The reasons I became a doula and why I continue to do this work are very different.  There is no substitute for the support and encouragement of another woman who has experienced childbirth in the whirlwind of pregnancy, labour, and birth.

I trained with a CAPPA Certified Doula Trainer and Regina midwife in 2005 while pregnant for the fourth time.  I took my further Birthing from Within™ training in October of 2005 and again in Vancouver, and in 2010, I received advanced training in Oregon.

Being a doula is wonderful.  I am invited into the lives of very special people and blessed to be welcomed into one of the most personal, private, and profound experiences of their lives.  To journey with them as a trusted companion is incredible and humbling.

On the lighter side, another perk is that I am NOT the person giving birth.

I am working towards certification as a childbirth educator through International Childbirth Educators Association (ICEA) as an experienced educator, honouring the many years I have been teaching.

I have attended more than 20 births: vaginal, cesarean, medicated, and non-medicated, home birth and hospital birth.  My observation has been that the presence of a trusted doula makes a positive difference in feelings about birth, no matter how it unfolds.

My childbirth philosophies:

1. Birth should be viewed as a rite of passage: woman to mother, man to father, individuals to parents.
2. Being open to the many possiblities surrounding labour and birth is crucial for having a positive experience.  I do not recommend birth plans.
3. Every mother has a deep knowing within her that will help her birth her baby in the best possible way, whether that means vaginal birth, cesarean birth, medicated birth, or non-medicated birth.