Allison Tate - Birth Companion/Founder

MEET Allison...

The First Path Birth Companion

I am Allison (she/her), a birth and death companion living in Midlothian. I am mum to 3 wonderful boys and have been supporting families in birth and death since 2013, prior to which I was an Occupational Therapist for 14 years, spending over half of those years supporting families and children within the education system and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

I have personal experience of preterm birth, NICU and miscarriage and have supported many families through different birth, NICU and neonatal death experiences. I believe that birth as the first path, and death as the last path, are deeply spiritual and individual, and I am honoured to walk alongside you in your own unique journey. My support is always rooted in ritual, honouring, advocacy, human rights and trauma prevention, and I believe you have a right to feel safe, seen,validated, heard and respected, without judgement or expectation.

I have a wide range of experience supporting birth and death as both a companion and a birth assistant, and have supported people and families in different countries, healthcare systems and settings, including the USA for 8 years. I have completed (and continue to undertake) multiple training and certifications, and I am ready to show up for you, to centre you, and to hand your experience of pregnancy and birth back to you.

When I am not supporting families, you can find me enjoying life's moments in woodland, at the beach, riding horses or spending time with my boys. I look forward to being of support to you. Please show up as you are.

My Approach

The First Path Birth Companion Philosophy

Pregnancy and birth are deeply unique, profound and transformational experiences. This is highly honoured within the support at The First Path Birth Companion, and YOU will be met where you ARE. There is no other place from which to begin and to be led from.

Your needs, beliefs, expectations and personal birth, loss or neonatal experience lead the way and are centred always. You and your baby are worthy of receiving safe, respectful and individualized care, based on who you are and what you want, irrespective of the path you are walking. You lead the way and I walk alongside.

As a pregnancy and birth companion, I see YOU. I see your individuality and I see the ways in which the maternity care system might discriminate against you, or cause you harm based on who you are (for example your race, ethnicity, citizenship, spoken language, social or economic status, education, gender, disability, body size etc).

You are YOU and I hold you in support that is trauma informed and rooted in advocacy, justice and protection of your rights. You deserve no less in the maternity care you receive.

I will walk with you as you step into your personal power, so you can think deeply about what you want, confidently make care decisions based on your unique needs, consent to (or refuse) care options and advocate for yourself and your baby. Learning how to own your pregnancy and birth experience, and how to use your voice to communicate what you want is a personal commitment to yourself. My support is never about “saving you” or telling you what to do. I am here to guide you in your knowledge building, critical thinking and decision making so that you are heard and respected within maternity care that can be challenging and sometimes harmful to navigate. You and your baby matter. Always.

"Being a Palestinian man giving birth in Scotland carries its own weight. I was aware of my body in ways I had never been before. Allison created a bubble around us. Not by blocking people out, but by helping me stay grounded inside myself. She would say, “this is your body. This is your baby. What feels right?” Those words anchored me. I felt safe. Not just physically safe, but emotionally safe. Identity safe. Culturally safe. She honoured my masculinity while honouring my capacity to birth. She did not reduce me to anatomy. She saw me as a whole person. When decisions needed to be made, she laid out information clearly and calmly. No fear. No agenda. Just options. Then she would say, “You get to choose.” That power was always mine. She simply held the lantern so I could see it. For any trans parent, for any parent from a minority background, for anyone who feels slightly outside the ‘norm’ of maternity care, Allison does not just support you. She sees you. And that makes all the difference" (RW)

Whether you feel you need a listening ear, a space to find your power and voice, support to navigate appointments, specific antenatal education or support during your labour and birth, I will come alongside you. I will be your voice in the moments when you can’t find or use your own, and will advocate for you when you cannot, do not want to, or you request that I do so. Come as you are and we will take the journey from there, I look forward to supporting you.

Grab and GO Wisdom...

Your Rights

What is Advocacy

Informed Consent & Decision Making

Stages of Labour

Hormones of Labour (FREE!!!)

Birth Partner Tips & Tricks

Breathing Strategies

Writing Your Birth Plan

People say "knowledge is power" but using knowledge to make informed decisions that are right for you is where the power is found. The First Path Birth Companion "Grab and Go Wisdom" resources cover key topics that provide a foundation to navigating your pregnancy and birth experience with greater autonomy, wisdom and self power. Go grab them! The "Hormones of Labour" resource is FREE!

Additional ways for me to be with you on your pregnancy journey...

