Hello and Welcome
I am Krysia Lynch PhD,, maternity care and birth expert, offering, established and trusted doula training services, birth mentoring services, doula services, lactation consultancy, placenta encapsulation services, birth advocacy services and women’s and baby’s wellness consultations. I am the original Dublin Doula!
I have been a doula and birth mentor since 2002 and have supported thousands of mothers, families and babies in preparing for birth, in labouring and birthing, in breastfeeding and in parenting which makes me one of Dublin’s most experienced doulas and authority on supporting women and their families through the transformational experience of pregnancy labour and birth.
I have trained hundreds of birth doulas, postnatal doulas and lactation doulas and been involved in a multitude of birth advocacy campaigns in Ireland and Europe. I also sit on many Boards with other NGOS, the HSE, The Department of Health and hospitals representing women families and service users in policy design and maternity improvement initiatives.
Podcast
Find The DoulaVerse Podcast where you get your podcasts
Your choices in maternity care
Home birth as a choice
Medical induction of labour
My Doula Vision
I work with mothers fathers partners and families to ensure that the pre conception, pregnancy and birth of your baby are memorable and times when you feel supported and informed.
Each birth heralds not just the birth of a baby but the birth of a mother too, and my role is to nurture the birth of the mother in you. If you are already a mother then this birth offers you an opportunity to evolve into a mother of a growing family; each new child changes us and our family and my role is to help you prepare for that emotionally and physically. If you are about to become a father or a second mother then my role is to also support you in the pregnancy and birth of your child. I will enable you to support your partner with confidence and ease and I will ensure that you are a confident advocate for your partner either at home or in the hospital.
About me
I initiated the first doula and birth mentoring training course in Dublin in March 2003, with Pam England the founder of Birthing from Within. and since then I have developed my own state of the art doula and postnatal training course, which I have taught at the Elbowroom and Insight Matters, as well as extensively live online and on demand. More information on Doula Training and registration is here.
Aside from my doula and birth mentoring training, I also trained as a La Leche League Leader and have been supporting and helping mothers in my local community to breastfeed since 2006. You can find out about our local la leche league breastfeeding support meetings here . In 2020, I completed my International Board Certified Lactation Consultancy exams and I have been working as a Lactation Consultant in Private Practice in my local community ever since.
In 2006 I also finished my licentiate in homoeopathy. I am a licensed registered homoeopath specialising in the area of pregnancy and birth. I offer all my clients homoeopathy support during pregnancy and labour and the post partum period. I am a frequent lecturer on the topics of childbirth, menopause, pediatrics and fertility at the Irish Society of Homeopaths You can find out more about my homeopathy service here
Since 2007 I have worked in a voluntary capacity with AIMS Ireland, so I am extremely familiar with the Irish Maternity system and I know many midwives, lactation consultants, doctors and obstetricians that work within it. I have actively campaigned for an improved maternity service for women and encourage women to be fully informed of what their options and rights are whilst using our maternity services.
In 2014 I completed my placenta encapsulation training with the Irish Placenta Association so now I am able to offer this service to my clients, along with bespoke homeopathic remedies tinctures and essences made from placenta. In 2024 I have been engaging with continuing CPD with APPA to ensure that all my Placenta Encapsulation Services are of the highest international standard.
In 2015 I also completed my training as a 3 principles facilitator. This has enabled me to be aware of how our thought processes contribute to the way we feel about any given moment in time. An insight that has profound implications for helping women cope with the demands of labour and birth.
In 2017 I completed my Pregnancy Yoga Advanced Pregnancy Yoga Training and Postnatal Yoga Training at the Elbowroom and I have been teaching Prenatal and mum and baby yoga at the Elbowroom Insight Matters and also online since 2018. I find integrating physical movement into birth preparation an amazing physical preparation for any labour and birth.
Before I became interested in birth I lectured in TCD and I have a PhD in Science! This gave me a firm scientific background on which to evaluate research in the maternity and birthing areas. I still give occasional lectures in Trinity College Dublin and University College Dubbin to final year midwifery students on topics such as normal birth, supporting women in labour and the consumer and the maternity services. I also am a frequent conference speaker having spoken at national and international conferences for the last two decades. You will also find me as a frequent speaker on local and national radio as well as the print media.
