Lucianne Hughes

Hi, I’m Lucianne, The Sunshine Doula. I am a postpartum doula, wife to an incredible guy and mom to my 2 little girls, my rays of sunshine.

I am so passionate about supporting women, mothers and parents. For many years, I worked in the travel industry but I always felt completely out of place. I knew it wasn’t where I was supposed to be but couldn’t work out where that place was.

Having always had a passion for nutrition and health, I started a diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle coaching while pregnant with my first baby but had to defer it due to pregnancy exhaustion.

After I gave birth to my first baby in 2016, I felt a passion, a fire ignite in me. I saw firsthand just how important parental support after the baby arrives is. I became obsessed with all things birth and postpartum and was just astounded by the power and wisdom of women’s bodies, but also of the lack of support for after the baby arrives.

I finished my diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching and graduated when my first baby was just 2 years of age. I toyed with the idea of a role where I could nourish new mothers and parents, that’s when I discovered the role of a postpartum doula! This was my ‘Eureka’ moment: this was exactly what I was meant to be doing. I trained as a postpartum doula with the incredible Ann Grauer of Dona International when I was pregnant with my second child. I’ve never had a millisecond of doubt. It was and is my calling.

I then had my second baby. This time I birthed her at home, in a pool. Again I witnessed the incredible power of a woman’s body and I fell more in love with supporting mothers and parents. This is when I decided to set out in the world as The Sunshine Doula.

With my natural energy and passion for life, as well as interest in nutrition and movement – I brought it all together to serve parents for that really delicate time after baby is born, and those months that follow where baby weans, goes through leaps, sleep progressions (I am all about positively reframing challenges) and teething.

Parenting is both an absolute privilege and joy but it is so challenging. I bring my energy, positivity and passion to support parents through these early months, so that they thrive and baby thrives, so they get to a point where they can say “I got this”. I believe the more we respond to and nurture our babies in the early years, and support parents in this mammoth task, the better our world can be.