What is a Doula?

A doula is a coach. A friend. A support.

Doulas provide physical, emotional, and mental support during pregnancy, birth, and the first few weeks with your newborn.

Doulas serve you and your partner in whatever way you need during this time. For some, this will look like acupressure, massage, coaching, or information and encouragement. For others, it will look like a quiet, supportive figure in the background.

Whatever birth you have in mind, a doula will hold your hand every step of the way.

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Physical

I'm trained in acupressure and massage from Pacific Rim College. Physical movement post birth and during labour is incredibly important to me. I share exercises, movements, and breath-work that helps you to feel connected and intuitive.

What can physical support look like?

Acupressure, counter-pressure, massage, movements and techniques for pain relief and progress, rhythm and breath coaching, hot and cold packs, coaching partner in supporting mom, nutrition and health coaching.

Emotional

I'm present for your concerns and emotional health. I'm available to listen and advise you while you tackle any fears or concerns prenatally, during labour, and after postpartum. As a believer in goofiness and joy, I also encourage the moments of pure bliss and wonder of bringing a babe into the world.

What can emotional support look like?

Affirmation, encouragement, prayer, verbal coaching, imagery, advocacy, physical touch, music and photos, lighting, essential oils.

Mental

I educate on the possibilities of postpartum anxiety and depression. Mental health is a huge factor in birth. From fears, to mental health disabilities, to low energy while your body heals. I'm available to advise, help, and suggest holistic tools that will help your body and mind heal.

What can mental support look like?

Reminding mom and partner when things are normal and safe, interpreting hospital talk, supporting mom and partner in advocating for their birth wishes, helping prepare a birth plan, information and resources during prenatal

visits.

Why Hire a Doula?

Birth is incredible, natural, and instinctual, but it is also very hard, and it is something that needs to be prepared for. Just like runners prepare for a marathon and students study for tests, parents need to prepare for birth and the postpartum period.

I love using the analogy of a tool kit: a tool kit is like an imaginary bag that we carry around with us. It is filled with memories, wisdom, coping mechanisms, and skills we have gained throughout our life.

A doula’s role is to step into the lives of parents while they’re preparing to help them build and implement their tool kit for labour and life with a newborn.

Regardless of how you plan on giving birth, studies have shown that births attended by a doula have lower rates of medical interventions (such as cesarians, inductions, and epidurals) and higher rates of positive birth and postpartum experiences.

Holistic Doula Services include the following:

prenatal appointments to discuss birth desires
phone/text/email support during pregnancy
education, advice, and help finding information
unbiased resources and recommendations
help building a birth plan
24/7 on-call birth support two weeks prior to and after EDD
pain-management techniques (acupressure, massage, movement, counter pressure, hydrotherapy)
movements and techniques to aid labour progress
continuous physical, emotional, and mental support during birth
postpartum support appointment(s)
breastfeeding support