About Marie

Independent birth debriefs from a former Head of Midwifery

I work with people who are left with unanswered questions about their pregnancy, birth or postnatal care.

Sometimes those questions come after a clearly traumatic experience. Sometimes they come after care that looked straightforward on paper, but still does not feel resolved. You may be replaying decisions, conversations, delays, interventions or moments when you did not feel fully informed, heard or safe.

My role is to help you understand what happened.

I offer independent birth debriefs that bring together clinical knowledge, patient safety experience and a clear, human explanation of your care. This is not vague reassurance, and it is not about defending the system that cared for you. It is about helping you find answers you can understand, trust and use.

Why I do this work

Over my career in midwifery, I have worked in senior roles specialising in clinical governance, patient safety and maternity care review, including as a former Head of Midwifery.

I have led and contributed to serious incident investigations, perinatal mortality reviews and national audits of maternity care. That work gave me a clear view of what happens behind the scenes when care does not go to plan — and how often families are left afterwards without clear, honest explanations.

I saw the same gap again and again.

Families had questions.
But they often did not receive answers they could truly understand, trust or use to move forward.

That gap is why Little Light Support exists.

My background

I first discovered midwifery during a school careers talk. I was 14, and although I did not yet have the confidence to say it out loud, I knew immediately that this was the work I wanted to do.

I took a different route first. After completing my A levels, I joined the Royal Air Force and served for five years across the UK and overseas. That experience gave me discipline, resilience and confidence — qualities that later shaped the way I approached midwifery, leadership and patient safety.

When I returned, I trained as a midwife, graduating with a First-Class degree and receiving a Clinical Excellence Award. I went on to build a senior career in maternity services, with a particular focus on clinical governance, safety, investigation and learning when care has been complex, difficult or has not gone as expected.

That experience now sits at the heart of my independent work.

What I offer now

Through Little Light Support, I provide independent birth debriefs and maternity care reviews for people who want to properly understand their experience.

You may have one question that has not settled, or you may have deeper concerns about the care you received. You may want to understand your maternity notes, prepare for a complaint, process a difficult experience, or simply stop carrying the unanswered questions alone.

I can help you with:

• clear, evidence-based explanations of what happened

• honest answers without defensiveness or dismissal

• an independent perspective, separate from the organisation that cared for you

• careful review of your maternity records, where available

• space to explore both the clinical facts and the human impact

You are entitled to understand your experience properly.

If you have questions, I will help you find the answers.

Professional qualifications and training

Midwifery and maternity care

• BMid (Hons) First Class, University of Southampton

• Clinical Excellence Award

• MSc module: Maternal and Fetal Medicine, University of Southampton — Distinction

• MSc module: Risk & Midwifery Practice, City University of London — Distinction

• MSc module: Professional Midwifery Practice, City University of London — Merit

• Qualified Midwifery Mentor

Patient safety, review and investigation

• Former Head of Midwifery

• HSIB Silver-level trained patient safety investigator

• Root Cause Analysis trained

• Physiological CTG Interpretation Masterclass trained

Communication, mediation and leadership

• Fully trained civil, commercial and workplace mediator, London School of Mediation

• Diversity & Inclusion in Leadership qualification