Honest, Informed & Empowering Birth Support

Black and white photo of a woman with long wavy hair wearing glasses, in an indoor setting with window blinds in the background.

Hi I am Kerry, it's lovely to meet you. I am a doula based in Nottingham supporting families throughout their journey to meeting their baby.

Barefaced birth was founded on the belief that every family deserves to have honest, informed and empowering support as they prepare for birth.

I offer in person birth doula support, pregnancy and postnatal care, birth education classes and birth trauma healing across Nottinghamshire and online.

A dimly lit room with a large round soaking tub, candles, a changing table, and a baby crib, illuminated by colored lights and candles for a relaxing ambiance.

Independent client-centred doula care

Navigating the NHS maternity system can often feel daunting and scary. My passion is to support families to feel excited, informed and supported on their journey to meeting their baby.

Having an experienced, independent doula by your side providing gentle guidance, evidence-based knowledge, and a compassionate listening ear—can make a world of difference to how you experience your pregnancy and birth journey, You deserve to feel supported, respected and listened to.

Having supported many families across Nottingham and Derbyshire, I have first hand experience in supporting families choosing to birth at home, a planned caesarean birth and birthing in hospital. I have supported families planning a VBAC and HBAC births and clients with additional medical needs and families who are neurodivergent.

I have supported families birthing at Derby Maternity Hospital, Kingsmill Maternity Hospital (Sherwood Trust)and NUH (both Queens & City Maternity Hospitals) and those planning to birth at home under Nottingham home birth team, Derby home birth team and Newark home birth team.

Get in Touch

My Services

women in a birth pool at Queens hospital Nottingham

Doula Support

Birth is incredible and I love to support all kinds of birth.

Doula birth packages include birth preparation including antenatal information, birth planning, support during pregnancy, birth attendance and postpartum support.

Learn more

Antenatal Classes

Preparing for birth can feel incredibly empowering and can support you and your partner to feel confident, excited and prepared for birth.

My 5* rated doula birth preparation course blend evidence based antenatal education, hypnobirthing and my experiences and knowledge of the NHS maternity system as a doula.

Learn more

Birth Trauma Support

A woman holding a baby and gazing at it with a smile, seated indoors near a window.

Three Step Rewind Process to help you heal from your birth or perinatal experience in a safe and non-judgmental space. In three sessions, we work together to debrief your experience, help you to process what happened and ease any symptoms you have been experiencing.

Learn more

“We have a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong”

— Laura Stavoe Harm.

A woman with wavy hair wearing a black shirt leaning over a hot tub or inflatable pool, decorating it with string lights inside a bright room with windows and blinds.

Barefaced Birth is about meeting birth as it truly is—raw, powerful, and transformative.

I support women and families to approach birth with confidence, clarity and trust in their bodies. No fear-mongering, —just evidence-based support, emotional safety, and space for you to make informed choices so you can approach birth feeling positive, prepared and supported.

