A woman looks at a scan photo exploring doula services in london

Hello & welcome to The Yoga Doula.

I am so happy you’ve found your way here. I’m Jos, pregnancy and postnatal Yoga Teacher and experienced Doula supporting women and families across London through pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

It’s a privilege to be considered to walk alongside you during this transformative time - supporting you as you prepare to welcome your baby and navigate the tender early weeks of parenthood. Birth is a powerful and deeply personal experience, and wherever you choose to give birth - at home, in a birth centre, or in a labour ward, you deserve to feel supported and nurtured.

As well as offering birth and postpartum Doula support, antenatal and birth preparation sessions, I also teach safe, informative and fun pregnancy and postnatal yoga classes in North London.

Nurturing care throughout

your pregnancy, birth and 4th trimester.

 Doula & Yoga Services

Nurturing, gentle, holistic support to help families feel empowered and prepared for the journey ahead.

a baby wrapped in a blanket being supported by the yoga doula jos birth and postpartum doula 
Doula
a woman attends a pregnancy yoga class in north london 
Yoga
a couple prepare for the birth of their baby using antenatal and birth services with north london the yoga doula 
Antenatal & birth
Jos Smith, the yoga doula, sitting crossed legged and smiling to camera

I’m Jos, a birth & postnatal Doula and a Yoga teacher.

I live in Crouch End, North London, with my husband, our two teenage children, and our dog, Alba. The things that bring me joy are morning coffee, yoga, cooking, and spending time with my amazing children, who are my greatest teachers.

My passion for all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum was born from my own experiences of becoming a mother. Both of my births were deeply transformative - challenging in some ways, empowering in others - but what made all the difference was feeling informed, supported, and safe. Experiencing the care of a doula during my second birth was life-changing. Having someone by my side who truly listened, helped me understand my options, and reminded me of my own strength allowed me to step into birth with confidence. That experience ignited something in me - a deep calling to provide that same level of care and unwavering support to others on their journey to parenthood.

A doula supports a woman during her birth in london

FAQ about Doulas

Listed below are a few frequently asked questions about Doulas - please reach out if you would like explore the potential of working with me a your doula.

  • Doula is a non medical professional who offers emotional, informational, and physical support before, during, and after birth.

    The word Doula comes from the ancient Greek term meaning "a woman who serves", reflecting the supportive role doulas have played for centuries.

    In the past, mothers were nurtured, supported, and held by female family members and women in community, offering comfort, reassurance, and practical assistance. Today, this is often missing, putting a lot of pressure on the birthing partner. A doula doesn’t replace the partner but helps them be involved, creating a birth team centred on your needs and preferences.

  • People hire doulas for variety of reasons, reflecting their unique circumstances and hopes for the birth.  Some of the reasons are listed below:

    • Birth education and preparation

    • Emotional Support

    • Experience and Guidance

    • Help with navigating NHS Maternity system

    • Empowerment and Informed Choices

    • Advocacy

    • Dealing with trauma from previous birth

    • Because they experienced loss and this time they need a lot more support and love 

    • Continuity of care

    • Extra pair of hand at home birth

    • Support for the partner

    • First time parents

    • Planning physiological birth of twins or VBAC

    • Repeat clients

    • It just feels right to have extra support

  • A Doula support comes in many forms, and can be tailored to each family's individual circumstance. Below are some of the most common types of support:

    • Antenatal and birth preparation

    • Birth Doula support

    • Postpartum Doula support

    • Remote Doula support

    Contact me to discuss your individual needs.

  • Evidence shows that having a doula can mean:

    • Reduced risk of Caesarean birth † *

    • Reduced risk of instrumental birth † *

    • Reduced need for painkillers or epidural during birth † *

    • Reduced rate of induction of labour † *

    • Shorter labour †

    • Increased parental satisfaction with the birth experience †

    • Increased likelihood of initiating breastfeeding *

    • Increased likelihood of successfully establishing breastfeeding & breastfeeding at 6weeks *

    • Lower incidence of depressive symptomatology †

    • Improve equity and provide culturally responsive care #

      * Brigstocke S. MIDIRS Midwifery Digest, vol 24, no 2, 2014, pp 157-160 #Meghan A Bohren and Sarah Chapman Cochrane review † Hodnett ED, Gates S, Hofmeyr G, Sakala C. Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD003766. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub5 and Bohren MA, Hofmeyr GJ, Sakala C, Fukuzawa RK, Cuthbert A. Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2017, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD003766. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub6.

"Birth is about so much more than the wriggling of a tiny body out of a larger one. When we birth, we don't just birth babies. We birth ourselves, we birth our families and we reshape our lives."

Dr Sara Wickham

scrabble tiles spell out we are having a baby

I can’t wait to meet you!

If you would like to explore the potential of a doula support and find out more about my approach to being a doula, contact me to book a free discovery call.yoga@gmail.com

jos@theyogadoula.co.uk