How my journey began

Hi! Welcome, I’m happy you’re here. Grab a cup of tea because this may take awhile. Lets start at the beginning. To be honest, I didn’t know what a doula was until I took a prenatal course while I was expecting my first child. My partner and I lived very far away from family and knew we needed to be as prepared as possible when low and behold the childbirth educator started discussing what a doula was and how they can help mothers and their families. That sold it for us, we bugged her after class and got the names of several doulas in our area. I was lucky enough to find an amazing doula who was not only present for my first birth, but all three of my births. We also found an amazing postpartum doula to help us out when our son was born preterm and had some specific needs. We immediately hired her again when our other children were born to ease the transition for everyone (potty training regression anyone?). My experiences and relationships with my doulas were so amazing that it planted a seed in my heart of how I would love to someday provide the same unwavering non judgemental support to another family who needed it.

Unfortunately, that seed didn’t germinate for quite some time. It took closing a daycare that I loved, a move half way across Canada, a deep look into what we wanted as a family as well as an openness to really pursue my heart’s desire — helping birthing people and their partners transition into parents. I finally pulled the trigger and messaged a DONA doula trainer who happen to have an upcoming training. At first I was only interested in the postpartum training as I felt my previous work experience with young children with special needs and families would make it a more seamless career transition, but with some gentle encouragement, the trainer convinced me that I could and should do both. So I did it and I can happily say that she was right, I thoroughly enjoy working with birthing folks and their partners before, during and after birth. I feel truly honoured to be part of such an intimate and transformational time in other peoples lives.

I also have a few other passions that harmonize with my birth work— movement, nutrition, lifelong learning. I was a dedicated athlete for most of childhood, teen years and university life. I love the energy and strength I feel when I’m moving my body. However, during my first pregnancy I became clumsy due to all the changes in my body and I had to choose something different that still allowed me to feel energetic but in a safe way. Enter yoga and prenatal yoga, then postpartum yoga followed by babe and mom exercise classes. I fell in love with yoga and continued to practice on and off for 8 years until I took the plunge and became a yoga teacher with dreams of completing my prenatal and post natal certifications soon! I want to help parents and kids feel their best and understand that they’re bodies can do amazing and hard things. Check out the services page for yoga and movment.

Nutrition came into play when I started feeling like an ‘old mom’ when I really wasn’t (chronologically speaking). I sought help from a nutritionist friend and noticed, with some changes to my diet, I started feeling more energized even when nursing a baby and running after 2 other kids. I went on to pursue a nutrition coaching certification which zeros in on getting the right fuel in your body. I now help others (mainly parents) feel their best by focusing on nourishing the body in an energizing way. If you want more information on the nutrition services, you can find them here.

And finally learning forever. If this was 15 years ago, I would never write lifelong learning as a passion, not that it wasn’t true, just that I was a little embarrassed to admit it. Before I had children I became intrigued by the transitions families experience throughout their lifespan. That interest became the focus for my Master in Education degree. Since completing my M.Ed, we started building our own family and that really allowed me to put my knowledge base to the test. Over the last few years I have fine tuned our parenting approach and although I’m always learning new things I’m always happy to share my recourses with you all.

Am I the right person for you?

Choosing a doula is a very important decision and I strongly believe there’s the right doula for everyone who wants one. I always tell people who are looking for a doula that you should feel really comfortable when you’re talking to them, like they were a friend — just one that happens to be pretty knowledgeable in the prenatal and postpartum periods. You don’t have to have a lot in common with them, but you should just have a hunch that this person is right for you during this time in your life. You should always have a chat with several doulas before committing to the service. That being said I thought I’d take a moment to give you a little insight on who I am as a person…

1. I like to keep things light hearted, I’m not an overly serious person.

2. I like to think I read a room well and adapt to the situation.

3. I don’t take things personally (something I learned long ago working with toddlers and preschoolers).

4. I find humour in the ordinary goings on in life.

5. I’m typically a happy person and try to maintain positive outlook.

6. I love sharing information and knowledge with others, and playing to each other’s strengths.

7. I will admit when I don’t know something and do my best to find you the answer or someone else who is better able to help.

8. I find women’s strength truly inspiring and the birthing process an amazing feat, but a totally doable one.

9. I’m not a talker, more of a listener, but try and cultivate a strong and open line of communication.

10. I am a team player.

11. I’m pretty crafty (in the literal sense, I like knitting, sewing, and small home improvement projects).

12. I’ve learned to listen to my body and sometimes that means slowing down.

13. I’m a giver by nature, but have learned the importance of taking care of myself too.

14. I’m a wife, a mother of 3 young kids, a pet lover, a baker.

15. I love yoga, nature, hiking, camping, trail running with my dog, swimming outdoors and other water sports.

16. If I’m not the doula for you, no hard feelings, lets find you one who’s a perfect fit for you!