A passionate advocate for women’s rights and their birth rights, Katy Bolton feels honoured to be a part of the journey of motherhood, where she supports women and their families through this transformative experience. It is her mission to empower birthing women to advocate transformative births with birth doula support, along with providing education and support to create the best birthing experience possible for women in her care. With her extensive training and experience, along with her compassionate and respectful approach, she provides holistic complimentary pregnancy care, birth doula and postpartum doula services. Here Katy talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Mother Gaia, the challenges she has overcome along the way, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The Passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Hi, I’m Katy! I’ve been a holistic therapist for over a decade and have always felt a strong connection to working with women, especially those who are pregnant. I even took extra training in pregnancy massage when I worked in spas, often being the go-to therapist for expectant mothers.
Around seven years ago, I ventured into self-employment as a therapist. After experiencing difficulties with conceiving and enduring two early miscarriages, I decided to specialise in natural fertility, specifically reflexology fertility, and earned an advanced diploma. I developed my own natural fertility support therapy by blending my expertise in Reiki, guided meditation, and reflexology. This method not only helped me conceive but has also supported many other families in their fertility journeys.
As my own family grew, so did my knowledge and passion for holistic, unmedicated birth options. My second birth was heavily medicalised and traumatic, but for my third, I chose a different path. I opted for a pregnancy without NHS involvement, had two private scans to ensure everything was fine, and hired a doula for my planned home birth. I used various holistic therapies and laboured mostly at home in a birthing pool. Although we had to transfer to the hospital towards the end, my doula was an incredible advocate. She communicated my birthing plan to the midwives and ensured I understood and consented to all procedures. This experience inspired me to become a doula-to protect the birthing space and make birth an empowering, enlightening, and woman-led experience that can be looked back on with pride.
The Launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I had been working towards various aspects of being a birth doula for many years. While on maternity leave, I dived deeper into my studies with courses, tutoring, extensive reading, and hands-on experience. I found a wonderful room in a business center located on a farm in North Yorkshire. My two youngest children attend the farm school nursery, so I drop them off in the morning and walk a few steps to my lovely room in a barn conversion. I brought my therapy clients with me and have been enthusiastically promoting my new doula business. I’m five months in and loving every moment of working with my pregnant clients!
The Innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Having my children. Each birth experience taught me so much about my body and the incredible capabilities of women. Once I decided to support other birthing women, I knew I needed to become a doula and start this journey.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balancing work and family is a challenge, especially with three children under six, including one who is neurodivergent and needs extra support. My partner, a teacher with great hours and school holidays off, helps organise our work and family life. My family is my inspiration; without them, I wouldn’t be doing this work. I strive to make it work, and most of the time, it does.
