I didn’t choose Doula work. Doula work found me!
When I was pregnant for the first time, it felt like every place I went which was meant for pregnant people contained doom and dread for birth and pregnancy itself. I enjoyed my pregnancy and looked forward to giving birth with excitement and anticipation. I was not scared. I wanted this feeling for others too!
When I was on my second maternity leave I decided to complete my Yoga Teacher Training and I specialized in Prenatal and Postnatal yoga. My goal was to create a space and a community where families could come and feel supported and learn about how amazing this time in their lives can be. I taught yoga classes that were educational and I would give my students tools they could utilize when they were in labour. This turned into workshops for couples or birthing partners which turned into some of those couples asking me to be at their births! It was a wonderful honour to be trusted in this way. So once my children were a bit older I officially completed my Birth and Postnatal Doula training and became certified.
I presently live in Oakville, Ontario. I acknowledge that Oakville is located on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This land is part of the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat peoples, who have lived on and cared for this land for thousands of years. I recognize the enduring presence and deep connection that these Indigenous peoples have with this land, and I am committed to working towards reconciliation, respect, and partnership with all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples who live in this region. Today, Oakville is home to many diverse Indigenous people from across Turtle Island, and I am grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and gather on this territory. I was fortunate to have grown up in Brantford, Ontario close to the Six Nations reservation so I was exposed to Indigenous culture at an early age but it also meant that I was also witness to racism and the genocide that Indigenous people did and still face today. Only as an adult did I come to learn that my great-grandmother was Mohawk and had her status taken from her when she married a white man because of the Indian Act. I still have much to learn but I committed to do so for as long as I live and leave my children with a different legacy than the one that was left for my generation.
My Credentials:
Honours degree in Finance & Economics minor in French, University of Western Ontario
350 Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Certification
Certified Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher and Fitness Specialist
Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula
Indigenous Culturally Appropriate Prenatal Care Training
Certified VBAC Doula
Registered with the Ontario Association of Doulas
Fully Insured as a Doula
CPR & First Aid certified
NCCP level 1 & 2 Rugby Coach
Clear Vulnerable Sector Screen
