Katherine and her first born, Sara, in Whistler 2015. Katherine was six months pregnant with her second daughter, Kaya.
I believe that childbirth is a normal, beautiful, sacred part of life.
I believe that connecting with your intuition allows for a more gentle and grounded path to parenthood.
I believe in mother-led, family-centred childbirth.
Katherine and her fourth baby, Cora, on the Sunshine Coast December 2021.
Childbirth is the ultimate teacher.
Through the birth of my own four babies, on-going study, and witnessing the sacred work of birthing women, I continue to deepen my capacity as a guide and mirror for others. I am a lifelong student of the mystery and wonder of the feminine rites of passage: our own birth, menarche, childbirth, and menopause.
The moment I received the tangible confirmation, those two lines on my first pregnancy test, I became fascinated with all things pregnancy and natural childbirth. The birth of my first daughter taught me (and my husband) that childbirth is not a medical event. I am so grateful I experienced a positive, empowering hospital birth, however I did learn that I didn’t need the hospital!
My husband and I went on to recieve three more babies together at home. Two of these births were with midwives present and one was a planned unassisted home birth. I know deep within my bones what undisturbed birth can be - the transformative power and ecstasy of birthing in complete peace and sovereignty.
In my 19+ years as a mother I have moved through many rebirths, healings, and challenges. These experiences have helped deepen my teachings and my devotion to continue learning about the magic and wisdom of our wombs.
I am honoured to walk alongside other women as they traverse their own profound rites of passage along the childbearing continuum. Beyond mothering my four babies, this is my calling and my life’s work.
FAQ
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I live near Burnaby Mountain with my family. My husband, José and I have been in love for over 23 years. Together we are raising three daughters and one son. We also share our home and hearts with Olive, our sweet kitten.
Some fun facts about me:
I love walking in the woods, taking daring cold dips in the ocean, spontaneous dance parties with my kids, and nourishing my body with yoga.
I have given birth at ages 21, 32, 34 and 38. I absolutely loved each pregnancy and the memories of birthing my babies are of my most cherished.
I enjoy cooking yummy food for my family, big belly laughs, and drinking my coffee while its still warm.
If you look at my nightstand you will likely find crystals, a journal, and two or more books that I have on the go.
Please book a connection call and tell me about yourself. I want to get to know YOU! :)
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I became a mama over 19 years ago. I had an empowering, positive experience giving birth to my first daughter. I give a lot of credit to the information that I learned in that pregnancy. We had hired a doula for birth education - the seed was planted. I vowed that I would educate others on what is possible.
Yoga became a part of my life before my youngest three were born. Deepening my connection to my intuition and developing my mind/body awareness were all keys in finding my way from hospital birth to homebirth to freebirth.
I took a Yoga Teacher Training before I took any doula courses. I had the intention of helping mamas-to-be and new mothers help regulate their nervous system, navigate balancing their body, and release discomfort. I knew this training would enrich my clients’ experience. It also offered me a strong foundation of practices and tools to personally navigate the energetic and physical demands of an 24/7 on call lifestyle while mothering four humans.
I am also passionate about supporting breastfeeding and caring for parents during the early postpartum time. I have studied, taken multiple trainings, and have a lot of experience supporting my clients’ journeys. Personally, I nursed all four of my own babies and even tandem fed my middle babies, however each journey was unique and I had my own set of struggles to overcome.
Childbirth is a such a physical and energetic experience and I desired more ways to offer care, beyond yoga and meditation. In 2019 and early 2020, I added reiki energy healing and reflexology to my offerings to deepen my capacity for supporting women during their childbearing years and beyond.
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Yes. I currently work in both the home and hospital setting. I have experience supporting planned surgical births, emergency surgical births, hospital births with and without an epidural, VBACs, and homebirths.
I do believe that for most healthy, low-risk women and babies, birthing at home is the easiest, safest way to give birth. That being said, I did have my first baby at the hospital and don’t have any regrets.
At the end of the day, I trust mothers. You know your body and your baby best!
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Yes, the services I offer for the perinatal period are:
full-spectrum birth support
postpartum care
reiki
reflexology
in-home and online yoga / meditation sessions
breastfeeding education and support
private and group childbirth education classes
mother blessings and closing ceremonies
I also host in-person women’s circles and pregnancy retreats in the Lower Mainland, BC.
FOrmal Training & RElated COurses:
240-hour Yoga Teacher Training & Certification - Vancouver School of Yoga (now VSOHA) - January 2015
15-hour Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training - Lori Lucas - July 2016
Breastfeeding Knowledge & Support - Doula Canada - March 2017
Birth Doula Training - Doula Canada - May 2017 [Doula Canada is the official Douglas College Birth Doula training partner.]
Complicated Birth & Support - Doula Canada - April 2018
Miscarriage for Doulas - Jessica Austin - October 2018
Fertility Literacy for Doulas - Jessica Austin - October 2018
Birth Doula Training & Certification - Wise Woman Way of Birth - November 2018
Informed Choice for Doulas - Jessica Austin - November 2018
Holistic Practices & Knowledge - Doula Canada - March 2019
Miscarriage & Abortion for Doulas - Jessica Austin - April 2019
Fertility Specialist & Fertility Yoga Training - Bebo Mia - May 2019
Hypno-Doula Training - Hypnobabies - July 2019
Usui Reiki Level I and Usui Reiki Level II - By The Moon - January 2020
Holistic Doula Program - The Matrona - November 2020
Holistic Reproductive Practitioner Certification - By The Moon - In progress
“The best decision we made during our pregnancy was to work with Katherine! We’re a couple that like to be informed and Katherine has a wealth of information on all things pre- and postpartum. This was especially valuable to us during delivery when we had already discussed any issues that came to the fore. Katherines kindness and positive energy throughout our journey is something we will always remember, cherish, and be grateful for. ***5 Stars***”