Birth Story Integration (Before Birth) - 1.5 hour video or phone call

We do not enter birth as blank slates. We carry with us the echoes of previous births, losses, medical encounters and family stories, often quietly shaping how we feel as a new pregnancy unfolds. By acknowledging and integrating your emotional history before birth, we soften its hold. This work supports a shift from carrying the past into the birth space, to meeting this experience with greater presence, choice and self-trust. Honouring the past to clear the path for the future matters and your story is YOURS.

What this is

Birth Story Integration is a dedicated, non-clinical listening session that centres your story, not a plan or outcome. It offers space to gently explore what has come before, so it does not unknowingly take the lead when labour begins. This session is not a counselling or therapy session, it is a listening session that is trauma informed. It is not about fixing or reframing your story, instead, it is making space for it, so you can enter birth feeling more grounded, resourced and able to meet your baby on your own terms.

What to expect

• A compassionate, unhurried exploration of previous birth experiences, pregnancy loss or medical trauma, shared at the depth that is right for you.

• Space to speak openly about your experiences and feelings, and to be heard and validated, without the need to fix or change your story.

• Identifying fears, protective responses and emotional patterns that may be resurfacing in this pregnancy.

• Understanding how past experiences may be influencing your expectations, choices or sense of safety.

• Identifying new ways of thinking, behaving and responding in your pregnancy and setting new goals that hold you in your power.

• Exploring self care, release strategies and grounding rituals to support your sense of stability and wellbeing.

• A short guided relaxation script to finish the session.

Your investment - £75

Pregnancy Confidence Reset - 1.5 hour video or phone call

Pregnancy can bring all the emotions, sometimes unexpected curveballs, unknown outcomes, the weight of the opinions of others and the overwhelm of decisions and plans to be made. Being supported, held and feeling grounded in and after the difficult moments is important, and that is what the Pregnancy Confidence Reset is for.

What this is

The Pregnancy Confidence Reset is a dedicated, non-clinical session designed for moments when pregnancy begins to feel overwhelming, confusing, or disconnected from what you originally hoped for. It offers space to pause, recalibrate and return to yourself, your values, your instincts and your sense of agency. It does not replace medical care, but supports emotional clarity, autonomy and confidence, helping you move forward feeling calmer, more centred and reassured in your own decisions.

What to expect

• Exploring who you are and why you matter - your autonomy does not disappear when you are pregnant!

• Talking through what has come up for you, how you feel and what you need.

• Education about your rights, including your right to autonomy and agency - resource included.

• Exploring your beliefs about pregnancy and birth, who you ARE, why you matter and how this might impact how you are currently feeling.

• Identifying external influences, opinions or experiences that may be impacting how you feel and how you are experiencing maternity care.

• Exploring self advocacy, what this means and how to find your personal power.

• Exploring self care, release strategies and grounding rituals to support your sense of stability and wellbeing.

• Identifying what you need to reconnect with your wishes, priorities and boundaries.

• Clarifying what feels aligned for you right now in your pregnancy

• Reframing fear, doubt or overwhelm into steadiness and self-trust

Your investment - £75

The Appointment Translator - up to 2 hours video or phone call

Antenatal and maternity care appointments can be challenging, often bringing all the emotions. Sometimes curve balls are thrown, conversations with your Obstetrician or Midwife can feel rushed, impersonal or one sided. Being able to clearly communicate what you want with confidence, or noticing when care disrespects your rights, is not always easy and it is not ok to leave your appointments feeling upset, confused or unheard.

What this is

The Appointment Translator is a focused, non-clinical session held after a medical or maternity care appointment. The session is designed to help you make sense of what was discussed, how it was communicated, how you felt and what it means for you. It offers you a safe space to pause, reflect, to regain clarity and to make informed decisions that are right for you, in your own time and in your own power. The session does not replace medical advice, but supports you to process information, ask clearer questions, move forward feeling grounded, informed and confident in who you are and in communicating what you want.

What to expect

• Talking through how the appointment made you FEEL, what was missing and what you expected.

• Exploring what was said, what may have been implied, and what was left unsaid.

• Ensuring you understand any medical and clinical language that was presented during your appointment.

• Clarifying medical recommendations and exploring these within the informed consent and informed decision making process.

• Exploring the appointment within the context of your beliefs about pregnancy and birth, who you ARE, why you matter and how this may have influenced the way in which you engaged and responded within the appointment.

• Exploring the appointment within the context of your rights, informed consent and the process of informed decision making - resources included.

• Understanding how the maternity care system works, how Obstetricians and Midwives might provide care and how this might have impacted your appointment.

• Exploring the relationship you want to have with your Obstetrician or Midwife and whether this was met during your appointment.

