THE WOMAN BEHIND MULADHARA
A little about me.
My path into this work has been shaped by life, learning and my own experiences of pregnancy, birth and motherhood.
MY STORY
Behind the name, there's me.
I'm Stefania. Originally from Italy, I moved to the UK in 2011. After nine years in Edinburgh, my family and I moved to a more rural setting between the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire, and our life and lifestyle changed in ways that brought us closer to nature and the rhythms of the seasons.
I trained as a nurse in Italy and began my nursing career in 2009. I worked in the private and public sectors in Italy, England and Scotland, including a decade in intensive care, before leaving nursing completely in 2024.
I became a mother in 2017. My first birth was traumatic, and the breastfeeding struggles and lack of postnatal support around me gave me a very personal understanding of how vulnerable the transition into parenthood can feel.
When I became pregnant again in 2019, I thought that if I could have a positive birth experience, everything afterwards would fall into place. I had a beautiful, healing home birth with the support of an amazing doula. And yet the postnatal period brought its own challenges: breastfeeding difficulties, the adjustment to becoming a family of four, and caring for a baby and a toddler with little support around us.
Those experiences changed the direction of my working life. I felt a strong pull towards supporting new mothers and families, and towards offering some of the care I had needed myself.
My personal experience, my passion for breastfeeding and the support I had received led me to train as a volunteer breastfeeding counsellor in 2022. From there, my learning and work grew into postnatal doula care and the other strands of support I now offer.
THE WAY I WORK
Every family is different.
I believe each person, baby, parent and family is unique. I want to help you identify your own needs, meet your own goals and find your way through the transition into parenthood, however that looks for you.
I bring a calm, caring and non-judgemental presence. I love cooking, spending time with my family, being in nature and learning from different cultures. Food, the natural world and the small rituals of everyday life all shape how I think about nourishment and care.
I feel a deep respect for the traditions and knowledge that have informed some of my work, including rebozo-inspired practices. I aim to approach these with thoughtfulness and respect, rather than treating cultural practices as decoration or something to claim as my own.
A PRACTICE THAT KEEPS GROWING
Learning is part of the work.
My training and continuing professional development have shaped the support I offer. I am also a qualified pregnancy and postnatal yoga teacher, although I am not currently running yoga classes. That learning continues to inform my understanding of pregnancy, movement and the changing body.
Explore my learning journey ↗Memberships and insurance ↗
WHY MULADHARA
Softness with roots.
Muladhara is the Sanskrit name for the root chakra, associated in yoga traditions with grounding, stability and our most basic needs for support and belonging.
The transition into motherhood can shift the ground beneath your feet. Through my work, I hope to offer a steady, nurturing presence that helps you feel supported as you find your own roots in this new chapter.
A GENTLE PLACE TO BEGIN
You don't have to do it all alone.
If you would like to talk about the support that might feel right for you, I'd love to hear from you.
Get in touch ↗Becoming a mother leaves no woman as it found her. It unravels and re-weaves her; cracks her open; takes her to her edges.