Two Doulas

Two Doulas Pregnancy And Parenting For Real Life.

English prenatal classes in Montreal that meld:-In person () and virtual classes -Information and embodied practices-Boo...
03/18/2024

English prenatal classes in Montreal that meld:
-In person () and virtual classes
-Information and embodied practices
-Boosting the confidence of both pregnant folks and partners/labour support
-Inner and outer work
-The science and the sacredness of birth

Next session starts May 23

Join me! And please share widely with the pregnant folks in your lives.

This photo made us laugh so we’ve used it ironically for the last couple of years. If your lavender field isn’t availabl...
09/15/2022

This photo made us laugh so we’ve used it ironically for the last couple of years. If your lavender field isn’t available, take our classes & hire a doula 😝

And then yesterday my lavender essential oil leaked all over my doula bag so I was basically a walking lavender field. Can you get upset as you unpack more and more of your things wet with the calming smell of lavender? (It turns out yes.)

I guess what I am saying is, if you want to work with me, you better like lavender.

Happy to hear tips for washing out lavender smells, one website told me eucalyptus oil but I am not falling down a scent rabbit hole.


Hospital Packing TipMake sure that your partner or support person knows exactly WHERE these two items are packed, better...
09/13/2022

Hospital Packing Tip

Make sure that your partner or support person knows exactly WHERE these two items are packed, better yet have them together and easily accessible:

-diapers for baby
-pads & underwear / disposable underwear for you

Wipes could also be part of this!

There are lots of lists about what to pack out there but less about how to pack. You are going to need these things in the first few hours after your baby joins you and nobody wants to be rifling through bags in a panic.

(Note if you are in Canada, I wouldn't suggest using a packing list from the US, if you are in Montreal, Quebec DM us if you want Two Doulas packing suggestions)


I have always known that birth is important but I never quite knew how much people hold onto their birth and postpartum ...
09/07/2022

I have always known that birth is important but I never quite knew how much people hold onto their birth and postpartum stories.

Until I experienced it myself and started working with families! The magnitude of impact shone through in speaking to grandparents who told me their profound birth stories (unprompted!) with tears of disappointment in their eyes 30+ years later.

The deeper I go into birth story listening the clearer it is:
Your birth story matters and debriefing after your birth is important! The evidence supports this having an impact on lowering trauma symptoms, feelings of self-blame and increasing confidence in future pregnancies.

Birth Story Listening has changed the way I doula and teach prenatal classes. It has opened my eyes to the complexities of our experiences at such a pivotal time and solidified my reasons for being in birth work at all.

If you or someone you know could benefit from having a space to talk through a birth story, check out https://www.twodoulas.ca/services/birth-story-listening and/or pass this along. We have to take better care of mothers and parents after their babies are born and birth story listening is an important piece of that.

I have a lot of early morning and middle of the night moon photos from going to/coming home from births. Even though my ...
05/28/2022

I have a lot of early morning and middle of the night moon photos from going to/coming home from births. Even though my photos never capture it. At all. Not even a bit. I am somehow compelled to take them all the same.

It is astonishingly quiet in the wee hours of the morning, the air is cooler, there is stillness coming from dark houses. After witnessing folks do what seems impossible, after watching new life join a room and leaving families welcoming their little ones, I look up to the sky, admire the moon and then sneak back into my own dark house, trying not to stir my sleeping family and hopeful for a couple of hours of rest before the day begins anew.


My baby, my youngest, my independent, active, determined, sweet cuddler is now five years old. My body cannot even compr...
05/10/2022

My baby, my youngest, my independent, active, determined, sweet cuddler is now five years old. My body cannot even comprehend this.

I (Heather) normally reflect and meditate on his birth while making risotto the day before, just as I did in labour.

But birth had other plans yesterday and I supported a family welcoming a little one of their own.

And birth did her usual thing. She was emotional and raw and surprising and joyful and asked a lot of them.

So today on his actual birthday I am celebrating all of the emotions that come as our little ones are born and as they grow up.

And celebrating my youngest son and the mother he has made me.

