s chat and find out if we click…

💌 charlie@thegoodbirthpractice.co.uk
✏️ DM me here
🌍 Head on over to LinkinBio and book a call through the website

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor

You may not know exactly what you want and need right now. But you know that you need more than is available in your short 15minute scheduled appointments with your midwife.

The uncertainty of what’s to come is a big part of pregnancy. So, you’re not unreasonable because you want to have meaningful conversations about what’s may happen during your birth. You’re not being inefficient because you want to return to the same conversation more than once. You’re not being precious because you want to hold your privacy and dignity during birth.

That’s been the biggest part I’ve played in these 3 recent births. Spending time talking about the could’s and maybe’s. Hearing worries and anxieties and supporting a plan that alleviates these. Reassuring her that she has absolute got this….. whether ‘this’ is the birth that followed the best case scenario, or the one that didn’t.

One size doesn’t fit all. Drop me a note and let’s talk about the support you need now:
📧 charlie@thegoodbirthpractice.co.uk
✏️ DM me here
🔗 Head on over to LinkinBio and book a call through the website

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor

♥️ 🙌🏼 ♥️

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor

It’s been a busy few weeks over here at Good Birth Towers. Three very different births & lots of beautiful birth-ie chat with the lovely families who’ve trusted me & invited me in. Here’s a snippet of some of the stuff we’ve talked about;

🌟The low-cost kit you need for a home birth (Hello @therangeuk )
🌟What to put on your birth partners aide memoir
🌟Is now the right time to call the midwives because you’re in labour and planning a home birth
🌟Artificial rupture of membranes *is* an intervention, but sometimes the benefits outweigh the risks
🌟Why is this baby constantly on the boob?
🌟How long does it take to fill a birth pool and why it’s essential to give it a test drive
🌟Making sure arnica tablets are on your post-natal shopping list
🌟Tinkering with birth plans up to the last minute… & going completely off-piste
🌟Pros and cons of labouring at home, in a birth centre, at a hospital
🌟Introducing older children to their new younger sibling
🌟Jaundice - why do babies get it and is it anything to worry about
🌟The impact of ALL THE PROFESSIONALS having an opinion on your baby
🌟Caesarean birth recovery
🌟Why two children is QUITE FRANKLY ENOUGH, thank you
🌟Tag-teaming sleep in the those very early days
🌟Why do some early labours rumble on, & others simply crack on
🌟Is there any such thing as eating too much cake?
🌟How hard it is to watch your partner in pain, and how it makes you just want to fix it.... (But how that isn’t always the most appropriate way to see it)
🌟How birth is Meaty, Sweaty business….

If you’d like to be able to have some of these sorts of chats during your pregnancy, birth and the Fourth Trimester give me a shout and let’s book a first chat;
📧 charlie@thegoodbirthpractice.co.uk
✏️ DM me here
🔗 Head on over to LinkinBio and book a call through the website

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom
#fourthtrimester
#maternitymentor
#birthpool
#homebirth
#hospitalbirth
#caesareanbirth
#inductionoflabour

Why am I here?

I loved being pregnant, but it scared the crap out of me. I’d heard about how agonising and dehumanising birth would be, and I wanted none of it. But I did want a baby. Difficult position to be in, right?

I knew *some* women had good births. But that didn’t help me. It all looked like a game of Roulette. All down to chance. Completely out of my control. So, with the fervour of a women seeking a golden needle in a haystack I did hypnobirthing. And I lucked out. Fortune smiled on me and I had two wonderful midwives for three life-changing births.

And afterwards, I wondered how it was that some women won the jackpot and others were chewed up and unceremoniously spat out. So, 1) I did a counselling and hypnotherapy diploma 2) I learnt to teach hypnobirthing 3) I facilitated Positive Birth Movement group in my town 4) I trained as a Doula 5) I wrote a Research Masters about birth planning 6) I worked as a research assistant to a Professor of Midwifery 7) I became an MNVP Lead 8) I volunteered at @aims_uk ….

