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Our services

We provide free support to vulnerable women experiencing complex and multiple disadvantages. Our support includes:

Community Doula Support

A doula is a trained, non-medical professional who provides practical, emotional and physical support throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.

At Elayos, our Community Doulas walk alongside women who are vulnerable or isolated, offering a consistent, trusted presence when they may have few people to turn to. We listen without judgement, provide information, offer practical support and advocate for women’s needs, helping them feel heard, respected and empowered to make their own choices.

We support some of Birmingham’s most vulnerable women, many of whom have experienced significant trauma and disadvantage. This may include homelessness or temporary accommodation, seeking asylum and navigating life in a new country, human trafficking or modern slavery, mental health difficulties, drug or alcohol addiction, teenage pregnancy, domestic abuse or time spent in prison. Many face several of these challenges alongside profound isolation and a lack of reliable support.

Through continuity of care from pregnancy into early motherhood, we help women feel safer, better informed and more prepared for birth and life with their new baby. Above all, we want every woman to feel supported, to understand her choices and to have her voice heard throughout her journey into parenthood.

Baby Bank

Our Baby Bank provides essential baby equipment, clothing, nappies, toiletries and hygiene products to help ease financial pressure on the families we support. We want every parent to feel better equipped to welcome their baby, regardless of their financial circumstances.

We gratefully accept donations of good-quality pre-loved items and purchase essential equipment where needed to ensure babies’ safety, including new cot mattresses and car seats. By providing families with the essentials they need, we help give babies a safer, more comfortable start in life.

Infant Feeding Support

Our Infant Feeding Specialist provides expert, evidence-based advice, education and practical support to help parents make informed choices about feeding their babies. We empower families with the knowledge and confidence they need, offering compassionate, personalised support that respects each parent’s circumstances and feeding goals.

Support is tailored to each family and may include home visits, telephone calls and messaging, ensuring help is available when it’s needed. We offer a level of personalised breastfeeding support comparable to a private service, completely free of charge, so that cost is never a barrier to accessing the help families need.

 

Support from Elayos can take on a variety of forms depending on individual circumstances/needs. We work on a referral basis to support our clients holistically in the following ways:

  • Accompanying to appointments

  • Birth preparation, including holding space to discuss past birth trauma and ways we can support a more positive birth

  • Birthing partners (availability-dependent)

  • Birth debrief

  • Supplying baby and maternity essentials, such as infant clothes, equipment, hospital bags and hygiene products

  • Supporting more widely, including accessing interpretation services or support with completing paperwork

  • Regular follow-ups to check wellbeing/offer befriending

  • Breastfeeding and general feeding support from our qualified Infant Feeding Specialist

  • Postnatal support, such as light housework or help with meal preparations (if possible)

  • Signposting to useful services such as food banks, mental health support, etc.

  • Helping clients make connections in their local community through local walks or parent and baby groups

 

 What to expect from us

  • Once we have received your referral and reviewed it, a team member will phone to introduce themselves and arrange an initial assessment. We will inform the referrer that we are working with you. (Note: there are times that our small charity must wait-list or signpost cases elsewhere if we are oversubscribed, in which case we will do so as soon as possible.)

  • We’ll take time to get to know you, your circumstances, your needs, and your hopes for this pregnancy, birth, and fourth trimester.

    We’ll help asses whether you need practical support, such as baby and maternity supplies, befriending/wellbeing visits, or referrals for additional support.

    We’ll offer to work on a birth plan with you so that we can be as informed as possible as your birth partner and advocate for you if we are able to attend your birth. We can also accompany you to appointments when possible.

    We can engage with other services that are already involved in your situation as needed.

  • For those receiving birth support from Elayos, we plan for a doula to be on call from 38 weeks. We aim to join you from active labour, earlier if possible. In cases of planned C-sections, we will plan to attend hospital with you if arranged in advance.

  • We offer wellbeing visits after the baby comes to see how you’re doing emotionally, physically, etc. Please note: we are not healthcare professionals. If you feel unwell, always contact your midwife, health visitor, GP, etc. Or phone 111 if urgent, or 999 for emergencies.

    We can offer practical support, such as help with the baby, light housework, etc. We can help you get connected in your local community, such as signposting to children’s centres, baby groups, park groups, or breastfeeding cafes.

    Where possible, our Infant Feeding Specialist will be happy to support you with feeding to improve your confidence and knowledge.

    We typically work with our clients for 3 months post birth. However, this is decided on a case-by-case basis.