An Interview With Lindsey @ adora birth + wellness

1. “Describe yourself in 3 words.”

Smiley. Thoughtful. Optimistic.

2. “What do you find most challenging about your job as a Calgary doula?”

I find grieving your unwanted outcomes to be a challenging part of being a doula. I get so heavily invested in your birth wishes that when circumstances change, I take it very personally and question what I [ we ] could have done differently to change the outcome and consider how I would incorporate our learnings into a future birth experience.

3. “What formal training do you have?”

I am a professionally certified CD(DONA) birth doula through DONA International, the world's oldest doula training organization, and trained by Calgary Doula Essentials Birth Doula Trainer Heather Crossan. DONA training requires more than 30 hours of client support education, childbirth education, and breastfeeding education. Certification additionally requires practicum experience, testimonials from real healthcare providers and clients, in depth literature study, and original essays.

Additionally, I am trained as a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST - a car seat technician), and up to date in Adult/Child/Infant First Aid and CPR through the Canadian Red Cross, and a certified practitioner of High Five: Principles of Healthy Childhood Development.

I am a multi-year member of both the Calgary Doula Association and the Doula Association of Alberta, and insured as a doula service provider by ProLink.

4. “How would we decide what pain relief and coping tools might work for me?”

When you are in physically uncomfortable or mentally stressful situations in “regular” life, what kind of comfort measures do you reach for first? When you have a migraine, do you prefer a heating pad, or an ice pack? When work stresses you out, do you sit down with a journal or go for a run? Labor is complicated, we don’t always know how we will react…but at the very least, we can guess that our preferences might be consistent with what we usually like, just on a different magnitude.

If you usually de-stress by taking a hot bath, maybe laboring in the tub or shower would be comforting to you. If you like to diffuse lavender oil and read some thoughtful poetry or recite mantras, maybe that’s where we head first. If you like to go inwards and have no one talk to you, we can try to remove as many external distractions as possible, maybe put on some headphones and an eye mask.

I can’t guarantee that you will like the same things as you usually do…but doesn’t that seem like a reasonable place to start?

5. “Do your packages have any accommodations for emergency or scheduled c-sections? What does that look like?”

Doula service contracts through adora birth + wellness are non-refundable with respect to any fees already paid (as is true of most doulas; this is a standard clause). However, I recognize that throughout our pregnancies, circumstances and needs change.

In the event of a planned or emergency C-section, doula services are still exceptionally valuable. Birth photography can still be offered, and birth support can shift from before birth [ labour ] to early postpartum where required. A C-section ergonomic bassinet is also available for loan at no charge to maximize your abdominal recovery and ease of nighttime newborn care.

6. “What is your birth philosophy?”

What’s YOUR birth philosophy? My philosophy is your philosophy. YOUR birth is no place for MY feelings or choices. I am committed to supporting you under any circumstance to achieve YOUR confident, connected, and strong birth experience.