All these things have taught me that the difference isn’t how the baby comes out of your body, or whether there are drugs, or whether you’re able to stick to your plan. The difference is being able to access credible, honest, consistent support through your pregnancy and birth, so you can grow your confidence, ensure you’re treated with respect, and have a go-to ‘Wise Woman’ to listen to you, discuss options with you, champion you.

So that’s why I’m here. I want YOU to look back at your birth after a minute, a day, a week, a month, a lifetime and feel HAPPY.

Want this for your pregnancy and birth?
Let’s book a first chat and see what we can do;
📧 charlie@thegoodbirthpractice.co.uk
✏️ DM me here
🔗 Head on over to LinkinBio and book a call through the website

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartners
#inthebirthroom

✨ You don’t get to give birth very often
✨ You (and your partner, and your baby) deserve for it to feel ‘Good’
✨ ‘Good’ doesn’t have to mean Vaseline-lens,soft-focus perfect. It can also mean hot, sweaty, powerful, meaty and intense.
✨ ‘Good’ means it’s yours. Intimate. Personal. Respectful. Meaningful.

♥️ Now, let’s go get it ♥️

Get in touch now to book a first chat and let’s go from there;

📧 Email - charlie@thegoodbirthpractice.co.uk
✏️ DM me here
🕸️ Head on over to LinkinBio and book a call through the website

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#dadsmatter
#birthpartner
#dadtobe
#inthebirthroom

✨BIRTH IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL HUMAN EXPERIENCE ✨

Whatever your plans, you deserve to enjoy it and feel good about it. After all, you’re going to be marked by it for the rest of your life.

♥️ Get in touch, book a call and let’s talk about what you need to ensure you have an empowering, positive birth too ♥️

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant

Of course you want to be supported by someone who is very familiar with how birth happens. How to optimise the physiology. Hypnobirthing skills. The sorts of situations that cause things to go off-plan. But you don’t always need that someone in the room with you.

My goal is to ensure that you feel super confident by the time you have your baby. You’ll know what you need. You’ll feel comfortable with the unpredictability of it. You’ll have tactics up your sleeve for dealing with every eventuality. And you’ll feel assured that you are your partner are fully prepared and ready for it.

I’m not going anywhere, of course. I’m on the end of WhatsApp and the phone for the almost inevitable wobbles and shifts that happen at the end of pregnancy. But you have absolutely got this. I’m just your sounding board.

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatal
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#howbirthhappens
#pregnant
#maidstonemums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#orpingtonmums
#edenbridgemums

What if you don’t believe that all babies are perfectly positioned for birth? Or that your cervix is an opening lotus flower? Or that you can breathe your baby out? Does that mean you can’t access Hypnobirthing skills?

Nope. It’s just means you need to find someone who will help you cherry pick the bits that will work best for you. That someone, by the way, is me!

You don’t have to brain wash yourself to use these skills. You don’t have to be planning a home birth, or reject midwifery or obstetric practice. You just have to be ready to do some critical thinking and be open to plucking up what resonates and allowing the rest to fall away.

Give me a call to find out more about how I can support you ♥️

#hypnobirthing
#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#pregnant
#maidstonemums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#orpingtonmums
#edenbridgemums

There are points in your pregnancy when you actually just need to have a good long chat with someone who knows how it all works. That’s where I come in.

I know the system inside out, and I can help you to navigate it with practical tips and coping strategies.

I understand that you don’t just need information - you also need to be able to talk it out, explore all your options and consider your options before settling on the right course for you.

And I know YOU. You don’t need to explain yourself, or repeat yourself. We already have a relationship, so I know what matters to you. I have time to listen, and I always time to talk.

Get in touch to find out about how I can support you in pregnancy with hypnobirthing, birth planning and virtual doula support.

