Hi there! I am currently on mat leave, expecting the birth of our first baby in August. I am not teaching or taking on any birth clients for the time being. Check back here for updates in a few months. Classes are likely to resume in the winter of 2015 and I expect to once again be attending births in the spring of 2015.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Warmth and wellness,
Heather
Happy Spring! I am pleased to announce three upcoming childbirth education series’ in Cobourg. These courses are designed to help you feel confident, calm and prepared as you approach your birth and new parenthood. They will also provide your partner with skills and knowledge that will aid them in supporting you during labour and birth, as well as postpartum. Continue reading for details!
If you would prefer a course in Belleville, there are spots available in my Tuesday evening series at Quinte Midwives. The next series there begins April 22nd and there will be additional courses throughout the spring and summer.
Deadlines for registration are one week before the first day of class.
Continue reading
March 22nd – 28th is World Doula Week! Happy WDW to all my fellow doulas. If you had a doula for your birth, tell someone how she helped you this week. Spread the word about doulas and the good they do!
The fine people over at MamaViews recently asked me to express my views on dealing with doctors who aren’t doula-friendly. The ideas presented in this piece are really more about what doulas can and should do in such a situation, but they give moms an idea of how a doula might fit into a more challenging birth-team. This might also be food for thought if you’re going to be interviewing doulas: something you might want to ask is how your potential doula might deal with this. You should feel good about her answer! A woman in labour should never have to deal with any social or political unpleasantness, so making sure that your doula has an approach that prioritizes your comfort and a stress-free environment for you is important.
Check out the article by clicking on the badge below!
Hello! It seems that the contact form for registration for prenatal education in Cobourg was malfunctioning. It has been removed. For now, please email me to register. If you have already submitted the form, your info may not have been received. If you didn’t receive a confirmation email from me, please resend your info. Please include the following information in your email:
Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience!
As most of us are all too aware, pregnancy brings with it some pretty big lifestyle changes, especially in the realm of food and drink. Women are told to cut out alcohol and sushi, soft cheeses and coffee, but less often are they told the reasons behind those recommendations. You wind up following rules (or not) blindly, because no one ever bothers to answer the simple question, “why shouldn’t I eat _____ while I’m pregnant?”. As with all things birth, I feel that people are in the best position to make decisions for themselves when they have all of the relevant information available, rather than simply acquiescing or refusing based on what their friends did, what their doctor says or simply what feels right. Don’t get me wrong, friendly advice, medical recommendations and intuition are all super important, but they’re all also greatly improved by awareness of evidence gained from credible sources.
In this series of posts I will go over the main categories of food and drink restrictions and include common examples from each. First up: contamination.
I am thrilled to announce that as of yesterday, my doula and childbirth education practice has found a new home in Cobourg. I couldn’t be happier to have joined the team at House of Wellness!
Beginning next week I’ll have office hours there on Tuesdays and Fridays and I will be teaching both prenatal education and pregnancy fitness classes there too. I couldn’t be more excited! I’ll be working alongside some amazing health professionals, including Kristi Prince, ND; Marissa Wopereis, RMT; April Boyd, MSW, RSW and one of the midwife teams from New Life Midwives!
Keep your eye on my class schedules page and on the House of Wellness website for more info on upcoming courses.
Last month I posted about the many physiological benefits for moms and babies that can be reaped by exercising during pregnancy. As promised, this post is a (somewhat delayed!) follow-up to that one, in which I’ll be exploring the concept of ‘body trust’. What does that mean? How does exercise help us get it? And why does it matter? Read on to learn more! Continue reading
While I’m working on part two of my post about prenatal exercise, I thought I’d share something with you to tide you over! The lovely folks over at MamaViews recently asked me to contribute to their article, How To Get The Most From Your Relationship With Your Doula. Check it out by clicking on the badge below!
I am offering another weekend prenatal course in Toronto in March. This is a two-day intensive course designed to help you feel confident, calm and prepared as you approach your birth and new parenthood. It will also provide your partner with skills and knowledge that will aid them in supporting you during labour and birth, as well as postpartum.
Join me on Saturday, March 8th and Sunday, March 9th, 2013 from 10am to 5pm at the Centre for Social Innovation (Annex – 720 Bathurst St.).
To register, email heather@labourdoula.com with the following information:
This course is ideal for those expecting a baby between April and June. The course is $240 per couple. There is a non-refundable $50 deposit required at registration. Discounts are available for doula clients.
Topics for the course will include (but are not limited to):
Wondering why you should take an independent class instead of one offered by your local hospital? 9 great reasons here.
Empowered Birth 