How we've helped Mal Downing Doula and Hypnobirthing

Following the birth of her own children, Davidstow’s Mal Downing had an epiphany. In a change of direction for her career she transitioned into the field of hypnobirthing – a birthing practice that focuses on the connection between mind and body – involving a mixture of visualisation, relaxation, and deep breathing techniques. 

“Not many people have heard about it, to be honest. I work with pregnant women and their families and we prepare together for the birth, looking to manage the labour via various breathing and relaxation techniques,” Mal said.  

Four years later and with time spent being both a doula, and working within hypnobirthing, Mal is looking to take her business to the next level.  

“I’m a home-schooling mother of two myself, so it was always something that I did in my free time as more of a hobby. But, I’m now at the point where I want to concentrate more on online courses and workshops with the main aim for me to be working with people to have better births,” Mal said.  

Coming to the Skills Hub to find out how she could better her business know-how, Mal has worked with Skills Connector Dave Seccombe and has since begun the process of getting her ducks in line to expand upon her current offer.  

“At the time of our first meeting I wasn’t sure about what I needed to do to make my business thrive. Dave guided me in the right direction and gave me some practical tools that helped me to see what was needed to grow my business and my skills as a business owner.   

“I know that I want to make my services easier to access, so the support from the Skills Hub and working with Dave has been incredibly helpful,” she said.  

Mal has big plans for her hypnobirthing business, and with training that focuses on marketing and promotion she’s confident that her future looks bright.  

“I have big plans. I want to be the Glastonbury of hypnobirthing. My aim is to have a waiting list of people who want to work with me, and have my name out there and people knowing more about what I do,” she said.  

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Skills Hub from October 2017 - June 2023 was part funded by the European Social Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership. The project  received £2,885,993 of funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England.