About Me
Hi, my name is Lucile Toussaert (she/her). I am a former community pharmacist from France. I moved from Paris to Surrey in 2015 with my husband Cedric. In April 2021, I resigned from my job as a pharmacist so I could fully dedicate my time for my passion for births, mothers and babies.
After several long and frustrating years trying for a baby, we found out I was pregnant. This was one of the best days of my life and I felt I was connected to my baby straight away. I knew from the very first day I wanted to have a home birth; for me personally this felt like the most natural thing to do. I enjoyed being pregnant so much. I carried on dancing salsa every week up until the week before he was born. To explain how connected we already were, the day before he was born, I talked to my baby inside my tummy telling him I was ready to welcome him into this world. The following day, as if he had understood, my waters started leaking and shortly after contractions came pretty regularly. I used hypnobirthing techniques to help me go along with the surges. Cedric was my rock during this quick labour. He’d filled the pool with hot water and I sank into it for extra relief. Neo was born in the water and I was finally able to hold him in my arms. This day was the most beautiful day of my life, a wonderful experience that changed me forever and is the reason why I am now a doula.
I have always had a positive view about breastfeeding and, although I remained open minded, I knew this would be my first choice when it came to feeding my baby. For me personally, knowing about the health benefits of breastfeeding, which included Neo being more likely to have a stronger immune system – but also for myself – having a lower risk of developing breast cancer, really was important to me. I also wanted to give myself and Neo the best chance to bond, physically and emotionally, so this too was a big part of making my decision. I feel extremely lucky that I was able to breastfeed, especially for just under two years. Breastfeeding will not be every parents’ first choice (or perhaps even a consideration) but as a doula I really hope that I can impart some knowledge and offer the support a new parent needs to make such an important decision.
Being a new mother to a new baby, albeit being the most incredible and joyful experience, comes with its challenges; whether it’s your first baby or your fifth, you will more than likely find things a little overwhelming at first. This is all brand new for you and your baby; you will be juggling with feeding your baby, feeding yourself, getting enough sleep, be recovering from pregnancy and birth, and also (and this is not talked about enough) dealing with the emotional roller coaster you go through, being a new mother.
A few months after Neo was born, I sadly developed post-natal depression. This was a very challenging time for me; particularly since I had never suffered from mental health problems before. Fortunately, thanks to CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and a wonderful support group, I was able to develop the skills I needed in order to fully recover. During the long recovery process I was very lucky to have full support from my husband, and also from good friends who can understand mental health issues. Having this support was crucial for me as my family all live in France. Thanks to this experience, I feel I have a deeper understanding of post-natal depression and can therefore empathise and support a mother experiencing this.
I wish I’d known about post-natal doulas before having my baby. Doulas have the knowledge, the deep understanding, the compassion, not to mention the practical side of things such as cooking, all the things that are so vital in making a new family’s experience a happy and positive one.
My Ethos
I believe that every mother, no matter her age, culture, history or background, should have equal support and equal access to the care she and her baby need. I feel that as a doula I can contribute in supporting a new mother with anything she needs; this includes ensuring she has well balanced and nutritious food, helping her to relax so she can rest properly, emotional support, and access to help with feeding if she needs it.
Learning to rest in our fast-speed and demanding societies can be tricky for some women; as a doula I would be able to take some of the pressure off by taking care of things like cooking, for example, so that a new mother can rest. I know how fragile you can feel when you’ve just had a baby, and how vital it is to feel confident in the person taking care of your child. It’s not easy and you may not always trust just “anybody”. I would want to build up trust with you so that you feel happy and comfortable and know you can rely on me. It’s crucial for a new mother to relax – it’s extremely hard to rest when you are worried or stressed!
I also believe very strongly in remaining as objective as possible in my role as a doula, for example even though I have my views, and would promote breastfeeding, every woman should be given the opportunity to choose which method of feeding is best suited to them – I will offer information and advice but would really encourage a new mother to make this decision armed with the support I have given. Ultimately, I feel that being able to support another woman during their journey through motherhood is an honour and I intend to fully embrace this.
My Training
- The Queer Friendly Business Course by The Queer box – March 2022.
- Conscious Birthing Postnatal ‘Full immersion’ Doula Course with Samsara Tanner – November 2020.
- Paramana Doula Course by Dr Michel Odent and Lilianna Lamers – September 2020.
- Quantum approach to birth (Approche quantique de la naissance) seminar in French by Quantik Mama – June 2020.
I am a member of Doula UK and commit to abiding by their Philosophy and Code of Conduct.
