Sandy Connolly

I live in Bray with my partner Mark and our girl Juno.  After I had my little girl in 2011 a whole new world of motherhood opened up before me, and fundamentally changed how I viewed the world around me.

As a response to my own journey in my motherhood and parenting, I trained to support and empower families in your own journeys and transitions. My heart sings to the postpartum experience and around informed decision making and choice. I’ve train (does it ever stop) with various organisations and bodies so that I can better support people and families entrusting me to hold space for you; be that in the lead up to and when you’ve welcomed your baba to your home, in pregnancy loss or stillbirth, on feeding your baba and caring for your baba, you and your family and your family’s sleep, if you’re needing an abortion or if you need a listening ear to debrief your experience(s).

To be entrusted to support, nurture and care for you and your family on your journey is an honour I will always treat with the utmost respect.

In love and light. Sandy xxx

I’m a postpartum-centric full spectrum doula, Cuidiú breastfeeding counsellor, and parent and infant care specialist. I’m wildly passionate about supporting families as you navigate these significant and sometimes overwhelming events in your lives. As your doula I’ll give you space to discuss your options with non-biased evidence based information, a trained trauma informed listening ear and maybe even deliver you some of my “world famous” scrambled eggs on toast of a morning. I’m a huge advocate of informed decision making, choice and a reproductive rights activist. Supporting families to thrive in your experience, meeting you where you’re at, where-ever that might be and what-ever your family looks like, is a core value in my practice as a birth worker. My heart sings to the postpartum experience across the reproductive spectrum. As such my doula support includes that of postpartum support, pregnancy and infant loss support, and abortion support.

Postpartum Planning ∞ I am passionate about educating and normalising normal newborn behaviour. So many of us spend hours drafting our birth plans or preferences. A great postpartum plan will be flexible, realistic and reflect your family’s values and expectations.

Postpartum Care + Feeding Support ∞ As your postpartum doula I support you and your family so that you can optimise your rest and recovery in your postpartum period, and beyond. I’ll bring companionship and non-judgemental support in those early mornings or late nights, with conversations around events, parenting topics and/or your emotions all in complete confidence and with no bias. I’ll do light housework around your home and can cook you nutritious meals and snacks (I’m a home cook not a trained chef) giving you more space for rest and recovery. I can support you in arriving to feeding positions that are comfortable and optimal for you and your baby.

Newborn Care + Holistic Sleep Educator ∞ Welcoming your newborn earthside is exciting yet can be daunting. I can teach and support you in learning the new skills to empower your parenting journey including feeding, breastfeeding and feeding cues, winding, bathing, babywearing, newborn sleep cues and patterns, newborn safety.

Trauma Debrief Service ∞ Should you feel you would benefit from a compassionate non-biased ear to listen to your perinatal debrief I am here for you. I will support you by listening to you and empower you look to your future with positivity and hope.
Bereavement Support ∞ So often people don’t know what to say or do when a family member close to us experiences pregnancy loss or stillbirth. I can hold your hand and support you navigating your journey. I will listen to you with compassion and non-judgement in your grief , and can support you by taking over some of the tasks that might still need to be done in your life.

Abortion Support ∞ Should you need a medical or surgical abortion I am here to support you, to hold your hand either at home, at the clinic or at the hospital. As your doula I will navigate this journey with you, supporting you with compassion and empathy in your choice.