Learn More

More Kind Words…

"My baby is now three months old, and I’ve wanted to write this review since the day he was born. I’ll be honest though, I’ve struggled to find the right words to truly describe how amazing, blessed, and fortunate we feel to have had Amy and Kerry as our doulas (shared care). This was my fourth baby. Although I’d had “straightforward” births with my other children, particularly with my third I felt I really had to advocate for myself. Knowing this would be my last baby, I didn’t want to spend my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period feeling like I was battling everything alone. My partner is incredible and supportive in every way imaginable, but I needed someone firmly in our corner - someone who could be that steady, knowledgeable voice so he could focus fully on supporting me. Having Amy and Kerry at the end of the phone whenever I was weighing up decisions was invaluable. They always came back with research based information and provided a completely judgement free space for me to talk things through".
"We had planned a home birth, but Derbyshire suspended the service when I called to request midwives. That was one of my biggest fears and definitely sent me into a mini spiral. However, I felt fully supported in every decision that followed. Kerry arrived and was immediately so reassuring. Without going into my full birth story, it ended in an unintentional freebirth and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It did feel scary at times (thank you to the NHS and the media for all the constant scaremongering), but Kerry brought such a deep sense of calm to the situation. That calm radiated to my partner and my sister, who was also present".
"Kerry was incredibly proactive with whatever needed doing. When I felt nauseous, she brought out essential oils. She gently guided my partner when it was time for him to catch our baby. She instinctively knew what to do afterwards - warming the water again (I should mention we had a water birth), placing a hat and towel on baby, supporting me in those first precious moments, helping me out of the pool, and offering tips to encourage the placenta to birth. She handled communication with medical staff so I could stay fully present in that golden time with my baby. Afterwards, she cleaned everything. You would never have known I’d given birth in our living room if you’d walked in a couple of hours later. She got us settled into bed with our baby, comfortable and cared for".
"Postpartum, I was completely spoilt with heartwarming meals (and even during pregnancy with the most incredible dates!). I truly wish I could put into words how special it was to have Amy and Kerry by our side. Kerry attended my birth, but Amy supported me throughout pregnancy and postpartum as well. They really are the best duo. If you’re considering hiring a doula - especially Amy and Kerry - I cannot recommend it enough. Forget the unnecessary baby items. Invest in something that will shape your entire pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience".
“The most amazing person!I cannot express enough how incredible Kerry was as my doula.I am so grateful for the incredible support she provided during my challenging birth experience. I had initially planned for a water birth at home, but after being induced, 4 days of hospital issues, intense contractions I then needed an emergency C-section, she was there every step of the way for. Her calm presence, encouragement, and guidance helped me stay focused and empowered, even when things didn’t go as planned.Her support during pregnancy and labour was beyond anything I could have imagined.She truly made a difficult and emotional experience much more manageable, and I’m so thankful for all her help in bringing my baby girl into the world 🙏❤️”
"We hired Kerry for doula support for the birth of our son in April... It's hard to put into words how invaluable having her at our birth was, especially as I ended up needing an unplanned c section. Kerry advocated for us, and made us feel in control in a situation where without her, I think it could have felt traumatic and easily become a birth experience I don't look back at with fondness. Before and after the birth Kerry was there to help with any questions we had, nothing felt like too much and she created a relaxed, judgement free environment and provided me with the confidence I needed going into birth. I look back at my birth with so much joy and having Kerry there is absolutely a part of that - Thank you for everything❤️"
"Kerry was the perfect doula from our first antenatal session to our final post natal session. I only wish I had an angel like Kerry for the birth of my first son!! Kerry was cool and collected throughout every obstacle we faced ( which in the last 2 weeks was a few as I became "overdue") but equally always ready to advocate for me and my needs. She empowered me to listen to my gut and speak my truth throughout my pregnancy and really trust to my instincts. Armed with the facts and so much experience, we navigated every twist, and turn was so much more ease, thanks to Kerry's expertise and care. The day of the birth itself, I genuinely don't know what I would have done without her support practically with our homebirth, but most importantly, mentally. She was there for me and my fiancé at very moment. We feel so blessed to have met Kerry, and I can not recommend her enough!"
"Kerry is a fantastic hypnobirthing teacher who gives you all the information you need, backed with data in a non judgemental way. Even though it was my 3rd birth, I learned so much and felt like I had all the information I needed to make informed and safe decisions. Kerry was always on hand for advice and information, I don’t know what I would have done without her. She was also my postnatal doula, and she helped me with feeding myself and my other two children, advice with feeding my baby and someone to talk through my birth with. Kerry played such a huge part in my preparation, decision making and early post natal period and had a huge impact in making the experience as positive and wonderful as possible"
"I was looking for a doula specifically for postnatal support and came across Kerry - it ended up being the best decision working with her! During a period that can be completely overwhelming, she was there to help, both practically (making meals, helping set things up) and emotionally. If you are considering a doula, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her, she made the world of difference to me and my partner".
"I can't recommend Kerry's services as a doula enough! I didn't realise it before that she was such an important part to my birthing team, she was a huge support to me during labour but also to my husband, helping us both navigate the system but also helping my husband to be the best support. Kerry was so kind, she encouraged me when I needed it and also asked a consultant to leave the room, when I needed it! Hehe. If you're considering having a doula, I'd say do it!! It was the best decision we made, even though the birth wasn't exactly as I'd hoped, with Kerry's support, I was really confident with the decisions I made in the moment. Thank you!"
"Thanks sooo much for everything. I definitely wouldn't have got through any of it without you being there. You really did make a difference in how we were feeling through the whole process and allowed for Ash to really help with emotional support I needed at the time. Also your cake has been a godsend! It's sooo lovely and I'm still making my way through it. It gave me a 3am energy hit this morning when I was struggling"
Six months ago, we welcomed our baby girl into the world, and we honestly couldn’t have done it without Kerry. Kerry is amazing, knowledgeable, calm, and a true advocate for the birth experience we wanted. During labour, we had many different midwives, and she adapted her approach to each of their personalities so seamlessly, always ensuring we were supported and that our wishes were followed. Our labour was long (36 hours!) and had a few unexpected twists, (we were initially sent home and then had to return to the hospital), but she was there through it all. She came back to the hospital again and stayed with us the entire time until our baby was born. Throughout labour, she kept bringing out new techniques to support me, (from the Rebozo to massage balls and combs), helping me manage each stage and stay as comfortable and focused on the moment. She ensured my husband and I could stay grounded and present, taking care of everything around us so we could fully focus on the moment. After our baby arrived, her support didn’t stop. She stayed with us and watched over our baby while I received aftercare. Having someone we trust with us meant so much in those first vulnerable but precious moments. We are so grateful for Kerry’s support and care. She was truly an unforgettable part of our journey.

Blog Posts

birth experience at Queens Maternity Unit NTU

Birth Testimonial and Story

As someone who’s neurodivergent and lives with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I had really mixed feelings going into pregnancy. I was so excited to become a Mother, but the thought of birth itself felt pretty overwhelming. With everything going on with the investigations into the maternity services in Nottingham as well, it just added another layer of anxiety - especially as a first-time mum without many people around me who’d been through it.

Delayed Cord Clamping

Delayed cord clamping is when you delay clamping the cord (which is attached to your baby and to the placenta) to allow for the blood in the placenta to transfer back to baby (placenta transfusion). Allowing the cord to completely turn white will allow the maximum amount of blood in the placenta to transfer to baby providing baby with their full blood volume and will circulate in the lungs supporting and aiding breathing.

A metal file cabinet drawer filled with index cards, with papers and labels visible on some. The drawer handle is in the center of the image.

How Access Your Maternity Notes

You have a right to access your medical notes written about you during your pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. It doesn’t matter what reason you want to access them for you have a right to request a copy from your local NHS Trust. Your care is usually documented either electronically or on paper (or both) from your very first midwife appointment right the way through your pregnancy, during and after birth.

read our blog posts here