Doulas of Vancouver

Debra cared for our newborn allowing us to get a few moments of rest during those overwhelming first weeks and perhaps more importantly was able to help build our confidence as new parents with her wealth of experience and knowledge. I also enjoyed her no-nonsense attitude, caring, fun conversation and most of all, the way she interacted with our baby. Childcare never seemed like a burden for her, she truly enjoyed spending time rocking, talking, and singing to our son. We are so grateful to have had Debra's support during these first few weeks of parenthood and highly recommend her postpartum services.

Liza was such a joy to work with! I chose Liza over other Doulas because when I first met with her, I loved how down to earth she was. She has a very calming presence and I knew I would need that during the birth of our son. Also, she teaches prenatal yoga and I started going to her yoga classes, which were wonderful! During labor, I was in labor land" so I don't remember much. But I do remember her whispering encouragement to me and holding onto my hips to ease the pain. She worked in tandem with my partner and I felt supported throughout the entire labor and birth. After the birth

When I was looking for a doula at first I was focused on finding support for our birthing time. I was so happy we had her early in pregnancy as she not only gently helped us to identify what type of experience we are looking for but also gently navigated through the whole pregnancy. Debra was an amazing resource and support all the way from pregnancy to postpartum (and beyond).We wanted someone with lots of experience and natural approach to pregnancy and birth and we found all of it in Debra. Our baby boy was an unstable lie that brought us some uncertainty as to the way the baby could be born. Debra’s support meant a lot to us in the most vulnerable days of pregnancy. She encouraged us to follow the baby and accept whatever experience was ahead of us. She was generous in sharing her experience and knowledge yet always encouraged us to trust our instincts and intuition. She helped us cope through an unexpected transfer to hospital. I truly believe that Debra’s assistance and encouragement helped me thrive with breastfeeding as well.

Like anything, there are levels of experience and expertise. For such an important and meaningful life event, I'd overwhelmingly encourage everyone to take advantage of the best - and that means Doulas of Vancouver!Debra's birthing preparation and post-care classes were nothing short of amazing. Incredible teacher, highly supportive, and created a safe space to learn, share, and grow. We went in thinking taking 'a class' just made sense to do, but she had such a positive impact on us, she quite literally changed our lives.Jen was equally incredible as our Doula for the birth itself. Before, during, and after the big day, we felt constantly supported, and we're amazed by her knowledge, contributions, and honest kindness. She took us through our entire birth with care, expertise, and thoughtful action and support. You can never fully prepare for every labour scenario, but with Jen we had a real-time partner that helped us achieve the ideal more than we could have ever imagined.We would recommend both Debra and Jen to everyone!

As we prepared for the arrival of our first baby my wife asked if we could look into getting a doula. After exploring a few options of various doulas in Vancouver, we reached out to Debra, as my wife felt that she was the best fit.It was my wife's desire to have a unmedicated home birth. I was admittedly a bit nervous about this, as at that time, I knew very little about birth and the correct conditions for a safe and healthy home birth. In the sessions leading up to the birth- Debra did a phenomenal job explaining the process of a homebirth, the ongoing assessments that take place during the birth, and the conditions under which a move to the hospital might be considered. I benefited from Debra's wealth of knowledge and experience from the moment I met her till two months after our baby's birth.For my wife, Debra was both a reliable and available support person whenever she had any questions. My wife was able to have the homebirth she so desired for the following reasons: she was and is strong and determined; because the baby was health and in a good position; and because Debra provided the perfect support and knowledge before during and after the birth. Debra's consistent and expert care revealed her years of dedication to helping mothers achieve their desired birth experience.Since the birth of our beautiful baby girl, I have never missed the opportunity to tell anyone how beneficial having a doula was to our overall birth experience. I now believe that one of the best ways a partner can support a mother in her birth experience is by partnering with a doula. Debra, if she is available, would by my highest recommendation to you.

Liza was great, very easygoing and easy to talk to. She made us feel very supported as first time parents, going into pregnancy, birth and parenting for the first time. She was fantastic during the birth, taking initiative to make decisions when I couldn't, supporting when we would have been otherwise lost during early labour, and reassuring me when I needed it most during delivery. She also came to check on us after and we've had an on-going dialogue for the months after which has been really nice and supportive. Would definitely recommend Liza!

