The Radiant Doula

11/02/2023

The centre is open!!! I'm grateful to be able to make this resource available to our community. Some news: We are going to be switching away from the membership model we initially envisioned and focusing on offering free programming to all, no membership or fees. To start; we will be hosting a family drop-in twice a week, a LGBTQ parent circle on Tuesday mornings, as well as lactation support group bi-weekly, infant sleep support group once a month facilitated by and prenatal education sessions for pregnant folks!

Come hang out tomorrow during First Friday (5-8pm), bring the kids to watch a movie and enjoy some popcorn and treats from The Party Cart, Sarnia

Where? 179 Christina St N. See you there!!

I want to extend my gratitude to some local folks who helped sponsor this event and have supported us as we got the centre set up for families The Painted Cat 360Memories N Motion The Party Cart, Sarnia Dementia Doula Schooll, to all my pals who put countless hours helping me reno the centre, the beautiful people who organized w me to get this going, and to the best back-up doula, friend and co-founder I could have asked for: Rosy Dreamers Sleep and Doula Services

10/18/2023

We are fully set up to start welcoming families into the centre and to begin hosting classes!!

This Saturday, Oct 21 6-8pm, we are hosting our first prenatal lactation class!! If you are pregnant and planning to breast/chestfeed, this class is for you. Get the info you need to feel confident navigating lactation from day one!!!

If you can't make the class this weekend, you can join the next one on Friday December 1st 10am -12pm.

I will be using Milk Magic curriculum. Come learn from an experienced chestfeeding parent and doula 🥰

Class cost is $35. Register by email [email protected]

09/19/2023

BIG CHANGES happening to get the centre ready for families.

The pallets are finally down and gone!!! They went off to be a part of a haunted house for a local charity.

If you have watched my stories for the last month, you'll be very familiar with my newest project, The Radiant Community Centre, which I am working on in collaboration with my doula pal Rosy Dreamers Sleep and Doula Services

We are so grateful to have found a home for the space that we envision opening for the community and are working hard to get everything ready for families. This will be a gathering and learning space for families, offering education about reproductive health and rights, and increasing the supports available for parents in our community.

This will be Sarnia's first doula-run community centre! We will be hosting family drop-ins, lactation support group, sleep support circle, prenatal breath practice, and childbirth education (to start!!) This programming will be accessed through a monthly membership, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds (as always).

This is a grassroots project, and we are working with community to be able to open. We need your support to get the space looking the best it can for our local families who will be accessing programming and workshops here.

If you would like to support the project, you can do so in a few ways;
☀️We have an Amazon wishlist available on the link in my bio; with items $20 and up. Consider choosing an item and having it mailed to us at the centre!
☀️ You can send a one-time donation via e-transfer to [email protected] This will go directly towards purchasing furniture, toys and necessities for the centre.
☀️ If you are part of a local business or organization that would like to support or sponsor the project, please reach out! We would love to meet with you and share more about how we can work together!

09/11/2023

You're looking at a soon-to-be Evidence Based Birth® Instructor! ✨

If you've been following my stories for the past month, you already know that I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship that granted me access to this program. At this point, I have completed the first part of the training, with part 2 coming up in October. What does this mean? Well, by early December, I'll be all set to bring Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth classes to our local families!

For those of you who have been my doula clients, you're probably already familiar with I've been incorporating their invaluable handouts and directing expecting parents to their website right from the start of my practice. They're an incredible resource, making birth research accessible to families so they can make informed and empowered choices. 🌈🤰📊

Getting this scholarship means so much for me, because the process of applying and getting referrals happened over the weeks right before and after my mom's passing. She would have been so happy for me to do this and I definitely felt her presence when I recieved that email on July 31st. Gracias mami.

I'm so grateful and excited to be able to bring this essential education to Sarnia, and I'm even more thrilled to announce that these classes will be hosted at the soon-to-open Radiant Community center downtown! 💖 (Of course, my commitment to accessibility remains steadfast, so these classes will be access-centered to ensure that everyone can attend, regardless of financial barriers.)

Annndddd, there's more! This training will also enable me to teach workshops designed for birth professionals, which even qualify for CEU's. These include the Savvy Birth Pro & Comfort Measures for L&D Nurses workshops. As I dive back into facilitating my ABBS workshop, I can't wait to add these enriching opportunities to my offerings. 🌟

Got any burning questions about the EBB workshops or anything else? Drop them in the comments below, and I'll be happy to answer them for you! 💬🤗

07/12/2023

In March, my mama's health started seriously declining. I was lucky to be able to be there for her while managing to keep working during her hospital stay and later when she went into hospice, facilitating from the hospital cafeteria, sneaking out to take client phone calls in the hallway, and even bussing from London to do client sessions in Sarnia.