I created the Irish Doula Directory, with fellow doula Erin Darcy, so that more women could find doulas near them! If you don’t like the sound of me, you may be able to find another doula on that list that suits you better!
If you would like to train as a doula or you think that I might be a good fit for you and your family in your journey to birth then please contact me either by phone 0877543751 or by email dublindoulas@gmail.com
My Experience
I have worked as a doula since 2002 and so am one of Dublin’s most experienced doula. I have experience of working with mums having caesarean births, home births, low tech hospital births and high tech hospital births and with women expecting twins!
I have seen the great benefit that having a doula can offer a mother, especially if she is a first time mother trying to negotiate the maternity services. Research on doulas show that their presence can significantly reduce the incidence of interventions. Mothers who have had difficult experiences in previous births can also especially benefit from the services of a doula. However, I firmly believe that EVERY mother deserves a doula All mothers deserve to have someone there just for them during a birth; someone to nurture, care and support not just with the head but with the heart too! More on the benefits of doulas can be found below. If you are not sure what a doula does then continue reading!
You can find out more about what my previous clients have thought of me by reading my testimonials, and you can find out more about how I came to be a doula by reading more about me. If you would like to talk through any of my services please call me or contact me.
My relationships with hospitals and home birth services
As a doula, I serve the three main Dublin maternity hospitals of The Coombe, The NMH and The Rotunda, and have attended many home births too. I am based in Sandymount, Dublin which means all three hospitals are within easy access.
I have well established working arrangements with other healthcare professionals in the community and am a familiar doula in all three Dublin maternity hospitals. I run a unique individual Irish business tailor made to families in Dublin and I am renowned within Irish and international birth circles as a women’s advocate and supporter by families, midwives, advocacy organisations, the Department of Health, HIQA and the HSE.
My Media Profile
I am a regular speaker at childbirth and parenting conferences and you will also regularly hear me in the media discussing maternity services from a service user’s perspective. I have also addressed the Dail on many occasions.
Mini CV
Selected mini CV of the last 10 years
In 2015 I was asked by the Minister of Health Leo Varadkar to represent women and their families on the National Maternity Strategy Review. This review was published in January 2016. you can listen to me talking about it here on National Radio
In 2015 I was also asked to sit on the HIQA advisory panel for Standards in he Irish Maternity Services.
In 2017 I was asked to sit on the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Strategy Committee for Ireland.
In 2019 I was asked to sit on the HIQA Board of the Maternity Care Experience Survey for Ireland
In 2021 I was asked to sit on the HIQA steering Committee Of the Maternity Bereavement Care Experience
In 2021 I was asked to sit on the new National Baby friendly guidelines and standards for Ireland. These were published in May 2022
In 2020 I was asked to sit on the HSE committee for Standardization of the Postnatal Record and this came into effect in 2024 enabling all mothers no matter where they lived to avail of the same standardised postnatal care.
In 2024 I was again invited to sit on the HIQA Board of the Maternity Care Experience Survey for Ireland
In 2021 – 2024 I was a consumer representative on the Women’s Aid project looking at Domestic Violence during the maternity care journey.
In 2024 I was again invited to be the consumer representative for the remodelling of the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Strategy Committee for Ireland.
I have sat on many other national and regional maternity committees in Ireland including the BFHI committee in the NMH , the Consumer forum in The Rotunda, The National Home Birth Steering Committee, The Baby Feeding Law Group and many others.
Doula FAQ
Most people have never heard of a doula, let alone know what they do. Yet many women after their births will reflect that they really could have done with someone extra at their birth; someone, who was there just for them. Someone who would have supported them and their choices, someone who would have helped them navigate the Irish Maternity System and someone who might have helped them make sense of it all afterwards.
The word doula comes from a Greek word meaning she would serves. The role of a doula is to be there, and to serve a pregnant woman and her family during pregnancy, labour birth and beyond.
A doula provides emotional support and physical comfort measures. She is also a fountain of knowledge with respect to how to approach birth, with respect to hospital labour and birth, procedures and the latest evidenced based research in pregnancy labour and birth. So in this way she is able to provide you with informational support. Most doulas have had babies of their own, but not all. I have had three children.
A doula walks the journey of pregnancy and birth with you and your family. she (and very occasionally he), will visit you at home during your pregnancy to get to know you and how to best support you. She will be on call for you from 37-38 weeks to 42 weeks and be able to support you emotionally and with basic comfort measures during early labour at home. She will attend the hospital with you if you are having a hospital birth and support you and your partner during your labour. After you have had your baby she will stay with you for a few hours until you feel happy for her to leave. Whether you have your baby by caesarean or normally your doula will be there to support you.