#doula
#virtualdoula
#antenatalclasses
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#pregnant
#maidstonemums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#orpingtonmums
#edenbridgemums

The problem with birth plans is that while it makes sense to write one, they have a terrible reputation for ‘...going out of the window...’ when labour really gets underway. That leaves you in a tricksy position. Write one and feel unsure about whether it will be effective for you, and worried about whether you’re being naive. Or don’t write one, but then how to communicate with the midwives who’ll support you at your birth?

I am here to help you unpick all the conflicting advice and anecdotes, and develop a birth plan that is appropriate, credible, realistic, and reassuring to you, helpful to your birth partner and a good start to your time with the midwive who’ll support your birth. Your birth plan should leave you feeling fulfilled, not frustrated.

2 hour birth planning session - £180
Additional 90min sessions - £95
Includes 5x hypnobirthing MP3s and birth planning resources

#doula
#antenatalclasses
#hypnobirthing
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#pregnant
#maidstonemums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#orpingtonmums
#edenbridgemums

Imagine this. You are great with child and as full as an egg. Your ‘due date’ is receding in the rear-view mirror of your diary. You are ripe and ready to have this baby. You trot off to see your midwife and she suggests a sweep and tells you that at 41wks it’s time to talk about induction of labour. And the fear strikes;

✨Suddenly the intensity and uncertainty of labour feels very real, and very close Induction of labour was your least favourite option… in fact it scares you
✨The idea of your body being managed, of being watched and monitored and subject to a process, gives you angst.
✨You’ve heard the stories from friends and online. You know the reputation induction of labour has

…..and yet. You are now incredibly uncomfortable. This huge bump makes it hard to eat, hard to sleep, hard to put your shoes on. There *are* signs of things starting – perhaps, a sweep might be an idea before thinking about anything else. Maybe that will just nudge things on a little bit. Can you ask for that? What if your body isn’t ready for that yet? What happens then? And what happens in your waters accidentally rupture? And what happens if you have a sweep but then nothing happens?

How lovely it would be to have someone on hand to talk about these things. To consider your various options. Someone who won’t judge you. Someone who will encourage you consider all your options. Someone who’ll help you see where you have control, even when it feels as though you have none. Someone who knows how the system works and can help you navigate it.

Pregnant?
Want sensible support you can call on whenever you need it?
Give me a call and let’s chat about how we can make that happen for you….

#doula
#antenatalclasses
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#pregnant
#maidstonemums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#orpingtonmums
#edenbridgemums

When you’re having your baby, navigating all the new information you need to acquire can be a full-on task. You’re not just learning about what’s happening in your body, you also need to know about how NHS maternity care works, how you can prepare, get the support you need and make informed decisions.

✨Where’s the best place to have your baby?
✨How do you balance being aware of risk and realistic about how your birth might happen?
✨Are you naïve to write a birth plan?
✨Can hypnobirthing work for you?
✨How can you manage feeling out of control (when you’re so used to being in control)?

There is a LOT to learn, think about and find your peace with in 40 short weeks….

Which is where I come in. My name is Charlie. I have been teaching hypnobirthing and antenatal classes for over 12 years. As a doula I have attended births at home, at birth centres, in delivery suites and in theatre. I wrote a Research Masters about birth planning at the Centre for Women’s Studies at the University of York. I was a research assistant to a Professor of Midwifery at Coventry University, evaluating NHS Maternity initiatives. I am the MNVP Lead for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. Finally, I am a volunteer for AIMS. I know maternity care inside out. I’m Your Maternity Mentor, here to support you throughout your pregnancy, labour, birth and the fourth trimester.

However you want to work with me I am your accessible, consistent, reliable point-of-contact throughout your pregnancy. I’m here to help you make realistic plans and prepare appropriately. I’ll help you ensure your care is personalised to you and your needs. If you need to make decisions I’ll ensure you are fully informed and have a sensible framework to work from.

