Doulas in Pleasant Hill, Oregon (Lane County)

Doula comes from a Greek word meaning “woman who serves”. I serve as a support, companion, and guide to women and their partners through the birth process. I come alongside the partner and mother, and help partners find their own best way of supporting the mother. I am not a replacement for the partner in any way; I free the partner to operate in the role they already most naturally fill as the person who knows mom best, without having to be the expert about birth. Working together with the nurses, doctor or midwife, and partner, I provide physical support in the form of massage, counter pressure, comfort measures, and am a continuous and calming presence. I also provide encouragement and perspective, and help families navigate their options as choices are presented by their midwife or doctor.
In my 6-week Birth Informed childbirth education course we address the physiological and hormonal processes of labor, explore and equip mothers with coping skills, and provide information about common interventions as well as decision-making tools for when things don’t quite go as planned. This class is for those planning a hospital, home, or birth center birth, medicated or un-medicated, with a doctor or a midwife.... See More

After spending so much time watching birth videos, seeing babies come into the world gently with care and support made me consider how different things could be. Sometimes I imagine a world where parents and children have their needs met, and are surrounded by encouraging and supportive care givers. I believe that the way this crucial time is supported can significantly impact the lives of the parent and child and, by extension, our communities and world.

I personally suffered some trauma around my son's pregnancy, birth and his infancy. If I had the support of a doula, I would have had a better chance at breastfeeding and a lower risk of interventions. Learning more about the racial disparities in maternal health made me want to do what I can to improve the trends in the Black and Indigenous maternal health crisis.

I am Kanienkeha:ka/Mohawk on my dad side and am learning more about our teachings regarding pregnancy and birth. We are taught to value life givers and honor the sacred time. My mother is from Iraq and she has been a great support in my journey to answer the call to do this work.

Spending growing food and medicine, learning my language and holding babies are some of my favorite past times.

I would be honored to assist in your journey!... See More