About Me

Welcome! My name is Dasha and I am deeply passionate about supporting families. For me the parenthood journey began when I was pregnant with my daughter. After wondering for so long what meeting her would be like, I’ll never forget the moment she was born. I truly felt that even after a long and exhausting labour, the entire room was made of love. That’s the best way I can describe it. I hugged my beautiful wrinkly girl and knew right then that my life would never be the same. And how true that was! Then nearly 4 years later I met my son, who was born at home, in water, so powerfully and so fast that even the midwives and paramedics didn’t get there until after! It was the most empowering, beautiful, raw, wild, and happy experience. I can confidently say I loved giving birth that way, and it really helped that I had two doula friends by my side. This is my hope for you – that the birth of your baby fills you with wonder and joy, regardless of how your baby gets there or the way in which the labour unfolds.

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I am really big on being open to all outcomes and I truly believe that birth can feel positive and life changing, whether it is at home or in a hospital setting, whether there are interventions or it is intervention-free, whether it is very short or quite long. Having given birth both at home and in a hospital, I have come to believe that it is in our power to have a beautiful birth by deciding to have one and being open to the process. I believe that everyone deserves a fantastic birth, despite the fears we sometimes encounter. Even more importantly, I view birth as a rite of passage, and a part of a much bigger path – the path of parenthood. My job is to create a sense of comfort for you, to really go there with you. I want you to feel like you can ask me anything and have a calm warm presence helping you navigate this transition. I am there to answer 4 am calls about the mucous plug and baby poops (yes, I said it!), and to also take care of you, as you learn how to take care of your little.

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Of course, it isn’t only about the birth. The road of parenthood, from pre-pregnancy all the way to those early postpartum months and beyond is not a simple one. There will be hills and valleys, many phases and opportunities to learn and adjust - this I’ve learned both with my own children and with the families I’ve gotten to support. When I first started out as a doula I focused mainly on birth support, with some postpartum visits for my clients. It wasn’t until a few years into my practice (and having two little children in a pandemic!) that I fully came to realize just how much I wanted to support families in the postpartum period as well. How exciting and yet raw and exhausting this time can be, and what a life-changing difference it can make to have that one person with whom you can be honest about how you are doing. Who is going to understand deeply, be kind, gentle, and compassionate, provide practical help, and really support you in the way that is best for you.

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​​In my time as a doula I have supported over 200 families in their journey to parenthood: from first to eighth time parents, within a wide age range, various versions of family structures, navigating pregnancy after loss, medically complex pregnancies, and all kinds of unique backgrounds and circumstances. With every family, I have learned something new, and my heart has grown bigger. Truly, there is nothing else like this work and it powers me up to think of families birthing and growing in a safe, calm, supported environment, seen, heard, and celebrated.

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In addition to being a doula, I have been a Registered Yoga Teacher since 2014, and hold a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts. I try to balance different skills and training in order to provide the most well rounded and custom support: for one family this might mean exploring guided meditations and visualization, for another it might be making birth art together to prepare or process past trauma, and yet for another family it will be simply being another pair of hands as they adjust to life with a newborn or a new child. While I continue to learn and attend different workshops, my best tools have always been and continue to be my presence/voice to gently guide, my hands to physically support you and rock your baby or help at home, and my ears to hear and understand.

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One of my offers is that of family photography, from maternity, to birth, to newborn time and family portraits. I have found that birth photography in particular can play an important role in keeping some of the most treasured memories, re-experiencing one’s birth in a positive light, and feeling proud when looking back at the images. It is such a joy for me to capture these fleeting moments.

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When I am not teaching or attending births, I spend a lot of time chasing my kids out at local parks, reading, writing, watching TV shows and movies, cooking, and hunting down new ice cream flavours.

 

Education/Training/Certifications:

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Certified Labour & Birth Doula, Doula Canada

Labour & Birth Doula, Douglas College/Sharron Gibbs, Shelley Gray

Certified Stillbirthday (SBD) Birth & Bereavement Doula

Birth Arts International Postpartum Doula Certification

Birth Arts Childbirth Educator (CBE) Certification

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PRYT – Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training, 85 Hr, Semperviva/Teresa Campbell

Restorative Yoga and Restorative Therapeutics Teacher Training, 85 Hr, Semperviva/Tianne Allan

RYT 200 – Registered Yoga Teacher 200 Hr Training, Semperviva

BFA, Film and Visual Art, Simon Fraser University

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Workshops/Continuing Education:

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Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding Support & Knowledge, Doula Canada

Holistic Practices & Knowledge, Doula Canada

Birth Trauma Support, Doula Canada/Jillian Hand

Down There for Doulas - Pelvic Floor + Diastasis Recti Knowledge Training, Kim Vopni, Doula Services Association

Trauma Based Care for Doulas and Midwives, Heidi Koss, Heather DeVries, Community Birth Program

Indigenous Cultural Safety for Birth Workers, Transform(N)ations, FRAFCA

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Community Support and Involvement:

 

Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher, multiple studios

Formerly on the Board of Directors at the Doula Services Association of British Columbia

Formerly Birth Doula as part of the doula collective at Community Birth Program (CBP) and Maxxine Wright