Contact me to arrange an initial chat, and you can find out more about why having a Maternity Mentor in your pocket will give you peace of mind.

#doula
#antenatalclasses
#hypnobirthing
#havingababy
#pregnant
#maidstonemums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#orpingtonmums
#edenbridgemums

The Baby Dragons are in *second place*!! Thanks to all who have sponsored me already 🙌🏼 if you e got a spare £5 down the back of your sofa please fling it way!!

https://www.justgiving.com/page/charlotte-edun-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

COLDPLAY!!!

An awesome 24hrs with two of the absolute best ♥️

Huge thanks to Marcella for taking the time (with a newborn in tow!) to write these lovely words ♥️

🌟 Want Hypnobirthing skills that are shared with a doula’s insight?
🌟 Want Hypnobirthing sessions designed for you can cherry-pick the elements that resonate with you (and don’t demand you accept claims you don’t believe)?
🌟 Want an experienced doula and Hypnobirther on hand throughout your pregnancy, labour, birth and once your baby is in your arms?

Drop me a line and let’s book a Zoom call to talk about how I support you towards a positive birth you can find meaning and love in ♥️

#doula
#hypnobirthing
#antenatal
#birthplanning
#BRAINS
#havingababyin2025
#positivebirth
#maidstonemums
#mallingmums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#edenbridgemums

It’s been a *gorgeous* bloody summer, and now I’m back to work. Ready to support you, through pregnancy, birth and beyond, as Your Maternity Mentor ♥️

🌟 Want a credible, experienced maternity expert on-hand throughout your pregnancy? Give me a call…
🌟 Want to be able to meaningfully cherry-pick to Hypnobirthing skills that will work specifically for you? I’m your Gal…
🌟 Want to make realistic and appropriate birth plans? Drop me a line, I’m the expert you need…
🌟 Want to make your planned caesarean so meaningful and positive you remember it happily for the rest of your life? I’m here to help…

I currently have availability for you if your baby is due in November or December 2025. Get in touch and let’s have a Zoom chat to find out how I can help you have the most positive experience of pregnancy labour and birth possible ♥️

#doula
#maternitymentor
#hypnobirthing
#becomingamum
#positivebirth
#birthplan
#birthplanning
#havingababy
#antenataleducation

🙌 I am going to be a dragon!!

I'm so excited to be part of @babyumbrella 's Dragon Boat Team in Tonbridge on Sunday 7th September. It's going to be a great day as part of the Food and Drink festival, so PLENTY to see, do and consume

PLEASE have a rummage down the back of the sofa and donate a few pennies. A couple from each of you and Baby Umbrella will be incredibly grateful.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/charlotte-edun-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Now! Let's get wet!!

#TeamBabyUmbrella
#tonbridgefoodies
#dragonboat
#mothersmatter
#breastfeeding
#newmother
#womensupportingwomen
#tonbridge
#tonbridgemums
#sevenoaksmums
#maidstonemums
#edenbridgemums
#maidstonemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#doula
#hypnobirthing
#positivebirth
#goodbirth
#havingababy

Recently I found myself in conversation with a man with limited experience of maternity care. Having grasped how to pronounce ‘doula’, and then what this work entails, he looked at me puzzled and asked “…but what’s the point? Isn’t this what midwives do?”

Sadly, it isn’t any longer what midwives are able to do. Unfortunately, the way maternity care in the UK is structured can be described as ‘fragmented’. This means it is vanishingly unlikely you’ll know the midwife who attends your birth. You may not even see the same midwife at your scheduled antenatal appointments. Even if you do, you’ll be limited to a short 15mins during which there are assessments and observations to be completed and ticked off. It doesn’t leave much time for chat.

All this can feel a bit cold and impersonal. It can leave you feeling uncertain, and (as one Mum described it to me this week) underwhelmed. You might find you can get the answers or signposting to the insight and expertise you’re after. And it can feel frustratingly like you’re being funnelled down the same standardised pathway as everyone else….