Testimonials
“Krysia was my birth mentor for my first longed for baby. She came to our home six times before I went into labour to share her wisdom on birth and on coping with labour. I visualised how my birth would be and felt very prepared. Due to a complication I ended up having a caesarean birth. None the less, Krysia continued to support me and equally as important, to support my husband. I breastfed my little one for an extended period of time thanks to her tireless support. I am sure this would not have happened if I had not been so supported”
Jane Booterstown
“Krysia was my birth mentor for my second baby. I had waited some time to finally get pregnant and so knew that I wanted lots of support as I had had a difficult experience on my first baby. We met six times formally before my official due date, but then as I went so over and over and over, Krysia was constantly available to discuss my options with me. At one point I called her from the hospital as I was being prepared for a planned caesarean. After talking with Krysia I realised that I didn’t have to succumb to anything that i did n’t feel comfortable with. I asked the doctor what my options were and she told me that I could of course wait some more if I wanted and see if my labour would start on its own. I eventually went into labour naturally and it made all the difference in the world to me. After my baby was born Krysia visited me frequently in the hospital to help with breastfeeding. I was very lucky to be so supported.”
Stacy, Dundrum
“Krysia was my birth mentor for my first baby. She came out four times before the birth to our home and did birthing from within classes with us. It was fantastic as it meant I didnt have to travel to a big class and all my questions were answered on a one to one basis. She also tailored all her antenatal classes to suit us. One that Krysia suggested though was that we go to the hospital antenatal classes too so that we could get a picture of how they expected labour and birth to progress and so that we would know what their policies were. This was actually very useful! At one point I had doubts about my care provider and Krysia told me I could change provider. I did, and it changed the course of my births. I had a lovely un medicated natural birth with the Community Midwives in the NMH and went on to have two home births.”
Helen, Blackrock
“Krysia was my doula for my third baby. I had hoped to have my baby at home but was not able to in the end and had to transfer to hospital care. Krysia was so understanding and supportive of my disappointment. She visited me whenever she was passing my home and gave me a lot of contacts in the hospital so that I could prepare myself for a different birth to what I had expected. I went over dates and Krysia was very helpful with homeopathic support and information. I gave birth within ten minutes of arriving at the hospital and Krysia created a lovely homebirth environment in the hospital room for me. She had a lovely rapport with the midwives and I think this made everything feel very easy and comfortable. Her homeopathic care was second to none and I felt the wellest I had ever done in the weeks afterwards. I would recommend her to anyone.”
Isobel, Tallaght
How can a doula help?
Pregnancy can be a time of great joy for many women, but at times it can bring up worries, fears or stress. A doula can help you get the most out of your pregnancy and birth allowing you to experience the joy and adventure of becoming a mother, perhaps for the first time. A doula can also listen guide and help you when you are feeling stressed, or when you have difficult decisions to make during your pregnancy. In actual terms this means that you will have someone to contact during your pregnancy on the phone or by email and to discuss how things are progressing and how pregnancy is unfolding for you.
But a doula is not just there for the mother to be. The doula is there for the partner and for the baby too! Most of the families I support will comment afterwards that the support given to the partner was equally as important as the support given to the mother. There is a lot expected of the partner in the pregnancy and birth process. You need to be able to make decisions and offer the right kind of support about a topic you probably know very little about. Having a doula there takes all the stress off your shoulders. It means that you don’t have to worry about whether you fully understood what the midwife said in the antenatal session, it means you will always have someone there to talk things through with you, it means that you wont have to have the responsibility of knowing all the answers. It means that you will feel empowered to ask the right questions for yourself and your partner.
When labour starts, you wont have to wonder when the right time to go to the hospital is, or when to fill the pool at home. You won’t have to worry about how you’ll get your partner into the car, how to help her during the journey to hospital. When you arrive in the hospital your doula will know where to go, and an experienced doula will know some of the staff and this will help you feel at ease. During the labour and birth, your doula will help you get the most out of your experience and will guide you in supports and comfort measures that you can offer your birthing partner.
