Meet Nicole - Birth Doula
Many of you most likely know what a Midwife and an OBGYN is, but do you know what a Doula is? We would love to introduce the amazing Nicole Chambers of the Ridge Meadows Doula Services.
Why should every woman have a doula on their birth team during their pregnancy and birth?
Doulas are important to women because their sole purpose is to provide physical, emotional, and informational support during labor and birth without doing anything medical. Your midwife or doctor is there to support you medically, your partner is there to support you emotionally but likely has never seen a birth. To lighten the mood and provide a sense of emotional safety, a doula can explain many scenarios in prenatal visits to ensure you and your partner are feeling secure about birth.
What made you decide to train as a doula?
When I was sifting through the loads of information on pregnancy and birth I realized I needed support and an unbiased eye to find me legitimate stats. Many women fear birth and I wanted a different experience for this very natural part of being a woman.
Where did you go to school?
Being a doula is a job that you can never stop learning about. I first trained at Douglas College in 2012, then with Wise Woman Way of Birth and Hypnobabies in 2015. Additionally I've taken many workshops, trained as a Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator and as a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist.
What is your favourite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is watching women giving birth (any birth), births that they were in control of, births that they made decisions about, and births they felt empowered by.
What would you like pregnant woman to know about you?
When I’m not working as a Doula I am a Children and Youth Counsellor, Parenting Group Facilitator, and Parent-Child Mother Goose Facilitator at a non-profit agency. I am also a Buddy up for Breastfeeding Volunteer with Fraser Health offering breastfeeding phone support for new mothers who may be experiencing breastfeeding challenges. I love to play volleyball, garden, and spend time in nature (isn't Maple Ridge beautiful!)
Check out her awesome company and team on her website! http://ridgemeadowsdoulaservices.com/
We will be doing many fun, interesting, and informitive pregnancy and birth workshops with Nicole and the Ridge Meadows Doula Services team in the near future, so stay tuned!