• Exploring your self advocacy, using your voice confidently to communicate what you want and identifying what might have impacted your communication during your appointment.

• Identifying any “red flags” within the appointment, the communication or information you were given, and where your rights might not have been upheld.

• Identifying where information was shared versus where pressure may have been felt, and identifying the information or education that is missing or is needed to make your informed decisions.

• Exploring and identifying your options, deciding next steps and what you need to move forward in confidence with future appointments.

Your investment: £150

Pregnancy and birth follow their own pathway, and that pathway is yours. Whether you need space to have your previous stories heard, to talk through and find ways forward as you navigate your path or to be reminded of your power as you step forward with confidence, I am here with additional support to meet you where you are.

Baby, C

July 2025

- i am forever grateful to have my baby boy here.

"I realised very quickly that the power of my birth experience was entirely in my hands and throughout my journey I educated myself on how to truly and fully step in to my power. However, I wouldn't have been able to tap into that power without Allison.
The most remarkable thing about Allison’s support was how she stepped back to let me lead. She understood perfectly that the responsibility for the birth sat with me.
Throughout every stage of labour, Allison was a sacred space of subtle, high-impact guidance. She supported me to hold the space with such incredible focus that I never felt alone, even though we were miles apart. She provided the steady rhythm and the technical cues that kept me grounded."

The Artemis Package Testimonial

the mission ...

BIRTH WORKERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.

The mission of Birthworkers for Human Rights is two fold. Firstly, and vitally, to center and support the vital work of birthworkers who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of the global majority (BIPGM), Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual (2SLGBTQIA+), disabled, neuro-divergent and other marginalized groups of birthworkers. The voices of these birthworkers are typically silenced and they experience discrimination, marginalization and additional barriers when supporting their communities to access safe, humanized and culturally appropriate care, compared to their birthworker peers who have greater positionality and power. These birthworkers have always done the work and they should be prioritized, with their work and voices centered and uplifted always.

The role of birthwork in the liberation of all people is central to the mission of Birthworkers for Human Rights, and birthworkers are called in to decolonize their work, to breakdown systems of harm within the medical industrial complex, their communities and globally, in order to secure the liberation of all people. Birthworkers are challenged to explore the ways in which birthwork has been shaped by colonization, white supremacy and capitalism and the significant harm these have on a global scale. Birthwork cannot be viewed from a singular lens, it is foundational to the liberation and safety of all people, globally.

Secondly, Birthworkers for Human Rights provides a reflective educational space for birthworkers who sit within multiple layers of privilege to (1) take self and collective accountability for actively addressing their own personal bias and positionality in birthwork and (2) identify the ways in which white supremacy culture and the multiple systems of oppression and power, impact they way they provide support. It is vital for birthworkers to identify where reproductive care inequities, disparities and human rights violations exist, and to understand their impact on the most vulnerable, and marginalized people in their communities.

Through the provision of information, signposting and call to action/discussion posts, the Birthworkers for Human Rights social media platforms aim to facilitate active reflection, growth and required meaningful change. Group members are required to stand in their autonomy, to incorporate activism and advocacy into their role and to identify when they are centering their privilege over the needs of marginalized people or birthworkers, and are being complicit in harm. Establishing support structures within birthworker communities that facilitate cohesion, communication, opportunity to use collective power and collaboration, peer mentoring, self-reflection, and healing of trauma is the basis to the longevity of this challenging but essential reproductive justice work.

Through my activism work, I am an Amplifier for the National Perinatal Task Force and remain committed to using my platforms to educate privileged birthworkers about racial and class disparities in birth outcomes and to call them into action to ensure equity in maternal and infant healthcare through the work they do. Via my social media platform @perinatalproject I also provide perinatal education and emotional support to families in Gaza who are pregnant, birthing and parenting in genocide. Birthwork is a tool of liberation and no one is free until we are all free.

I created Birthworkers for Human Rights in 2020 whilst living in Florida, to bring to attention to, and to call for birthworker accountability in addressing the deepening harm being caused by the Medical Industrial Complex. I acknowledge that birthwork, like many areas of healthcare, is deeply rooted in white race superiority, and that birthworkers who sit within power and privilege must take personal and collective accountability for harm. Birthworkers must identify the ways in which their practises may deepen and uphold racism, discrimination, obstetric violence, human rights violations and may contribute to morbidity/mortality, trauma and perinatal mental illness.

Medical Disclaimer: The information throughout this website is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your maternity care provider 2026 The First Path Birth Companion