labour

What About Love: feeling safe (or not) in birth

What About Love: feeling safe (or not) in birth

Connection, compassion, gentleness, a kind word, a quiet presence, calm and caring support… these are some of the ways love shows up in birth’s journey. And love matters. Love supports the very process of birth. Love is key in birth’s outcomes. And love is part of the difference that a doula makes.

The Doula Difference: more satisfied outcomes

The Doula Difference: more satisfied outcomes

When I read this quote (below) from Tao Te Ching, written hundreds of years ago, I can’t help but think of how well it describes doula work as well:

You are a midwife assisting at someone else’s birth. Do good without show or fuss. Facilitate what is happening rather than what you think ought to be happening … When the baby is born the mother will rightly say, “We did it ourselves!”

The Doula Difference: shorter labours

The Doula Difference: shorter labours

Welcome to 2021. A new year has begun, but we are still grappling with the pandemic… and the disruption to much that we consider ‘normal’ in our lives. While doula work here in Ontario continues to be affected by the restrictions, the benefits of having a doula are still very real. In this post we’ll take another look at just how working with a doula can make a difference for you and your loved ones.

The Doula Difference: breastfeeding

The Doula Difference: breastfeeding

In these late days of fall, where we know that winter is just around the corner, a cup of apple spice tea is the perfect way to unwind for a few moments! And if you’re like most of us, you can use some time to relax – maybe even more than usual – because of added stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doula work has gotten harder all over the province, too…

The Doula Difference!

The Doula Difference!

Welcome back! I hope you have time to sit down, pour yourself a cup of tea, and enjoy some more of The Gentle Journey with me. Last time we talked a little about what a doula is, and today we are going to look at why you might want to hire a labour and birth doula for yourself (or for someone you love).

Doulas make a difference!

So... what's a doula?

So... what's a doula?

Welcome to ‘The Gentle Journey’. I hope you will pour yourself a cup of tea, sit down and join me as I share thoughts, inspiration and more from my work as ‘The Gentle Doula’.

“So,” you may ask, “what exactly is a doula?”  That’s a good question!  So many words come immediately to mind: companion, helper, friend, guide, listener, assistant, cheerleader…