Gifting humanity

Hi, my name is Kate Woods and I’m the founder and Director of Doulas Without Borders (DWB).

DWB is a national voluntary network of trained pregnancy, birth and postpartum supporters. There are currently nearly 200 of us across the UK, supporting refugees, asylum seekers, homeless women, vulnerable women under the age of 20 and those who have experienced domestic and or sexual violence.

We have a language support department, a therapies department and an infant feeding department which run alongside our doula support services, adding another several layers on in-house support.

We support pregnant, birthing and postpartum women in highly disadvantaged circumstances and in financial hardship, from 6 months pregnant to 6 weeks as a new mum.

The women we support have experienced extreme trauma, from sexual assault and abuse, to domestic violence, from being displaced from home and seeking asylum, to being trafficked into prostitution. We work with women who have chronic and complex mental health problems as a result and who are isolated and highly vulnerable.

In the last six years since we opened, we’ve supported hundreds of women across the UK .

Our volunteers go on 24/7 call for several weeks, putting their time aside to get up, most often in the middle of the night, to support a woman in labour. That woman might be in a refuge and our volunteer will take her into hospital, for example. The volunteer doesn’t know how long she’ll be gone for. But she does know that she’s literally the only person the woman has to advocate for her right now, the only person who she knows and trusts, who knows her birth preferences and who’s determined to make sure she is listened to and respected.

Every time we reach capacity within our referrals, we have to close the door. What a difference it would make if we could remain open. So more women would be supported!

Be part of a gift to humanity by supporting our supporters to keep doing this precious work.

Please share widely!