What you really want is reassurance and connection. Someone to talk to. Insights to the realities and pragmatics so you can be sensibly prepared. Someone to hear you and recognise the enormity of what you’re doing. Give me a call to find out more about in-person and virtual doula support

#doula
#becomingamum
#havingababyin2025
#goodbirth
#positivebirth
#mothersmatter
#antenatal
#hypnobirthing
#virtualdoula
#sevenoaks
#tonbridge
#tunbridgewells
#maidstone
#edenbridge

The ‘Go-To’ Girls. The people and places I’ll always refer you to because I really trust them ♥️

Thanks @flourishbirthandbaby for the perfect phrase to describe this inner circle of pregnancy, birth and baby wisdom ♥️

#doula
#hypnobirthing
#antenatal
#womensupportingwomen
#havingababy
#virtualdoula
#positivebirth

It doesn’t matter what your plans are.
You and your birth plan deserve respect.
You deserve the time and space to really prepare. To think about how you want to make your baby’s birth memorable - for all the right reasons. You deserve to feel proud of your birth, of your baby and of yourself. However your birth happens.

If you want to prepare for your birth in a way you can truly rely on and feel confident in, get in touch and book a Discovery Call. Link in Bio

#doula
#hypnobirthing
#antenatal
#birthplanning
#BRAINS
#havingababyin2025
#maidstonemums
#mallingmums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#edenbridgemums
#goodbirth
#positivebirth
#womensupportingwomen

(A text message from my client this weekend...)

It's an unusual and uncomfortable feeling to be a novice about something when you're used to being pretty capable and knowing your own mind.

It’s worse when that something is happening in your own body.

Add a layer of emotions (hormones, concern, uncertainty, shame) and you get some really heightened tension.

All of a sudden this new territory can feel like a labyrinth. And the stakes are pretty high.

As your Virtual Doula, that’s what I’m here for. To give you a bit of a boost, and a lot of perspective, so you can see more clearly what your options are and a clear path forward.

With 12 years experience teaching hypnobirthing, as a doula, a maternity researcher, working within the NHS and as an AIMS volunteer, I know the system inside out AND understand how daunting it can feel.

More importantly, I know you are perfectly well equipped to navigate all this. You just need a trusted and credible someone (me!), to call on from time to time.

If you want to prepare for your birth in a way you can truly rely on and feel confident in, get in touch and book a Discovery Call. Link in Bio

#doula
#hypnobirthing
#antenatal
#birthplanning
#havingababyin2025
#maidstonemums
#mallingmums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#edenbridgemums
#goodbirth
#positivebirth
#womensupportingwomen

I ♥️ hypnobirthing.

I truly do. These skills are essentially emotional control techniques, and they really are gold. I used them in my own three births. I’ve seen fort hand how they can make birth positive for and rewarding for mothers, babies, partners and midwives. I’d love everyone to be able to lean into and rely on this fab toolkit.

BUT. I know lots of women look at it, and it turns them off.
* for some it feels too vague and too woo to be credible
* the focus on ‘natural birth’ and ‘breathing your baby out’ grates against the reality of high intervention rates in the NHS
* if you’ve tried before and had a troublesome birth the perky positivity of it all can sting.

So. Here are 5 reassuring things that may make this feel more accessible and realistic to you.

#positivebirth
#havingababy
#hypnobirthing
#doula
#antenatal
#birthplanning
#maidstonemums
#sevenoaksmums
#tonbridgemums
#tunbridgewellsmums
#edenbridgemums
#birthaftertrauma
#birthtraumahealing
#womensupportingwomen

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@charliegoodbirth

Get in touch and find out more

Read some blogs inspired by my time as an antenatal and hypnobirthing teacher and doula. Thoughts arising from my research at the Centre for Women's Studies at the University of York and as Research Assistant at Coventry University. Insights from my time as Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) Lead

Maidstone Birth Centre - birth room with a birth pool

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