Meeting Jen and Debra was the best thing that happened to us during our pregnancy. We worked with Jen as our doula and we attended Debra’s breastfeeding classes and baby prep course.We learned a lot from them. They have enormous knowledge and amazing experience about pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding and babies.Thanks to them we changed our birthing plan and ended up having a lovely and calm home birth. I went from being a nervous and hospital ready" mommy-to-be to an  informed and confident mom who knows exactly what she wants to achieve with this amazing life changing experience.We can't thank them enough for their advice and support to make this decision. Thanks to Debra’s classes we were well informed about what to expect

We hired Debra as a doula and it made the world of difference when it came time to my labour and delivery! I wanted a home birth and being a first time mom wanted someone with a lot of wisdom and experience- Debra had exactly that and more. My labour was a very long and challenging one spanning over two days. Debra was there as soon as I said I needed her and pulled out every tool in her kit to help with pain management (I had very bad back pain during my contractions). Thanks to her advocacy and suggestions I was able to get some relief with morphine the first night and sterile water injections the second night. She worked tirelessly along with my husband and sister to help support me both physically and mentally throughout my labour. I largely contribute her presence to helping stay the course and getting the water birth I wanted. If you are looking for someone to help support you in having a physiologic birth and to prepare you to ride with the unexpected, Debra is that person. Not only that, any question you have during pregnancy and postpartum, Debra knows (or will find) the answer and will provide you with the research to back it!

We had the opportunity to work with all of these wonderful ladies throughout my pregnancy and postpartum. Liza's prenatal yoga got me moving and preparing for labour. Amanda's pre and post natal acupuncture helped get some much needed time out, her impromptu massages for aching muscles were so much appreciated too. Jen was booked to be our doula and was so supportive, providing books to read and a helping prepare for the birth we wanted at home. Unfortunately a family emergency prevented her from being at the birth but Debra graciously stepped in and helped tremendously through the last long stretch. We also attended Debra's childbirth prep classes which were an amazing preparation for having a physiologic birth. Debra also assisted us with some postpartum care and guided us new parents in the first few weeks while adjusting to the lifechanging experience of having a child.I would encourage anyone considering this team to support you on your journey alongside your midwives not to hesitate. Their combined knowledge and experience supported and empowered us to have a safe and wonderful birth experience.

EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE! 10/10 Cannot recommend ALL their services enough! Our doula Jen was BEYOND outstanding, the birth-prep course through Debra was ESSENTIAL, & Amanda's acupuncture SAVED me (no exaggeration, got me mobile again after each of 2 bad bouts debilitating sciatic nerve pain in my 3rd trimester).My partner and I were contemplating a home water birth, but were unsure and overwhelmed by the information online. I highly recommend Debra's course to everyone I speak to who is seeking one. It was perfectly constructed to offer deep insight across the board regarding pregnancy, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, partnership etc., via ample medical resources, studies, videos, and facts which helped us thoroughly inform our decision to opt for one -- and we are deeply grateful we did!! [Debra even provided prep material before each class, summary notes from each session, in addition to some extra resources as well -- which I really enjoyed pouring over and saved them all.]I really did not desire a standard, over-medicalized experience for my first birth and cannot emphasize enough how infinitely valuable it was to be able to labor on my own terms within the comfort of our home with the loving, constructive support of my amazing partner, doula, and midwife--it was truly heavenly. No interruptions or pressure, just in our own world on our own schedule --- as this immensely special event should be! [Ambiance and atmosphere are key to an optimal birth experience and we had created a deeply nourishing, positive, calm, serene vibe. The hospital was on stand by if the occasion occurred that we needed to transfer and that was all the external reassurance I needed.]Birthing at home is very safe and, in essence, preferable. If we expand our family I will 1000% do another home water birth; I'm completely empowered by my birth experience and confidently armed with the facts this course provided.Debra does such a wonderful job with her birth prep class--she is such a wealth of knowledge and experience! We did ours via Zoom, (because, pandemic) which honestly, while heavily pregnant I preferred as it was most convenient to be home with 0 commute, refreshments, and the restroom at hand. We even organically forged friendships with our classmates that we foresee being long term as well -- such a lovely bonus!Debra also helped me through my breastfeeding journey and was integral to my success. I had undergone corrective nipple surgery in my 20's, was experiencing severe pain while feeding and was doubtful about the sustainability of it even though I really wanted to continue. Between Debra and Jen's tips, tricks, guidance (and Earth Mama nipple butter + a prescribed compound steroid cream) I did it! I'm still going strong at 6 months with no end in sight, striving for 1 year.Doula's of Vancouver is providing an essential series of services, they are professional experts in their respective fields with lovely bedside manner; cannot recommend them enough, you will be in excellent hands here. Thank You Jen, Debra, and Amanda for EVERYTHING you did in helping us usher Zayden Earth-side May 28th, 2022--continue doing such beautiful important work, you're assets to the community and society at large. We Love You Ladies! xo