Episode Details

Birth can be clinically safe and still feel emotionally unsafe. That tension sits at the heart of my conversation with Naomi, founder of Holding Her Space, and Lorene, a doula whose path into this work begins with baby loss and the quiet loneliness that so many families recognise. We talk openly about what doula support actually is, where it comes from, and why community-based care for African Caribbean mothers in Manchester is not a “nice extra” but a health need.

We get into cultural safety in maternity care, why representation matters, and what changes when a mother is supported by someone who understands her world without long explanations. Naomi shares how yoga, grief, and witnessing women not being listened to in healthcare pushed her towards doula training and building a culturally safe space that feels like a village. Lorene reflects on miscarriage, the lack of support afterwards, and how storytelling helped her heal and helped other women finally find language for decades of hidden pain.

Then we make postpartum real. We talk continuity of care, advocacy alongside NHS maternity services, and the practical support that can prevent a spiral: nutritious meal prep tailored to recovery and breastfeeding, check-ins, baby bathing traditions, holding the baby so mum can shower, and being present when everything feels too much. We also explain how non-profit doula services are funded, why access is uneven, and how donations can widen support for the people who need it most.

If you’re pregnant, postpartum, supporting someone you love, or working in perinatal care, press play and share this with one person who needs it. Subscribe for more honest conversations, and if this helped you, leave a review so more mothers can find the support they deserve.

For more information about holding her space, visit www.holdingherspace.com

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