Since giving birth 3 and a half years ago, I have rarely felt alone. But before that journey began, my final days before giving birth felt scarily alone. Not beautiful or magical or even clinical. Just quite desperately alone, even while being in a hospital.

I wrote this piece over a few months in the quiet minutes between one feed to the next; between the nappy changes; between the difficult naps. I remember discussing my episiotomy with friends after the fact, feeling scarred physically and mentally (having flashbacks to that day as I would fall asleep at night!) I felt as though, despite us all knowing that my son was going to be quite large, the notion that an episiotomy might be needed wasn't mentioned once. It's a strange

Trudi Dawson is Director of Engagement at Doula UK, the non-profit organisation of doulas in the UK. She has been a doula since 2007 and has worked as a birth doula as well as a postnatal doula. You can find Trudi via her website or on Instagram. In the spring we posted part one of our interview with Trudi. It’s all about what doulas do, why people use them and what explains their rising popularity. Below you’ll find part two where things got a bit spicier.. How do reference

Birth is often presented as an empowering journey into motherhood, but mine was not.