My mom fought hard. She held on to life for us.

On July 18th, at 11:15pm my mama passed a became our ancestor. The longest on-call of my life ended that night.

I kept working for as long as I could and the truth is now that my mama is gone, I'm having a hard time getting back to functioning. I've lost my biggest supporter, whom I went to share ideas, to debrief, and ask for help.

My work as a doula and current financial situation make it impossible for me to take any more time off. The last 4 months have been immensely traumatic, seeing my mother fade away and supporting my son through the loss of his grandma are the hardest things I have ever had to do.

I'm worried about not being able to take this time, about having to push past the grief and ending up in a burnout that I can't get back from.

I'm requesting you all's support as I need to temporarily step back from my work. I'm on call starting September, and my hope would be to be able to take the rest of July & August to heal and support my son before he enters 1st grade.

Any funds will be used to cover our basic needs (bills, transport, groceries), and to access holistic care for my health.

We have also been dreaming about an inflatable kayak (~$300), I don't drive and our current financial situation makes any trips/vacations difficult, a kayak would make it possible for us to escape in nature in an accessible way.

If you have the means to offer your support, I can accept e-transfers and PayPal to [email protected] There is also a "support me" Square link in my bio.

I appreciate every one of you that has offered words of support and advice, dropped off food, or has already sent funds to get me through this time.

The last 3 weeks have been so hard, but they would have been a lot harder without you all. Thank you.

06/21/2023

On Sunday, June 18th Javi ( aka )lost their mother after a long fought illness. Javi’s mother was their main source of support, both personally and in their business. Her death has left a big hole in Javi’s life, but we can help. Because of the nature of Javi’s work as a doula and community advocate, they do not have access to bereavement leave. Javi needs our support to help them take the time to grieve their mother and support their son through this loss. Our help will ensure their community work and business will not be affected financially. Any monetary support will go toward covering Javi’s basic needs, including childcare/summer camp for their son. Taking the financial burden off Javi’s shoulders will allow them to focus on healing and will help them return to the invaluable services they provide for families in Sarnia-Lambton and elsewhere. If you can help financially, please consider sending an e-transfer to [email protected] Support can also be given through gift cards for grocery/delivery or whatever else feels helpful to you.

06/14/2023

Reposted from .doula

When I first heard these criticisms, I have to admit… it stung. It felt like a dismissal of the importance of this work. But I didn't let myself get discouraged.

I've experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate the family regulation system, and how overwhelming and isolating it can feel when you don't have someone in your corner.

That’s why I began offering family preservation doula services in my comunity and the reason why I created this Instagram page - to spread awareness about the work that doulas can do to serve clients impacted by the family regulation system. We are not just here to provide emotional support and hip-squeezes during labor and birth; we can also be a source of strength and guidance for parents who are dealing with the complexities of family policing.

I encourage you to free yourself from the “scope of practice”. Our work as doulas goes far beyond birth and postpartum support.

…..

Want to learn more about the family regulation system and the work I do to support families, join one of my upcoming webinars, link where links usually are.

06/12/2023

Hello folks! This week I am making my e-book "Guide for Birth Partners (hospital edition)" available on a Pay-What-You-Can basis. ($20-$50 CAD)

If you are looking for a super informational resource to add to your client packages and boost the info you offer for partners, definitely check it out.

If you are a parent looking to purchase this for yourself, you can purchase your own copy for $11

Email me at [email protected] to get your copy.

06/06/2023

Last Saturday I had the joy of facilitating my first in-person workshop on "Advanced Birth Support Skills for Doulas" in London! It was such a fulfilling day, and I'm still buzzing with excitement! 🎉

We spent the entire day immersed in knowledge sharing, empowering discussions and case studies. We explored hands-on techniques and “doula interventions” to support birth physiologically that will transform the way these doulas show up in the birth room.

I had the opportunity to meet some rad folks who have been following my work online for a while, as well as some new faces that I was glad to share space with.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who attended the workshop in London. Your openness and enthusiasm made the workshop truly exceptional 🌟 Being in community with you all was uplifting.

If you missed the London workshop, check out these two upcoming dates:

1️⃣ Toronto: August 5, 2023
2️⃣ Virtual (over Zoom): August 27, 2023

Early bird price available at $188 until June 10 (regularly $222)

This is your opportunity to take your birth support skills to the next level and learn what you need to know to radiate confidence in the birth room.