I dye my hair (shocking I know, not sure why my children are blonde and not redheads). I do it myself and it's a whole p...
05/06/2022

I dye my hair (shocking I know, not sure why my children are blonde and not redheads). I do it myself and it's a whole process. I'm convinced that one day I'm going to get called to a birth just after the bleach step, which is not a good look.

So far so good. Red is complete, babies come forth.

(Don't worry I'll post the day when it happens. It will be me in a surgical cap showing up just the same. I promise your baby won't mind my bad hair day :P)

As a childbirth educator and doula, some days I'm chatting about the evidence on different topics like what happens when...
04/27/2022

As a childbirth educator and doula, some days I'm chatting about the evidence on different topics like what happens when your water breaks before contractions? What about induction? Or why do we give vitamin K to newborns? These topics are particularly attractive in our modern society, the land of information and numbers. I resonate with that immensely, I did become a mother while doing my PhD in Biology.

Other days I'm guiding people through drawing labyrinths and talking about the uncertainty, discomfort, disorientation *and* immense possibility for growth and transformation within the labyrinth that is pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Getting into another part of our brain is important before labour because as much as we might want to, we can't *think* our way through birth (or parenthood!).

Both of these aspects have a place in preparation for birth and parenthood. And it's fun to see people step outside of their comfort zones.

Some of the changes brought on by the pandemic have ended up being blessings in disguise.At the beginning of teaching ou...
04/25/2022

Some of the changes brought on by the pandemic have ended up being blessings in disguise.

At the beginning of teaching our prenatal classes we taught full day classes. Once the pandemic hit this wasn't possible for us to do virtually so we split them into weekly sessions.

Now I (Heather) think this works better. People are able to absorb the information and it allows time to reflect on what we have talked about. People bring in more questions that have come up for them during the week. Sometimes people even follow up on things happening in their own pregnancies, like bringing in specific questions from their doctor's visit and reporting back on how it went.

A fancy word for this slower integration of information is titration. The scientist in me always disliked doing titrations in the lab, it required patience and a steady hand to slowly add one substance to another. My nature is one of go-go-go, can't I just dump it all in? (The answer is No. Faster is not always better)

Here is a piece. Think it over. What can we do with this piece? And I promise that the other pieces will come, you will have all the pieces in the end but you'll know them better than if I dumped them all on you at the same time. They will stay with you.

Text that says:
It was great to have the classes divided into different chunks over the month. Gave us more time to absorb the multitude of information. - Prenatal class attendee

Before people have babies, there are often furbabies! Generally of the canine and feline sort.I (Heather) had three cats...
04/08/2022

Before people have babies, there are often furbabies! Generally of the canine and feline sort.

I (Heather) had three cats when our first was born and that third cat was *definitely* a product of our fertility journey taking longer than anticipated.

Each of our cats had their own reaction to us bringing home a new human. One didn't even acknowledge our son's existence, another was clearly stressed and the last one was the protector. The protective cat would even give us dirty looks when our son cried, as though we were the ones causing his distress.

It's normal to worry about your pets in the context of becoming parents. And it's a good idea to plan out who is going to care for your pets, both if you are having your baby in a hospital or maison de naissance but *also* in the postpartum time.

This is particularly true for dogs who need exercise for their well-being (and for a smoother running household!). A new rhythm will be found but for those first few weeks think about who can help support your pets.

Here's Nymeria being the silver fox that she is. She was the stressed one but has since adjusted and benefited from extra petting hands.

02/25/2022

We are crying!

Bless for this gem. Honestly, unboxing never had us laugh harder!

Today we wish all of our clients past, present, and future a happy love day. Whether you officially celebrate Valentine’...
02/14/2022

Today we wish all of our clients past, present, and future a happy love day. Whether you officially celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, may your day be filled with the smell of a fuzzy newborn’s head, the embrace of a warm, soft resting spot, the wiggles of your little one growing within, or the supportive presence of a loved one.

It’s a day for warm feelings and delicious things. I hope everyone of you gets a little taste of that.

Address

3792 Boulevard Décarie, Suite 1
Montreal, QC
H4A3J7

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15145526565

Website

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