Doula Next Door
Evidence-based support and education for your pregnancy, breastfeeding and early parenting journey.
who i am
Hi, I'm Tara Durkin
I’m a Birth Doula, Cuidiú Antenatal Ireland Educator, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Birth Trauma Resolution Practitioner in Galway city. I am a mother of three with a background as a volunteer breastfeeding counsellor with Cuidiú and maternity rights advocate. I’ve been helping other parents to reach their breastfeeding goals for 10+ years, and helping them to learn about their birth options for nearly two decades.
I know personally how valuable it can be to have an experienced guide alongside you to help navigate the various considerations and challenges that can come up in pregnancy and early parenting. Someone there to listen, to connect you to evidence-based information and resources, to be a sounding board for your concerns and then to help you make a plan to meet your goals – can make all the difference for positive birth, breastfeeding and postnatal experiences. It’s a privilege to be able to offer this support.
I work with women, pregnant people and families to help them feel empowered to make informed decisions about pregnancy birth infant feeding early parenting
What I do
Services I offer
Antenatal Classes
Independent, evidence-based antenatal education helping you and your partner build confidence in birth and early parenting and linking you into a supportive network.
Photo by Magriki
Doula Support
Providing a continuity of emotional, physical and educational care in pregnancy, labour & birth. A doula on your support team means having consistent, nonjudgmental help at hand.
Lactation
Helping you along your unique breastfeeding journey with expert, compassionate lactation support to meet your feeding goals, from breastfeeding preparation to helping you find solutions to any challenges that arise.
How I do it
Why choose me?
Gold Standard Classes
My antenatal classes are independent, interactive, and rich with information on all your options. I adhere to the principles of adult education and ensure gold standard classes through regular peer review with Antenatal Ireland.
Non-judgemental support
I will never judge you or your family’s decisions. I offer counselling, support and information to guide you to make the best decisions for you and your family, so you can be the parents you want to be.
Evidence based information
All of information given at my classes, consults and therapy sessions has been backed up by research so you know you are getting the most up-to-date, evidence-based information at all times.
what do my clients say about me?
testimonials
Having Tara with us throughout our journey made my pregnancy experience just that more special. Her time from frequent meetups to house calls and phone calls were always a delight. She really extended herself as part of the family and always made sure me and baby were okay.
Having Tara there, our doula, gave me incredible confidence, a sense of protection and of deep understanding. The midwives in the hospital were lovely, but Tara was our own guide, somebody that knew us at a personal level, and to me that was something invaluable. I am SO glad that she was there during this life changing event.
I’m not sure if I could have persevered with feeding [baby] without your non-judgmental support.
What you have done for us has been life changing. Thank you for helping us navigate such a monumental and special milestone in our lives. Your calmness, gentleness and sincerity has been so wonderful.... Thank you for supporting us to be the parents we wanted to be.