06/06/2023

UPDATED AVAILABILITY:
- Currently open to 1 late September or October due date for a hospital birth at Bluewater Health or Homebirth in Sarnia.
- 2 spots are available during November.
- No availability for September or December due dates.

Experienced with natural/low intervention birth hospital birth, homebirth, waterbirth and VBAC!

My services include prenatal in-home sessions, on-call availability for your birth, postpartum check-ups, and guaranteed backup doula support.

If you are looking for a doula, reach out! I offer free consultations to potential birth clients.

**I'm currently only available for postpartum support for clients who also book me as their birth doula.

05/23/2023

☀️CE Workshop for Birth Doulas 🤰📢

Want to have an opportunity to learn from me directly and gain skills that will have you radiating confidence in the birth room? Then check out this opportunity for Continued Education.

The full-day workshop is price at $222. Payment plans available, just send me a message!

LONDON (June 3) ▶️ The last day to register is May 30!! Details through the link in my bio.

TORONTO & VIRTUAL 💻 ▶️ early registration open now until June 10th for a reduced price of $188. DM me to register.

* Virtual workshop will not be recorded and requires live attendance.

04/25/2023

You all may have notice a change in the content..

The truth is that I am pivoting...
I'm moving away from client work as a full-time job (for now) and learning towards more facilitating, consulting and mentorship.

This is a decision I had made before my mom went into hospice. But her needing me by her side during this time has only affirmed this decision.

I haven't been prioritize what my heart wants to do, but I'm being intentional about changing that.

I have so much to share with you all about what I call "Family Preservation Doula-ing" and what I have been learning through my work supporting parents targetted by the family policing system.
.............................

Have you had interactions with the child welfare system? (Personally or professionally) If so, did you feel you had all the information you needed? Please share below if you feel comfortable doing do. The comments are an open space to unload thoughts, feelings and ideas about this topic.

04/19/2023

🌟 Attention all doulas! 🌟
Let's talk about an important topic that's often overlooked - most doulas are severely under-prepared to step into their role as mandated reporters and need more education to effectively support their clients in the case of a CAS investigation. That’s just the truth.

During my first doula training, I was told to “refer out”, instead of being taught the importance of continuing to support parents during an experience that can be deeply isolating and traumatizing.
As a parent’s rights advocate, family preservation doula, and a parent with experiences engaging with this system… I believe that our support can make a massive difference in the lives of families dealing with the Canadian Child Welfare System.

Since last year, I have facilitated a module with Cornerstone about “Supporting Families Engaging with the Canadian Child Welfare System”. But I'm not stopping there. I'm working on more education for birth workers on how we can best support our clients navigating this system.

Doulas: What would you like to see?
……
And speaking of education, I'm hosting a webinar on May 26 at 8PM EST about "Understanding the Role of Birth Alerts in Canada's Culture of Social Policing". If you're interested in learning more about how the family policing system affects families, this is the webinar for you! It's sliding-scale, and don't worry if you can't attend live - the webinar will be recorded. (Link in Bio) See you at the webinar! 🌟

02/25/2023

Guess who signed up for a training to learn Placenta Encapsulation! 🤩

12/13/2022

Some placenta art to start the week!

I haven't had a placenta printing session for over a month, so I have been experimenting with creating digital illustrations with photos of my clients placentas from past births. (Like the one above 👆)

This upcoming weekend I will be getting to do art again with a real placenta during a webinar. I will create a placenta print and guide attendants through an educational tour of the placenta, while also discussing the importance of encouraging placenta ceremonies in our work with clients. There is still time to sign up!!

And if you are interested in having a digital print made, send me DM✨

12/09/2022

Let's get to know the placenta!!!

Join me to learn more about this amazing organ on a live demo via zoom. I will be creating a placenta art print, answering your questions about this form of birth art, and guiding you through an educational tour of the placenta's parts & functions.

We will be unpacking the disconnect that exists in our Western birth culture around the placenta, and how meaningful it can be to create ceremony to honour it.

The profits from this webinar will be used to kick-start a community initiative of free prenatal lactation classes for parents in Sarnia, Ontario. This was a decision made alongside the mother who donated her placenta for this educational session.

🌞 Saturday December 17 at 12PM EST

This webinar was rescheduled from November to next weekend, so there is still time to sign up. You can register through my bio.

12/06/2022

We don't have equitable access... At all. That's just the reality of it.

A Global News investigation reveals that some abortion clinics in Ontario are struggling to keep their doors open.

12/01/2022

What my should have said...

This year I have really immersed myself in family preservation work and CAS support. I have learned so much from and alongside my clients about navigating the family policing system.

Family preservation is the shift we need!!!!