Giving birth is an amazing thing to do, and as with all great achievements it requires a certain amount of planning preparation and focus. You doula will help both you and your partner during this rite of passage. She will come to you antenatally in your own home and get to know you and your partner. She will suggest coping skills and reading materials for you to find out more about what you need to know in labour and birth. In early labour she will come to you at home and you focus on your coping skills. She will then be there in hospital too if you are having a hospital birth. She will be the link with all your preparation before the birth to all that is happening in the birthing suite on the big day.
And if you go over your dates your doula will be a constant source of support during this time, which can be stressful and challenging for many women. I find that many first time mothers will go over a guess date and its great being able to rely on someone to keep you relaxed and who has a lot of proactive suggestions as to how to ensure that you go into labour normally, or alternatively to support you in requesting more time from your health care professionals.
Every woman has her own feelings and thoughts about pregnancy and it is good to explore these with someone. It may be that the fear is unfounded or based on inaccurate information, or it may be that you are so busy with an older child that you have not had the opportunity to focus on this pregnancy. A doula is there to hold the space for you to assess, explore, and find your own inner wisdom to be well in pregnancy labour and birth no matter what the particular circumstances are. Doulas have no vested interest in why type of birth you are having; their focus is on you feeling well both emotionally and physically.
After the birth your doula will be there to offer breastfeeding support . She will also be available on the phone and by email for all your new mother queries. For many new mothers this relieves so much of the stress of having the responsibility of a new born baby after what can be very minimal hospital stays. Many women for example leave hospital these days before their milk has come in, so breastfeeding challenges can often arise when they are at home without midwifery support.
The research shows us that birth outcomes are also improved if you have a doula with you. The book by Klaus et al. discuss how labour support reduces the rate of caesarean sections, length of labour, need for pain medicine, and number of episiotomies and they demonstrate the positive effects of having a doula on mother-infant bonding.
Klaus, M. H., Kennell, J. H., Klaus, P. H. (2012). Mothering the mother : how a doula can help you have a shorter, easier and healthier birth. Reading MA Addison, Wesley.
Their work cites the following:
50% reduction in the caesarean rate
25% shorter labour
60% reduction in epidural requests
40% reduction in oxytocin use
30% reduction in analgesia use
40% reduction in forceps delivery
They also found that 6 weeks after the birth mothers who used a doula were:
Less anxious and depressed
Had more confidence with baby
More satisfied with partner (71% v 30%)
More likely to be breastfeeding (52% v 29%)
For more information on evidenced based research and doulas click here
Professional Accreditation
June 1992 PhD in Environmental Science and Health
March 2003 Level One training as a Birthing From Within Doula and Birth Mentor
October 2003 Level Two training as a Birthing From Within Doula and Birth Mentor
October 2004 Level Three training as a Birthing From Within Doula and Birth Mentor
March 2006 Accredited as a La Leche League Leader
May 2007 Accredited as a Licenced Homeopath with The Irish School of Homeopathy following a four year training program
May 2008 Postgraduate Diploma in Homeopathy with the Irish School of Homeopathy
May 2008 Accepted as a member of the Irish Society of Homeopaths following a two year CPD program
October 2012 Initiated the Birth Know How Doula training Program with Bridget Sheeran
June 2014 Accredited as a Placenta Encapsulation specialist with the Irish Placenta Association
June 2014 Accredited as a Three Principles Facilitator specialising in birth.
January 2015 Formed the Irish Doula Directory with Erin Darcy
December 2015 Completed training as Sacred Menopause facilitator.
February 2018 Attended weekend seminar with Gail Tully on Spinning Babies Techniques
December 2017 Accredited with The Yoga Alliance as a Prenatal Yoga Teacher
May 2018 Completed Aromatherapy for Birth Course
June 2018 Certified with Birthing From Within as a Childbirth Mentor and Doula
September 2018 Accredited with the Yoga Alliance as a Mother and Baby Yoga Teacher and an Advanced Pregnancy Yoga Teacher
September 2019: Initiated Ireland’s most comprehensive Doula Training Course accredited with Doula UK
September 2020: Accredited as a Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
2003 – 2024 Numerous study days, lectures, seminars and workshops on topics such as spinning babies, induction, acupressure, yoga, mindfulness, coping with loss, the power of language, communication and counselling skills, lactation facilitation, breastfeeding support, baby wearing, premature babies, twin pregnancies. the list is fairly endless!