Who's Your Doula? Get to know Samantha

This week (March 22-28) we celebrate World Doula Week. I figured this would be a great time to launch the Blog section of my website and to have the inaugural post be about me, your doula.

Let's start it off with some fun(ny) info:
1. I am very particular with numbers. My babies had to be born on even years (2012 and 2014), the radio volume has to be in even, or divisible by 5, levels. If eating cereal that is round, I need to eat two at a time and get uncomfortable with there is one left over. 
2. I have a fear of baby corn.
3. My son has the most beautiful hair color and people ask me all the time if I dye it. He is 3 years old. I tell them that I do and I enjoy the shocked faces. (I don't)
4. I actually enjoy eating airplane food. I know. Crazy. 
5. I was part of the 4th Trimester Body Project























Now some more doula related info:
1.  How did you become a doula?
My path into becoming a doula started about a year after the birth of my first son. I had never heard of a doula prior to pregnancy and when I did towards the end of my pregnancy, I had the total wrong idea of what a doula was. I thought I wasn't hippy enough to have a doula - heck my birth plan consisted of one word "epidural". I thought doulas were just for women wanting home births and no meds, not for me. Boy was I wrong.

I ended up not having a doula for my birth and although all ended up okay, my birth became highly medical and intervention filled. I am not saying this isn't okay, because it is. The problem is, I went into it blindly. I made choices with no information. 

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"If you don't know your options, you don't have any." 
Diana Korte and Roberta Scarer

Upon reflection, I knew there was something missing in my birth and the more I learnt about doulas, the more I realised what was missing was a doula. 

I have always loved supporting people. I have a natural need to care and to nurture. I remember when my grandfather was on his final days, I loved caring for him. People used to tell me I should become a nurse but I knew I didn't want to be responsible for medical decisions and I used to think to myself, "what kind of job can I have where my job is making people feel safe and cared for?" Well I found it. 

During my second pregnancy, I became engrossed in birth information. I couldn't stop reading, always wanting to learn more. Everytime something about a doula would come up, I would think to myself how much I wish I could be one. Then I realised that I could be one! So, 7 months pregnant, I trained with DONA International and became a doula. 

2.  What is your favorite part of being a doula?
Oh my. There is a ton of favourites that it is pretty hard to choose. If I had to it would have to be a tie between seeing mama going through transition and doubting that she can do it then watching her conquer it and birth her baby (SO POWERFUL!) and the look on dad (or her partner's) face as baby is placed on mom's chest. The look of "Oh my Gosh. She just did that! She is a goddess!" Those are pretty amazing. And newborn cuddles - that will never get old.

3. What do you do when you aren't doula-ing?
Aside from being a mama to my awesome twosome and wife to my lovely husband, I am also a production coordinator for an online inbound marketing company. I am in charge of managing every project that comes into the agency and with coordinating with our clients. I am also in charge of baking my famous lemon bars, as per client requests :) And I have a boss who is cool with my crazy birth love.

4. What is something that people may be surprised about you?
Well the number 1 thing people seem to be shocked about is the fact that I am Filipino. No, I do not visually look Filipino, but i promise I am! My mom being a British blonde haired blue eyed beauty has a lot to do with why I don't look Filipino :) But I was born in Manila, Philippines and raised in the island paradise of Cebu :)

Unfortunately, I am not fluent in Filipino or my dialect, Visayan. I studied in an international school where only English was spoken and my family also only spoke in English. I do, however, have no problems understanding the languages. I am just shy to speak.

I moved to Canada in 2007, to marry my highschool sweetheart.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a bit about me. Want to know more to see if I am the right doula for you? Schedule your complementary consultation today!