Meet Louise

From Midwife to Birth Keeper – Supporting Women on Their Own Terms

Hello, I’m Louise Clay, and I’m passionate about supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and beyond in a way that honours their autonomy and choices.

For years, I worked as an NHS midwife, and while I loved caring for women, I became disillusioned with the over-medicalised, protocol-driven approach to birth. I witnessed how the system often disregards the natural process of birth, leaving women feeling unheard, disempowered, and, at times, traumatised.

That’s when I knew I needed to take a different path. I stepped away from NHS midwifery and trained as a Birth Keeper, allowing me to provide truly woman-centred, holistic care—free from rigid guidelines and unnecessary interventions. Now, I work with women who want to take control of their birth experience, whether within or outside the system.

Why I Became a Birth Keeper

As a midwife, I saw how continuity of care made a profound difference in birth outcomes. But in a stretched NHS system, this continuity is often lost—women see different faces at every appointment, and birth can become something that happens to them rather than. something they actively lead.

Becoming a Birth Keeper has allowed me to:

✔ Support women throughout their entire journey, from pregnancy to postnatal care.

✔ Offer personalised care without shift changes, rushed appointments, or restrictive policies.

✔ Provide evidence-based guidance that helps women make informed, confident choices.

✔ Advocate for women’s rights in birth, ensuring they feel empowered and respected at every stage.

Since stepping away from clinical midwifery, I have had the honour of supporting so many incredible births—including ones that the system would never have "allowed" have worked with women who trust their bodies and choose to birth in their own way, whether at home, in hospital, or outside conventional maternity care altogether.

My Approach

I believe in respecting birth as a natural, physiological process that rarely requires medical intervention. My role is not to dictate how you should give birth but to support, guide, and advocate for you so that you feel empowered in your decisions.

What does this mean in practice?

✔ I listen to you—your fears, your hopes, your vision for birth.

✔ I provide holistic, evidence-based care, ensuring you understand your choices and the implications of different maternity pathways.

✔ I work with a small number of clients, allowing me to offer deeply personalised, dedicated support.

✔ I do not provide clinical care—instead, I focus on honouring your choices and guiding you through birth in the way that feels right for you.

I also offer pregnancy advocacy, helping women navigate the often confusing and overwhelming maternity system, particularly when facing pressure to comply with interventions that may not align with their wishes.

Who I Work With

I support women who:

✔ Want to feel in control of their birth experience—whether at home, in a birth centre, or hospital.

✔ Are seeking an alternative to mainstream maternity care and want continuity of support.

✔ Feel unsupported or unheard in the current system and need someone to advocate for their rights.

✔ Have had a difficult or traumatic birth experience in the past and want to approach their next birth with confidence.

✔ Want to breastfeed but feel uncertain or anxious—I provide expert guidance to help  you succeed.

Let’s Connect

If you’re looking for dedicated, compassionate support throughout your pregnancy and birth, I’d love to work with you.



Get in touch today to discuss your needs and find out