My Path is woven with saltwater, soil and soul.
I'm Melissa – doula, mother, sea-walker,
soul-listener. I live on the Sussex coast with my husband and two boys, surrounded by sea air and muddy boots.
I'm here to walk beside you as you journey into motherhood...rooted, intuitive, and barefoot.
"Every woman carries
ancient wisdom within her"
Why I walk this path
The path to becoming The Barefoot Doula wasn’t a straight one; it unfolded slowly, like petals opening to the sun. It was a calling I felt deep in my bones, rooted in both my own births and the births I’ve had the honour of supporting.
I live by the sea in West Sussex, where the tides remind me daily of the rhythms of the womb, how we contract and release, ebb and flow. I’m a mother to two wild-hearted boys, now 13 and 11, who have taught me more about love, surrender, and transformation than any textbook ever could.
A few years ago, I began training as a midwife, driven by a deep desire to walk alongside women through their birthing journeys. I completed two years of midwifery study, helping women to remember their power when birthing, and offering tender care to countless women in the early days of motherhood. But something within me knew I was meant to walk a different path; one where intuition, ritual, and presence could live alongside evidence and knowledge. One where the sacred wasn’t edited out.
I’m also a qualified social worker, with over 15 years of experience holding space for families in moments of deep transition. My heart lives in the spaces where people are raw, real, and ready for healing.
Now, as a doula, I hold space for women to reconnect with the ancient wisdom they already carry. I believe birth is not a medical event, it is a rite of passage. You are not a patient, you are a goddess crossing the threshold of motherhood. My role is not to fix, rescue, or direct, but to witness you, walk beside you, and remind you of your own power.
The essence of my work
My work is steeped in softness and strength. Whether I’m holding your hand through contractions, helping you breathe through a fear, or simply brewing a pot of tea and tucking you into bed after birth—I do it all in devotion to your unfolding.
I draw inspiration from the moon, from the forests, from the women who came before us. I believe in creating spaces that are warm, safe, and sacred. Spaces where you can speak your truth, be met with love, and be held in your most vulnerable, magical moments.
