What is a Doula?

A doula is a companion, support person, guide, and knowledgeable resource. There are all types of doulas (the most common being birth and death doulas). Doulas do not make decisions on your behalf or provide medical care. They help you get information so that you can feel confident in your choices.

Doulas support the client in creating the fertility, birth, and postpartum experience they want. Doulas can support through pregnancy loss and abortion too. Doulas nurture the client, partner(s), infant(s), and/or siblings.

As a full spectrum birth doula, I provide emotional, physical, and informational support to people on the birth continuum (including pre-conception, pregnancy, labour, postpartum, loss, and abortion).

Doulas can meet you at a cafe/park/library, in your home, or in the hospital. They can support you for a home birth or a hospital birth; medicated birth or unmedicated birth; physiological birth or c-section.

Doulas will adapt as things change and move with you through the journey. They will celebrate the joys with you and be deeply present with you when struggling as well.

A doula is someone who can bring a calming and reassuring presence and who believes in your strength.

Photo by Isabella Angélica on Unsplash

My philosophy

I harmonize evidence based scientific information with traditional wisdom, holistic modalities, and lived experience.

I believe both are valid and important, with discernment, nuance, and self trust in deciding whether something is right for you or not.

I am LGBTQIA2S+ inclusive. People of all genders give birth.

I will check in with you around your pronouns and what terminology is affirming for you.

I provide non-judgmental, compassionate, and trauma-informed care and I have a harm reduction approach.

I try my best to shift things in an overall better direction. I am always open to feedback if you need me to show up differently in the way I support you.

I am continuously supporting my nervous system so that it is more flexible, robust, and adaptable so that I can be a solid person for my clients to co-regulate with.

I have ongoing supports in place so that I am nourished and well resourced going into this work.

How can I support you as a doula?

  1. Advocacy
    • I will create a space for you to express your preferences and needs during your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. My role is to support you, collaborating with your care team to ensure your experience is as smooth and positive as possible. My focus remains on advocating for you and supporting you to use your voice, while maintaining a harmonious relationship with all involved.
  2. Informational/Educational Support
    • I will strive to provide unbiased information so you can decide what’s best for your family. I will not make decisions on your behalf or tell you what you should do. I will answer your questions and refer you to other resources or find out the answer if I don’t know something.
  3. Emotional Support
    • I will provide connection and comfort measures to help you move out of the fear-tension-pain cycle during labour. I can also support any partners/support people so that they can support you better. I can help you troubleshoot your infant feeding journey. I am trauma informed and strive to create a setting where you feel safe and in the driver’s seat of your care. I am trained in noticing the warning signs of postpartum mental health disorders and can refer you to other care providers when needed. I can hold space for you emotionally and be a listening ear as you go through this huge transition in your life!
    • Labour comfort measures I can provide include:
      • TENS unit
      • Spinning Babies™ techniques
      • Massage
      • Miles Circuit
      • Rebozo and sling
      • Relaxation, rhythm, and ritual
      • Somatic and movement based support
      • Counter pressure/hip squeezes
      • Birth comb
      • Guidance on labouring positions including birth ball and peanut ball positions
  4. Physical Support
    • I can help with light tasks around the house, setup/take down of the birth pool, pet care, meal prep, or caring for baby and/or other children

Benefits of having a doula

To read more about the benefits of having a doula, check out this post by Evidence Based Birth (there is a podcast and written form available).

Photo by Max Böhme on Unsplash