Gentle Beginnings
DOULA SUPPORT
Support through birth and the early days of parenthood.
Servicing families in the Goulburn Valley and surrounding areas.
What is a Doula?
A doula is a trained, non-medical support person who walks alongside you through pregnancy, birth, and the early days of parenthood.
My role is to offer continuous emotional, physical, and practical support — to help you feel calm, informed, and supported as you welcome your baby. I work alongside your chosen healthcare providers, complementing their care while focusing entirely on you and your family.
During birth, a doula provides reassurance, comfort measures, and a steady presence, helping you feel safe and supported in a hospital setting. After birth, a doula gently extends from the hospital, into your home, offering care for both mother and baby as you adjust to life together.
A doula does not replace your midwife, doctor, or nurse — instead, I support you by holding space, offering guidance, and helping you feel confident in your choices.
At its heart, doula care is about connection, compassion, and presence — ensuring no woman has to navigate birth or early motherhood alone.
Our Services
Explore our range of services designed to help you move forward with confidence, wherever you're headed next.
**A complimentary initial consultation is included, providing a calm, no-pressure space to connect, talk through your family’s hopes, and explore what support may feel right for you.
🌿 Birth Support
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Investment: $800
Continuous, compassionate support throughout labour and birth.
I attend your birth as a calm, steady presence, providing emotional and physical support, reassurance, and advocacy alongside your chosen medical team as you welcome your baby.
🌿 Postpartum Support
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Investment: $1550
Longer day support lasting a full 6-7 weeks postpartum. Includes birth debriefing, assistance with baby, light housework and time for mum to shower and rest.
Weekly in home check-ins, 7 visits
5 hour day visit tapering down to 3hrs
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Investment: $1100
Longer in-home support days offering deeper, practical and emotional care.
Includes birth debriefing, assistance with baby, light housework and time for mum to shower and rest.
Weekly in home check-ins, 4 visits
5 hour day visit
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Investment: $700
Check-ins during the early weeks after birth. Debrief your birth and some assistance with some light housework or caring for your new baby.
Weekly in home check-ins, 4 visits
3 hour visits
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Investment: $80
This one-hour birth debrief offers a safe, compassionate space to gently talk through your birth experience. Whether your story feels heavy, confusing, or simply unfinished, this time is for you to be heard, validated, and supported as you process your journey and find space for understanding and healing. This can take place at your home or at a local cafe, wherever feels more comfortable for you.
About Me
My name is Kareena, and I am the heartbeat behind Gentle Beginnings, based here in the Goulburn Valley.
Birth has always been something I’ve looked forward to — not because it is easy, but because it is powerful and deeply transformative. I have been blessed with three beautiful children, and through each birth my midwives supported me to understand my rights, ask questions, and make informed choices. All three of my labours were physiological, natural births — each one unique, beautiful, and deeply meaningful.
My third birth took an unexpected turn.
The labour and delivery were gentle and strong, and then, in an instant, everything changed. I faced major complications immediately after birth — complex, rare, and still largely unknown. I found myself undergoing major abdominal surgery, fighting to stop arteries from bleeding, and living a postpartum journey that looked very different from what I had imagined.
Recovery didn’t happen in days or weeks — it unfolded over months. I needed to slow down. I needed support. I needed help and I was blessed to have it.
I received care that felt like a soft hand on my shoulder — a presence that said, you are not alone, you are seen, you are held. That support made the difference between simply surviving and truly being able to thrive with my newborn baby.
It was through that experience that my passion for becoming a doula was born.
I became a doula after seeing many women go through birth and the early days of motherhood without support. I watched friends feel disappointed in their labours, experience trauma when plans changed, and find the transition into life with a newborn far more difficult than they had anticipated. I wanted to change that.
Every woman deserves the love, care, and presence that I was so fortunate to receive. Every woman deserves to feel seen, supported, and empowered — especially in one of life’s most tender and powerful moments. As a Christian, I hold a deep appreciation for the way God has designed our bodies for labour and the blessing that children are.
My role is simple: to stand alongside you as you step into your own gentle beginning, with calm, confidence, and care.
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I attend your birth as a supportive presence, offering emotional and physical support. My role is to hold space, offer comfort, and support you and your family through labour and birth.
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Many families book doula support during pregnancy to allow time to connect and prepare together. You’re welcome to reach out at any stage to enquire about availability.
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Packages start from $550 and reflect the time, availability, and personalised care provided to each family.
Further details are shared openly during our initial conversation. This allows us to ensure the support offered feels right for your family and your individual needs.
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No. I do not replace your medical care provider. I work alongside your midwives, doctors, and healthcare team, offering non-medical, emotional, and practical support.
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Postpartum support can begin as soon as your baby is born. Support is always tailored to your family’s needs.
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Yes. I offer gentle support around feeding and settling, always respecting your chosen feeding method and your baby’s individual needs.
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Yes. I support families in hospital birth settings and work respectfully alongside hospital staff.
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You’re welcome to get in touch via the enquiry form to arrange an initial conversation. This allows us to discuss your needs and see if Gentle Beginnings is the right fit for your family.
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While every effort is made to attend your birth, there are rare circumstances where this may not be possible due to the unpredictable nature of labour.
If I am unable to attend, we will discuss alternative support options where possible, and you will continue to be fully supported by your medical care team. This will always be communicated with care, honesty, and respect.
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I am currently a student Doula and will soon complete my certification as a “Birth and Post-Natal Doula.”
With full permission to do so, I am currently supporting clients. This allows me to offer very attentive, present, and personalised support. Alongside this, my work is deeply informed by my own lived experience.
Your Questions, Answered
If you have any questions not answered here, I warmly welcome you to reach out.
Let’s Bring Your Vision To Life
Every family’s path to parenthood is different. Reach out through the form for a complimentary consultation, and together we’ll craft the perfect support plan for your birth and postpartum period. We can then decide if Gentle Beginnings is the right fit for your family.
Alternatively text or call me on 0400 844 991.
Based in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria
Supporting families in Shepparton and surrounding areas.