Arlene Dunkley-Wood
Transformational Doula
About me
My Philosophy
My Story
After the birth of my daughter in 1989, something profound happened to me. I became extremely passionate about the birth process and wanted to share that with everybody.
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The experience was so wonderfully blissful and empowering that I felt the call to train as a Active Birth Educator and eventually doula in 1990-93.
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Almost immediately I was supporting women at their birth and it wasn't until 2004, that I realised there was a name for what I was doing, "DOULA". This is when I discovered Doula UK.
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Since then the work has been my main passion, and I have attended many births, at home, in MLU and in hospitals. Some have been fast and others long and drawn out. Some have been unnerving and others life affirming, but all have been a blessing to me. Seeing women so open and free and helping them find their power to birth from an amazing strength and deeper connection with their power is a wonderful thing to witness and a privilege to be a part of this amazing transformation.
Thank you to all my clients and past and future for allowing me to be part of your birth journey.
My Training
My philosophy is to trust the woman 100%. Trust her body and to trust her baby.
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She has the innate instinct to birth her baby. I trust the process, and I hope with my presence and the informed options that we have worked through, that she will know herself and her needs.
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Each woman is designed uniquely to birth her baby. She needs to be given the confidence and the space to do that, through her own agency.
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If the change of direction comes from her, she will feel empowered and not be traumatised by her birth.
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Birth is not a place for fear. My job is to help her and her birth partner to stay calm relaxed and not to shift into that space of fear. I want her to produce the beautiful hormones oxytocin that will her her labour to progress well and speed her labour along.
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My aim is for the woman to work from a space of love and not fear. We want to transform the landscape of attitudes and assumptions around birth and birthing women.
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I meet too many women who are living with the trauma of their previous birth experience. Some of those women are still traumatised for decades.
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My hope for women to see the passage of birth as a indication of her own strength and power and not to be concerned about how she looks by those around her; to open her mouth and RAW loudly as she births her baby.
"It was a long labour, 21 hours in total. But I managed to birth my baby vaginally, thanks to your classes and guidance. I am now breastfeeding her well. I feel very proud of myself" Alessandra 2019
Certified Labor Doula
Recognised doula from Doula UK since 2004
Diploma of Childbirth Education
Active Birth Teacher since 1993
Yogabirth Teacher since 1993
Additional Services
Active Birth Teacher and Coach
Massage for pregnancy and post birth
Craniosacral therapy for pregnancy and post birth
Closing bones
Mizan abdominal massage
Aromatouch Treatment
Breastfeeding support
Pre and postnatal Yoga and Pilates Teacher
Sound Therapist
I have been a doula mentor for Doula UK, regional rep for East London DUK twice in the past and a volunteer doula for Neighbourhood Doula. During the pandemic I have worked with other doulas to be on local Maternity Voices Partnership, in highlighting womens rites in the birth space especially women of colour who are 5 times more likely to suffer morbility in this country more than their white counterparts.
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I am currently back working with clients and their famillies.
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“Thanks to Arlene love, encouragement, and skills she taught us in class: I had a truly amazing birth”.
Yu Men 2019