WHAT IS A DOULA?

The term doula comes from ancient Greek, meaning "a person who serves."

Today, doulas are here to provide services to families and birthing individuals through childbirth.

A birth doula is a nonclinical coach that provides emotional support, advocacy, educational and sometimes spiritual support during pregnancy, birth and the immediate postpartum period.

SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT A DOULA CAN DO

Help you navigate conversations about/with your care provider(s) about your pregnancy
Help you cope during early labor before you are with your clinical provider
Help you decide when to go to your birthing place during labor
Help you find ways to encourage the baby to descend through the birth canal while you have an epidural
Provide hands-on support like massage during labor
Assist with lactation once the baby is here
Allow for your partner to take a break
Help you process your birth experience and adjust to parenthood in the postpartum period

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT DOULAS

“A doula and a midwide are the same”

Midwives are clinical providers, which means they have gone through nursing school or years of clinical training. Midwives can be called for support instead of an OBGYN.

A midwife and a doula are definitely not interchangeable, as they support the expecting parent(s) differently.

“Doulas are for all-natural births only”

While doulas are certainly specially trained to help people achieve non-medicated births when the labor and baby are cooperating, many of our clients already know what they want for their birth. My job as a doula is to make sure that you are as comfortable as possible when it comes to your birth, and that you access as much agency as available. In other words, I help you doing you.

“My partner is very supportive, so no need for a doula !”

My job as a doula is never to replace your partner, but to act as a supportive agent during your childbirth. My job is actually to make this transition easier for you and your partner. As a doula, I get to support you emotionally, physically and spiritually in this process, as well as your partner. I am also here to assist you in the logistics so that your partner has more time and energy to be a better, more present partner to you.

“A doula is only accessible to the rich !”

I can’t deny that care, in a society based on capital (instead of care), has a cost. Because I work as a care practitioner, using different modalities in my practice (Reiki, astrology, tarot, somatics), I am lucky enough to not depend on my doula work to pay my bills only. Please reach out, especially if you are a Black, queer and/or trans expecting parent with limited resources. I want to work with you !

Most importantly, I want all of us (birthing parent, partner(s) and me the doula) to feel like we have intentionally chosen this relationship. Giving birth to a child is no small feat. We are never “ready” for it (how could we???). However, making sure that we are prepared is possible! Let’s work on that.

MY APPROACH

I was trained as a full-spectrum Doula by the DTI (Doula Training International), in the US. You can find out more about the DTI here.

A full-spectrum doula training means that I was given a reproductive health knowledge base, as well as training to provide support before, during and after any reproductive health event, including birth, postpartum, abortion, fertility, all things childbirth.

I chose the DTI because of its distinct choice to offer trainings as well as course that are at the intersections of social justice, creativity and technology. As a Black trans non binary person, I know that access to creating happy and healthy families is more difficult than for non-racialized, cis and straight folks.

My commitment to bring care to the people who have been historically and systematically denied of care has brought me to doula work. Indeed, it is vital to receive care during our most tender and vulnerable moments: when we are expecting a baby and when we are brought to this earth.

I am also super happy to be able to bring other modalities into my work, if that fits: Reiki, massages, hypnosis, or even astrology and tarot!

My values in a nutshell around my doula work:

our bodies are extremely smart: listen to it.
even pregnant, your body is yours. You get to decide what’s best for you. Consent is key,
Birth is an experience, not an outcome: there is no right or wrong in birthing a child. Your way is what we will be working with.
Ask for help, lots of it. You deserve care, always and forever, but most specifically now.
Postpartum is absolutely essential: becoming a parent as well as arriving on this plane in a body is a liminal space that is particularly vulnerable and tender. I want you to feel the most cared for and supported while going through it.

WHERE SHOULD I START?

Free discovery session (30-mn phone session)
This is a free session to get to know each other + ask all the questions that you might have, and decide if working together is the right fit. If you have partner(s) who will be supporting you during this time, please make sure to bring them for this meeting.

Schedule a free discovery call