Doula Essentials

01/10/2026

On January 9th, we honor the birthday of one of DONA International’s founders, Dr. John Kennell (1922-2013).🙏🏽

Long before the word “doula” existed, women supported one another through pregnancy, birth, bonding, and breastfeeding. Dr. Kennell helped bring recognition and research to that support, giving language and evidence to what families had always known: presence matters.

A pediatrician and researcher, Dr. Kennell is widely remembered for the quote:

�“If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it.”

His work showed that continuous labor support leads to calmer births and better outcomes for mothers and babies. As the doula field continues to grow and adapt, remembering how this work began helps shape how doulas show up today.💪🏽

We remember Dr. Kennell for helping ensure that no one labors alone, and for shaping the foundation of modern doula care.💜

01/10/2026

📚🐾 New Club Alert!

We are so excited to announce that our Reading Buddies, for ages 8-11, will begin next Friday, January 16th! This club blends literacy with compassion 💕. Children gain fluency and self-assurance in a completely judgment-free space, learn how calm voices and respectful behaviour support animal wellbeing, and explore CHS’s mission through hands-on, animal-themed activities 🐶!

Reading Buddies takes place on Friday evenings from 5:00–7:00 pm, giving kids a cozy, end-of-week activity they can look forward to 🤩! Register today:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/reading-buddies-winter-club-ages-8-11-tickets-1975000604975?aff=oddtdtcreator

12/31/2025

I love you, Mom. Always grateful.❤️

12/22/2025

Run, don’t walk 🏃‍♀️

12/15/2025

Happy first night of Hanukkah to all of our friends who celebrate!

12/07/2025

Today, we remember the fourteen young women whose lives were stolen at Polytechnique Montréal 36 years ago.

Their names are a solemn reminder of the devastating toll of gender-based violence — and the responsibility that comes with our remembrance.

My statement: https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2025/12/06/statement-prime-minister-carney-national-day-remembrance-and-action

11/24/2025

Important Reminder

RSV season is here. Little lungs are fragile—please, no kisses unless they’re your own child. Boundaries save lives.

11/02/2025

When Dr. Katie Hinde began studying breast milk, most scientists treated it as simple nutrition.
Calories, proteins, fat nothing more.
She looked closer and saw a language.
Katie discovered that milk changes depending on the baby’s needs.
A mother nursing a son produces milk richer in energy.
A mother nursing a daughter creates milk with more immune cells.
If a baby falls ill, the milk’s composition shifts within hours, an invisible conversation between
body and child.
Her research revealed something profound:
Breast milk is not a passive food. It’s a biological message system.
Dr. Hinde’s work redefined maternal science and exposed how modern medicine overlooked
women’s biology for centuries.
While labs raced to map the human genome, almost no one had studied the most ancient form
of nourishment — a mother’s milk.
Today, her discoveries are reshaping how hospitals, pediatricians, and policymakers understand
infant health.
As she often says, “Every drop tells a story between generations.”
Dr. Katie Hinde didn’t just study milk.
She decoded the conversation that built humanity itself.

10/13/2025

May your days be filled with reasons to be grateful.

09/30/2025

Every single Indigenous Person on Turtle Island has been impacted by the legacy and trauma of the Indian Residential School System.

Walk gently and humbly today as you learn what we had to endure.

🧡

09/26/2025

The core of everything

🌌💫 Someone else’s light doesn’t dim your own — it simply shows how much room there is in the universe for all of us to shine. Applauding other people’s wins takes nothing away from yours; in fact, it expands your energy. When you celebrate others with genuine joy, you attract more abundance, more love, and more opportunities into your own life.

Jealousy shrinks the spirit, but gratitude and support multiply it. Your journey is unique, your timing is divine, and no one else’s success can ever replace what’s meant for you. So clap loudly, cheer genuinely, and let others’ victories inspire you — because one day, those same voices will echo back to celebrate your own. 🌟🙌

09/24/2025

The American College of Nurse-Midwives affirms acetaminophen, also commonly known as Tylenol, remains a safe and effective option for relieving pain and reducing fever during pregnancy when used as directed. Ongoing research and expert reviews continue to support its appropriate use, and pregnant individuals can feel confident using it in consultation with their midwife or other healthcare provider.